Starting from South America, speeding through the world

Chapter 325 True Story

The October sun was not warm, and it was covered by clouds, appearing gray and white.

Independence Square has changed.

A makeshift stage was set up on the steps.

The EU flag with a blue background and yellow stars and the national flag with blue and yellow stripes were hung on the banner.

Tents were crammed around the fountain, their edges covered with slogans.

People flocked in from all directions, holding up signs.

Four or five young men were fiddling with the megaphones in their hands.

Zhou Yi lowered the brim of his hat, and the binoculars in his hand were tucked into a black cloth bag.

Jim stepped back half a body, carrying a worn-out backpack, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Instead of rushing forward, they moved slowly along the perimeter.

The warning line uses metal barriers to create a buffer zone.

There were about twenty Ukrainian policemen standing there.

Two old buses were parked at the edge of the square.

The glass was covered with plastic film, and the soldiers' helmets could be vaguely seen.

“Better than I expected,” Jim sniffed and said in a low voice.

Zhou Yi did not turn around.

"For Ukrainians, this is more of a lively scene than a chaotic one."

After a while, they finally blended naturally into the crowd.

The students sat on the ground, handing out flyers.

Zhou Yi glanced at it and saw the title at the top:
“Украна=вропа”

A man who looked like a priest was handing out cookies to passing reporters.

The vendor next to him was selling teapots and cheap sandwiches, and his business was doing quite well.

Cameras have already been set up in the front stage area.

The tripods and microphones were lined up, clearly a spot prepared for the media.

“They will clear this place out when the time comes,” Zhou Yi commented.

Jim nodded, his eyes lazily scanning his surroundings:

"That's why we need to maintain a distance of nearly two kilometers."

Suddenly, a shout came from afar.

The crowd immediately raised their banners and pushed their way to the center, causing chaos in the scene.

Zhou Yi then took the opportunity to step forward, pretending to take a picture, to confirm the relative positions of the stage and the plaza.

If Madeleine appears, the most likely location is here, or on the steps north of the fountain.

The sunlight comes from the southwest in the afternoon, and the backlight angle makes the target clearer.

“What about the convoy? How do you think they’ll get in?” Jim cleared his throat.

“There are two routes,” Zhou Yi said after a moment’s thought.

"The northern route is faster, but the risk factor is higher; the southern route is a longer detour, but it is controllable."

“If things get chaotic in the square, they will most likely take the southern route and then enter from the eastern entrance.”

“The Advance Team will arrive three days in advance,” Jim said, clicking his tongue.

"We set up bollards, plainclothes officers, and cleared out suspicious individuals. But the problem is..."

“They can’t block off the high ground a few kilometers away,” Zhou Yi added for him.

Just as they were talking, a middle-aged man who looked like a reporter shouted in English:
Will Americans support Ukraine's path to freedom?

Immediately, people around joined in the commotion, and the loudspeakers crackled and popped.

The police stepped back, seemingly not wanting the situation to escalate.

Zhou Yi looked up and quickly noticed a gray tower.

The windows on the 20th floor were shattered and boarded up.

The building is located in the southwest direction, which perfectly covers the stage and half of the square.

At a distance far enough, almost no one would consider it a threat.

Jim followed his gaze and stroked his chin:
"I like that building. It's like a natural sniping spot."

Several young people climbed onto the statue and waved a banner.

The crowd erupted in chants again, and flags fluttered in the wind.

"Let's go and have a look."

Zhou Yi said softly.

Five minutes later, the two quietly withdrew from the crowd and left the square via a side street.

The noise gradually faded away behind us.

The scattered slogans have become nothing but echoes here.

The target building had few security measures in place. The only security guard monitoring the area was currently asleep in his chair.

The two tacitly avoided disturbing him and went upstairs after entering the stairwell.

The concrete steps underfoot are worn and pitted by time, and the iron handrails are loose.

When you reach the top floor, there is an iron gate in front of you, secured with an old-fashioned padlock.

Jim bent down to examine it carefully.

"It's a Soviet product, at least thirty years old, with no signs of recent modifications."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yi took out his tools from his pocket.

First, insert the pry bar into the gap of the lock ring, then use a flat chisel to wedge it in place, and twist it with the help of the force.

The door hinges creaked, and a blast of cold air rushed in.

They went up to the rooftop, where their view suddenly opened up.

There is a concrete retaining wall less than one meter high all around, with cracks covered in moss.

Jim crouched down, took out the rangefinder, pressed it against his brow bone, and pressed the button.

There was a flash of green light.

“One thousand nine hundred and seventy-three meters in a straight line,” he said.

"Angle of depression of 1.2 degrees, drop of 38 degrees."

Zhou Yi took out his notebook and wrote the numbers on the pre-drawn boundary map.

"Center the stage, 1973."

"North side of the fountain, 1985."

“On the edge of the press area, 1998,” Jim recited the numbers one after another.

The wind speed has changed again.

Jim picked up the anemometer again, staring intently at the numbers flashing on the screen:
"Ground level 2.5, upper-level turbulence 4 to 6, gusts 7."

Zhou Yi nodded and wrote the correction on the form: W 0.8L.

Then, a small arrow was drawn next to it to indicate a possible change in wind direction.

"The main focus of DSS and SBU will be within 300 meters."

"Deploy observers and counter-sniper teams at high vantage points."

"How many buildings can they clear?" Jim asked casually.

"Within a radius of 300 meters, everything must be cleared. Within 500 meters, select key points," Zhou Yi replied. "Beyond 1,000 meters, they lack resources, and local police forces are limited."

“So we’re in the blind spot,” Jim laughed. “I like blind spots.”

They stayed on the rooftop for nearly half an hour.

I could faintly hear footsteps downstairs, but no one came up.

Zhou Yi put on new shorthand cards and wrote down today's data clearly, categorizing them.

Distance, angle, wind speed, and sunlight—it's like some kind of school form.

“Light.” He glanced at the sky.

"Afternoon light is with the sun, while backlighting is in the morning. The best window is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m."

“What if she goes straight to Congress?” Jim asked.

“Then it’s a waste of time.” Zhou Yi shrugged.

"There's no other way; luck is also part of the process."

At this moment, several unfamiliar security personnel were directing operations in the square.

Jim sighed.

Do you know where this place reminds me of?

"Baghdad?"

"Montenegro."

"This feeling is always the one before a riot; it's really unpleasant."

Zhou Yi did not respond.

He put away his notes, took out a map, and marked the evacuation route.

"It's 400 meters from the main entrance to the subway station."

"The alternative route is to enter the market through the back alley, change clothes, and then leave."

Jim squinted.

"If the Advance Team has been here, their route will be closely monitored by cameras."

"Then prepare in advance. Let me guess, you've already found a backup location?"

"of course."
-
In reality, the Ukrainian government announced the suspension of the EU agreement on November 21, 2013, which led to the Euromaidan outbreak.

However, due to the constraints of the novel's timeline, the author will move this event forward to October.

(End of this chapter)