[Jake's POV]
The counting room in the basement of the Jade Palace was a sterile, brightly lit bunker. No windows. The walls were white tile and the floor was polished concrete that reflected the overhead LEDs like ice. It lacked the heavy, humid atmosphere of the Golden Koi's back rooms. No smell of sweat or cheap tobacco. Here it was ozone and cold metal, and the relentless hum of high-end currency counters that never stopped.
The air was too cold. The AC vent above rattled softly. Cold air poured down and raised goosebumps along my arms. It smelled like dust and electronics. My breath felt thin. The tile walls echoed every sound back at us, making the room feel smaller than it was.
I stood near the reinforced steel door, arms crossed. The door was thick and painted gray, with a keypad that beeped softly every time someone pressed it. Watching as Ethan unzipped the third canvas duffel bag of the morning.
The zipper sounded loud. Teeth separating. It echoed off the tile.
