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As Wesley escorted John Wick to the recovery room for treatment, Smith Doyle began reviewing the information Fox had sent him.
The files outlined the composition of the High Table's twelve seats. The scope of the information was extremely broad. While it was already clear which organizations the twelve seats represented, the locations of the High Table's headquarters and the headquarters of the twelve factions were still under thorough investigation.
Organizations such as the Camorra and the Mafia were relatively easy to identify, but their true headquarters were usually buried deep within their internal structures.
Moreover, destroying the High Table was not something that could be accomplished simply by killing the twelve elders. The twelve families themselves would have to be eradicated completely. Otherwise, under their rules of bloodline succession, new heirs would be appointed to take over once a leader died.
Eliminating twelve families at the same time would indeed be difficult—but dividing the forces into three groups posed no real problem for the Assassins' Alliance.
Although this textile factory was small in scale and appeared to house only a limited number of assassins, it was merely the headquarters.
With a history spanning a thousand years, the Assassins' Alliance possessed numerous branches. Given his current strength, Smith only needed to act carefully and lead his people to sweep through the entire city.
That said, John Wick might still need to travel to Casablanca to meet the High Table elders hiding deep in the desert.
The Next Day
After studying the documents, Smith Doyle spent the entire day training in the practice grounds, but he found that the results were far from satisfactory.
He had acquired Yamcha's battle power and bloodline weeks ago, yet he was still unable to sense ki. He felt no enhancement at all from the Dragon Ball Earthling lineage.
If he relied solely on his own training and the recently awakened power of Yamcha, it would likely take a very long time before he could perceive ki. It seemed that John Wick would have to accelerate the collection of the Dragon Balls—after all, the major events of the Marvel world were about to begin.
Leaving the training grounds, Smith Doyle grabbed a bottle of bourbon and headed toward the recovery room.
When Smith arrived, he saw John Wick completely encased in a wax bath, with only his face exposed.
Hearing footsteps, John Wick immediately snapped awake in alertness. However, with his face wrapped in wax, he couldn't speak properly and could only make muffled "mm, mm" sounds.
Seeing that John had awakened, Smith walked over and asked,"John, are you all right?"
Upon hearing Smith's voice, John Wick stopped struggling. By then, he was able to speak.
"I think my injuries are much better now," he said, "but I'm still a little thirsty."
As he spoke, the wax on his face began to crack, and some even slipped into his mouth.
Smith wiped the wax from John Wick's face and said,"Here, have a drink."
He then unscrewed the bottle of bourbon he had brought, poured a small amount, and carefully fed it to John Wick.
As the liquor slid down his throat, John felt much better."Thank you," he said. "I really like the taste of bourbon."
"What kind of wax bath is this?"
Hearing John Wick say he liked the wine didn't surprise Smith. After all, he came from Belarus, where almost everyone enjoyed alcohol.
Smith set the bourbon aside, sat down next to John Wick, and explained,"This wax bath stimulates white blood cells and accelerates recovery."
"Here, bruises, cuts, and even broken bones can heal within a few hours."
John Wick was stunned by this and stammered,"T–This is incredible!"
"With this, I wouldn't be afraid of ordinary injuries at all."
"The Continental doesn't have facilities like this."
Especially cuts and fractures—injuries that could heal within hours. Such an exaggerated level of effectiveness meant that even heavily wounded assassins could recover overnight and return to battle the next day.
This was the foundation of power built over thousands of years. John couldn't help wondering how many extraordinary resources the other side possessed.
Smith, however, showed little interest in John Wick's amazement. To him, truly great items would be things like a healing pod or senzu beans from a Dragon Ball wish. As long as he didn't die instantly, he could recover. He said casually,
"It's useful, but it can only treat external injuries. If you're shot in a vital spot, it won't help."
"If you get the chance, you'll see some truly remarkable things."
John Wick felt no disappointment upon learning that some severe injuries couldn't be cured. For him, the wax bath was already more than sufficient.
He was curious about the "remarkable things" Smith mentioned, but not surprised. After all, the Assassins' Alliance controlled thousands of Dragon Balls. They must have made many wishes and obtained countless treasures.
"This is already perfect," John Wick said. "The wax bath alone is incredibly powerful."
"If this were in a movie, countless assassins and gangsters would go crazy for it."
Smith ignored the comment and stood up."Alright, I'll head out. Once the wax melts, you can get ready. I'll be waiting for you in the conference room."
The Continental Hotel, New York
A black Mercedes sedan stopped in front of the hotel.
A tall woman stepped out. She had a buzz cut, wore a black coat and black boots, and even her fingernails were painted black. Carrying a black briefcase, she exuded a sharp, cold efficiency as she walked toward the Continental's front desk.
Charon looked at the woman and said politely,"Welcome to the Continental Hotel. How may I assist you?"
She took out a gold coin symbolizing her status as an Adjudicator and slowly slid it across the counter toward Charon with two fingers. She said nothing, simply staring at him.
Charon picked up the coin, examined it carefully, then placed it back on the counter. He picked up the phone and dialed the internal line. When the call connected, he said directly,
"Sir, an Adjudicator wishes to see you."
"Yes, sir."
Hanging up, Charon said respectfully to the woman,"The manager is in the lounge."
The Adjudicator glanced at him, put the coin away, and walked silently toward the lounge.
Winston soon arrived there. Looking at the female Adjudicator standing inside, he said,"I assume you're here about John Wick."
"If that's the case, we can save some time."
"I told him to turn around and leave. He refused. That's the whole story."
The Adjudicator stepped forward and said bluntly,"Mr. Wick broke the rules."
Winston nodded. "Yes."
"I don't know where he is—"
Before he could finish, the Adjudicator cut him off."You misunderstand. I'm not here to see Mr. Wick."
"I'm here because Mr. Wick violated the rules of this hotel. His blood was spilled on the floor of the Continental."
"Is that not correct?"
Winston replied heavily,"Yes."