Young English aristocrat Gregory Kent is wrongfully wanted for embezzlement, but unable to prove his innocence he flees to China.  There fear prevents his seeking out Nadine Howells, the girl he loves, who with her father is staying with oil magnate Richard Brand.  When papers proving Kent's innocence arrive from England, Brand, who has been courting Nadine, makes a deal with Ronald Foo, owner of a notorious waterfront den, to steal them.

Unaware of the contents, Kent offers to steal the documents if Foo will free Onoto, a Chinese girl about to be sold into slavery.  Onoto, who has grown to love Kent, discovers the nature of the papers.  Realizing that she may lose him, she switches the contents, replacing a blank paper for the pardon.

When Kent discovers that he has stolen his own ticket to freedom, he recovers from Foo what he believes to be his pardon and goes to Brand's house to prove his innocence to Nadine's father.  The envelope he presents to Major Howells contains only blank paper.  Onoto arrives, and seeing the futility of her love for Kent, she hands the authentic papers over to Nadine.