The Fall of the American Empire

Pierre-Paul Daoust, despite holding a PhD in philosophy, finds himself working as a delivery man to make ends meet, convinced that his intellect might be too great to lead him to success. One day, while making a delivery in the bustling city of Montreal, he unexpectedly becomes a witness to a robbery that culminates in a deadly shootout. As the chaos unfolds, he spots two gym bags overflowing with millions of dollars in cash left unguarded on the ground. In a rush, he seizes the opportunity, grabs the bags, and pushes them into his delivery truck just moments before the police arrive to question him as a bystander.

After the police dismiss him, Pierre-Paul takes the daring step of renting a storage locker to securely stash the bags and most of the cash, keeping a portion hidden within his apartment. As he grapples with the dilemma of handling such a massive sum, he learns through the news that biker Sylvain “The Brain” Bigras is being released from prison. Intrigued by the fact that Bigras had pursued a Bachelor in Finance while incarcerated, Pierre-Paul decides to make contact and seeks his expertise on financial matters.

When they finally meet, Bigras demands paperwork to review Pierre-Paul’s financial dealings, only for Pierre-Paul to reveal the shocking truth: he possesses only bags of stolen cash. Bigras quickly deduces that the money was likely taken from the notorious West End Gang, which had been utilizing a store owned by banker Vladimir François to keep its funds. François orchestrated the heist in the belief that he deserved a larger cut, while his bodyguard’s unintentional presence triggered the fatal shootout. As the gang members relentlessly pursue their lost money, they resort to torturing gang member Jacmel for information.

Amidst the turmoil, Pierre-Paul turns to the internet in search of an escort, leading him to Camille Lafontaine, who entices him using an alias inspired by Socratic philosophy. When Lafontaine leaves his apartment, she crosses paths with police officers Pete La Bauve and Carla McDuff, who are there to question Pierre-Paul. Recognizing her as a high-profile escort, they begin to probe into Pierre-Paul’s means to afford her services.

Bigras cautions Pierre-Paul against pursuing Lafontaine, but Pierre-Paul insists that he has a valid “alibi”, claiming she is merely a friend. However, Lafontaine is skeptical of Bigras, fearing he will abscond with the money. In a twist of fate, upon discovering that their storage locker is mysteriously empty, they realize that Bigras has relocated the cash to his own home to keep it safe. The situation escalates further when Pierre-Paul learns of Jacmel’s torture and, ignoring Bigras’ warnings, insists on providing Jacmel with protection.

Simultaneously, the West End Gang holds Vladimir accountable for the missing funds, resulting in a hit being put out on him. Through Lafontaine’s connections, Pierre-Paul eventually meets Wilbrod Taschereau, a specialist in tax evasion, discussed alongside Bigras, as they concoct a plan to create a phony children’s charity to launder the stolen money into Switzerland.

Transitions in the story lead to the money being distributed while Taschereau’s clients transfer their funds overseas and into Pierre-Paul’s possession. Meanwhile, La Bauve and McDuff begin to realize that a deal is in the making but are unable to intervene due to the lack of available officers since many are occupied with responding to a student protest. Things take a turn when they manage to arrest Taschereau for soliciting a minor.

The pursuit becomes more tangled as La Bauve and McDuff trail Pierre-Paul and Lafontaine to The Street, a charitable initiative supporting the homeless in Montreal. In a surprising twist, instead of apprehending them, the officers join as volunteers alongside Pierre-Paul and Lafontaine, where discussions arise surrounding social issues, income inequality, and thoughts on potential revolution.

Last Updated: November 08, 2024 at 16:27