"Amazing reasoning," Holmes praised. "As I said, your talent in this field is amazing, my Eastern friend. I can't even find the right word to describe your intelligence."
He wanted to say something more, but the music started. So, Holmes retreated to his seat, crossed his fingers, and rested them on his knees, ready to enjoy the performance.
The new opera was called "Carmen". The author, Georges Bizet, was a talented Frenchman. Unfortunately, he died young at the age of 37. This opera, "Carmen", was completed a year before his death. It tells the story of a love tragedy in the city of Seville, Spain.
Carmen, a gypsy girl who was as beautiful as a bird, worked as a female worker in a tobacco factory. Captain Don Jose fell head over heels for her and did not hesitate to give up his lover in the countryside, the gentle and kind Micaela. After that, he violated military discipline and secretly released Carmen who was fighting with the female worker. When Don Jose was released from prison, he simply joined the smuggling gang that Carmen was in. However, in the days that followed, the two young lovers eventually had a conflict. Carmen shifted her affections and fell in love with the bullfighter Escamilio. Just when people were cheering for Escamilio's victory over the bull, Carmen died under Don Jose's dagger.
Love and destruction were the themes of the opera.
Unlike previous operas with heroes or mythological characters as the protagonists, "Carmen" featured female workers and low-level officers as the protagonists. It had to be said that it was a bold attempt. This was also the reason why Irene Adler disguised herself as a gypsy busker to find inspiration in the East End.
Dressed in a red dress, she attracted the attention of the audience as soon as she appeared.
Tonight, she was more dazzling than ever, and she had a wild and unrestrained temperament. When she seduced Don José, she sang an aria in 3/8 time, and it was the climax of the first act.
Just when everyone was mesmerized by her voice and figure, Holmes patted Zhang Heng on the shoulder and said in a low voice, "There's a situation. We have to take action."
The two got up from their seats, leaned down, and quietly made their way to the aisle.
"Do you see the waiter in the box on the second floor?"
"Uh-huh."
"He's the one who delivers the fruit platters to the private rooms. His position was supposed to be fixed, but someone else changed about ten minutes ago."
"Do you think he's Mr. M, observing his prey up close?"
"I don't think it's Mr. M himself, but this guy is obviously related to Mr. M. Catching him will at least let us know who Mr. M's target is this time," Holmes said.
However, in the next moment, the attendant's gaze also landed on the two of them, and a hint of suspicion appeared in his eyes.
"He seems to have … noticed us," Zhang Heng said.
"… Looks like it," Holmes agreed.
Then, the waiter threw away the tray in his hand, turned around, and rushed to a private room not far away.
"Let's split up. I'll go up."
"Then I'll go out," Zhang Heng said.
After a brief discussion, Holmes rushed to the second floor while Zhang Heng ran out of the theater.
The sudden appearance of Sherlock Holmes at the top of the stairs made the guards in the Prime Minister's box nervous. But then they saw Holmes plunge into the box next door.
When he pushed the door open, the table inside was in a mess. At the same time, the window was wide open, and food and wine glasses were scattered all over the place. A businessman was hugging his wife and daughter, and the family of three was trembling.
Holmes did not stop. He stepped on the windowsill with his left foot, but then his expression changed. He noticed that as he was about to leave, the fear in the family of three did not subside. Instead, it seemed to have intensified.
Holmes immediately realized that the target he was chasing was probably still in the box.
This time, however, his opponent was decisive. Seeing that Holmes had stopped in his tracks, he rolled out from under the seat, stabbing the knife in his hand at Holmes' calf. Holmes blocked the attack with his cane, knocking the dagger away. But then, his opponent leaped from the ground, grabbed Holmes' body, and the two fell backward together.
The scene was chaotic, accompanied by the screams of the hostess. But at this time, the music had reached its peak, covering up the commotion.
Holmes' boxing skills could not be put to good use in such a small space. At the same time, his head accidentally hit something. The waiter was straddling him, strangling his neck, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe. He reached out to the cane that had fallen to the side, but the waiter noticed him and kicked the cane aside.
So Holmes could only hope that the family of three who were watching from the sidelines could lend him a helping hand.
After a brief moment of shock, the man was the first to react. He pushed open the door of the box, ran out with his wife and daughter, not even putting on his coat.
"Great, you guys have been a great help," Holmes squeezed the words out of his mouth.
All he could do now was try his best to pry open the hands that were strangling his neck.
Although Holmes looked thin, he was by no means weak. But tonight, he had met his match. The other party was stronger than him, and there was no room for him to move.
Holmes found it increasingly difficult to breathe, and the strength in his hands was getting weaker and weaker.
Just when his vision was about to blur, a figure jumped in from the window and kicked the waiter in the ribs, sending him flying and crashing into the corridor.
"Am I dead? Why else would you be here?" Holmes asked Zhang Heng, greedily breathing in the fresh air that he hadn't tasted for a long time.
"I didn't see anyone on the street. I guess he's still in the box. He was worried that you were in danger, so he climbed up from below," Zhang Heng said.
"Climbed up?! You mean he climbed up just like that? There's no ladder or anything like that. " Holmes rubbed his neck with a look of disbelief on his face. "Have you been in a circus before?"
"Let's put it that way. If you have nothing else to do, I'll go after him," Zhang Heng said.
"Go ahead. I'll lie down for a while. I'll be there soon," Holmes panted.
Zhang Heng rushed out of the private room, only to see that the waiter did not leave immediately. Instead, he ran to the Prime Minister's private room. Zhang Heng did not know what he said to the guards there, but two of them rushed at Zhang Heng aggressively.
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