A tale of adventure, intrigue, and romance. The story of "Jimmy Boy" highlights the rise and fall of a man destined for success but doomed to fail. His racist attitude towards Chinese gold miners is overshadowed by his intense hatred of Jimmy Boy, the young man who steals his daughter's heart. Jimmy Boy rises from a poor nobody, a fortune-seeker, who leaves his native Shanghai in search of the yellow metal in colonial Australia. Jimmy Boy faces many obstacles in his young life. His family is murdered, and he is destitute until rescued by James O'Brien, later to become his enemy, as he seeks to win the girl he loves. But Jimmy does not leave Shanghai behind. His English teacher follows him to Australia to capture his heart.