Hong Kong, China.
John Wick stood in front of a half-renovated building at the address provided by the Assassin's League. After double-checking the location, he stepped inside.
Facing the building's security staff, John spoke in Mandarin:
"I'm here to see your boss—Xu Xialing."
The guard gave him a once-over before speaking into a walkie-talkie.
"Someone's here to see the boss."
"…Copy that."
He turned to John and said, "Take the elevator up."
John gave a nod and headed for the elevator. It ascended a few floors before stopping. As the doors opened, a red-haired man stood waiting and said:
"Night Devil - welcome."
John eyed the stranger. "Do we know each other?"
The man pulled out a phone and smirked. "John Wick. Your public bounty's at twenty-two million now. Impressive, man."
John frowned slightly but stayed silent.
The red-haired man extended his arms for a hug. "I'm Jon. Welcome to the Golden Dagger Club."
John blinked at his outgoing attitude but returned the hug out of politeness.
"I've scheduled a meeting with your boss—Xu Xialing."
Jon nodded. "Follow me."
As they walked together, John noticed that the interior was divided into numerous fighting rings.
Catching his glance, Jon explained, "We're a global, multi-platform fight club. We host duels on the dark web. Tons of clients place bets online."
"With your popularity right now, a single match would bring in a wave of gamblers."
John shook his head. "Not interested."
Jon sighed. "That's a real shame."
He led John into a room guarded by several burly security officers. At a desk in the center sat a young woman.
John stepped forward. "Hello, Xu Xialing. I'm John Wick. I've come to ask a favor—I need an item in your possession."
Xu Xialing studied him with interest. "The legendary assassin from the New York Continental. You've got a high price on your head these days."
"But I have to ask—how does a disavowed Continental hitman end up working with the Assassin's League?"
She knew the League had reached out to her, but she couldn't make sense of the connection.
John paused, then said, "It's divine guidance."
Xu Xialing raised an eyebrow. "And what is it you're after?"
"You have a sphere with six stars—one of the Dragon Balls. I need it."
"It's been valued as high as two million. I'll pay double."
She wasn't surprised by his request—she'd seen the bounty that mentioned a Dragon Ball, although hers didn't match the description exactly. She had found it on a beach, thought it was pretty, and brought it back. Only after seeing the bounty did she think it might be important.
She nodded thoughtfully. "I don't know what this thing does, but it's clearly important if you've gone this far to collect them."
"Mind telling me why you need it?"
John had expected questions like this. Ever since the incident with the Elder, he'd come up with a solid explanation.
"The Assassin's League is testing me. I need to collect all seven Dragon Balls to earn their protection."
"They're the ones who released them."
Xu Xialing looked him over and said, "I've heard the League went to war with the High Table over you. Heard the Table took heavy losses."
"You really know how to stir things up."
She pulled the six-star ball from a drawer, tossed it lightly in her hand, then said, "You can buy it—but what's in it for me?"
John knew she wasn't talking about money.
"What do you want?"
She considered her past, then said, "A promise. Like a Continental blood oath."
"When I need your help, I want you to give it everything you've got."
She had originally considered a formal blood oath, but given that John was disavowed and now aligned with the League, who knew if that would even hold? So she just said it plainly. As for the Dragon Ball—was it really something the League had released? She'd just found it on the beach.
John frowned. Debts like these were the hardest to repay. He was in his current mess because of a blood oath to Santino.
"Can we renegotiate?"
"I could fight for you—maybe headline one of your matches?"
"With how hot I am online, it'd draw serious attention."
Xu Xialing looked tempted. But if he was truly on track to becoming a full member of the League, then a favor owed from him might be even more valuable.
Someday, she might need the League's power—and John could be the key.
She shook her head.
"No. I want a promise. A personal favor."
John sighed. "No room to negotiate?"
"I'll even throw in more money."
Xu Xialing smiled. "John, this thing is useless to me. But for you? It's priceless. It's your lifeline."
John fell silent for a moment. She was right. For him, it was everything.
"…Alright. You have my word."
A smile spread across Xu Xialing's face.
"Give me something to remember it by."
John nodded, pulled out a bullet marked with the Assassin's League insignia, and placed it in her hand.
—End of chapter—
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