Colonel Watson and Colonel de Angelis are American military officers dispatched to China at the end of the Second World War - Watson is more street-smart than de Angelis, and has taken the effort to learn a little Chinese so that he can meet people and haggle with street vendors. De Angelis, however, dislikes his companion without really knowing why. As the two men head towards Executive Headquarters in rickshas, he stops listening to the Watson's chatter and thinks about why he does not like the younger man. In his youth, de Angelis had a captain named Rassmussen, a man who would never make it past that rank for the rest of his career. In those days, he had seen his own trajectory open out before him, and had subtly mocked Rassmussen for his 'failure' - it strikes him now that he dislikes Watson because the same thing is happening to him now. Watson and de Angelis are both colonels, but Watson is younger and has his whole life before him. This realisation makes de Angelis bitter, but he puts it out of his mind as the coolies drop them off at their destination. Since de Angelis does not speak the language, he asks Watson how much they should pay the coolies. Watson names the amount, but it is evidently too less because the coolie shouts at de Angelis loudly and relentlessly. In a fit of anger, the Colonel strikes the man with his stick. This burst of violence is instantly regretted, and he offers to pay three times the original amount. By this time, Watson, still laughing, has entered the Headquarters, and de Angelis is acutely aware that he has been played for a fool.