Archibald Stones was born in 1883 in Baton Rouge to a family of former planters. He studied economics and, though an average student, eventually graduated from college with a degree. For years, he scraped by by starting numerous businesses, all of which went bankrupt. In 1929, an acquaintance of his parents offered him a low-level bureaucratic position in Shanghai. Ambitious and steeped in racism, Archibald jumped at the opportunity, thinking he could finally climb the ladder on the backs of a population he considered fundamentally inferior. However, he quickly became disillusioned, stuck in a position with no responsibilities or opportunities for promotion. It was in 1931 that he turned to corruption for the first time by “misplacing” a compromising file on one of his superiors in exchange for a promotion. Since then, he has climbed the ranks through bribes and favors done for various people, eventually landing a key position in the city’s logistics and trade management.
He is a man of average intelligence and almost no charisma.