Trust from the Old Man

John Wick quickly calmed down and met the armored man's gaze, showing no fear or weakness.

"Kill me, then."

He spoke flatly.

After working in this line for so long, he had long since stopped caring about life and death.

A face that was not beautiful but filled with tenderness rose in his mind.

And a lively little dog.

He closed his eyes.

"Is that so?"

Anton studied the man before him.

Judging by Batman's experience, he carried a strong killer's aura.

Assassins came in two extremes.

One type was unprofessional and would spill everything after a few questions; the other was highly professional, and even torture was useless against them.

This man was clearly the latter.

"Everyone longs to live, especially people like you. You dwell in the darkest corners of the world, yet you long for the light more than anyone."

Anton remained unhurried, his tone calm and measured as he said quietly, "Admit it. You want to live more than anyone."

John Wick said nothing.

"Woof!"

A sudden, crisp bark made him snap his eyes open.

He stared at Anton. The fury he could no longer suppress flared in his eyes like a spark setting the plains ablaze.

"Your dog is fine."

Anton walked behind John Wick, lifted the dog—whose limbs were also bound—and held it before him. Smiling, he said, "But I can't guarantee it won't die before you do. There's a dish in the East called dog meat hot pot. Spicy without being harsh, numbing without being overpowering, rich in flavor and never tiresome no matter how often you eat it. I wouldn't mind letting you experience this delicacy before you die."

John Wick's cheek twitched.

"The Continental Hotel."

Seeing that Anton was not lying, and not daring to provoke him with the dog's life, he stopped putting on a tough front. "I'm from the Continental Hotel. There's no direct contact between assassins and their employers, so I don't know who wanted you dead."

Anton pressed, "You may not know, but someone must."

"The Continental Hotel is controlled by Winston. He's the man in charge of all assassins, and every contract is assigned by him."

Since he had been exposed, John Wick no longer hid anything.

Besides, his identity was no secret in New York. Many gangsters knew him.

It would not be difficult to trace the Continental Hotel through his appearance.

John Wick considered himself unlucky.

He did not fear death. He only wanted to save the dog in front of him.

It was a dog his fiancée had given him!

Calling it a token of their love would not have been an exaggeration!

"The Continental Hotel, John Wick..."

Anton immediately connected the man before him with the dog in his possession.

Just what kind of chaotic nonsense had been mixed into this world?

This guy did not even look like Keanu Reeves.

As he considered how to deal with John Wick, he found himself unable to make up his mind.

If you did a job, you had to love the job.

If he were not currently Batman, he would definitely have killed John Wick without hesitation, dog included.

However, he was wearing Batman's armor now, so he needed to play the part convincingly.

The no-kill rule.

It was Batman's defining trait.

Stopping killing with killing and fighting violence with violence!

The two were vastly different.

If Anton wanted to play Batman, he naturally had to consider Bruce Wayne's defining characteristics.

The no-kill rule was a principle Batman had always upheld.

Someone once said that a Batman who killed was the Joker.

Anton did not agree, but he admitted there was some truth to it.

After all, with the abilities Bruce Wayne had honed over the years, becoming the Joker would be far too easy.

Two extreme sides, thought-provoking in their own way.

Seeing the armored man before him lost in thought, John Wick gradually withdrew the anger from his eyes and calmly waited for his final fate.

Bang!

A hand chop suddenly struck.

He passed out again.

This time, when John Wick opened his eyes, he found that he had not moved. His hands and feet were still bound.

His beloved dog was in the same state, lying beside his feet and snoring.

He relaxed slightly.

The armored man had disappeared.

A young man and an old man were talking in front of him.

John Wick recognized the young man at once. He was the genius director, and also the target of his mission.

"He came to kill you?"

Jonah Jameson's face darkened. His years of experience and the instincts forged through countless battles in the business world immediately led him to the mastermind behind it all.

"The Life Foundation!"

Jameson gritted his teeth, furious beyond measure. "I underestimated them, Anton. Hide for a few days. I'll make them pay."

"There's no need."

Anton smiled. "I'll handle this matter. What you need to do is clean up after me."

"Clean up?"

Jameson froze and examined Anton. "What can you do?"

"If I couldn't do anything, how do you think I captured this man?" Anton asked. "John Wick, New York's king of assassins. Do you think he's some street thug who only knows petty theft?"

"John Wick?"

Jameson was stunned again.

He looked over the battered man before him. With his bruised and swollen face, there was no sign of New York's king of assassins about him.

Then his gaze shifted downward.

"The man doesn't look like much, but he raised this dog well."

After a long moment, that was his assessment.

"I'll leave him to you. Deal with him however you like."

Anton said, "Old man, after midnight, notify the New York Police Department and have them clean up Wall Street Court in the Manhattan Financial District."

"The Continental Hotel?"

Jameson had extensive connections, especially in New York, where he knew the lay of the land better than anyone.

Upon hearing that address, his pupils contracted. He abruptly turned and stared at Anton.

"You're going to make trouble for the Continental Hotel?"

"As you can see, yes."

Anton met his gaze.

"Anton, the Continental Hotel has never been the key. Behind it stands the High Table. The High Table is not our enemy, nor is it anyone's enemy. They only respect the rules."

Jameson emphasized, "You need to understand that our enemy is the Life Foundation."

Although there was currently no evidence proving that the Continental Hotel's contract had come from the Life Foundation, for Jameson, the answer required no verification.

"You're right. The Continental Hotel isn't my enemy. But since they accepted a contract they can't complete, they have to pay the price."

Anton's words carried a deeper meaning. "Besides, I'm not going to the Continental Hotel because of the Continental Hotel."

Jameson frowned.

He vaguely understood what Anton meant.

What he still could not understand was where Anton's absolute confidence came from.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing.

He watched Anton leave the basement. Through the surveillance monitor on the wall, he saw Anton get into the car John Wick had brought and sighed. The boy had truly grown up.

Vroom! Vroom!

The 1969 Ford Mustang drove away from the villa district.

Jameson withdrew his gaze and looked at John Wick, pondering for a long while.

"New York's king of assassins, John Wick. I've heard much about you."

Jonah Jameson stroked his chin.

He took an old-fashioned revolver from his coat and aimed it at John Wick's head.

John Wick calmly watched the muzzle.

"I hear you're preparing to retire. Interested in changing jobs?"

Suddenly, Jonah Jameson's eyes flickered. He lowered the gun and said, "If Anton can deal with the Continental Hotel, you'll stay and work for me. If he can't, I'll kill you."

It was a deeply unfair deal.

John Wick had no choice, but he could sense the intense confidence radiating from Jonah Jameson.

"Why?"

John Wick looked at Jameson, filled with confusion. "If all he has is the ability he showed just now, he can't deal with the Continental Hotel."

"He's my grandson."

Jameson answered frankly. "My grandson has grown up. So I believe in him."