Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Explaining to Friends
Long Island, D'Antonio family estate.
The morning sun of July sprinkled its gentle rays over the expansive, picturesque estate, creating a vision of a celestial paradise rather than scorching warmth. However, John Wick's mood was far from heavenly as he stared frostily at a seemingly innocent Richard, who had just handed over his gift. At this moment, John truly felt like drawing his pistol from under his arm and firing a shot right into Richard's forehead.
Gianna, dressed formally to greet esteemed guests, was thoroughly enjoying the scene, her laughter shaking like blooming flowers.
With veins throbbing on his forehead in frustration, John gritted his teeth and said, "Rick, you bastard, dare you tell me this thing called LU-RONG is another one of those Chinese concoctions for kidney health? I'm about to shoot you…"
Richard, with a sheepish smile, responded cheekily:
"Ahahaha, come on, don't be like that. Look, the gift I got for Gianna is called hash oil, it's great for nourishment and beauty!
John, look at me. My daughter, your goddaughter, she's all grown up now, and you and Gianna have finally gotten together. Don't you two want to have a child?
If she takes a bit of this stuff daily, just think about how healthy your future daughter's skin will be!"
With that comment, Richard instantly gained a point in Gianna's favor, who was watching the drama unfold with amusement.
"Alright, John, Rick means well, come on, let's sit down and talk!" Gianna said, approaching with a barely suppressible grin, playing the peacemaker while soothing her nearly irate lover.
"Yeah, John, you definitely don't know what I encountered in Paris!" Seeing Gianna stepping in to smooth things over, Richard quickly grabbed the opportunity to segue into a lighter conversation, settling comfortably on the sofa.
Sighing resignedly, John put down the elegant gift box he had been handling, walked over to the bar, poured two glasses of liquor, handed one to Richard, and gulped down a big swig of his drink as if trying to quell his irritation with the burn of alcohol.
"So, spill it. You look pretty smug; what happened? Something good?"
John had been curious about why Richard had suddenly gone to France, and the bits and pieces of information relayed by Gianna's people had nearly burst their curiosity.
Now that the man himself was here, apparently ready to spill some secrets, it was the perfect time to sit back with snacks and soda and enjoy the revelations.
"I went to France actually to gather some unique insights for a new book I'm planning to write. Have you heard about the recent cases of single foreign women going missing mysteriously in Paris? It's been a hot topic in certain circles.
So, I decided to go to Paris myself to take a look around. I'm a man, after all, nothing much to be afraid of."
Richard had been preparing this explanation since the day he planned his trip to France. Now, as a pretext to explain his subsequent actions, it easily won his audience's trust.
John, upon hearing Richard's reason for traveling to France, immediately nodded in understanding and easily believed Richard's explanation.
"Oh, that explains why you wanted the Lion's Head coin before going. You were planning for this!"
Richard continued, "Yes, I asked you for the Lion's Head coin just in case. See, it was because of my forethought that I was able to quickly organize a rescue for my friend's daughter after I found out they had been kidnapped, wasn't it?"
The Black Fox squad was highly professional. Even when queried by internal sources from the High Table, they simply stated that they had been hired to rescue two kidnapped girls. They adhered strictly to the principle of confidentiality for their employer, not divulging any details about tracking Peter and Mark.
Perhaps it was Richard's generous tip and formidable combat skills that had earned their respect.
So, with the incomplete information at hand, John and Gianna easily believed Richard's explanation, perhaps also due to their subconscious unconditional trust in him.
Seeing that his fabricated reason was accepted, Richard, unabashed and without any hint of shame, continued: "After arriving in France, I used some tech tools to perform big data analysis, quickly identifying a group with a high likelihood of involvement. Just when I was tracking them to investigate further, I shockingly discovered they had kidnapped two of Alexis's classmates, one of whom was my friend's daughter. How could I possibly stand by and watch?"
John, who had no sympathy for such inhumane criminals, despite being a notorious hitman himself, was utterly disdainful of those who preyed on weak girls: "If it were me, I'd have gone there and blown their damn heads off too!"
But then, John raised his own question, "Rick, we heard that you did most of the fighting yourself during the rescue operation. How did you become so skilled all of a sudden?"
Hearing John's question, Richard couldn't help but smirk, relishing the chance to boast a little.
"John, I have you to thank for that! If it weren't for all the rigorous training you put me through over the years, I wouldn't have been able to master combat shooting skills like I did.
You wouldn't believe it, but ever since I joined you and Marcus for that raid on the Tanasov family, I was so impressed by your performance in that nightclub's underground bathhouse that I decided to hit the shooting range as soon as you left for France to find Gianna. I don't know if it was an epiphany or if your drive rubbed off on me, but my shooting and combat skills improved drastically.
This time in France, I was so infuriated by those traffickers that, thinking I had such a formidable mercenary team backing me up thanks to you, I decided to take action myself. I never expected the training I had been undergoing lately to pay off so well!
And speaking of that, I have to formally thank Gianna for the Lion's Head coin guide you gave me. Without that, I wouldn't have been able to hire such an impressive mercenary team."
Gianna's smile blossomed even more at this: "Rick, don't mention it, you should be thanking me, but I should be thanking you too!"
With that, Gianna and Richard exchanged knowing smiles.
John, not bothering with the suspiciously complicit grins between the two, was more focused on Richard's claimed improvement in combat skills.
"Rick, you're saying you're good with guns now? I mean, I'd never dispute your writing talent, but your shooting? Haha, come on, let's go to the shooting range. Show me!"
Excited by the challenge, John stood up, eager to see for himself if Richard was just boasting or if he had truly honed his skills.
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Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Fighting Prowess of a Greasy Middle-Aged Man
With a bemused look, Richard was dragged off the sofa by an enthusiastic John, eager to test his boasted skills. "Come on, let's go to the backyard shooting range and see if your skills really live up to your bragging!"
Gianna, smiling, watched her man show a genuine interest in something, and added her encouragement, "Go with John, Rick. I'll change my clothes and join you guys shortly!"
Already planning to impress John, Richard was not about to decline the challenge. "Alright, let's go. Be careful, though—you might just drop your jaw in surprise."
Due to her man's desire to have a place to train and maintain his ability to protect her, Gianna, a wealthy heiress with resources to spare, had constructed a state-of-the-art Close Quarters Battle (CQB) shooting range on their vast estate.
Standing in the opulent shooting range, Richard once again felt a pang of envy at John's good fortune. "Damn, with such a lavish setup, you two are really feeding me a bowl of dog food here. Just watch how I'm going to dazzle you with your own shooting skills..."
Mentally grumbling about being force-fed public displays of affection, Richard watched John and Gianna approaching hand in hand, steeling himself for what was to come.
John, arriving at the range, offered with a smile, "Want me to demonstrate first?"
"Sure, let's see if the famous Baba Yaga has turned into a shrimp!" Richard retorted, still a bit irked by their excessive sweetness.
John, amused by Richard's sudden childish streak, shook his head, glanced at Gianna who was still cheerfully watching, and pumped himself up for a demonstration in the specially designed indoor shooting range.
"Watch closely, Rick. I'm going to use an automatic rifle and a pistol, targeting twenty random pop-up targets!"
Holding a SCAR rifle, John shouted, "Start!" The range, designed like a street, began popping up targets at random. John moved tactically, firing three-round bursts with precise movements.
After ten precise bursts, John discarded the now empty SCAR, letting it hang from his sling, and drew two Glock 17 pistols from under his arms, shooting alternately left and right, hitting the remaining ten targets one by one.
John's ruthless efficiency in the demonstration underscored his lethal prowess. While Richard was somewhat unfazed, Gianna was already clapping, starry-eyed.
"Twenty targets, all hit in lethal zones, time sixteen seconds..." a mechanical voice announced as John hit the last target and it echoed timely.
"Bravo!" Gianna applauded enthusiastically, hands red with effort, as John walked back, barely winded. "How was that, Rick? Did you get all that?"
Evaluating Richard's slightly bulging belly, John was internally skeptical about Richard's upcoming performance.
Noticing where John's gaze had landed and knowing he still harbored doubts, Richard took the SCAR from John, loaded a fresh magazine, and prepared himself with two Glock 17s, checking the magazines before stepping confidently to the center of the shooting range.
John, with a teasing smile, glanced at Gianna and yelled, "Start!"
In the arena, Richard's slightly greasy, portly figure moved with surprising agility, mimicking John's steps and fierce, accurate shooting, "Tat-tat-tat, tat-tat-tat." The steady bursts from the rifle filled the air.
To John, watching Richard felt like seeing a larger version of himself because Richard had indeed mastered John's shooting skills. To the observing John and Gianna, the figure aggressively hitting targets was like watching a bulked-up, extra-large version of John Wick.
Thus, Gianna, standing next to John, was also stunned by Richard's performance on the range!
Richard swiftly emptied the rifle, like John, tossed aside the emptied firearm, and with a smooth motion, pulled out the Glocks. Rapid gunfire followed, and the remaining ten targets were obliterated by thirty-four bullets.
"Twenty targets, all hit in lethal zones, time fourteen seconds…"
"Damn, did you think the system's enhancements to my physical abilities were a joke? Sure, I might look bloated, but there's been a huge change inside!" Richard thought smugly to himself as he cleared the pistols.
The range's announcement woke John from his daze, stunned by Richard's terrifying marksmanship.
"Fourteen seconds? He's better than me? Even after running out of magazine? How is that possible? His shooting is faster?"
John managed to close his mouth, which had fallen open in astonishment, as the announcement noted that Richard had fired more bullets in less time.
"What's going on with this guy? A genetic mutation?"
Witnessing a 'greasy middle-aged man' perform possibly even better than him in his prime, although in a
controlled range setting, John had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that Richard had truly surprised him today.
"How about that, John? I wasn't kidding, right? Tsk, tsk, sixteen seconds for you, but only fourteen for me, you shrimp! And you still had the nerve to scoff at the tonic I worked so hard to find for you, huh? Ungrateful!"
Richard strutted out of the shooting range, carrying the SCAR, boasting about his victory and taking a jab at John.
"You bastard..."
Watching the cheeky student he had trained, John was at a loss for words.
The ever-tactful and emotionally intelligent Gianna intervened once again, "Alright, both of you did great, Rick, impressive! Let's go back inside, it's almost lunchtime."
Richard, always respectful towards Gianna, didn't push John further but instead teased playfully, "Come on, I got my shooting skills from you, didn't I? Now that the student has surpassed the master, aren't you just jealous?"
"..." John, speechless at Richard's jabs, finally let go of his pride and his smile returned fully.
Gianna, fascinated by the complex yet close relationship between the two men, changed the subject to something lighter, "Rick, why didn't Alexis come with you?"
"Oh, she's on vacation in the Maldives with her mom. I didn't expect you two to be in New York. But they should be back soon, depending on how long you can stay!"
Chatting casually, the trio returned to the estate and enjoyed a delicious Italian meal before retreating to a more private lounge to discuss serious matters.
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