Robert Pendleton is a chemical genius with a fertilizer worth a fortune to whoever controls the formula--and everyone wants to control, from the CIA to the Chinese government to the local bank. So when Pendleton disappears from a conference in San Francisco, along with his research, grad student turned P.I. Neal Carey enters the picture. He thinks this assignment will be a no-brainer--until he meets the beguiling Li Lan and touches off a deadly game...