The heavy iron bolt slid into its stone groove with a sharp click, sealing the front entrance of The Gilded Lily against the damp chill of Ministry Lane. Han Ping stood alone in the shadowy main hall, letting the fake panic drain completely from his face as he replaced it with cold, calculated intent. The enforcers from the Silk Road Chamber had given him forty eight hours to surrender his property, but they had fundamentally misjudged the man behind the counter. He walked past the overturned chairs toward the private backroom, sliding open the wool padded acoustic door to activate his intelligence network.
Within ten minutes of the lock clicking, a low knock rapped against the discreet side exit that opened directly into the drainage alley behind the Ministry of Works. Han Ping unlatched
