Due to his familiarity with the underground pipeline system of New York City, Bowery King and his henchmen quickly bypassed the police blockade.
In an alleyway just three blocks away from Forrest Hills 71st Avenue, Bowery King and his men emerged from a manhole.
With Bowery King and Erla included, there were a total of 32 people. He had brought along his most elite subordinates, each of them armed to the teeth.
Despite being relatively close to Elder Charles's office, the night was eerily silent, and there was no sound of gunfire.
Worried, Bowery King wondered if the battle had already concluded. Had the Elder won or lost?
Bowery King didn't dare to dwell on the thought. He led his men carefully toward their destination.
However, what Bowery King didn't know was that Charles and Shizune had already detected their approach as they reached the intersection.
If Charles hadn't stopped Shizune, who volunteered to engage them, Bowery King and his men might have met their end, becoming the unfortunate casualties at the hands of their own side.
As they got closer, Bowery King soon spotted Elder Charles and a woman with Asian features engaged in conversation. Seeing them talking, Bowery King's heart finally settled. It appeared that the Elder was unharmed, and the battle had already ended.
However, when he took a look around, Bowery King's pupils contracted, and he felt a deep sense of dread. The shattered bus, destroyed armored vehicles, Charles's agency in ruins, and the countless corpses on the ground—how many people had died here?
With cautious steps, Bowery King and his men approached the scene.
Bowery King didn't dare to approach slowly. He immediately led his men to Elder Charles's side.
Bowery King knelt down on one knee, and Erla, seeing her boss kneel, followed suit. The rest of the subordinates quickly imitated.
With a rustling sound, all thirty-two of them knelt before Charles.
"Forgive us, Elder Charles."
"We arrived too late to provide assistance!"
Seeing his men, all drenched in sweat, carrying grenades and assault rifles, Charles smiled and replied in a calm tone, "It's not too late. You're the first ones to arrive, and I appreciate your intentions."
Hearing Charles's calm response, Bowery King felt relieved. Knowing that they were the first to arrive gave him some peace of mind.
"Well, how did you know about the attack here?" Charles inquired.
At that moment, a gentle breeze carried the strong scent of blood, causing a silence to fall upon the scene.
Bowery King, still on one knee, answered, "Elder Charles, all the beggars and homeless people in the entire city are under my command."
"When they began to be dispersed from this area, and roadblocks were set up near the Continental Hotel, I received information immediately."
"I sensed something was amiss, but when I tried to call the agency and your phone, both lines were busy and unreachable. I knew something had happened."
"I quickly contacted Winston at the Continental Hotel, learned that they had been attacked, and rushed here with my subordinates. Along the way, I also informed the Adjudicator John Wick to mobilize other forces in New York for reinforcement."
"I imagine more reinforcements will arrive shortly."
Listening to Bowery King's explanation, Charles nodded. Both the agency's phone lines and his personal phone had been destroyed during the first wave of attacks by the Hand. So, it made sense that calls couldn't get through.
"Get up, there's no need to kneel. Everything is fine on my end. The enemy has been completely eliminated."
Bowery King and his men, still on one knee, hesitated before finally rising to their feet.
Looking at the numerous subordinates brought by Bowery King, Charles considered for a moment before saying, "Since you've already arrived, don't stand around. Take your men and help clean up the scene."
"Understood, Elder Charles."
Without hesitation, Bowery King immediately led his men to start cleaning up the battlefield. Charles also stopped conversing with Shizune for the time being.
…
Meanwhile, another group of reinforcements had been intercepted by the police at the blockade.
The Director of the Belarusian Syndicate, leading a whole convoy, was detected by the police in charge of the blockade as soon as they arrived. Their sheer numbers made them an easy target for detection.
After some negotiations, and even The Director using his connections, they were unable to enter by car. They had no choice but to leave their vehicles behind and employ the same method as Bowery King, sneaking into the blocked-off area.
…
At the New York Continental Hotel-
After half an hour of slaughter, the resistance within the Continental Hotel had diminished significantly under the leadership of Bakuto and Sowande.
Although the initial power outage had caused some trouble for the Hand's members, they quickly adapted to the unfamiliar terrain with the guidance of their leaders.
The first three floors of the hotel had been completely cleared of resistance, and there was not a single survivor left.
Charon also had met a gruesome end at the hands of Bakuto.
Although there were still remnants of resistance within the Continental Hotel, the balance of victory had already tilted in favor of the Hand.
Without reinforcements, Winston's fate was sealed.
Bakuto and Sowande had split up at this point. One of them proceeded toward the guest area of the hotel, leading his men to continue the slaughter, while the other led a group toward Winston's safe house.
Meanwhile, Sasuke and Rock Lee were sprinting at full speed. After bypassing the blockade, they finally arrived at the three-way intersection where the Continental Hotel was located.
Seeing the Continental Hotel blocked by two armored buses and surrounded by dozens of gunmen, they paid no heed.
Sasuke held two kunai in his hands, eyeing the enemies before him. He said to Rock Lee, "Rock Lee, let's have a competition this time. Let's see who can take down more enemies."
Excited by the idea of competition, Rock Lee immediately responded, "Agreed! We'll see who can rack up the highest kill count this time."
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
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