"Right this way, sir." The middle-aged man set down his newspaper and rose with a shrewd smile, leading Green to a luxurious room on the second floor.
But once they were inside and the door was shut, he pressed something on a wardrobe beside it.
With a creak, the wardrobe slid aside, revealing an opening that led underground.
Green peered inside, then glanced at the middle-aged man. He said nothing and made no move to descend. His meaning was clear: the man would go first and lead the way.
The man might belong to the Anomalies Bureau, but Green had only just arrived. He trusted no one.
The middle-aged man grinned. "Sir, my job is only to bring you this far. Whether you go down is up to you. It's got nothing to do with—"
Before he could finish, Green pulled out his Enchanted Pistol and pressed it against his head. Green moved so fast that the man had no time to react. Meeting Green's cold, emotionless gaze, he felt as though he had fallen into an ice cellar. If he kept talking, this man would pull the trigger and blow his brains out without hesitation.
"All right, all right. I'll lead the way." The middle-aged man gave in at once. He had spent more than ten years undercover in the Eastern Bastion without incident and was about to be transferred back to headquarters in Stinnals. He had no wish to be shot in the head by one of his own.
Acting as if he did not care, the middle-aged man stepped into the hidden passage first. Green followed him down the stairs. They descended roughly five stories, more than ten meters underground, before a lit archway appeared at the foot of the stairs. Beyond it lay a spacious Underground