Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 26 Sniping Spot

Zhou Yi clicked into the seller's page, confirmed that the seller's reputation was decent, and casually typed:
Are there any tickets left?

Three minutes later, the other party replied.

"Yes, how many do you want?"

"One copy, can you get it this afternoon?"

"Okay, let's meet at the coconut stall next to the entrance of St. Joaquin Market at two o'clock."

"no problem."

Just as Zhou Yi shut down his computer, there was a light knock on the door behind him.

He turned his head and saw Gina standing outside, her hair a little messy, clearly having just woken up.

"You've gotten up just in time. I'm going out in a bit, and I need you to help me change my appearance."

"What's wrong?" Gina frowned, her voice hoarse from waking up.

"Go buy tickets, to get closer to Rodriguez."

Gina paused for a moment, then fully regained her senses.

"Should we proceed according to the original plan?"

"Why not?" Zhou Yi shrugged. "Do you have a better option?"

"Alright, let's begin."

The two went downstairs and pushed open the bathroom door in the corner.

The cabinet on the wall contained what they needed—a friendly gift from the kidnappers, of course.

Zhou Yi stood in front of the sink and looked up at herself in the mirror.

Side profile.

The wanted poster only shows a side profile, so the focus of the disguise is not to completely change one's appearance.

Gina took out a bottle of hair dye spray, covered Zhou Yi's forehead, and carefully sprayed it on his hair several times.

A chemical smell permeated the air.

The mixture of alcohol and dye quickly adhered to the hair strands, turning the original black hair into dark brown.

"do not move."

She took a half step back, squinted, and checked the effect.

I touched up the hair at the temples and roots several more times to ensure a natural color transition without any jarring color differences.

Zhou Yi picked up a pair of thin-rimmed non-prescription glasses, put them on, and turned to Gina: "How is it?"

"I still feel like it's missing something."

Gina examined him for a moment, then picked up a dark foundation and contouring cream, and used her fingertips to blend it on his face, subtly adjusting the bone structure.

When she finally finished, Zhou Yi looked at herself in the mirror again.

The Asian features were weakened, and the recognizability was instantly reduced.

At that moment, Gina handed over a loose-fitting white long-sleeved shirt.

It's washed a bit whitish, looks cheap, but it's not too noticeable.

It's the kind of style that won't get a second glance when you walk down the street.

Zhou Yi took the clothes and put them on, then casually rolled up her sleeves: "I'm still missing a hat."

"Don't wear a hat, it doesn't suit your current look."

Gina paused, then continued, "Besides, the fact that you're wearing a hat in the wanted poster actually makes things more likely to go wrong."

Zhou Yi shrugged, straightened his clothes, gave Gina a few words of advice, and then left the villa.

He drove the pickup truck parked in the yard and arrived at the transaction location without any obstacles.

A thin young man with slightly long hair was squatting next to the stall, wearing sunglasses, and fiddling with his phone.

Seeing Zhou Yi walking towards him, he quickly stood up, supporting himself on his knees: "Are you John 8357?"

"It's me. We agreed to meet here this morning."

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Yi pulled out a few crumpled banknotes from his pocket, counted them carefully several times, and handed them over with a pained expression. The young man grinned, revealing his slightly crooked teeth.

He rubbed the edge of the banknote with his fingers before taking the ticket out of his pocket: "Rodriguez is worth the price, brother, you definitely won't regret it."

Taking the item from the young man, Zhou Yi revealed a hint of excitement and said proudly, "Of course, this is the future governor, right?"

Upon hearing this, the young man laughed and patted him on the shoulder: "That's a smart guy! Remember not to be late, or you won't get a good seat."

The two chatted for a few more minutes before parting ways.

Zhou Yi glanced down at his watch and realized it was still early.

Anyway, the theater is quite close to here, only a ten-minute walk away. Why not go there now to check it out in advance, familiarize yourself with the venue and surrounding environment, so as to avoid having to figure it out on the day itself?

After making up his mind, he walked south along Rue de Tonellero.

The afternoon sun shone through the tall palm trees on both sides of the street, casting its rays onto the bluestone-paved sidewalk.

Turning the corner, a modernist building suddenly came into view.

With its simple and smooth lines and strong geometric beauty, the huge glass curtain wall casts dappled light and shadow, like ripples on water.

A large crowd had gathered in the square directly in front of us, bustling about.

Zhou Yi stepped forward to inquire and learned that a jazz performance was to be held there in twenty minutes.

His gaze swept over the patrol car parked not far away. After thinking for a moment, he decided to try his luck at the ticket window.

Perhaps the chase a few days ago had exhausted all his bad luck, because Zhou Yi managed to buy the last concert ticket just before the performance started.

After a quick security check, I followed the line through the hall to the audience area.

The arched dome stands tall, with a deep red velvet curtain hanging down.

Before the performance officially started, Zhou Yi casually found a seat in the back row and began to study the interior structure of the theater.

The VIP rooms on the second floor offer a wide view, but due to their location, they also lack privacy.

The lighting control area directly above is quite nice, connecting to the suspended corridor; the structure is sturdy and suitable for movement.

Just then, the curtain rose, and the lights in the center of the stage flickered.

The musicians took the stage one by one, and the deep sound of the saxophone slowly filled the air.

Zhou Yi waited a few minutes to make sure everyone's attention was focused on the performance before getting up and leaving, walking down the corridor to the backstage area.

There was no one outside, and no surveillance cameras were installed.

At the entrance, a large door with a sign that reads "No entry for non-staff members" was locked.

Zhou Yi bent down to examine it and discovered that it was just a simple, embedded mechanical lock.

He took a paperclip out of his pocket, adjusted the angle, and inserted it into the lock cylinder.

Gently twist for about ten seconds—click.

The door lock is unlocked.

There were still no cameras in the backstage corridor, and dim lighting reflected on the gray-white walls.

The stairs are at the end.

Zhou Yi quietly climbed up, grabbed the railing, climbed over the last beam, and leaped onto the platform of the lighting control layer.

The lighting rigs hang silently high up, with various dimming devices, filters, and wiring trays fixed to the black steel beams.

After taking a few steps forward and looking around to make sure no one else was around, Zhou Yi adjusted his posture, bent his knees, and silently said in his mind, "Retrieve the sniper rifle."

The next second, the TAC-50 appeared out of thin air, its cold barrel pressed against my palm.

Music drifted from below, flowing between intoxication and revelry, like a dream.

Zhou Yi adjusted his grip, pulled back the bolt, the metal firing pin slid across the barrel, pushed the bullet, and reset the barrel with a barely audible mechanical click.

The fifty-year-old bassist stood on the left side of the stage, his fingertips caressing the strings, his bass voice deep and resonant, like the surging tides of the night.

With the butt of the rifle resting against his shoulder, Zhou Yi slowed his breathing and locked onto the target inch by inch through the sights.

On stage, the lights intertwined, casting long, slanted shadows that swayed with the melody.

Without a doubt, a perfect sniping spot.

(End of this chapter)