"1996: Hong Kong, British Crown Colony. Jewel of Asia, she is the queen of commerce, a vibrant city where the art of the deal is centuries old, where men can make fortunes in minutes and anything (or anyone) can be had for a price." "1997: Hong Kong, China. No longer a prize of British colonialism, Hong Kong will enter a new realm of history as China reclaims what she sees as her most wayward child. No one knows what this change will bring. Will this become a new era of peace and prosperity for the city, uniting the people with a common goal and vision, all working for the glory of China?" "Or will this mean the destruction of Hong Kong's way of life, a withdrawal of all the liberties enjoyed by the island's residents by a mainland government that views all trade as state secrets and the press as an enemy of the People's Republic?" "Change can bring joy - but more often it brings fear. Among the varied individuals confronting this historic change: Brandon Poole: One of Hong Kong's richest industrialists, he is a British aristocrat whose family helped colonize the city and whose love for it will keep him there...perhaps long past the time of safety. Lacy Locke: A New York investment banker who comes to Hong Kong to make her mark and winds up with much more than she ever bargained for. Claude Van Hooten: A Dutch businessman hungry for success, whose dreams have drawn him to this city and whose love for one woman may doom them both. Moia Hsu: A beautiful Chinese intellectual with ties to Beijing, whose love for Van Hooten and her country are tearing her apart. These four people - and all the teeming masses of this wondrous place - will face the destiny of Hong Kong together. And the question all will seek the answer to is...Will the dragon destroy its most precious treasure?"--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved