Vincent, a 20-year old geology student from Paris, goes to French Guyana to do an internship at a gold mining company. Taken under the wing of local gold lord Antoine Serra, Vincent quickly falls into the much more lucrative - and more dangerous - world of gold trafficking.

Stuck in Saint Elias, a remote village reachable only by dugout canoe, Vincent feels isolated and cut out of the adventure. Serra keeps him reeled in by telling him about a local legend: a mythic gold mine called Sarah Bernhardt. Vincent tries to convince Louis they need his "engineering" expertise, but Serra's right-hand-man would rather get rid of the young Parisian for good. He rebels and violence breaks out all round. Clara Quintero, a Brazilian crime lord and Serra's biggest rival, is looking to take over their budding camp by force.

Vincent, Serra, Louis and the gold miners arrive at the camp. The prospectors doggedly dig through the mud, but only find a smattering of gold nuggets.

In the hot, humid depths of the Guyanese forest, gold finally begins to pour out. Guilt-ridden over the accident, Vincent works like a madman.

After an armed battle, two young Brazilians named Tomasinho and Carmen take control of the camp. A terrorized Vincent does his best to save his skin.

With the complicity of Silva and help from Claudio, Serra takes back his mine. Vincent and Serra go to Brazil to see Clara Quintero and her mother, hoping to make a truce and strike a deal. As Serra gets pummeled, Vincent drinks tea with the Quinteros and works out a deal with them. A deal that traps both Nathalie and Waki, but one they can't refuse..

In Saint Elias, Vincent has moved in with Anita, even though Serra labeled her a prostitute and damned the couple.