an ▁Gor nt . ▁Robert ▁Arm strong ▁- ▁Arm strong ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁police ▁inspect or ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong . ▁Because ▁of ▁his ▁skill ▁and ▁intelligence , ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁Special ▁Int elligence , ▁a ▁branch ▁concerned ▁with ▁counter - esp ion age . ▁Phill ip ▁Chen ▁- ▁a ▁director ▁and ▁fourth ▁compr ad ore ▁of ▁Str uan ' s , ▁and ▁a ▁desc endant ▁of ▁the ▁company ' s ▁founder ▁D irk ▁Str uan , ▁and ▁second ▁compr ad ore , ▁Gordon ▁Chen . ▁His ▁full ▁name ▁is ▁Phill ip ▁T ' Ch ung ▁Sh eng ▁Chen . ▁ ▁Roger ▁C ros se ▁- ▁Senior ▁Super int endent , ▁director ▁of ▁Special ▁Int elligence , ▁meaning ▁he ▁is ▁the ▁senior ▁British ▁intelligence ▁officer ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong . ▁C ros se ▁is ▁secret ly ▁trad ing ▁secre ts ▁with ▁Soviet ▁agents ▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and , ▁throughout ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁secret ▁commun ist ▁and ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁a ▁K GB ▁plan ▁code ▁named ▁" Se vr in " ▁to ▁sub vert ▁both ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and ▁China . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁book , ▁it ▁is ▁imp lied ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁a ▁double , ▁or ▁perhaps ▁even ▁triple ▁agent ▁and ▁that ▁Se vr in ▁is , ▁in ▁fact , ▁an ▁M I 6 ▁plot ▁to ▁dece ive ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁. ▁ ▁Brian ▁K w ok ▁- ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁police ▁Super int endent , ▁working ▁in ▁Special ▁Int elligence . ▁He ▁is ▁being ▁gro