On the other side, both Bakuto and Sowande arrived outside the New York Continental Hotel in armored buses with their respective teams.
The hotel's doorman, upon seeing the familiar armored buses, had a fleeting recollection of when the hotel was attacked by extremists. However, before he could react, the Hand members disembarked and shot him dead.
Close to a hundred heavily armed Hand members descended from the buses, and Bakuto and Sowande signaled the attack to begin.
In an instant, nearly ten of them retrieved hand grenades, pulled the pins, and hurled them into the hotel's corridors.
The grenades rolled down the hotel hallways, and Charon, who was on duty at the reception desk, witnessed the scene. He immediately dropped to the floor and activated the alarm system.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The hand grenades exploded, sending shrapnel flying in all directions. Some of the assassins in the hotel's executive corridors were caught off guard and were killed by the flying shrapnel.
Others who were wearing bulletproof vests narrowly escaped death but were still terrified by the sudden onslaught.
The hotel's alarms blared loudly, and announcements blared over the intercoms on various floors, "The Continental Hotel is under attack. All guests may choose to evacuate or fight back."
"I repeat, the Continental Hotel is under attack by an unknown force. All guests may choose to evacuate or fight back."
In the underground bar of the Continental Hotel, many assassins who were drinking and enjoying themselves were startled by the announcements.
Within a second, some of them drew their pistols and started to be on guard, while others took the initiative to support the hotel and headed upstairs. A few chose to flee through the back door.
However, those attempting to escape were in for a surprise, as the Hand had already surrounded the hotel's exits. As soon as they revealed themselves through the back door, they were mercilessly gunned down by the Hand members.
In contrast, those assassins who were guests in the hotel immediately donned bulletproof vests and armed themselves upon hearing the announcements. They cautiously exited their rooms, ready to defend themselves.
At this moment, Bakuto and Sowande's men entered the hotel after the grenade explosions had ceased. They saw some wounded assassins on the ground and immediately shot them to ensure they were dead and wouldn't pose a threat later.
As the Hand members advanced through the hotel, they killed anyone they encountered without hesitation.
Some of the assassins fought back upon seeing the situation, and a fierce battle broke out inside the hotel. Gunfire erupted, and sporadic grenade explosions added to the chaos.
Meanwhile, Bakuto and Sowande joined the fray, leveraging their mastery of Qigong, rendering the assassins helpless. None of the assassins present were a match for them in combat, and their presence significantly boosted the efficiency of the slaughter.
After the grenade explosions, Charon had rushed to Winston's resting room and urgently informed him of the situation.
"Winston, something terrible has happened. The Continental Hotel is under attack."
Winston, who had already changed into his attire, wore a grave expression. "Notify our people, arm themselves, and prepare to fight back!"
After giving Charon this brief command, Winston picked up his phone to call for help from Charles Doyle.
However, when he dialed Charles's number, it was busy.
Even Charles Doyle's office phone couldn't get through. Winston, who had put down the phone with a solemn expression, realized that things had taken a dire turn.
Without hesitation, Winston walked into the safe room and began monitoring the attackers through the security cameras.
The security personnel of the Continental Hotel swiftly followed Charon's orders. They rushed to the armory, armed themselves, and prepared to fight back.
Meanwhile, the Bowery King, who had attempted to contact Charles, found that he couldn't get through to him. So, he dialed Winston's number instead.
Seeing the phone he had just put down ringing again, Winston thought it was Charles calling back. However, when he answered, he was surprised to hear the Bowery King's voice.
"Winston, what's happening on your end? The streets around the Continental Hotel have been sealed off."
"Even the street where Elder Charles is located has been blocked, and we can't get close."
Hearing the Bowery King's words, Winston's heart sank. It was just as he had suspected; something had gone terribly wrong.
"Bowery King, the streets surrounding the Continental Hotel are under attack by an unknown force. It's likely that the situation is the same in Elder Charles's area. Since we are loyal to Elder Charles, we must do what needs to be done."
The Bowery King, upon hearing that both areas were under attack, had a change in expression and responded in a determined tone, "I understand."
He then hung up the phone.
After a brief moment of thought, the Bowery King immediately dialed John Wick's number. Since returning to the Bowery District with John's help, he had maintained regular contact with him.
Due to the time difference, John Wick wasn't asleep at this hour and answered the call promptly.
"John, something's happened. Elder Charles and the Continental Hotel are both under attack. I know you're still in New York and can contact other factions. I'm heading out with my men for a rescue mission. If you can contact other allies, please do so quickly."
Upon hearing the Bowery King's words, John Wick, who had just been lying in bed, sat up abruptly, his voice filled with astonishment, "Are you sure you're not mistaken? Elder Charles has been attacked?"
The Bowery King, on the other end of the line, spoke rapidly, "John, I'm not certain, but the streets where Elder Charles is located and the Continental Hotel have both been sealed off."
"I learned from Winston that the Continental Hotel has been attacked. As for Elder Charles's area, we can't reach them by phone, so we don't know the exact situation. But I suspect they have also been attacked, as both areas were sealed off simultaneously."
"John, I won't say more. I'm heading out with my men for the rescue operation. If you can contact anyone, please do so as soon as possible."
The Bowery King knew that John Wick, as the Adjudicator, could not only leverage his previous connections but also had the authority to mobilize the High Table's forces.
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