Chapter 752: Preparing for Battle

Santino was extremely uneasy, because in the past, he was always the one judging the lives of others; it seemed that now, his own life was undergoing judgment. He had thought he could face it calmly, because in the past, many heroes had died at his hands.

Those were all people he looked down upon, all his defeated opponents. He thought that if he had to face the same situation, he would certainly do better than those people.

But now that his life and death were truly in the hands of another, he realized he was a coward. Everything had just been a facade; he was still that little boy who would wet his pants from being scared by his father's subordinates...

Wang Yan had no mind to pay attention to Santino. He focused on the computer, typing away with a flurry of activity. This was different from the few million of Li Zicheng before; this was a full sixty million. This was not a small sum of money; even searching throughout America, there were not many tycoons who could produce this much money in a short time without the assistance of a bank. There was Santino's own money here, as well as the operating funds for his entire gang. Being able to withdraw this much was already quite impressive.

He could not transfer the money directly to his own account; this was the simplest of truths. He was now using methods to break the sixty million into tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, constantly circulating it internationally, and finally gathering it all together again.

Of course, that was still black money, but he just wanted to cut off the ability to track his fund flow through financial means. After all, they were about to fight, and if the other side easily froze his account with one move, wouldn't it all be for nothing?

John Wick had already changed into a bulletproof suit and had gone to the basement in Wang Yan's room to retrieve two handguns and load them. At this moment, he was sitting there helplessly, stroking the dog's head, silently cursing Wang Yan for his itchy hands.

Glancing at Santino, who was sitting there trembling with fear and smoking one cigarette after another, he said, "We only have tonight. By tomorrow, we will be facing endless pursuit."

Santino really wanted to speak; he really wanted to say that as long as he lived, he wouldn't have to face the High Table's pursuit, and he himself wouldn't retaliate. However, seeing Wang Yan, who was sitting at the computer typing away, look up and meet those smiling eyes, he swallowed back whatever he was going to say. Compared to death, he was now more afraid of this Oriental man going crazy and really cutting thirty-six thousand slashes into him to demonstrate an Oriental punishment to John.

Unlike John, he firmly believed that Wang Yan could really do the deed of cutting thirty-six thousand slashes into him, because he had just been poked a few times and felt that pain deep in his bones; he had never witnessed such methods before. And Wang Yan had never once shown a cold face from beginning to end, always smiling; he highly doubted whether Wang Yan's mental state was normal.

If he were really given thirty-six thousand slashes, that would not only mean death, but a terrifying death. So, by comparison, death was not so hard to accept.

Wang Yan smiled and said, "Mr. Antonio, I have one more question, and I hope you can give me the answer."

"Of course." Santino had no choice but to be very cooperative.

"See the clothes we are wearing? This is a soft, comfortable, and form-fitting bulletproof suit. I think you are no stranger to this. So, can you tell me the origin of this bulletproof material?"

"I am not clear on this point. Every place that has a Continental Hotel has such a tailor shop. I guess it should be a byproduct developed by a company that researches and produces bulletproof vests for the military. As far as I know, the cost of this material is very high. Like the suits you are wearing, which are entirely made of this material, the price is extremely expensive, and the troops have no way to issue them at all. That is why it has flowed into the market for people like you who are risking their lives to wear."

Santino's words were earnest, his expression sincere, with a face that said, "Everything I say is true."

In the bulletproof vest market, Chinese manufacturing occupies a dominant position, with a market share exceeding fifty percent. Even China's hostile countries purchase bulletproof vests produced in China. In the US military's stores, there are also Chinese bulletproof vest supplies, and when they purchase military equipment, many choose Chinese-made ones.

But this is military-grade bulletproof vests that need to be equipped on a large scale, where the main consideration is cost-effectiveness; cheap and easy to use are the two most critical considerations, and cheap, without a doubt, is the top priority.

What Santino said certainly made a lot of sense, but he basically said nothing at all. Such a simple truth, would Wang Yan not know it?

However, Wang Yan still nodded and turned to look at John Wick.

Before he could speak, John was the one to open his mouth first: "You want the data on this bulletproof material?"

"Of course, haven't I made it obvious enough?"

"Are you a person from the Chinese government?"

"Relax, John. I am just a person who wants to live better. Besides, do you think that even if you got this material that cannot be equipped on a large scale for the military, what use would it be? The genetic agent you injected, I only wanted to make myself stronger. Regardless, this kind of project is definitely immature. Even if I were a government person, taking it back wouldn't be of much use."

"Besides, do you think China really doesn't know? Would they need to use a failure in life like me to run thousands of miles to get here? We have a long time to spend together; why do you think I pulled you in? It's just that after joining the Continental Hotel, I discovered that this place isn't somewhere you can come and go as you please. I am selling my life to make money, not letting others force me to sell my life."

"So I decided to strike first. And in this process, just like Mr. Antonio's help to us, in the end, we will harvest freedom, as well as money that cannot be spent. John, I didn't force you; I just gave you a choice, and you chose me yourself. So don't be so nervous; you have to believe in your own choice. The road is walked out, and life is killed out. Now that we have reached this point, we have no way back."

John Wick nodded and didn't say anything more. The fact was just so; even if Wang Yan were truly a person from the Chinese government, he had no room for regret.

Not to mention whether he could win against Wang Yan in a one-on-one, even if he could, now that he had let Santino go, he would also invite retaliation and would be pursued just the same. He had no choice, and it was indeed as Wang Yan said: Wang Yan gave him another choice.

Seeing him nod without speaking, Wang Yan turned his head back to look at Santino and smiled apologetically: "Mr. Antonio, I'm afraid you have to go on your way."

Santino let out a long breath: "Please make it quick."

"Of course, since you are so cooperative, why would I torture you? John, no matter what, you two are friends. Take him out to the car and send him on his way."

John Wick nodded and took out a black, tactically modified M1911, cocking it with a click: "Let's go, Santino."

Santino tremblingly poured a large glass of vodka, downed it in one gulp, got up, and walked in front to open the door and leave the house. He opened the car door, looked at the corpses piled inside, then looked at the carpet soaked through with blood, sighed, and got into the car.

With the pitch-black muzzle pointed at his head, Santino looked at the expressionless John Wick and said, "John, I'll be waiting for you in hell."

"Good." John Wick responded, pulling the trigger directly, and a single bullet ended Santino's sinful life.

John looked at the corpses in the car with bullet-riddled heads and refreshed his understanding of Wang Yan's strength. Before, he knew Wang Yan's cold weapon combat ability was very strong; now he knew Wang Yan's marksmanship was very good.

The Desert Eagle is not a good gun; the gun body is heavy, the recoil is large, the size is large and inconvenient to hold, and it is not ideal for combat in harsh environments, but it cannot be denied that its power is great. Wang Yan used such a gun and was still persistent in shooting for the head; this all proved Wang Yan's strong self-confidence.

This point was something he couldn't do. Although his marksmanship was very good, there were always times when he missed. As a man, who wouldn't want the cool and handsome style of shooting for the head every time? But the bullet wounds on his body proved that this kind of cool and handsome style had to be paid for; the bullets taught him to grow.

So he would carefully follow the various tactics that had become body instincts: how to hold the gun, how to change magazines, how to dodge, how to shoot quickly, and so on. Compared to shooting for the head every time, he preferred two shots to the chest and one to the head; this was more steady and safe, with a greater margin for error. After all, the area of the chest is much larger than the head.

Thinking for a while, he shook his head and gave the dead Santino Antonio another shot as if to vent, only then closing the car door and turning back to the house.

If he could, he really wanted Wang Yan to give Santino thirty-six thousand slashes; this was a true arch-enemy. Regardless of whether he was in the wrong, it was Santino who made him have to risk his life once again; an extra shot was light.

Entering the house, looking at Wang Yan who was still typing away, he drank a glass of wine and asked, "What do we do next? Tomorrow, the news of Santino's death will spread. His whereabouts are not a secret; as long as one checks, one will know. Every blood oath, the Continental Hotel has a record. Once they discover Santino's affair, they will know it was me. The Continental Hotel stipulates that one cannot kill the holder of a blood oath; they will definitely uphold the rules. Tomorrow, we will be put on a bounty; there isn't much time left."

Wang Yan smiled and looked up to meet his eyes: "Sorry, John, the one who will be wanted will only be you; they don't know my role in it."

John Wick was stunned for a moment, instantly having the feeling of being abandoned by a dog man after pouring his heart out. He went cold; he had already tacitly accepted this Oriental man as the leader, and yet he was kicked away in the blink of an eye?

"What do you mean?" When he spoke, his hands were unconsciously gripping slightly, already prepared to pull his gun and fight if things didn't go well.

"As of now, everyone who knows what I did, except for you, is dead, so they will definitely only put a bounty on you. But you trusted me so much, chose the choice I gave you, and followed me to confront the High Table; I couldn't possibly cast you aside. Relax, John, I am just stating a fact, not meaning to cast you aside. I know you have a good relationship with Winston, the manager of the New York hotel; you can completely make a phone call to him and tell him everything; you should also have some room for maneuver."

Wang Yan waved his hand and smiled: "Action without a plan, without a goal, is destined to fail. John, just as I said just now, our ultimate goal is the same: to live a stable life. The process is also very simple; we just need to kill our way through the genetic project. But when we kill enough, when our team continues to grow, then no one will dare to provoke us again. We will then live a stable life, provided we can survive this process. If we survive, there might be one more thing you need to prepare for."

"What?"

"Perhaps we will leave America; you need to prepare to move."

John Wick understood and nodded: "I hope there is a chance to move."

"Peace is fought for, and freedom is struggled for. John, believe in yourself. A desperate fight is always better than waiting for death." This was the life creed that John Wick himself believed in; Wang Yan was helping him deepen his understanding.

"Then what do we do next?"

"First, we need to find someone to deal with these corpses; you wouldn't want the front of your house to be a mess, and who knows, maybe we won't have to move."

"Still looking for hotel services?"

"Of course, they are professionals, aren't they?"

John nodded and very decisively took out his phone: "Hello, I need fast food for fourteen people, but they are already waiting in three cars. Yes, there is some jam scattered on the ground..." He called the professional team that cooperates with the Continental Hotel, responsible for handling the scene and eliminating evidence. Professional matters should be left to professional people; this point he also highly approved of. For example, now he had to some extent abandoned his brain and decided to risk his life with Wang Yan.

Seeing him finish the call and look at himself, Wang Yan continued: "This world has never been peaceful, and the High Table is the same. Santino wanted his sister's life, so his sister also wanted others' lives; no one would complain that their territory is too big. The existence of the High Table provides everyone with a more civilized set of game rules, but it is ultimately a game of power and slaughter."

"John, we helped Ms. Antonio, and it seems this person is an old acquaintance of yours; perhaps you should let her know how she got her life back. And ask her, who truly exercises authority in the High Table's Elder Council, about the genetic project and the bulletproof material. The people pursuing us must come from these twelve forces; with one less, we are one point safer."

John Wick was silent, took out his phone again, and while making the call, said: "I'll tell her about it; you can communicate with her specifically."

"Can do."

Wang Yan knew that John didn't want to bother with these things. A man whose brain was filled with nothing but women and guns, and who was grieving because his woman had died and his future was bleak, what more could one expect him to think about? Looking at the whole drama, this was a complete brute.

Very quickly, the call connected. John roughly explained the situation and didn't give the woman on the other side much time to accept it before putting the phone on speaker and placing it in front of Wang Yan. He didn't want to bother, but that didn't mean he didn't want to listen. And he felt Wang Yan was a bit of a psychopath; he always had to ensure information was shared so he could respond. Not using his brain didn't mean he was stupid. It was because he had some confidence in his own force and didn't want to rack his brains. After all, problems that could be solved by killing were not problems at all; this was also the creed of a powerful killer.

Wang Yan didn't care; he politely opened the greeting: "Respected Ms. Gianna Antonio, good evening."

Italy is six hours ahead of New York; it was still evening there. As the leader of the Camorra and a person leading the world's hooligan trend, Wang Yan really gave respect. This female hooligan had almost reached the peak position in the world, although in the original drama, she was very easily dealt with by John Wick.

Perhaps this is the balance of humanity: people who hold power are themselves weak. This gives people the courage to be proud before kings and to be angry as commoners. If people who hold power also possessed great strength belonging to themselves, then this world would definitely be a disaster, and people would never have a chance to get ahead, living like pigs and dogs for a lifetime.

"It is not very good, but thank you for your greeting. How should I address you, sir?" Speaking was a somewhat hoarse female voice, full of energy, very spirited; one could tell at a listen that she was a confident and domineering woman.

"Just call me Wang."

"Okay, Wang, state your purpose."

"I have to say, you are as direct as Mr. Antonio; I like that." Wang Yan smiled, "Your brother told me that the agent John injected that strengthens his bones and muscles comes from the Rock family's laboratory. I want to know, as a member of the Elder Council, whether you know more news."

The other side was silent for a long while before Gianna answered: "If I remember correctly, the address of the laboratory is in Chicago. There is the University of Chicago there; it should be a laboratory in cooperation with the university. I am not clear on which one specifically; this requires you to find out yourself. As far as I know, there are many other projects; Santino should have told you. They are researching immortality; although immortality hasn't been researched, there are many good products. For example, the skincare products I use now are developed by the laboratory. I don't know if you are interested in these."

"Of course, you can summarize it into a document and send it to John. I will go and take a look at them one by one. Of course, only if we can live until that time."

"Okay, after I hang up the phone, I will send everything I know about these experiments to John. What else do you want to know?"

Wang Yan was very happy; perhaps this harvest would be even more bountiful.

Gianna, as a high-level figure, although a hooligan group, just as Santino said, they were just relatively in a weak position, not without ability; it was impossible for them to be dogs on a leash. Even as dogs, if they counterattacked, they could bite, and it would hurt a lot.

On the other hand, the foundation of these named hooligan groups was not inferior to those large financial groups. Counting back a few hundred years, when the ancestors of the large financial groups were kneeling and begging for food while accumulating wealth, the ancestors of the hooligan groups were already wreaking havoc in the countryside; no one should look down on anyone; everyone was an organization of several hundred years.

So Gianna knew a lot; Wang Yan had thought of this long ago. It was just that he initially wanted to probe from the side, not wanting to be chased around the world like a dog, but it didn't work out.

In fact, he had also been researching life sciences and had even achieved many results. It was just that he hadn't been researching immortality; he had always been committed to how to keep a healthy physique for a longer time, just like himself; even if he lived to be one hundred and twenty or thirty, he could still take down three, four, five, or six young people. This, of course, had reasons of technique, but his body was also the key.

Different research methods would lead to differences in research results. In the real world and general film and television worlds, he had long looked down on other people's technology. It was just that this time was different; the ability shown in the plot was already very strong, so he had racked his brains to want to peek at these projects; perhaps there would be unexpected harvests.

Wang Yan smiled and said: "And the bulletproof suits we are wearing, where does this material come from?"

"I have to ask about this; I will send it to John together when the time comes."

Gianna didn't care about those at all. Although she also knew that these things were not so easy to get, obviously, these two people were already crazy; otherwise, John wouldn't have killed Santino, although she was sad and happy...

"Wang, I have to remind you and John, you are really dangerous."

"Of course, who would know better than us? But regardless, you wouldn't want to die at John's hands, right? If not for today's events, you shouldn't have lived for more than a week; you should have a very clear understanding of this."

"Yes, so I rewarded you. You have to know, if I didn't tell you this information, it would take a lot of effort to track it down."

"You are right, so I just planned that if you didn't know more news, we would catch another elder to verify it, then decide your life or death, and then, perhaps we would go to the Rock family to see where our friends are."

"My God, I am sure now, you two are both crazy. You know what that means, right?" Gianna's voice had surprise that couldn't be suppressed, because what Wang Yan said was too horrifying; even she, this hooligan leader, wouldn't dare to do that.

"The situation you are thinking of hasn't appeared, because you told me the information, which avoided a lot of trouble and kept the war within our world. Thank you for your help; perhaps others should also express their gratitude to you."

Not waiting for Gianna to be polite, Wang Yan continued: "Ms. Antonio, I think we are friends; you wouldn't betray us, would you?"

"Tomorrow you will be pursued by the whole world, and I provided you with information. As long as you say it out, even I will face sanctions. But please forgive me, because in the next steps, perhaps my people will also join in the pursuit of you; you will understand, right?"

"Yes, Ms. Antonio, we all have unavoidable difficulties. That's it then; I'll wait for your news, preferably quickly, because there isn't much time left for us."

"Okay, I wish you survival."

The female hooligan leader finished speaking and hung up the phone decisively, not wanting to say more. She knew John was very strong, and Wang Yan, who could be recognized by John, must also be very strong, but she really didn't think highly of these two people and really didn't want to have too much intersection, because that would affect her good luck.

John put away the phone: "We are going to Chicago?"

Wang Yan nodded: "Are you ready for battle, Mr. Baba Yaga?"

John Wick's voice was low, just like in the movie, just a "Yeah." His eyes were very bright; that was the awakening of memory; he was already hunting.

Wang Yan smiled, ignored the brute who had entered the battle state too early, and continued to type away on the computer.

He had to find all the laboratories in Chicago and find the relevant medical or other laboratories from them; this was not an easy task. After all, there were so many laboratories, and there were also quite a few relevant laboratories, so it was not easy to distinguish.

However, the computer technology he had practiced hard for many years would not fail his hard work. Breaking through the security systems of various laboratories and accessing relevant research projects and personnel information was not a difficult task... ===== CHAPTER 753 =====