The reception area reminded one of a not-bad hotel lobby, except that it 
had no restaurant or bar; none of the clients wanted to see or be seen by any 
other. The desk was staffed by concierges whose job was to get the clients out 
of view as quickly as possible, and they did it so well that an uninitiated 
passerby might get the impression that Madame Ping's was some kind of a walk-in 
kidnapping operation.