Vincent Connor is the CEO of Connor Enterprises.
That name of the company is one I gave it, not one that Connor would have used because Connor makes it a major point to not call any attention to the size and extent of his businesses. The fact that he was the only heir to his father's thriving operations in China in the late 1920's is no mystery, nor is the fact that most who know of him know he is extremely wealthy. But Connor has been very good at keeping a secret of the fact that in the few years since his father's passing, young Connor has not only consolidated these endeavors, he has amassed an even greater number.
What the people, both the Chinese and ex-pats living in that country, see is a young man who has amounted to very little and who obviously aspires to nothing except pleasure. To them though "he had inherited great business interests extending over half China, he played polo and enjoyed life in a non-serious manner. Nobody, in fact, took Vincent Connor very seriously, among his social acquaintances". Connor wasted his time, they felt, riding horses for polo, betting on horses in races, and swilling drink after drink at the Tientsin Club where he is a steady fixture. "You inherited a mint of money, business interests extending over half China, and more or less good looks. All you have to do is sign checks, play polo, race your ponies, and let your tailor tell you the latest in London styles. Pretty soft, boy, pretty soft!" one fellow tells him.
Connor, in truth, spends most of his time fighting not to have a good time or even to increase his wealth but to protect the country that he loves so much, China, from the ravages of intrusion by other nations; French control of Indochina, British control of Hong Kong and Burma, Japanese control of the Manchuria region, and American interest of all sorts in all area. And then there is the ever-growing threat of internal anarchy on the one hand and communism on the other. Warlords rule most of the many, many regions of China even though a weak and ineffective government in (then) Peking claims otherwise.
"To this indefinable cause of justice, of aiding the oppressed, he flung his weight of wealth and connections, his personal abilities, his knowledge of China and its people. Not the least of his aids was his own reputation; the last person to be suspected of such things was the coxcomb and dandy, the young spendthrift from college who had inherited the Connor fortunes." Connor shows over and over he is not afraid to put his money where his mouth is, nor to shy from personal danger.
A master of disguise, Connor at one point goes undercover as a Chinese businessman with "his nostrils widened and lips thickened by cotton pads, his black hair coarsened with grease, his sunburned features and hands yellowed by a saffron infusion, his European garments cunningly tailored to give an air of awkwardness". He is well versed in hand-to-hand combat and is a fairly good shot. He is also a licensed pilot.
Connor joins his own intellect, which is considerable, his Yale business training, and the keen and welcome advice of Chang, his father's business partner and still a major player in Connor's businesses. He also has a network of intelligence gathers providing him with information from all over the country.