章 13: Chapter 12
Ted asked Pietro to stay in the restaurant and took the elevator with Lao Ma.
Lao Ma's room was on the fifth floor of the apartment. There were about 10 rooms on each floor, some with two bedrooms and one living room, others with one bedroom and one living room.
Lao Ma's apartment was a one-bedroom, one-living room unit, less than 50 square meters. Ted had thoughtfully equipped them with a washing machine and a dryer.
In the United States, many apartments don't have washing machines, and residents often use public laundromats, which require coins for each wash.
Walking into the room, a strong smell of alcohol and blood filled the air.
As if hearing Ted and Lao Ma entering, a man in a suit and bandages, who should have been lying on the sofa, suddenly sat up. His expression was alert, and he held a gun in his right hand.
"Relax, this is my landlord. I asked him to help you. Do you feel better now?" Lao Ma hurried forward, concerned.
The man relaxed after Lao Ma's explanation and apologized, "Sorry, I thought you were sent by the High Table to hunt me down."
Ted confirmed that the bearded man in front of him was indeed John Wick, the man who killed an entire family for a dog.
"You shouldn't have come here. You know Lao Ma saved you, right? He's in danger now because of you." Ted waved his hand, showing indifference.
"Lao Ma almost died because of you once. Have you forgotten?" Ted continued.
John Wick looked guilty at Ted's words.
"It's okay. We're friends. What happened to you that made the High Table send people after you?" Lao Ma asked.
John Wick glanced hesitantly at Ted.
"It's okay, Ted's one of us. He won't betray you. I promise," Lao Ma reassured him.
"If Lao Ma wasn't my tenant, I wouldn't even care about you." Ted sneered.
After Lao Ma's reassurance, John Wick slowly told Ted and Lao Ma what had happened to him in the past few months.
Ten minutes later, Lao Ma exclaimed, "So, the elders of the New York branch of the High Table blew up your house, and you killed them?"
"And then you broke the rules of the Continental Hotel and killed someone there? Winston showed you mercy and let you go?" Lao Ma was in disbelief.
Ted sat on the sofa, expressionless, thinking about how to benefit from this situation.
The New York branch of the High Table was missing an elder. Could his godfather, Kingpin, step in?
The High Table was a global assassin organization consisting of major crime families, with twelve seats that governed it, including the Mafia, the Glory Society, and the Antonio family.
Though the High Table valued tradition and rules, Ted knew that power could create new rules. Perhaps it was time for a new one.
Both the High Table and the Continental Hotel had valuable assets, from the corpse collection teams to the intelligence network and bulletproof suits.
Kingpin, with his criminal empire, could easily fill one of the vacant seats.
John Wick saw Ted's serious contemplation and misinterpreted it as fear of the High Table.
"I'm really sorry, I'll leave now. The assassins from the High Table won't cause you any more trouble," John Wick said, starting to rise.
Ted held John Wick down and said, "It's fine. I'm not afraid of trouble. I was just thinking about something. You think I'm scared of the High Table? I'm just figuring out how to get promoted since you took out the elder of the New York branch."
"Your friend sure likes to joke, Lao Ma. I'd better leave quickly and go to the Continental Hotel in Osaka," John Wick replied, not believing Ted.
Just then, Ted's phone rang.
He signaled for Lao Ma and John Wick to be quiet while he answered.
"It's me. There are assassins? From where?"
"The New York Continental Hotel was bombed?" Ted paused, listening. "And the New York elder of the High Table has been killed? Investigate and see if there's any room for maneuver."
Three minutes later, Ted hung up.
Turning to Lao Ma and John Wick, he said, "The New York Continental Hotel was bombed, and because of you, Winston's butler Charon is dead."
John Wick clenched his fist in anger. "Who did it?"
"The Marquis's men, one of the twelve seats at the High Table. They've found your trail and sent assassins here," Ted explained.
"I'll leave now to draw their attention. You're both innocent," John Wick said, preparing to leave.
Lao Ma looked at Ted, silently pleading for help.
"Why leave? Do you think if you go, the Marquis's men will let us off? This is Hell's Kitchen. If they dare come here, they'll stay here for good," Ted said calmly.
Suddenly, Ted sensed danger.
A gunshot rang out. A bullet shattered the window, and the three of them quickly ducked.
Seeing the broken window and the glass on the floor, Ted grew angry. He raised his right hand, and a red light shot toward the sniper.
In the next moment, the red light pierced the sniper, killing him instantly.
"Who told you to damage my house?" Ted cursed under his breath.
John Wick and Lao Ma stared in shock.
"Landlord, can you do magic?" Lao Ma stammered, pointing at Ted.
"Is that strange? The cost of the window will be deducted from your deposit. If it's not enough, you'll pay the difference. Now stay here, I'll go deal with the rest. They're not destroying my house," Ted muttered irritably.
John Wick stepped forward to offer his help, but Ted shook his head. "Stay put and heal. I'm not letting an injured man fight, even if you are the Boogeyman. Just watch, it'll be quick."
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