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At this moment, Vigo had cornered Markus at his home, confiscating all his weapons. Several men restrained Markus as Vigo once again beat him. Blood covered Markus's face; he was barely clinging to life.
Vigo sat on the nearby steps, pulling out his phone to call John Wick.
"Hello, Jonathan."
"Thank you for letting my son die. I don't know how to express my feelings."
John Wick listened to Vigo's words as he drove.
"Markus betrayed me. He broke my defenses for you.""I'll deal with him according to the rules of the Russian mob."
After saying this, Vigo hung up, stood up, and twisted a towel in his hands like a rope.
Markus, lying on the ground, gasped his last words:
"You canceled the bounty…"
Hearing this, Vigo's anger flared:
"As long as the bounty exists, you still had a chance…""A chance to kill John Wick.""If you had done your job properly, my son might still be alive."
Vigo punched Markus once more, tortured him, and then used the twisted towel to strangle him to death.
After the call ended, John Wick sharply turned the wheel and drove straight to Markus's house.
As he drove, John thought of what Fox and Winston had said at the Continental. Indeed, his situation was a complete mess.
Realizing that Vigo might know Markus had saved him—and that Smith likely knew too—John immediately called Smith.
"Smith, this is John."
"John, what's wrong?"
John's voice carried a hint of sorrow. An old friend who had saved him multiple times had been killed by Vigo because of him.
"I shouldn't have let Vigo go.""Because Markus helped me, Vigo sent people to kill him.""Smith, you saved my life and ruined Vigo's plan.""I'm worried he might come after you too. Please stay safe."
Smith glanced at Fox in the passenger seat, sighed, and replied:
"Vigo sent people here, but Fox and I took care of them."
Hearing this, John apologized:
"Sorry, Smith. I'll handle this—he won't bother you again."
After hanging up, Smith shook his head. While John wanted revenge for his old friend, Smith wasn't about to let him off the hook. First, he had to return to the Assassin Alliance. As for Vigo's life, that would depend on who found him first.
Soon, Smith returned Fox to the Assassin Alliance. After placing her in the recovery room, he went to the conference room.
Inside, the Gunsmith, Butcher, Cross, and Mr. X had been waiting for him. Cross looked at Smith and said:
"God, your mission selection is now open. Choose one.""The organizations listed are considered targets for elimination, though their difficulty varies. Even our arch-enemies are included."
Cross laid a file in front of Smith.
Smith glanced at the first page, surprised. It wasn't from any other organization—it was from the Russian crime syndicate in New York. The file detailed senior members, headquarters, key outposts, and primary criminal activities.
He skimmed the overview and turned to the second page. If the Russian mob was the appetizer, the next target—a Hell's Kitchen crime lord—was the heavyweight.
Smith quickly flipped to the third page—The High Table—and the fourth page—The Hand.
The Hand had long been a rival of the Assassin Alliance, but in recent years, there had been no conflict. The former leader, Sloan, had achieved the significant feat of halting the war with The Hand.
Smith wasn't intimidated by any of these organizations; his current strength was enough to handle them all.
Cross said:
"There are four organizations listed, but you only need to complete a mission for one of the first two.""The last two can be considered your focus once you become the leader of the Assassin Alliance."
Smith understood: though it seemed like four tasks, only two were mandatory. The mission against the Russian mob was simple; the mission against the next target, Jinbing, would be slightly more difficult.
Smith closed the file and said:"I accept all four tasks."
Mr. X paused, then said:"Smith, you only need to complete one of them."
Smith nodded but continued:"First, we deal with the Russian syndicate. As for the other three, since they are all targets, we will eliminate them one by one."
The Cross spoke:"Then let's start with the Russian mob. You'll handle them alone. The other three organizations will come under your control once you lead the Assassin Alliance."
Meanwhile, John Wick had arrived at his friend's home. After exiting the car, he quietly drew his weapons and snuck inside, uncertain if anyone else was present.
Inside, he found Markus lying in a pool of blood. Vigo and his men were long gone.
John approached Markus's body, grimacing at the brutal injuries. His friend's face had been beaten beyond recognition, his legs stabbed with knives, and finally, he had been strangled.
Seeing Markus's wide-open eyes in his final moments, John gently closed them and whispered:
"Markus… I will avenge you."
He pulled out his phone and called Winston. Once connected, John said bluntly:
"Winston, I need intel on Vigo."
Winston replied:
"The Continental has its own rules. I won't tell you who's currently at his stronghold.""Even if he's gathered all his men."
John understood the hint immediately and hung up.
Looking at Markus's lifeless body, John Wick resolved to exact vengeance. He left the house, knowing he needed to prepare—he would need more weapons before storming Vigo's lair. A reckless assault would only get him killed, not avenge his friend.