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After paying two gold coins, Smith and Fox re-entered the Continental Hotel.
"Smith, I don't have many coins on hand, and the entry fees for each event aren't cheap either."
Hearing Fox mention the Continental Hotel's coins, Smith momentarily fell silent.
"Perhaps soon, you won't have that problem anymore."
Fox's eyes lit up, as if he had an idea, then he looked at the Continental Hotel with a hint of regret.
Speaking of the Continental Hotel's coins—they are minted, issued, and promoted by the hotel itself. Though made of high-quality material, their price is relatively modest. Their value fluctuates, and while they are difficult to acquire, they are convenient and fast to use.
Specifically:
Entering the Continental Hotel requires one coin. (Safety first.)
Checking into the hotel grants one coin. (For stays of 1–7 days.)
Entering the hotel bar grants one coin. (Can obtain some information.)
Arranging medical services grants one coin.
Handling a corpse earns one coin. (Leave no trace; clean the scene and body.)
One coin can be used to purchase weapons, body armor, etc.
In short, any single service at the Continental Hotel starts at one coin. Of course, top-tier services may require additional bounties beyond the base coin.
A single coin can be worth something small, like a haircut, or something immense, like saving your life at the Continental or hiring an assassin for a contract.
You must understand, the bounty on the assassin nicknamed "Baba Yaga," John Wick, is only four coins. Yet these four coins are enough to entice a killer to break the rules and unleash chaos in the Continental.
With hotels worldwide promoting this system, these coins have become hard currency in the assassin world. If you pay enough coins, even without dollars, an assassin will serve you.
Most assassins worldwide are registered members of the Continental, posting and accepting contracts while enjoying its services.
As a platform for assassins, the Continental also has enforcers to punish any who break the rules. Each hotel manager even has their own armed force.
Behind the Continental stands a far more powerful organization—the High Table.
The High Table is an alliance of major crime syndicates around the world, composed of twelve seats, headquartered near the desert of Casalambuca.
The twelve seats are top-level governance positions, occupied by groups like the Camorra, Mafia, Endrangheta, and Triads.
Wherever humans exist, there's conflict. Even within this top-level alliance of global crime groups, intrigue and scheming run deep.
But for Smith Doyle's Assassin Alliance, the High Table is merely a corrupt organization in need of reform. The Alliance's mission is to cleanse the world of filth.
Whether the so-called "top level" has been infiltrated by Hydra remains unknown. It's possible that organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra secretly control one or two seats.
Nevertheless, as a man of justice, Smith Doyle has decided to eliminate this cancer before the Marvel world's major events unfold. John Wick is an exceptional executor for this mission.
Looking at the Continental, Smith Doyle's eyes sparkled with playful mischief.
Meanwhile, after revealing the location he wanted to John Wick, Vigo Tarasov did not immediately drive away.
He was puzzled by how John Wick had escaped his grasp. He had clearly given the order to kill—at the time, John had seemed like a fish on a chopping board, completely at their mercy.
Driving back to the warehouse where John had been held, Vigo saw that two of his men had been shot in the head. He knew someone had intervened.
Thinking of the hidden cameras above the warehouse, Vigo immediately checked the footage. He wanted to know who had ruined his plan and even caused his son's death. Watching the video, Vigo gritted his teeth at Smith Doyle and Fox,"It's you."
Though the two were not registered assassins at the Continental, they frequented the hotel, and Vigo had heard rumors about them, even gathering intelligence and considering recruiting them.
After all, since John Wick's retirement, Vigo no longer had any aces up his sleeve. Yet Winston had warned him not to provoke them.
As for the Assassin Alliance's intelligence, Vigo could not access it, no matter his power.
"Smith Doyle, Fox. Whoever's behind you, you will pay."
Saying this, Vigo didn't stop; he drove straight home.
His face was dark with anger. If he had known his son would be such a traitor, he would have shot him into the wall.
His Russian crime empire was vast, yet he couldn't afford antique cars, so he resorted to stealing. He stole from someone nicknamed "Night Demon" and even killed his dog. He even beat John Wick and left.
He didn't understand cold ruthlessness—he was a worthless fool.
The key was that he had only one son. Though he told John Wick his son's hiding place, he had stationed many guards there, armed with light and heavy weapons—though the "heavy" weapons were merely assault rifles.
Still, he clung to a sliver of hope: that his men could kill John Wick. After all, they had captured him once before.
Despite lacking confidence, Vigo held on to that one-in-a-million hope, waiting for results.
Time ticked by.
Vigo, smoking with a grave expression, stared at the ashtray filled with cigarette butts. He awaited the news that would torment him.
The phone rang. Vigo took a deep breath and answered.
After hearing the report, Vigo Tarasov paused and hung up.
He took a long drag of his cigarette."Indeed… another failure."
Though he knew his son might not escape death's grasp, he was still deeply upset by the outcome.
He then picked up the phone, summoning all his men to headquarters.
As long as he took no further action, his feud with John Wick could be considered over—but he had no intention of letting Smith Doyle, who had sabotaged his plans, go unpunished.
This time, he wanted to make sure everything was foolproof.