American variety show: Sniper Elite

Chapter 75 Mindy McCready
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I would be extremely grateful for your monthly tickets, recommendation tickets, and continued reading!

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The morning sun shone on the ground as Beta slowly brought the car to a stop.

Matilda jumped off the back seat. She had left in a hurry that morning, and her tie was askew around her neck. Clearly, the little girl hadn't learned how to tie a tie herself yet.

"Wait." Beta stopped Matilda, who was about to run away, and crouched down to look her in the eye. His fingers deftly untied her crooked tie and straightened it for her.

"Hello, Matilda's uncle." A clear voice came from behind.

Beta turned his head and saw the girl named Mindy standing to the side with her schoolbag on her back. He remembered this kind girl; she was the one who showed him and Matilda around the campus on the first day of school.

“Good morning, Mindy,” Beta replied, getting up to take Matilda’s backpack from the passenger seat and helping her put it on.

Mindy looked at them: "I used to be the one to tie Matilda's tie."

"Thank you." Beta gently patted Matilda on the shoulder.

Mindy smiled and said, "You're welcome, we're friends." She took Matilda's hand, and the two girls walked toward the school, chatting and laughing.

Matilda and Mindy walked hand in hand ahead, with Beta keeping two steps behind them. Today was the school's open day for parents, and as Matilda's parent, Beta naturally had to attend.

These days, Beta watches the news and keeps in touch with several reliable intelligence brokers through various channels.

The entire Western intelligence community was in complete disarray. France spearheaded the formation of an international joint investigation team, with agents from Spain, the Czech Republic, Finland, the United Kingdom, and the United States all participating.

To his slight surprise, the joint investigation team's target list included three names: "β," known in the underworld for his long-range sniping; "Jackal," the assassin who targeted the German presidential candidate; and a mysterious figure whose identity remains a mystery to this day.

Under these circumstances, Beta wisely chose to lie low.

These days, he's been catching up on sleep and doing restorative training. Even Matilda is busy with her schoolwork, leaving him the most idle person in the house. It wasn't until he looked in the mirror this morning that he noticed his abdominal muscles had become blurred, realizing that his recent neglect had caused his physical functions to decline.

Beta's gaze swept over Mindy's surroundings, noticing that the lively girl was never accompanied by a parent. He surveyed the entire auditorium and indeed, there was no one present who appeared to be Mindy's parent. Beta considerately refrained from asking, not wanting to intrude on any potentially painful memories for the girl.

Laughter came from ahead, and five or six girls of similar age had gathered around Mindy and Matilda. They were like a flock of larks, sometimes whispering to each other, sometimes bursting into laughter.

Beta had to deal with the small talk from the other parents. There were couples, secretaries representing company executives, and several nannies who came alone.

Beta chatted and laughed with several enthusiastic students' mothers with ease. His well-timed humor, combined with the air of a wealthy young man he exuded, quickly won the favor of these married women.

They were amused and chuckled happily from time to time.

A hot Latina mother approached, wearing a tight-fitting mini-skirt that accentuated her curves, high heels, and thick black hair cascading over her shoulders. She spoke with a Colombian accent: "Hi, I'm Gloria Delgado, Manny's mom."

She held out her hand, her nails painted a bright red: "You look like a successful businesswoman. My husband is in the cabinet business. I wonder if you have any clients who need cabinets?"

Beta smiled and shook her hand, responding politely, "Saron Wick, a collector's dealer."

This is his true identity; his file contains very few speeding tickets, let alone any suspicious records. He explained, "Mainly art and antiques, and occasionally... rare items."

Gloria's eyes lit up: "That sounds much more interesting than the cabinet."

She gently touched Beta's arm, her tone teasing: "Remember to leave me an invitation for the next auction."

Beta chuckled softly and nodded slightly: "It would be my honor."

Just then, a slightly overweight man squeezed between the two. He was balding on top, looked to be in his fifties, and had a beer belly, clearly enjoying good food regularly.

He first pushed Gloria aside before turning around, grasping Beta's hand, and deliberately shaking it vigorously: "Jay Pritchett, CEO of Pritchett Cabinet Company, Gloria's husband, Manny's father."

Beta glanced down at the back of his wife's hand, where the veins were slightly bulging, and sensed his older husband's attempt to demonstrate his strength. He chuckled inwardly; it was a typical "older husband, younger wife" couple, and the husband's sense of insecurity was practically oozing from his pores.

“Saron Wick, a collector’s item dealer.” Beta calmly withdrew his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Your wife was just inquiring about a possible collaboration. However…”

He shrugged, feigning regret: "I'm afraid it will be difficult for us to reach a cooperation agreement. After all, I only handle unique collectibles, not..."

He paused meaningfully: "Industrially mass-produced cabinets."

Jay, still trying to save face, was shoved away by Gloria who grabbed his arm. She turned and gave Beta an apologetic smile, then muttered to her husband in Spanish, "Cario, estás siendo grosero y paranoico (Darling, could you please be a little more polite?)"

Her tone carried a hint of helplessness. Jay was dragged along by her, muttering protests, but ultimately he couldn't overcome his wife's domineering nature.

Beta watched the couple walk away. They seemed to have a good relationship; Beta could tell.

Matilda excitedly dragged Mindy to Beta, both girls blushing with excitement.

“Hey, Salong!” Matilda looked up and asked, “Mindy invited me to hang out near her house this weekend, can you take me?”

Beta smiled and said, "Of course, where exactly?"

Mindy chimed in, her tone as if discussing a trip to an amusement park: "It's under that abandoned railway bridge near my house. My dad often takes me there."

She lowered her voice and added mysteriously, "You can't hear any gunshots when they're fired there."

Beta's eyebrows twitched: "What?"

“It’s perfectly safe!” Mindy misunderstood his hesitation and explained earnestly, “My dad always takes me there to practice shooting, and the police have never come. I can now hit a Coke can 30 yards away!”

Matilda nodded in agreement, completely unaware of how unusual those words were.

Beta's gaze swept between the two girls, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth. It seemed he'd have a good look at Mindy's "interesting" father this weekend.

(End of this chapter)