Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 15 Thermobaric Bomb

Zhou Yi slumped in the fabric sofa, his wrist resting on his forehead, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers.

He exhaled a puff of smoke toward the ceiling and casually asked, "Is it almost finished downloading?"

"almost."

Gina's voice came from beside the dining table.

She leaned forward, her eyes glued to the computer screen. "About three minutes left."

After hearing the answer, Zhou Yi didn't say anything more and quickly closed his eyes to rest.

He hasn't had a proper rest since the day he met Ramon.

Although I had experience with continuous combat in the past, at least I had a team and logistical support back then, and I could relax for a while.

Sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting soft shadows.

The sea breeze was gentle and carried a hint of warmth.

"The file has finished downloading."

Gina suddenly spoke, pulling Zhou Yi back from his half-awake state.

He stubbed out the cigarette in his palm, wiped away the burnt marks, and then got up and walked towards the dining room: "Is everything complete?"

"Everything is there, a full two hours of recording, not a single bit missing."

As Gina spoke, she unplugged the USB drive from the computer: "I backed up the original files three times, so even if one of them is destroyed, the data won't easily disappear."

Zhou Yi took the items and casually stuffed them into his pocket: "Not bad, we can move on to the next step."

"Next step?"

"Find someone."

"who?"

"The person who can get the message out."

"You mean the media? Those influential journalists?"

“That’s right.” Zhou Yi lit another cigarette to refresh himself. “Do you have anyone reliable in mind?”

Gina frowned: "Do you really think they'd dare touch this thing? That's like going straight for the governor, and it's life-threatening."

"Whether you dare or not is not the issue." Zhou Yi let the smoke linger in his lungs for a few seconds before slowly exhaling: "The stakes are high enough, there will always be someone willing to take the risk."

Gina leaned back in her chair, her eyes filled with question: "What exactly are your plans?"

What does the media like to chase the most?

"topic."

Flicked the ash from his cigarette and shrugged, "Then we'll give them a big enough topic to talk about."

"Do you mean?"

"An assassination attempt."

"Assassination?" Gina's voice betrayed undisguised surprise. "Who?"

"For example, Rodriguez, whom you mentioned earlier, is an opposition leader."

"How can you be sure this will generate buzz? El Salvador sees at least 50 to 100 politicians assassinated every year."

"The key to success lies in the failure of the assassination."

"What does it mean?"

"Use a failed assassination attempt to mold him into some kind of hero, or even the chosen one."

Zhou Yi paused for a moment, then continued to explain:

"With the election imminent, a bullet grazed the head, but the target miraculously survived and was even able to stand on the stage, raise his arms, and declare his mission to his supporters."

"Doesn't PPR always like to promote elements like martyrdom, suffering, and miracles?"

"Add a touch of conspiracy theory, and it becomes the perfect political narrative."

"Who wants to kill him? What does he know? Is there a bigger conspiracy behind this?"

"With these questions, a market for public opinion emerges."

Gina tapped her fingers on the table, and said thoughtfully:

"However, even if the assassination plan attracts enough attention, it doesn't guarantee that Alvaro will be finished as a result."

“We have no allies in the federal government or Congress, so we can’t monetize that influence.”

Zhou Yi gently shook his head: "We don't need allies." "As long as someone breaks the ice first, forces with conflicting interests will naturally step forward to expand their influence."

"You don't need to assign roles to everyone, you just need to show them opportunities."

Gina swallowed hard.

The man's plan seemed extremely rudimentary at first glance, but upon closer examination, its chances of success were surprisingly not small.

After a moment of silence, she nodded solemnly in agreement.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi reached out and stubbed out the still-burning cigarette butt, then turned and walked towards the living room: "It's settled then. Wake me up in three hours."

“No problem,” Gina said, already searching for suitable reporters on her computer. “But are you sure you don’t want to sleep a little longer?”

"Three hours is enough."

With a long sigh, Zhou Yi collapsed onto the sofa, his breathing gradually stabilizing a few seconds later.

The surroundings were eerily quiet.

The quietness made me drowsy.

The noise from the street had all disappeared without me noticing.

The only sound in the room was the ticking of the alarm clock.

Not right.

Zhou Yi's eyes snapped open, all sleepiness gone.

It's so quiet.
He straightened up, tiptoed to the window, leaned against the wall, and carefully observed the street outside from the side.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing his unusual behavior, Gina looked up from between the screens and asked in confusion.

A reflection flashed across the balcony on the second floor across the street.

The sea breeze rustled the white sheets on the clothes rack.

Through the gap, Zhou Yi caught a glimpse of something different.

A blurry figure was kneeling on the ground, holding some kind of cylindrical device in its hands.

A chill ran down his spine, and Zhou Yi's expression changed drastically. Without waiting to answer, he rushed into the restaurant.

"Get down quickly!"

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp whistling sound swept by.

"boom--!"

The explosion resounded outside the building, deafening, like a roar from the depths of hell.

The entire building seemed to have been struck by a giant hammer; the walls shook, and dust poured down from the ceiling.

The glass window shattered instantly, and flames poured into the room.

The tables and chairs rolled on the floor, and thin cracks appeared in the walls.

Gina was instantly thrown over, her limbs limp and collapsed, as if all sound had been sucked away, leaving only a piercing buzzing in her mind.

"Fuck! Fuck those lunatics! Using thermobaric bombs in the city!"

Zhou Yi lay prostrate on the ground in a disheveled state, cursing loudly.

He struggled to grab the rifle that had fallen to the ground, quickly cocked it, and chambered a round.

Gina was speechless, curled up in the corner, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

"Go! Get the hell out of here!" Zhou Yi grabbed her and dragged her forcefully toward the apartment exit.

"What the hell is this thing?"

Gina's lips moved, but she couldn't hear her own voice at all.

This discovery undoubtedly intensified her fear.

However, before Zhou Yi could respond, a second sharp whistling sound came.

"boom--!"

Flames rolled into the room, and the explosion instantly engulfed half of the load-bearing wall.

The two were thrown forward by the scorching heat, their backs slamming heavily against the corridor wall.

Bricks and stones flew everywhere, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder.

Suppressing the metallic taste rising in his throat, Zhou Yi breathed heavily and pulled Gina, who was lying on the ground, to her feet.
-
*PPR, Partido Progressista Reformador (formed by the merger of the Democratic Socialist Party and the Christian Democratic Party), the predecessor of the Progressive Party.
(End of this chapter)