Struan is angry after receiving a message from his banker
The banker has announced that they will only pay 6 pence per pound, instead of the usual rate, due to a sudden withdrawal of funds
Struan and his son, Culum, travel by boat to the China Cloud
Struan plans to send Culum to Macao
Struan is worried about a possible storm and the safety of his ships
Struan is also concerned about the loss of 10,200 pounds of opium on the Scarlet Cloud, which was lost in a storm or possibly taken by pirates
Struan and Culum board the China Cloud and Struan gives orders for the ship to sail to Macao
Robb is visiting the captain of a ship and discussing the state of business with him
Culum arrives with important dispatches and mentions seeing the Cinq flag
Robb and the captain discuss the possibility of a war between China and England
Robb goes to see Struan, who is discussing a possible war with the captain of another ship
Struan mentions that the company will not trade with the Russians
Struan's mistress, May-May, arrives and tells him about a woman named Shevaun who is trying to seduce him
Struan and May-May argue about the matter
Struan and Longstaff discuss their business in China
Struan is angry with Longstaff for making agreements with the Chinese that he believes are disadvantageous to their company, the Noble House
Struan believes that Longstaff's actions will lead to the loss of Hong Kong to the Chinese and will weaken the company's position in China
Longstaff believes that the agreements he made will benefit the company and that Struan's concerns are unfounded
Struan is also concerned about a man named Ramsey, who is a deserter from the Royal Navy and may be on board one of their ships
Glessing, a captain in the Royal Navy, has offered to help them find Ramsey
Struan and Longstaff discuss the complexity of dealing with various factions in China, including Chinese officials, merchants, missionaries, the Royal Navy, the army, and different Chinese groups such as mandarins and Manchus
Struan and Longstaff argue about the trade of opium and the role of the East India Company in the opium trade
Struan accuses Longstaff of betraying their company and making secret deals with the Chinese
Longstaff denies the accusations and suggests that Struan is paranoid and obsessed with the opium trade
Struan threatens to expose Longstaff's actions to the Parliament and the East India Company
Struan and Longstaff agree to disagree and end the conversation on a tense note