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The Assassin Alliance
In the training room, Smith Doyle was wearing a weighted suit, throwing rapid punches and kicks, doing one-finger handstand push-ups, and occasionally launching gas grenades at moving targets.
"Haha…"
"Prosperity!"
Looking at the shattered targets, Smith Doyle hadn't even broken a sweat. He was far too weak. Training in this environment was barely effective.
He needed a gravity lab to increase the difficulty; otherwise, this training was little more than a warm-up.
At that moment, the training room door opened, and Fox walked in. Seeing the destroyed targets on the floor, a look of envy crossed his face.
"Smith, there's a letter you need to see."
Shush!
In an instant, Smith Doyle appeared in front of Fox so fast that Fox couldn't even see him clearly—he only felt a gust of wind.
"Who sent it?"
As he spoke, Smith Doyle took the letter from Fox and opened it.
"There's no sender," Fox continued."The letter was thrown into the castle along with a throwing knife. The knife was so powerful it got stuck in a pillar."
Smith found the delivery method intriguing and a bit amusing.
Reading the contents of the letter, Smith Doyle frowned slightly. It wasn't handwritten; it was printed. Yet the content was surprising: someone had informed him in advance that members of the Hand were planning a large-scale advance into New York.
Thinking over the letter, Smith recalled the information about the Hand. The Hand had five leaders—known as the Five Fingers: Alexandra, Madam Gao, Botu, Sovanda, and Murakami. All five were once Kunlun elders but were expelled. Over 500 years, they founded the Hand and relied on Dragon Bones to sustain life and perform resurrections.
The Hand, the Makoto-led Shin Haru-kai, and the Assassin Alliance were all enemies. Though the Five Fingers of the Hand were powerful, the Assassin Alliance's long-range sniping was terrifying. Both sides clashed repeatedly, unwilling to yield. With Sloan in power, the fighting temporarily ceased. During the eighteen years after Sloan's death, minor conflicts occurred but no large-scale war erupted.
As for why Madam Gao had come to New York, in the original account, she owned a flour factory in Hell's Kitchen. Additionally, the Rand Corporation had an unfinished building there, beneath which Dragon Bones were buried. Beyond the Dragon Bones, what else would make her move here so early?
Smith Doyle pondered and guessed one possibility—the Dragon Balls.
Due to bounties placed by the Gamora mafia and John Wick, the Dragon Balls were well-known in the underground world. A single Dragon Ball was worth $200 million, attracting many eyes. The Hand might arrive early because of the Dragon Balls, though it wasn't the familiar one everyone knew.
Dragon Bones, however, were highly valuable—they could resurrect the dead and prolong life. While Doyle didn't care for longevity or death, these were excellent rewards and safeguards for his followers.
As for the best knife-throwers in New York, the most famous was likely Kingpin's subordinate, Target Heart.
Having figured all this out, Smith Doyle said,"Our old enemy, the Hand, is coming to New York. This time, we have to make sure they never come back."
"Notify the higher-ups to convene a meeting. Expand it to three participants—you, Wesley, and John Wick must attend."
Fox nodded."Alright, I'll inform everyone immediately."
Elsewhere—Top Floor of Fisk Tower
Kingpin stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, overlooking the brightly lit streets of Hell's Kitchen. When night fell, he was the ruler here. By day, he bowed to the government; by night, everyone bowed to him, Kingpin.
At that moment, a thought crossed his mind: the High Table hadn't been able to make him surrender, and the Shogunate wouldn't either.
Someone knocked. Kingpin called, "Come in."
The door opened, and Target Heart stepped in."Boss, I've sent the letter to the Assassin Alliance headquarters. I'm confident they now know about the Hand's large-scale invasion plan."
"Do you want me to disguise myself as a Hand ninja, assassinate a few of their members, and frame them? My shuriken are deadly."
Clearly, Target Heart couldn't tolerate idleness and was eager to stir conflict between the two factions.
Kingpin turned, holding a scepter, and said coldly,"Cow Eye, don't bother me."
"I need to leave no traces in this matter."
"Based on my intelligence, the Assassin Alliance and the Hand have long-standing grudges. If we tell them about the Hand's arrival, conflict will naturally erupt."
"You know, the Assassin Alliance headquarters is in New York."
"What we need to do now is protect ourselves while letting them fight, then watch from the sidelines."
Target Eye suppressed his impatience."Yes, Boss. I won't interfere in the fight, but there's been a certain guy giving us trouble. I'll find an opportunity to deal with him."
Seeing Target Eye eager for action, Kingpin didn't stop him. He found the sudden appearance of the Daredevil bothersome. Though Daredevil hadn't killed anyone, he frequently interrupted their deals.
"Let's go check it out. That guy keeps causing trouble—it's not good."
Target Eye smiled."I'm not like him. I never hold back."
With that, Target Heart left, closing the office door behind him.
Kingpin's mind returned to another thought: if the Hand and the Assassin Alliance didn't go to war, this so-called Daredevil might be the perfect wild card. Only, he wondered, who was stronger—the Daredevil or the Night Devil?
At that moment, a phone lit up on the conference table. The caller ID showed Madam Gao.
Kingpin picked up."Yes."
"I've gathered all information on John Wick and the Dragon Balls. I also have info on Smith Doyle, but it's all from before the High Table's fall."
"Alright, I'll send that info to you later."
"Nothing major has happened recently in New York, and the Assassin Alliance hasn't taken any significant action."
"He's probably still processing the benefits of destroying the High Table."
"Okay, okay. There are some matters we need to discuss in detail. Alright, I'll see you when you arrive."