Bella had seen women like Amanda before—many of them, in fact. In American high schools, such characters were a dime a dozen.
They were the type who recklessly squandered their youth, completely oblivious to the dangers of the world, believing that parties and boyfriends were everything. If thrown into a horror movie, they wouldn't survive the first twenty minutes.
Bella had absolutely no interest in conversing. She shook her head coldly, ending the conversation.
"Boring." Natasha put on her headphones, then closed her eyes to wait for the plane to take off.
Bella took out a masterpiece by the famous Russian writer Sholokhov, And Quiet Flows the Don. This was a recommendation from Comrade 006. The protagonist was a Cossack youth. The author's analogies and metaphors were exquisite, and the writing style was sharp. It was written so well!
The plane took off officially. After twelve hours of flight without any turbulence, they arrived safely in Paris.
Paris has two airports: Charles de Gaulle and Orly. Tourists like Bella and Natasha, holding non-EU passports, usually landed at Charles de Gaulle.
They waved goodbye to Kim and Amanda, strangers they had met by chance and would likely never see again in this lifetime. Bella and Natasha pulled their suitcases and walked out of the hall.
"Phew..." As the plane landed, Bella's hidden anxiety immediately dissipated, and even Natasha breathed a sigh of relief.
It couldn't be helped; Bella's emotions could influence those around her. Not in a metaphorical sense, but as an external manifestation of her psychic power. When she was happy, it was hard for people around her to cry, and vice versa.
"Uh-huh, we've arrived. Yeah, Nat and I are fine. Don't worry." Bella was calling her parents in Los Angeles to report their safety. After all, she was the older sister.
Natasha was also on the phone. As a S.H.I.E.L.D. reserve agent arriving in Paris, she had to report her status.
The two finished their calls at about the same time. The little beauty leaned close to Bella and lowered her voice: "What kind of gun do you want? Large caliber is definitely out. Over here, there's only the French MAB PA-15 and the Manurhin MR73."
Bella: Σ(⊙▽⊙)!
Sister, we're here to play, right? Why are we looking for guns the moment we get off the plane?!
Bella didn't have a special need for firearms, but having a gun saved a lot of trouble.
For example, if encountering a knife-wielding robber: if frost appeared on your palm, the robber might not understand what you were doing. But if you flashed a gun, the opponent would immediately drop to their knees and beg for mercy.
She didn't need one badly, but Natasha's need for firearms was high. Without a gun, the little beauty's combat power would be reduced by at least seventy percent.
Bella thought for a moment. "The MR73 is a revolver, right? French guns are all pretty mediocre. I'll take the MR73."
Natasha went to the restroom. When she came out, she handed Bella a dark package. Like two people about to commit a major crime, they each stealthily stuffed a handgun into their bags. Only then did they link arms and walk out of the airport terminal.
At this moment, Bella was wearing a bright yellow Prada dress, her delicate collarbone and fair arms exposed. A Chanel bag hung on her arm, and on her feet were a pair of Nine West high heels. Everything about her screamed money.
Natasha didn't have the chance to fleece a tycoon, so her clothes were relatively ordinary, but she was still youthful, beautiful, and radiant.
Having slept on the plane, the two didn't feel tired. They decided to go around and have a look first.
The streets of Paris were filled with a romantic and quiet commercial atmosphere. The only thing that surprised her was how much it felt like America—Paris was incredibly diverse, with people of every color and background packed into the streets.
Walking into some of the more remote streets, one might even feel as if they had stepped into a different continent entirely.
Twenty years from now, looking at the French national football team, one might easily mistake them for an African team. The demographics were shifting rapidly.
It seemed the upper leaders of this country were actively embracing diversity, perhaps to avoid any accusations of exclusion. With birth rates varying across communities, the face of France was changing visibly day by day.
The two were here to travel, so they paid little mind to the shifting demographics. They went to the hotel to drop off their luggage, changed clothes, touched up their makeup, and since both were energetic, they went straight out without resting.
It had to be said that Paris had many tourist attractions, and they were very famous. For Parisian citizens, this was their pride. The French liked to joke that their country was divided into two parts: Paris and "Outside Paris." Paris was Paris; everything outside it was simply "The Countryside."
True Paris was divided into Greater Paris and Little Paris. Little Paris was the city center; Greater Paris referred to the Île-de-France region. This area gathered one-sixth of France's population and provided more than a quarter of the country's GDP.
First, they visited the Arc de Triomphe. Bella contributed 12 Euros to the Paris treasury, while Natasha, being under 18, got in for free.
Then they went shopping on the Champs-Élysées, which is 70 meters wide and 1,915 meters long.
It was noon when they got off the plane. The two wandered for half a day. By evening, they stopped in front of the gate of the Lido Show.
"Go in and have a look?" Under the colorful neon lights, Natasha raised her eyebrows and asked.
The famous Lido de Paris. Bella had heard of it in her previous life, but for various reasons, she had never been inside.
Her eyes carried excitement. "Let's go in! We must look at the problem with an artistic eye! These are respectable artists!"
The two walked in openly. It could be seen that the audience was mostly male, but there were also quite a few women, all dressed fashionably. The two didn't feel embarrassed. They ordered a half-bottle champagne set; Bella paid the bill in Euros, a total of 115 Euros.
It wasn't exactly cheap, but it wasn't outrageous either. According to French customs regulations, the standard consumption for a traveler per day was 120 Euros. Carrying more than 10,000 Euros in cash required declaration to customs.
Spending 115 Euros now to watch an art performance was indeed not cheap.
Photography wasn't allowed inside. The two walked arm in arm to the second floor, drinking champagne and eating macarons.
The performance began quickly. The topless artists were all beautiful, and their figures were fantastic. Crucially, their dance skills were extremely profound.
Even Bella, who had absolutely no interest in dancing, applauded them.
The singers on site were selected through layers of screening. The sound effects and the magnificence of the stage combined with the dancers' movements. Under the backdrop of fountains and crystal chandeliers, the whole performance was dreamlike. It was indeed a rare and grand show.