Inside the Red Circle Club, the battle involving John Wick had essentially concluded. Smith and Fox had witnessed everything firsthand.
Back in the car, Smith glanced at Fox and said,
"Thirty-one kills, four of them with a dagger. What do you think?"
Fox looked in the direction where Iosef Tarasov had fled and said with a hint of regret,
"Decisive and ruthless. He used the Mozambique drill two shots to the chest, one to the head. Lethal and clean. He doesn't leave survivors.
He killed quite a few, but it looks like his main target was the guy who just escaped..."
Smith nodded. Fox wasn't wrong.
"Let's go. We've seen what he can do. Back to the Continental."
Fox stepped on the gas, and the car sped away. At that moment, John Wick emerged from the club, dragging his injured body. Iosef Tarasov had already fled in a car.
Room 819
Fox leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and said thoughtfully,
"You're not thinking of recruiting him into the Assassin's Guild, are you?"
"With his skill, he's qualified. A little training and he could be one of us. But are you sure he'd accept our ideology?"
"I even suspect he might end up being one of our targets."
Hearing that, Smith thought for a moment and shook his head.
"I'm not considering recruiting him—at least not yet."
"But your idea isn't bad. Worth thinking about."
Fox sighed, poured herself a glass of bourbon from the table, took a sip, and said,
"Let's hope the answer isn't too boring."
Time passed slowly.
After returning to the Continental, John Wick received treatment from the hotel doctor and went back to his room to rest.
The door opening wasn't exactly quiet, so Smith Dole, in the room next door, knew it was John Wick.
Sure enough, within minutes, the sound of fighting came from the neighboring room.
Fox also heard it. She sat up in bed, got dressed quickly, and said,
"Looks like not everyone follows the rules at the Continental."
"If I remember correctly, that's John Wick's room."
Smith smiled. He already knew what was going on, even the fight itself. If it weren't for John Wick's friend firing a warning shot outside, Wick might've been successfully ambushed by the female assassin, Perkins.
"Rules are meant to be broken
As long as you can pay the price."
Fox chuckled and said,
"Looks like someone's in trouble. Whoever broke the rule is going to pay."
"With that much noise, I'm sure another guest has already reported it to the Continental."
Soon after, the sounds of battle ceased. John Wick had won.
Smith Dole opened his door and looked at Perkins, crawling in the hallway. He turned to Fox and said,
"Looks like someone overestimated themselves."
John Wick, having just ended a call with the hotel, walked out of his room. He grabbed Perkins from behind, pressing his gun to her head, and finally got the information he needed...
Then he knocked her out with the butt of his pistol. Looking up at Smith, he said,
"Smith, can I ask you to look after this sleeping guest?"
"I'll pay one gold coin. Just hand her over to the Continental in the morning."
"You know killing isn't allowed inside the hotel."
Smith chuckled. The rules of the Continental, huh?
"Bring her in. I've got something to tell you anyway."
John Wick nodded, went back into his room, and returned with a pair of handcuffs and a Continental gold coin.
He cuffed Perkins' hands behind her back and brought her into Smith Dole's room.
As John placed Perkins on a chair and set the coin on the table, Smith said,
"Fox, pour John a glass of bourbon, would you?"
Fox stepped forward, poured John a glass of bourbon, and then stood silently to the side, curious about what was coming next.
John stepped up, took the glass, and drank it all in one go.
"Good whiskey. Charon recommended this brand to me too."
Smith Dole nodded with a smile and said,
"John Wick, your personal matters aren't resolved yet.
But before that, I need to ask you what is your wish?"
Upon hearing the word "wish," John Wick set down his glass, his expression serious.
"My wish..."
After a brief pause, he continued,
"Is to bring my dead wife back to life."
Smith Dole believed him. After scrutinizing John for a few seconds, he continued,
"Okay. I believe you're not lying right now."
Fox looked confused. How had the topic suddenly shifted to resurrection? Still, she maintained a neutral expression and watched John in silence.
"The Assassin's Guild is an organization that has existed for over a thousand years. Within our ranks, the Dragon Balls are sacred relics."
"What you have is the One-Star Ball. If you gather all seven, you can summon the Dragon and make one wish."
John nodded. He already knew the Dragon Balls had that ability when he came into contact with one.
"Sounds a bit like Aladdin's lamp."
Smith shrugged.
"That tale came from a bard who heard rumors of the Dragon Balls and twisted them into a children's story."
John was surprised. That was not the answer he expected. He then asked what had been on his mind:
"If the Dragon Balls are your organization's sacred relics, why did one show up in my house?"
Smith replied,
"After a wish is fulfilled, the Dragon Balls scatter around the world. They turn into ordinary stones, hide themselves, and after a certain time, return to their original form."
"Our guild doesn't hoard the Dragon Balls. Instead, we wait for fated individuals to find them. Then we observe, evaluate their wishes."
"If the person passes the evaluation and their wish isn't driven by selfishness or destruction, we guide them to seek out the remaining Dragon Balls."
John nodded. Though he couldn't tell if it was true, he now had a rough understanding.
"What if someone's wish is evil or full of selfish desires? What do you do then?"
Smith Dole slowly replied,
"What's the assassin world's opinion of the Assassin's Guild?"
John thought for a moment. The Guild had a mysterious reputation never accepting contracts, yet powerful people or factions still somehow died at their hands.
Was it because those people failed the Guild's evaluation?
No wonder no one outside knows the truth about the Dragon Balls everyone who does must have been eliminated.