Simon Young is a businessman.
The three-book series about Simon Young is really a saga, on the order in magnitude of James Clavell's Tai-Pan. Espionage definitely plays a pivotal role and the international intrigue is there in abundance. The main theme behind the dramas is the machinations of Simon Young and his son, and later his daughter, as they strive to keep what is their family's in the ever-changing political landscape of Hong Kong, nearing return to Chinese control.
Simon Young, married to a beautiful Oriental woman named Linny, is CEO of Ducannon Young, a conglomerate of several enterprises, including a large software business and a construction company. Based in Hong Kong, he is well aware that in a decade, the British control would end. The long-term question for Young is how his company would fare under the Chinese regime, if at all.
In the meantime, ten years can be a long time to fight to survive and Young was determined to make that happen, not just for himself but for his ancestors and his descendants.
The intrigue that occurs between the British, who are leaving, and the Chinese, who are eagerly anticipating control, is constantly present in all actions the Young's take. Other than just walking away with nothing, a financial suicide, they have to not only play politics as they always would, they have to work the back channels to keep vital information fresh and accurate. Also in mix are Americans and Soviets, trying to either keep on top of the situation or to broker deals that may be nationally beneficial as well as personally rewarding.