American variety show: Sniper Elite

Chapter 18 Emergency Situation

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Matilda was curled up on the sofa, clutching her Paddington Bear tightly, already fast asleep. A whole day of playing had exhausted her; she was like an electronic device with its battery depleted, desperately needing sleep to recharge.

For Beta, this amount of exercise is no more than a walk after a meal.

He remained energetic, took out his laptop, and inserted the encrypted USB drive. As the program overwrote the original system, the familiar black chat interface quickly appeared.

This is a daily routine for Beta: checking messages to avoid missing important orders.

In the underground world, he earned an excellent reputation for his reliable execution, swift action, and chilling long-range sniping skills, which is why many people contact him through this encrypted channel.

While getting up to pour hot water, Beta casually grabbed a blanket and gently covered Matilda with it. The little girl had just finished bathing, her hair still damp, and she was curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.

Just as I returned to my seat, a "ding" notification sounded.

Beta put down the hot water she hadn't yet drunk and opened the new message.

A fluorescent green system message popped up on the screen:

[Reminder] You have a new contact request.

Sender: System Administrator

Message: A user is attempting to contact you. Please check the message details promptly. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, the system will automatically use the backup contact method you provided during registration to notify you.

Beta stroked his chin thoughtfully, then opened the unread message.

The sender ID is displayed as "@#qwer1234", which is obviously a username that was typed randomly.

The message, presented in striking red font, read: "We've heard about the Downing Street case. Now there's a big, well-paid job that we're sure you'll be interested in."

Beta straightened his back and his fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard. White reply text appeared in the dialog box: What do you need me to do?
After pressing Enter to send, Beta leaned back in his chair and waited quietly for a reply. He had no way of knowing the other person's true identity, location, or even whether they were online at the moment.

Beta picked up her mug and sipped her hot water, her gaze unconsciously drifting to Matilda, who was fast asleep on the sofa.

He quietly got up, covered her with the blanket that had been kicked away, carefully wrapped it around her curled-up feet, and then returned to his seat.

"Ding!"

The system notification sounded again, and a glaring red message popped up on the screen: Can we meet in person to discuss this further?
Beta replied without hesitation: Impossible.

The other party replied almost instantly: The budget is $1 million. There will be additional compensation upon completion of the mission. Can we meet now?

Beta's fingers hovered above the keyboard, pausing slightly. This was indeed a shockingly high-priced order; even the well-traveled Beta had never encountered such a large commission before.

However, refusing to meet with clients is an unshakable rule for Beta, and he will never violate his principles, even when faced with a commission worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

The situation of actively seeking debt collection is a different matter.

The reason a principle is a principle is that it cannot be compromised. A seemingly harmless exception could become a fatal flaw that exposes one's identity, inviting investigation by law enforcement or retaliation from enemies.

Beta replied: Impossible. If you insist on a face-to-face meeting, I suggest you find someone else. I'm sure with such a generous offer, you'll find plenty of talented people. The other party quickly replied: An additional $100 million will be paid for an in-person meeting. A $50 deposit is required, with the remaining $50 to be paid after the meeting.

Beta typed without hesitation: "No face-to-face meetings please. If there is a genuine intention to cooperate, a deposit of 500 million can be paid in advance, with the remaining 500 million to be paid upon completion of the task."

The chat window fell silent; the other party did not reply.

Beta leaned back in his chair, picked up the now slightly cool hot water, and took a sip. He took out his phone to check, but there were still no new messages from Ashley on the screen, so he casually put the phone back on the table.

"Ding!"

A computer notification sound plays.

A fluorescent green system message popped up on the screen:

[Reminder] You have a new contact request.

Sender: System Administrator

Message: A user is attempting to contact you. Please check the message details promptly. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, the system will automatically use the backup contact method you provided during registration to notify you.

Beta straightened his back again, staring at the screen with a slight frown. He began to wonder if he had inadvertently revealed clues to his identity.

Normally, receiving two or three cases a year is the norm. But today, two people contacted him in quick succession, and this unusual situation made him feel uneasy.

Beta didn't reply to the message. Instead, she quickly unplugged the USB drive, stuffed the computer into her suitcase, and packed all her belongings as fast as she could.

He strode to the sofa and gently shook the sleepy-eyed Matilda: "Matilda, wake up! We have to leave for Morocco right away. Go change your clothes."

"Morocco?" Matilda rubbed her sleepy eyes, her voice full of confusion. "What Morocco?"

Without saying a word, Beta picked up the still not fully awake little girl and strode toward her bedroom.

He placed Matilda beside the bed, grabbed his outer clothes and tossed them to her, pointing to the bathroom: "Go change in there, and be quick. This isn't a time for jokes; it's about our safety."

He turned and began efficiently packing Matilda's luggage: "Change your clothes and we'll leave right away."

Matilda was fully awake and went into the bathroom carrying her clothes. Through the door, she raised her voice and asked, "What happened?"

Beta quickly packed Matilda's luggage, then picked up a plastic bag next to the trash can and put all her used personal items, including straws, water cups, and toothbrushes, into the bag.

"Have you changed it?" Beta tightened the knot on the plastic bag. "I'll explain on the way."

The bathroom door opened, and Matilda came out carrying her canvas bag.

Beta immediately pulled out disinfectant wipes and quickly wiped down details that hotel cleaners often overlook: door handles, air conditioning panels, light switches, window frames, and kettle buttons. He then stuffed the used wipes into his coat pocket.

Finally, Beta removed the room key, wiped it carefully, and quickly left the room with Matilda.

To get the hotel to clean the room immediately, he used his newly purchased prepaid phone to call the front desk, pretending to be a new guest who had just cancelled the reservation, with a check-in time of one hour.

This timeline is both urgent enough to prompt the hotel to clean the room immediately, and allows the cleaning staff ample time to change the entire set of bedding and thoroughly clean up any stray hairs and dander with a vacuum cleaner, ensuring that the next guest can enjoy truly spotless luxury suite service.

At the same time, eliminate as much as possible any biological traces left by Beta and Matilda in the room.

(End of this chapter)