The Phantom turned from the pages of his Don Juan Triumphant with a sigh, his eyes falling again on the curious brown parchment that had mysteriously appeared in his lair overnight. Erik was unnerved by the unannounced intrusion into his sanctuary (had they navigated the catacombs?), and the quiet confidence of the small note he had found attached to the thin Oriental paper. "Your attention to this is required --The New Management".

It would be fair to say that the Paris Opera House had grown busier since its purchase by that Shenzhen electronics conglomerate. Christine Daae had been whisked away to Hong Kong for a series of television adverts, while the first mandarin-only version of Roi de Lahore was set to debut next month. Mandarin training for the entire staff had begun, something which now apparently extended to Erik himself. There was truly no place to hide: he had better get started.

HSK Tip #4812: Mandarin is the language of the 21st century, whatever your profession.