Gazing out at the heavy rain, Charlotte sat in the lobby of his agency, musing inwardly, "Having long since broken ties with the Rothman, will you return to beg for shelter just to survive?"
"Or will you head straight here?"
Glancing at the clock on the wall, Charlotte Doyle murmured, "John, your time is running out."
In the library, John Wick had just finished off Ernest with a book.
Looking at his fallen enemy, John picked up the book and returned it to the shelf. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. He wiped his hand and found it covered in blood.
He had been stabbed in the shoulder with a dagger by Ernest during their fight.
"Bastard!"
John Wick cursed under his breath and quickly rushed out of the library.
He ran outside, one hand clutching his shoulder. Thinking of the distance to Charlotte's agency, John decided to get his wound stitched up before time ran out. Otherwise, he doubted he'd make it to Charlotte's alive.
There were still ten minutes left until John Wick was excommunicado from The Continental Hotel.
Meanwhile.
The underground king of the Bowery, the Bowery King (a crime lord, similar to the leader of a beggar's sect), spoke to his subordinate Eila, "Spread the word, the Bowery will respect the excommunication decision."
"We will not provide John Wick with any form of help or service."
By now, John Wick had run all the way to the residence of a black market doctor in Chinatown. He pounded loudly on the door, calling out, "Doctor, Doctor, it's Wick."
A sliding panel on the room door opened, and the doctor peered out, saying, "Mr. Wick, no, you shouldn't be here. Time is almost up."
John Wick said urgently, "I know."
"Doctor, please, there's still time."
The doctor looked at John outside the door and still refused, "No, I can't do this."
Seeing the doctor's refusal, John pulled a Continental Hotel gold coin from his pocket and held it up to the doctor, saying, "I have 5 minutes left, please."
The doctor took the gold coin from John Wick's hand through the small window in the door, then opened the door and said, "Quick, come in."
After John Wick entered, the doctor specifically stuck his head out to check the hallway, ensuring no one was following, and quickly closed the door.
The doctor led John Wick to his workbench and immediately said, "Quick, sit down."
John Wick didn't hesitate. He immediately took off his suit jacket, revealing the injured area.
The Doctor saw John Wick's injured shoulder and neck and said, "Let me see."
As he spoke, he picked up some gauze and began to clean the wound. While cleaning, he said, "Stab wound, it's deep. It cut an artery."
"It needs stitches."
Without hesitation, he immediately began to stitch it up.
Time ticked by, second by second.
John sat in a chair, looking at the clock on the wall of the doctor's room, and then said, "Doctor."
The Doctor didn't stop his work. While stitching, he replied, "Almost done. Halfway there."
"Doctor, five seconds left."
John began to count down for the doctor: "Five, four, three, two, one!"
As the clock's hands pointed to exactly 6 o'clock, the bells chimed.
The Doctor looked at John and said regretfully, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wick, I can no longer serve you."
John understood. "I understand. It's the rules."
The Doctor also muttered, "The rules."
At this moment, the excommunication from The Continental Hotel had taken full effect. No organization or individual loyal to the High Table could provide any further services to John Wick.
John Wick took the scissors from the Doctor's hand and, looking in the mirror, began to finish stitching himself.
The Continental Hotel, Information Processing Center.
At this moment, a message was sent to all registered assassin members.
Bounty Target: John Wick.
Bounty Amount: $14,000,000.
Distribution: Global Assassins.
Status: Open.
Last Known Location: New York, Chinatown.
Update: Excommunicado bounty officially in effect.
Winston, who was playing a word game on his phone at The Continental Hotel, saw the message and murmured, "It's started."
Charon at The Continental Hotel's Service Desk saw the many Assassins in the executive lobby's corridor all look at their phone messages at the same time.
Meanwhile, Charlotte in his office received a bounty notice from The Continental Hotel.
After glancing at the message, Charlotte directly threw his phone onto the table, picked up the Bourbon Whiskey on the table, took a sip, and then quietly waited for John Wick to arrive.
John, who was still at the doctor's place, had already finished stitching his own Wound and began searching the doctor's medicine cabinet for painkillers.
He searched for a long time but couldn't find what he needed.
Seeing John still rummaging around, out of respect for Mr. Wick, the doctor spoke up, "Top shelf, on the right."
"Yes, take four."
"This will help you stay alert and relieve pain."
John Wick looked at the Chinese Doctor in surprise, then immediately took out the medicine and ate it.
At this moment, the doctor walked to the cabinet, opened a drawer, and took out a handgun. "Mr. Wick, they won't believe I stopped treatment on time."
John looked at the doctor and said, "But you did stop."
The doctor held the handgun and continued, "They'll find out."
John turned around, tidying his clothes, and asked, "Find out what?"
"That I told you where the medicine was."
Hearing the doctor's words, John Wick paused, then turned around.
At this moment, the doctor, holding the handgun, walked up to John Wick and handed him the gun. He then walked to a chair, picked up a hemostatic gauze, preparing to stop the bleeding immediately.
John took the handgun and walked opposite the doctor, asking, "Where should I shoot?"
The doctor lifted his shirt at the belly and pointed with a finger, "Here, below the floating ribs. Don't hit my..."
Before the doctor could finish speaking, John Wick raised his hand and fired a shot, hitting the Target precisely.
"Ugh! Ah!"
The doctor cried out in pain and collapsed onto the chair.
Just as John was about to put down the handgun and leave, the doctor shouted, "Wait."
"One shot might not be enough."
He then unbuttoned his collar, exposing his shoulder and neck, and continued, "Just don't hit my..."
Before the words were even finished, gunshots rang out.
"Ugh! Ah! Ah!"
The Doctor groaned in pain once more.
John stepped forward, picked up his suit jacket, and turned to leave.
At this moment, the Doctor looked at John Wick's retreating back and said, "Good luck, Mr. Wick."
John Wick stopped, turned to look at the Doctor covering his wound, and said, "Thank you, Doctor."
After speaking, John didn't linger and walked directly outside.
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