"Always boils down to who you know, doesn't it?" Yerbol said with a small smile, adding rather quickly:
"Not to say that you don't have the skills to succeed, but I've become aware in my twelve years working in the intelligence community that connections are a very worthwhile investment to have." He shifted in his seat slightly as he continued:
"You know, I always wanted to go into the CIA." He chuckled.
"I romanticized a bit, thought it was the ultimate crime fighting operation that I could join to the change the world. My path, however, didn't lend itself very much to intelligence." There was a pause, a clearing of the throat. He took another sip of his cocktail, swallowing harder than usual.
"My apologies. This is...a bit of a sore spot for me." Yet he was going to tell her anyway, in the spirit of partnership. Having had a partner for a while in Interpol, he knew that divulging intimate details(not TOO intimate) helped the other person feel trusted, thereby boosting their willingness to invest trust in the other. It was a rather beneficial cycle that had to be instigated by someone in the pair. Might as well be him. 
"I was born in the States, but flitted around between Hong Kong, Taiwan and the States. My father was a suit warehouse owner. A traditional Asian economist." A chuckle.
"We moved around a lot, but finally settled in Chinatown when I was twelve and my sister, Jiang, was five. Three years later, my father passed, leaving me to take care of my sister. I felt overwhelmed, burdened. We had an aunt in Conneticut who took us in and I finished my education up there. By then, I was chafing underneath an aunt who thought I needed to follow in my father's foosteps and take over the business and I just...well, there were other reasons, but I wound up in a Marine recruiting office. The recruiter convinced me that I could make a difference in the world. I did not need to rely on bloodlines or money...all I needed was my self determination. I signed up that day and..." He looked down, a slight laugh escaping his throat.
"Forgive me. I feel like I'm giving a confessional more than a biographical sketch." Yerbol paused briefly before asking:
"Why did you instantly take the CIA job? Surely there were other agencies or paths you could have taken."