Chin-Ling is an experienced climber having climbed Mt. Everest and was also the first man to scale the face of K2. He is flown to the States to train Steve Austin in climbing a mountain in the Himalayas which has wreckage of a USAF DC-3 that was piloted by Steve's father, Captain Carl Austin. The plane carrying secret papers from Chinese Nationalists intended for the Russian government. was brought down by enemy fire during World War II, close to the Chinese border where Chin-Ling lives. Over the target area, they parachute down, but, on landing, are immediately confronted by a local tribe of men on horseback. Chin-Ling informs Steve that, as a white man, Steve is considered by the tribe to be of value and that they intend to sell him to the Chinese. However, their intention is to kill Chi