▁in ▁Hong ▁Kong , ▁and ▁the ▁question ▁ar ises ▁as ▁to ▁whether ▁she ▁is ▁truly ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁CE O ▁of ▁Par - Con ▁or ▁merely ▁sed uc ing ▁Bart lett ▁into ▁taking ▁Gor nt ' s ▁side ▁against ▁the ▁No ble ▁House . ▁Bart lett ' s ▁growing ▁attachment ▁to ▁Or landa ▁causes ▁a ▁great ▁deal ▁of ▁t ension ▁between ▁himself ▁and ▁Case y ▁but ▁he ▁continues ▁to ▁be ▁completely ▁drawn ▁to ▁her ▁in ▁spite ▁of ▁any ▁im min ent ▁danger . ▁Peter ▁Mar low e ▁- ▁a ▁former ▁Royal ▁Air ▁Force ▁officer ▁and ▁pilot ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁before ▁he ▁was ▁taken ▁prisoner ▁and ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁Ch ang i ▁Pr ison , ▁then ▁a ▁Japanese ▁prisoner - of - war ▁camp . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁second ▁main ▁character ▁in ▁King ▁Rat . ▁Mar low e ▁is ▁the ▁fict ional ▁counter part ▁of ▁the ▁book ' s ▁author , ▁James ▁C lav ell . ▁He ▁is ▁visit ing ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁with ▁his ▁wife , ▁Fle ur , ▁to ▁research ▁and ▁write ▁a ▁novel ▁about ▁Hong ▁Kong ' s ▁history . ▁ ▁Writing ▁C lav ell ' s ▁first ▁novel , ▁King ▁Rat ▁( 1 9 6 2 ), ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁Singapore . ▁His ▁second ▁novel , ▁Tai - Pan ▁( 1 9 6 6 ), ▁is ▁set ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 0 s ▁Hong ▁Kong . ▁After ▁visit ing ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁to ▁research ▁Tai - Pan ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3