From the edge of the desert on the outskirts of Dubai, a spire, like a "crystal blade" forged from molten gold, pierced the sky with an absolute height of 828 meters, becoming the only solitary peak on the horizon that could converse with the clouds.
That was the Burj Khalifa, its silhouette not a rigid geometric shape, but a spiral embodying Islamic architecture. Three Y-shaped wings, like the silver petals of a desert spider lily, spiraled upwards around the central core, reflecting a liquid gold-like cascade of light on its glass curtain wall.
280,000 gilded glass panels covered the tower, appearing like a river of molten gold pouring down in the daylight, and transforming into a laser matrix embedded in the starry sky at night.
At the foot of the tower, the 5.9 million square meter glass dome of the Dubai Mall resembled a diamond beehive. Inside the display windows, tsavorite necklaces and gold watches were silently exhibited in cool light, reflecting the melting gold foil rose ice cream in the hands of veiled young women in white robes.
The musical fountain roared to life on the artificial lake, 220,000 gallons of water ignited by 6,600 colored lights, transforming into a 50-story-high water dragon, leaping and shattering to the rhythm of the music. Mist, carrying neon fragments, sprinkled onto the astonished crowd amidst the palm tree shadows.
The heart-shaped sculpture "LOVEME," made of 7 tons of mirrored stainless steel, twisted space and time, swallowing tourists, the tower's reflection, and flowing clouds into its sphere simultaneously, forming a kaleidoscopic metaphor of love and desire.
And at this moment, Zhang Jie and Anna stood beneath it.
Earlier, driving from afar, they could clearly feel how dazzling this pearl in the desolate desert truly was.
Driving along the dusty highway, the desolate desert gradually transitioned into a nascent oasis, while the distant high-rise buildings slowly became clear like silhouettes.
The closer he got, the more Zhang Jie marveled at this miracle in human architectural history, and at the same time, felt the extravagance of these oil-rich desert tycoons.
Along the way, there were countless sports cars and luxury cars, and those almost wasteful facilities were just a trifle to them.
"But this is the Dubai you imagine, isn't it?" Anna said casually, then walked towards the distance.
That direction was the Burj Khalifa.
At this time, only two hours remained until Morro checked into the Burj Khalifa.
By the time Zhang Jie and Anna had checked in, it was already 3:22 PM.
Hotel room 12719, this was the room number Anna had booked early, ready for immediate check-in.
Upon entering the room, Zhang Jie immediately closed and deadbolted the door, and put on the anti-collision chain. He then tossed all the bags he was carrying onto the bed and began to organize them.
All the firearms and ammunition were re-categorized, and he put on his bulletproof vest, inserting the corresponding magazines into his bulletproof tactical vest.
Anna, meanwhile, was working on her own tasks. She took out a tablet, operated it for a while, and began browsing the information on it.
As an agent, some essential equipment was indispensable. "Westlund will arrive at the hotel in 45 minutes. We'll either capture him directly or follow him to find the mastermind, Hendricks."
While browsing the information on the tablet, Anna spoke to Zhang Jie. She felt completely at ease with Zhang Jie; he had proven his capability and skill to her, undoubtedly a professional-level operative.
In certain special operations, Zhang Jie's methods and results always managed to achieve the best outcome in unexpected ways.
Having faced numerous setbacks recently, Anna was starting to feel a bit unconfident.
"The simplest way would, of course, be to eliminate him directly, but considering that terrorists surely have some special methods, I think following him would be better."
As he spoke, Zhang Jie casually tucked two magnetic grenades into his pocket.
His tactical bulletproof vest was laden with all sorts of small components and various magazines. Zhang Jie jumped a couple of times and found it a bit heavy.
However, some basic movements were not affected, and the bullets would only decrease with use.
Another point was the Pistols he carried, still the same three: a backup Pistol P365, a tti sand viper, and an FN57.
As for the GM6 anti-materiel sniper rifle, he hadn't yet put it to use and could only leave it for now.
Other items such as magnetic grenades, flashbangs, concussion grenades, and m67 grenades were prepared in abundance, with several of each on his person.
The fear of insufficient firepower was fully evident in Zhang Jie. After reviewing all the information, Anna also began to apply her makeup. After putting on beautiful makeup, she looked in the mirror and thought, 'I'm the prettiest.'
She then picked up two fully loaded glock 19 Pistols and placed them in the holsters under her ribs, covering them with a stylish blazer.
"How do I look now?"
In response to Anna's question, Zhang Jie simply rolled his eyes at her, "Are you here for a beauty pageant?"
"You really have no sense of fun. Of course, I'm going to seduce Westlund like this."
Anna was helpless with Zhang Jie, this idiot who couldn't appreciate people.
But Zhang Jie didn't think it was a good plan, as those terrorists probably weren't very interested in women. Their minds were currently filled with how to destroy the world; who had time to consider such strange things?
Let her do as she pleased; he would likely be the main force anyway.
(Now playing Mission Impossible - Main Theme to enhance the dramatic atmosphere)
Time passed by second by second, and suddenly a strange noise came from outside the window.
Zhang Jie's gaze immediately shifted from the bed to outside the window.
?
Holy crap, look, there's a Spider-Man here!
Zhang Jie was stunned; there was actually a man outside the window climbing without any protection!
"Anna, what floor are we on right now?" Zhang Jie asked Anna, who was still looking at herself in the full-length mirror, with a hint of disbelief.
"Is your brain filled with crap? Of course, we're on the 127th floor right now." Anna picked up her eyeliner and drew a few strokes on her eyebrows.
"Really? Are we on the 127th floor right now? If each floor is 3.5 meters, we're at least 444.5 meters above the ground. Do you believe someone can free-climb at this height?"
Faced with Zhang Jie's almost idiotic question, Anna became a bit impatient. "Why would you ask such an idiotic question? Unprotected? Don't you dare laugh at me. At 100 meters unprotected, the wind alone could blow him down to his death, let alone at over 400 meters high!"
As she spoke, Anna turned to look at Zhang Jie, and just as she was about to scold him, she followed the direction of his finger and looked out the window.
"Holy sh*t! What the f*ck is this?"
Anna also saw the man clinging to the outside of the window, and immediately blurted out an expletive. Then she looked at Zhang Jie, who had an expression that said, 'See? I wasn't making it up.'
After exchanging glances, the two immediately went to the window and looked out.
All the exterior glass of the Burj Khalifa was one-way, meaning you could see out from the inside, but from the outside, you couldn't see in, like looking at a mirror.
Zhang Jie and Anna could clearly see the man climbing upwards outside.
"Holy crap? Tom Cruise?"
"What's going on? Why is it Ethan?"
The two exclaimed simultaneously, then looked at each other.
"You know him?" x 2
Anna nodded; Zhang Jie nodded then slowly shook his head.
"What the f*ck! You nodded then shook your head, what does that mean? Do you f*cking know him or not?" Zhang Jie's actions completely confused Anna.
Meanwhile, outside the window, Ethan was also encountering his problem; his sticky gloves seemed to be malfunctioning.
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