The next day.
Assassins' Alliance – Textile Factory
A garbage truck stopped outside the textile factory. As the compartment opened, John Wick jumped out, and the truck then turned and drove away.
John Wick looked at the building in front of him and, confirming he was in the right place, stepped forward and knocked on the door.
A small window on the door opened. Wesley looked at the man in front of him and said:
"Mr. John Wick, we're glad you could make it."
John Wick replied, catching his breath: "I've come as promised."
As the factory doors opened, Wesley led John Wick inside.
It was John Wick's second time here. As he walked, he observed his surroundings. There were noticeably more guards at the entrance. Inside the castle, he saw a large number of looms at work and busy workers.
However, John Wick could clearly feel that these were not ordinary workers. He didn't ask, simply followed Wesley in silence.
The two passed through the factory, walked through the employee rest area, and arrived outside a room. Wesley said: "Push the door open yourself."
John Wick opened the door, and sunlight streamed in, as if he no longer needed to hide in the dark.
Smith Doyle sat on a single sofa, watching John Wick enter. The white shirt John wore was stained with blood, and his staggered steps showed he hadn't had an easy day.
John Wick walked up to Smith Doyle, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a pleading tone:
"Mr. Smith, I'm here."
Smith looked at the kneeling man, knowing he had reached a dead end, and asked: "What do you want?"
John Wick looked up at the man before him. The rising sun shone through the window, casting a majestic golden light.
"Mr. Smith, I caused trouble at the Continental Hotel. I hope you can offer me protection."
Smith took out John Wick's blood oath contract and toyed with it before saying: "John Wick, you've been excommunicated from the Continental Hotel. There's a public bounty of 21 million dollars on your head, with a 4 million bounty from Dragon Ball alone."
"You currently have the highest bounty of any Continental target. Every killer in New York is hunting you. If killers elsewhere find you, they'll come for you too."
"So tell me, John Wick—what do I gain by protecting you?"
Realizing he had no other options, John Wick made a decision.
He pulled out two Dragon Balls from his body, placed them on the ground, and said seriously: "I'm willing to offer my loyalty, to become your subordinate and join the Assassins' Alliance."
Smith Doyle didn't look at the Dragon Balls but asked: "Do you understand the Assassins' Alliance?"
John Wick shook his head:
"Not much. I only heard it's a force that can stand against the High Table."
Smith said: "The Assassins' Alliance has existed for over a thousand years. It's an organization with a deep historical background."
John Wick was shocked. After all, the country they were in was only around 200 years old. No wonder the Alliance could oppose the High Table.
After Smith explained the organization's history, mission, and vision, he asked again:
"John Wick, you've been out of the killing game for five years, for the sake of your wife."
"Even with the recent bloodshed, you insisted you hadn't returned."
"Now, are you ready to come back?"
John Wick never imagined that the Assassins' Alliance was an organization purging evil. No wonder they targeted assassins and gangs. He replied solemnly:
"I'm ready."
"I once had blood on my hands until I met Helen, which made me retire from the assassin world."
"But after Helen passed, I realized someone like me, full of sin, can never have peace."
"I offer my loyalty to you and the Alliance, to cleanse the world and atone for my past sins."
Smith Doyle nodded in satisfaction and said: "John Wick, I accept your loyalty."
Hearing this, John Wick finally relaxed. He then held the two Dragon Balls in his palms and presented them to Smith Doyle to show his sincerity.
Smith, even more satisfied, didn't take the Dragon Balls but instead asked:
"John Wick, has your wish changed?"
John Wick replied firmly:
"My wish remains unchanged—to resurrect my wife Helen."
Smith said: "You may keep the Dragon Balls. I will tell you the location of the next one."
John Wick, still holding out the Dragon Balls, said:
"Master Smith, the High Table still has a bounty on me. If it's not removed, I won't survive outside."
Smith Doyle acknowledged the truth of that. Without removing the bounty, John Wick wouldn't live through the next day outside the Alliance.
"John Wick, there are only two ways to truly secure your safety."
"The first is for the Continental to take you back and the High Table to cancel the bounty."
"And the only ones who can do that are the twelve elders of the High Table."
John Wick knew Smith wasn't recommending this option and asked: "What's the second?"
Smith smiled and said: "Just eliminate the High Table and the Continental. Then the bounty naturally disappears."
John Wick's eyes widened in shock. He didn't expect Smith's goal to be that ambitious—taking on the High Table.
To assassins, the High Table was a monstrous presence. But thinking about the Alliance's mission, it all made sense.
The underworld—was about to change.
"Master Smith, what do you need me to do?"
Seeing John Wick's shock, Smith smiled: "No rush. In your current condition, you need a wax bath to recover first."
—End of chapter—
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