Chapter 97

"Good evening, Jimmy."

The battle over, John Wick single-handedly took out every assassin.

In the gunfight, no more than two shots—one to drop, one to blow off the head.

Even when dragged into close-quarters brawls, it never lasted more than a single exchange,

John Wick simply used real-world, no-holds-barred combat techniques, turning the tables in an instant—clean, efficient, snapping the neck.

No mercy, no compassion!

Only slaughter!

Outside the window, red and blue police lights kept flashing.

The audience's hearts were already lodged in their throats—was the protagonist about to clash with the police?

He had just killed so many people!

John Wick looked as if he had just finished a workout, calmly opening the door and greeting the officer.

The officer glanced at the corpses sprawled haphazardly behind him.

"You... back to work?"

"No, just cleaning up some trash."

"Alright then, good night, John."

"Good night, Jimmy."

Huh?

The police just let John Wick off like that?

The audience grew increasingly curious about the protagonist's past—who on earth was he!

One phone call from John Wick, and a crew of "professionals" showed up to clean the battlefield, as if the fight in the house had never happened.

The assassins' failure made the gang leader Viggo even more wary.

"You have to spend money to make money."

He was going to spend big to hire real killers now!

"Huh? Green Goblin!"

"Holy crap, Green Goblin vs. Spider-Man again!"

"Of all the people to run into!"

When veteran actor Willem Dafoe appeared, the audience nearly broke immersion.

The two had clashed several times in Spider-Man not long ago, and now in a different movie they had to fight again?

"Now this is getting interesting!"

Willem Dafoe's performance as the old Green Goblin in the film was equally outstanding,

He wore a dressing gown, and at first glance looked a lot like Norman Osborn.

But on closer inspection, the differences between the two were clear.

Norman Osborn was a successful businessman, a scientist—he radiated a sense of control.

The killer didn't have that commanding presence; he was like an ordinary retired uncle, leisurely drinking at home.

But anyone who dared underestimate him would likely pay the price.

The 16 million Xu Can invested couldn't even afford those big-name actors.

Brad Pitt, Tang Mu Hanks, Tang Mu Cruise, Denzel Washington...

Usually, action films had to bring in these big shots from the 20-million club to guarantee acting and box office.

Though the actors Xu Can brought in weren't quite as famous,

Willem Dafoe in particular joined at a low fee as a favor to a good friend,

everyone's performance was on point throughout,

driven by Xu Can's god-tier acting, they all sparred brilliantly together.

Only then did they deliver a feast for the audience before the screen.

"Two million—can you kill John Wick?"

"Even though you two used to be close..."

"Is this an exclusive contract?"

"No, it's an open bounty."

"Alright, I'll take it."

The killer Marcus didn't put on the Green Goblin suit this time.

He pulled out a sniper rifle, carefully and professionally wiping down his weapon.

The Continental Hotel.

John Wick showed up, brushing past the woman played by Emma Stone.

One look at her face and you knew this woman was definitely not an extra!

"Are the two of them a couple in this new movie?"

"Yes!! More sugar to ship!"

Quite a few female viewers started getting excited.

The couple in Spider-Man was just too good to ship, but sadly the ending had them separated for now.

They thought shipping them would have to wait until Spider-Man 2—who would've thought they could ship the two so soon!

Speaking of which, the two have constant dating rumors in real life.

Paparazzi could always snap intimate photos of them together.

Unfortunately, this kind of rumor wouldn't affect their popularity at all; instead, it let the ship-fan fans get their fix, shouting "More, please!"

For the first time, paparazzi found their value recognized by fans.

"Speaking of which, Aima isn't the female lead, just a supporting character—could it be…"

Some clear-headed viewers also sensed something was off, and continued watching with uneasy hearts.

"Pleased to meet you, John."

"Likewise, Perkins."

It seemed the two had worked together before; the woman was also an assassin.

……

"Has the Continental changed owners?"

"No, same as always… an honor to receive your return, Mr. Wick."

The hotel as a whole gave off an elegant, upscale, yet mysterious vibe.

The mysterious black receptionist, the mysterious female assassin, the mysterious coin…

Everything indicated that behind the hotel there seemed to be a massive organization, building a unique worldview.

After John Wick checked in, he planned to resolve things through connections,

"John Wick, what business do you have?"

"Iosef…"

"What about him?"

"I want to have a word with him."

"You know the rules here—no one can do bad things in this place."

"This is a personal grudge."

In a calm, low-toned conversation, John Wick didn't get the result he wanted.

The force behind the Continental was clearly going to shield that bastard who killed his dog.

Even knowing how massive the organization was, even knowing what he'd face by offending the Continental's power.

But John Wick had no intention of letting it go!

Back in his room, he had already put on a bulletproof vest, heading alone to the enemy's lair!

A chaotic dance floor, men and women drunk on desire, gaudy, decadent lighting,

The background music and drumbeats kept stimulating the audience's eardrums in an anxious, restless way.

That flame of vengeance was reignited, constantly suppressed, suppressed…

At last, that flame of vengeance could no longer be held back!

It erupted completely!