Lin Mo walked down the wide marble staircase from the mezzanine, his leather shoes clicking evenly against the polished stone. Chu Lingxiao, Su Wan, and Shen Qiaoqiao followed close behind. At the rear, Tie Niu’s massive frame blocked the hallway exit, preventing anyone from sneaking out into the main mall concourse.
At the far end of the lower hallway stood the heavy stainless-steel vault door. Madame Vivian was desperately punching a digital security code into the keypad with shaking, sweating fingers. Beside her, Director Bernard stood with his back pressed firmly against the steel panel, panting like a cornered animal.
“Step away from this vault!” Bernard shouted, waving his arms frantically in the air. “This storage area contains high-security private commissions! The three Starlight Swan Haute Couture Gowns are strictly reserved for the young ladies of the Ouyang and Song families! Even if you have cash, you have no legal authority to view them!”
Madame Vivian nodded vigorously, her voice shrill with desperate panic. “Yes! Those three gowns took two full years of hand embroidery! They are museum-grade national treasures! They are not for sale to uncivilized corporate upstarts from Jiangcheng!”
Lin Mo stopped five paces away, hands tucked comfortably into his overcoat pockets.
