What is the main conflict in Pao: A Novel by Kerry Young?

This historically-based novel is the story of Pao, a Chinese immigrant to Jamaica who, after taking over his mentor's organized crime syndicate and struggling for decades to achieve and maintain a position of status, comes to realize that there are other forms of status that are more important. As Pao comes to a place of redemption for his career-long personal and professional misdemeanors, the narrative also explores themes related to the nature of oppression and the relationship between the inner and outer life.