Remo Williams, the human superweapon, is hired by the White House to smash an oriental conspiracy that might lead to a US-Red China confrontation!
The President of the United States sat in the large soft chair, his shoeless feet resting on a green hassock before him, his eyes riveted on predawn Washington.
His closest advisor was summing up in his professional manner: "It would not do to minimize what has happened. The dead man was, after all, a personal emissary from the Premier. But the Premier's visit to this country is still on. For one thing, the emissary was not poisoned over American territory".
"The people who poisoned him, who could they have been? We have absolutely no clues from our intelligence. The Russians? Taiwan? Who? And I don't want history, Professor, I want information. Hard today information on how the Chinese security system could be breached.
"That is unavailable as yet". "All right, damnit, then I've decided". The advisor looked up querulously. "Yes?" "That's it, I can't tell you anymore."
Then he was alone, as every leader of every nation had always been when the difficiult decisions had to be made. He lifted the receiver of a phone he had used only once since he had been inaugurated. The President said: "Hello. Sorry to wake you. I need his services..it is a grave crisis..I want to talk to him..tell him to stand by for immediate service..understand, it's just an alert. Not a commitment."
But Remo Williams knew otherwise. Alert. Commitment. Hell-with him in the picture it was past the point of no return. It was them or us!
Remo is poisoned, and for the first time we see how his body rejects the vile stuff (sweats it out.)
Remo realizes that Chiun is serious about the "kill Remo on demand" clause in the contract - a point that turns up over and over in future volumes. Remo is ticked - Chiun can't understand why. A contract is a contract.
We discover that the Sword Of Sinanju has been missing (and that there even IS a sword), and that China has had it for many, many moons. Chiun recovers it, in the mean time saving the life of the Premier of China.
Troughout most of the book, Remo and Chiun must babysit a female Chinese National. Chiun and her form an instant, deep, bond. Pure hatred. Now all Remo has to do is keep her alive.