Passing through the dark corridors and going up the white marble stairs, the escalators are carved with vine patterns, which are reminiscent of the dense patterns in the arched dome of Notre Dame de Paris. The ladies’ white silk gloves are on the smooth and shiny escalators. Sliding it on, there is no trace of dust, only the smooth feel is transmitted to the skin through the thin gloves, making people feel happy from the bottom of their hearts. It seems that the orchestral notes have already begun to touch the skin before entering the hall of the opera house. It begins to flow like water, carrying people's souls up to higher, higher heavens.
The top of the stairs is both the exit and the entrance. A thick black curtain blocks the door that is double enough for five people to enter side by side. When the waiters on both sides see the flow of people coming in, they use the silver-plated authority in their hands to part the curtain, revealing The huge and wide space at the back.
As soon as the distinguished guests walked through the door, they immediately entered the vast hall. Golden light poured in from all directions. The dull air in the crowded crowd was swept away, and their breaths were filled with magnificent luxury and splendor.
Four crimson columns stand tall in the four directions of the opera house. The arc-shaped dome is reminiscent of the temples of the gods in Nordic mythology. The murals praise the great achievements of the gods. One after another, chandeliers illuminate every inch of the building. The corners were all illuminated in a gorgeous golden color, and everyone's face looked like a modern girl covered in glossy gold powder, looking graceful and luxurious.
The floor of the stage was paved with a thick cashmere blanket dyed red, and the scarlet curtain was pulled to block the view. Then more than two thousand seats filled most of the theater, and the crowds poured in in an orderly manner like a black wave. Amidst the hustle and sound of the waves, the aisles arranged between the seats were divided in an orderly manner. Each seat had a brass sign. People holding invitations found their corresponding seats and sat down with their heads raised. Looking forward to the drama that is about to take place behind the scenes.
After entering the opera house with the flow of people, Wan Boqian first observed the overall terrain and the existing emergency exits. Anyone with a strong sense of anti-detection would figure out the layout before entering an unfamiliar closed environment and stipulate the best way to evacuate in the event of an accident. From her point of view, the opera house extends in all directions. There are no less than five fire exits, and there are dozens of large and small entrances and exits... This is both good news and bad news. The good news is that once it is necessary to retreat, They won't worry about having no way back, and the bad news is that it won't be easy if they try to catch someone.
Wan Boqian looked at Lin Nian to exchange information to confirm whether the plan remained unchanged, but suddenly found that the other party was staring at several corners of the stage with a thoughtful expression on his face... Little did he know that before she planned her retreat During the route, the boy was already thinking about the control route.
...In fact, this reminds me of an allusion. It is said that a famous general in China devoted his life to the military. He did not know how to drink and sing, and ignored the romance. When passing through France, he should have gone to the Eiffel Tower to commemorate it, but the general went straight to the Normandy battlefield site to study environment.
It is said that the general's wife was a socialite from the south of the Yangtze River. After she was well and prosperous in China, she once dragged the general to a commercial street for shopping. While walking on the street, the general holding her arm suddenly raised his finger and said: "This cafe must be good. "
The lady was very surprised, thinking that now that the country was finally at peace and the people were at peace, the general could take off his military uniform and live a good life, so she was moved and asked him why, but unexpectedly the general said, "If I put a few machine guns in this cafe, I can block the entire street." "
...Probably what Lin Nian is thinking about right now is where to place the machine guns on the stage, so that they can control the whole place without blind spots. Then the three of them will pull up their stockings and cover their faces like forest heroes. , you can perfectly control the stage by jumping to your position on the stage and roaring. Anyone who dares to stand up from his seat will be immediately attacked. No matter how many escape channels there are, it is useless. As for this mission, it did not bring the most important thing. The problem with prop machine guns - in the hands of Time Zero and Setsuna users, even a single-shot pistol can give you the effect of a machine gun.
Behind them, Chu Zihang and Shao Yifeng entered the opera house hall and did not follow the crowd and enter the seats. Instead, they avoided the corner and silently observed the surroundings. Among the four of them, only Shao was the one who seriously showed his invitation letter. There is one person for each peak, so naturally the seat in the opera house is reserved for only him.
In fact, they didn't care whether there were seats for them. The entire theater could accommodate more than 2,000 people. The actual number of people arriving at this dinner was estimated to be less than one-tenth of the total number of seats. No matter what, there would be leftovers. There are many seats available, so it is better to wait until most people are seated and then choose a place with fewer people to sit.
There are many people who have the same plan as them. They stand in a deserted corner and wait quietly for the crowd to enter. Probably because they don’t want to be crowded with people, they squeeze out the wrinkles in their makeup or custom-made suits... .In this way, the four people standing in the corner without moving and looking around did not look like criminals who were preparing to rob the opera house.
"Many people brought boxes." Wan Boqian said.
"Notice." As many people entered the venue, Lin Nian gradually discovered that many of the visitors did not come empty-handed. While carrying their female companions, they also carried large or small portable password boxes in their hands. Judging from the weight, I don't know what's inside.
"It seems that there is often no body search, not even the most common metal detector. It seems that the organizer has a lot of experience in order management." Lin Nian touched his sleeves. The electromagnetic pulse prepared for them by the equipment department was Saved, now it can only be used as a miniature electromagnetic grenade.
"There hasn't been any trouble after driving it so many times. I'm afraid you have something to gain, right?" Wan Boqian's eyes kept moving to various 'strategic positions' of the opera house. As expected, the shadows in the corners were the easiest to be caught. Tall and strong figures are hidden in places that people ignore, silently watching the entire opera house like stone statues.
"Ten... no, fifteen." Lin Nian reported the answer just as Wan Boqian was about to speak. He changed his answer midway because his eyes fell on the VIP room on the second floor of the Opera House. There also seemed to be several 'security' figures hidden in the corridor on the second floor. "There may be more, but these are the only ones that can be found so far."
"There are too many 'targets' detected by Bloodline Jie Luo at once...I can't distinguish them accurately!" Wan Boqian rubbed her temples with some annoyance. In her perception, the realm of speech and spirit enveloped Throughout the entire opera house, the light spots representing hybrids were like shining stars falling on the flashy tray of the opera house, interfering with each other... The most effective way to detect the spirit of speech was actually unable to function at this moment. Too big an effect.
"Don't be in a hurry, take your time." Lin Young comforted him in a comforting voice. His eyes did not go to the large crowds in the opera house, but to the VIP room on the second floor where no one had yet sat down... He had a hunch that the real protagonist would definitely not appear just like that. The finale of the show would always be accompanied by golden rain and rolling thunder. Once he appeared on the stage, he would attract the attention of thousands of people!
Shao Yifeng, who was next to Chu Zihang, was also looking around the theater for something, muttering in a voice that he could only hear: "Where have you gone...Senior sister."
In the opera house, within a short while, many people were sparsely seated in the front row. Everyone maintained a certain social distance, but when encountering pleasant greetings, they sat closer and handed each other business cards.
At this moment, behind the huge scarlet curtain on the stage, there was suddenly a shrill sound of a violin, and the sound came from the sound facilities of the opera house. The noise in the entire opera house suddenly fell silent, and many people were shocked. Yidai raised his hands to cover his ears and looked around, only to be met with countless faces that were equally at a loss as his own.
Except for Lin Nian, Wan Boqian, Chu Zihang and even Shao Yifeng couldn't help but cover their ears, but the sharp sound of the violin came so quickly, like a bullet, it penetrated them before everyone could react. eardrums, making people feel an inexplicable sadness.
The theater fell silent for a moment, as if the rolling waves had been cut by a knife, completely killing the manic sound of the waves. Everyone looked quietly ahead at the heavy curtain that had not yet been opened.
Someone was playing the harp on the stage, and the clear and clean sound of the harp came from behind the scarlet curtain. It was so tiny, without using any amplification equipment, and its beautiful melody could only be heard when everyone was really quiet. Echoing it are the deep cello and recorder, playing the world-famous tune that everyone knows is widely circulated.
"Swan Lake?" someone whispered in the seats of the opera house.
The strings were so gentle and beautiful. Yes, this was indeed the prelude to "Swan Lake". They heard it right. There was someone behind the scarlet curtain...no, there was an orchestra playing Tchaikovsky's Swan. The lake is smooth and stretched, elegant and generous. It seems that under the hazy moonlight, a group of elegant white swans turned into beautiful girls and swam ashore, dancing beautifully under the moonlight with their moving figures...
When the horns sounded in unison, the real beauty of "Swan Lake" couldn't stop pouring out from behind the curtain. The entire opera house fell completely silent. The playing band was highly skilled and gave this jewel in the artistic crown within seconds. It was lit up, and just the prelude brought everyone into the sad emotion of "Swan Lake". Visitors who had just stepped into the infield were immediately attracted by the silence and the dancing strings in the silence. They were immersed in the music and quietly found their seats. They just wanted to sit down and listen to the top performance as soon as possible. .
"Why Swan Lake?" Wan Boqian, who was standing in the dark listening to the band, whispered.
"Why can't it be Swan Lake?" Chu Zihang asked again. Wan Boqian glanced at him and seemed to be choked for a long time without saying a word.
"It is said that some swans remain silent all their lives, and sing a song before they die, which is always accompanied by gorgeous fireworks." Suddenly, a woman passing by Lin Nian said this.
Lin Nian turned around to look, only to find that the person who spoke had already left through the crowd behind the gate. He only had time to see clearly and saw a smaller figure in the crowd, with short black hair and a straight back. Like a gun, it quickly disappeared into the crowded crowd.
"What's wrong?" Wan Boqian asked.
"No... nothing." Lin Nian looked at the dense flow of people for a while before shaking his head gently. But for some reason, he was quiet for a long time and then suddenly said, "I heard that in history, December 25, 1991 , when the Soviet Union collapsed, Swan Lake was played on the TV all day long.”
Wan Boqian and Chu Zihang were both stunned for a moment, wondering why Lin Nian could associate this trivia from "Swan Lake" for no reason.
Lin Nian didn't know why he said that. His eyes were a little confused, but as if he was remembering something, he suddenly fell into a long silence.
—
—
“On December 25, 1991, in the distance from the Kremlin tower, the red flag fluttered under the blue sky. The whole country was shrouded in the sadness of Swan Lake. At the same time, in the ice and snow in the far north, there were also celebrations. The fireworks were in full bloom." Mai Shutoku stood in the VIP room on the second floor, overlooking the opera house where guests sat in silence during "Swan Lake" and said softly, "That day the whole country was as silent as it is now."
"The great Soviet regime fell, and it also announced the end of the Cold War. But it's only June now, and there's still half a year to December. Isn't it too early to play "Swan Lake"?" Potato Chip Girl's voice sounded over the wine. There was a sound in the headset that Demai was wearing, and at the same time there was the faint sound of unpacking potato chips.
Mai Shutoku, who was wearing a golden dress and a light gold veil, stood in a hidden corner of the corridor on the second floor, quietly watching the scenes in the Grand Theater and said: "Perhaps it is just for those of us who are interested, this is like... A friendly hello from us rats in the dark?”
"Say hello with "Swan Lake"? If it is really a metaphor for 'that day', wouldn't it be too bad? But I remember that the other party has already greeted us once before through Little White Rabbit No. 1, so The batch in Japan was as bad as today." Potato Chip Girl said, "In the past, everyone tacitly did their own thing, but it is obvious that the other party is ready to make some changes now. This auction Is it one of the signals? They knew we would definitely come, so they played this little trick to greet us."
"Then again, have you figured out the identity of the organizer?"
"Paco is a person with a thousand faces. Many people know her, but they don't know her background. But it seems that now we have a clearer picture of her background." Potato Chip Girl said, "She is actually working for the boss. That old friend of mine is doing something.”
"The boss is really acquainted with the person who is loyal to the Thousand-Faced Man? How come I haven't seen them eat before?" Mai Shutoku said nonsensical words casually, closing her eyes and listening to the national-level "Swan Lake" performance, she You spent money to get here, so naturally you have to enjoy all the things you deserve.
"Only lambs can huddle together for warmth, while ferocious beasts often walk alone." Potato Chip Girl smiled, "These are the boss's exact words. They are very accurate, but they are also in line with his personality... But the boss's friend is also accurate. It's not a big deal, if our boss's nickname is 'boss', then that person should be called..."
"Emperor." After saying that, she paused for a moment before biting the potato chips in her mouth. "I feel like the boss's fashion value has been outweighed."
"Whether we call you emperor or queen, it's just a code name to hide your identity. But doesn't this mean that we have to meet one or two of each other's maids in the future?" Mai Shutoku was not too surprised by this. The title, followed by bad words.
"If things go well, let's go have a cup of afternoon tea together? How do you know that the other person's employee must be a maid? Couldn't it be a male servant?" Potato Chip Girl said, "But it seems that the boss doesn't want to talk to that person either." The emperor has developed into a partner, otherwise he would not have allowed us to privately participate in the charity auction planned by the other party."
"Charity auction." Mai Shutoku chewed the word, and suddenly chuckled with unknown meaning, "Would it be better to say 'charity fair'?"
If the men in the audience saw this tall beauty's short-lived cold smile, they would probably offer their car keys and ask to take her to dinner and, if possible, breakfast.
"But I said you have long legs. According to me, you should come in through the front door. Didn't we get the invitation letter anyway? Sneaking in through the back door quietly makes us look like thieves. I spent a lot of money. The price is enough to buy the VIP room you are in." Potato Chip Girl suddenly felt dissatisfaction in her words.
"It's too eye-catching. There are too many people here tonight for the finale of the trade fair. It's easy for me to leave a deep impression on others." Mai Shutoku shrugged and stretched her hands from behind her back over her head. With her blood-stained waistline, she leaned against the wall and took a sip from a glass of champagne that had been prepared in the VIP room, leaving a red lip mark on the champagne glass. "Besides, if I really want to attract attention, I will Like the eldest lady of the Chen family, she can also appear in a helicopter."
"If you really want, I can arrange a submarine for you. You can jump out of the submarine wearing 10cm high heels and step on the red carpet. Coupled with your good legs and figure, you will definitely make that mediocre figure stand out. The girl is so squeezed that she will explode!" Potato Chip Girl tutted.
"The boss means to get the final transaction of this auction and not let us stand out... Today's occasion is not suitable for us maids hiding in the dark to stand out." Mai Shutoku said softly, "Since It is a trade fair, which means that the other party may have been playing with the mentality of fishing for the big fish in the long term from the beginning. In fact, after understanding the true nature of this charity fair tonight, it is not difficult to guess what may happen next. developed..."
"Who made the finale so shocking? It immediately stirred up all the mud and sand in the pond...many old people from aristocratic families risked their lives for that thing, right? The seats are not full yet. Well, I can smell the gunpowder smoke through the screen." Potato Chip Girl sniffed her delicate nose, her voice full of sneer, "Do you think there will be a fight if the spoils are divided unevenly?"
"The style of the 'Emperor' force is much more cruel than ours. Although both of us essentially exist and operate for a 'person' in the eyes of our respective leaders, compared to them in terms of style alone, we are simply inferior. A harmless nanny group." Mai Shutoku said softly, "...otherwise, why do you think the boss would ask me to bring this thing with him?"
No one could notice that behind the breathtakingly beautiful naked back of the woman in the golden dress, there was a long sword engraved with intricate patterns quietly inserted in the dress, and the hilt of the sword penetrated from the shoulder blade and disappeared into a black hair.
Budu Yuhun.
One of the three spiritual swords of the Gods, the beauty in golden dress came with a sword, a flash of crimson in the corner of her eyes full of killing intent.
