Hearing that there was no opposition, Charles Doyle was somewhat surprised. In his imagination, there should have been at least one or two dissenting voices or abstentions among the elders, right?
Yet it had gone so smoothly...
It was clear that the elders saw greater value in Charles Doyle. After all, he was not an outsider; he was a member of the Continental Hotels under the High Table, essentially part of the High Table.
With a vacant seat and a willing candidate, it made sense to proceed.
Furthermore, with the Wax Bath's magical properties, the elders wouldn't lose out. Once they get to know each other better, they could potentially obtain explosive tags or learn ninja techniques from Charles, which would be quite profitable.
Of course, the most important aspect was the fear of retaliation. If they opposed or abstained, what if this guy held a grudge?
Given his ability to breach the headquarters, it meant that if they were found, their bases could also be breached.
They weren't fools; they understood that though it was unfortunate for Morse's family not being able to inherit his position, but they had to prioritize their own safety.
Seeing that everyone unanimously agreed to Charles Doyle becoming the new High Table elder, Marktham wore a friendly smile and said, "Mr. Charles, we will quickly arrange for your corresponding status and proof of authority. We will also inform all the subordinate factions under the High Table of your new status."
"I wonder if you'd like to take over Morse's territory, or do you have other plans?"
At this point, the many elders behind the screen turned their serious gazes towards Charles Doyle. The division of power was crucial, and each of them had their own jurisdiction.
While members of the High Table received preferential treatment everywhere, and even their adjudicators could mobilize the subordinate factions in different regions, the territorial divisions were non-negotiable.
Charles looked at Marktham and asked, "Whose territory does the Continental Hotel in USA fall under?"
When they heard Charles inquire about USA, the elders behind the screen maintained their composure, as this didn't concern them.
Marktham had anticipated this and replied with a smile, "It falls under my jurisdiction. If Elder Charles needs it, I'll gladly give up that territory."
Charles responded, "You can have Morse's legacy, including the area he was responsible for, as a token in exchange for USA."
Charles's willingness to do this surprised Marktham. He had expected a significant loss, but it turned out to be quite a profitable deal.
He promptly said, "Thank you, Mr. Charles. After organizing Morse's assets, we will present you with a generous gift."
With everything settled, the High Table's meeting came to a close.
At this moment, John Wick, who had been silent since he entered, spoke up, "My lord Charles, the adjudicators of the High Table have already arrived in New York. I'm not sure about Winston's situation..."
Evidently, the task that Marktham had assigned to him earlier had alerted him about the trouble on Winston's end.
Upon hearing John Wick's plea, Charles turned to the nearby elders and said, "Please temporarily halt the adjudicators' actions, as I requested."
Marktham had no objections; after all, New York was now under Charles's control.
He took out his phone and dialed a number.
…
At the Continental Hotel in New York-
Without John Wick's support, Winston couldn't resist the envoys and Zero's assassins.
The envoys were equipped with advanced gear, and Winston's men couldn't put up much of a fight. They suffered heavy casualties, especially against Zero and his apprentices, who were unstoppable without much resistance.
At this point, the High Table's envoys had already entered Winston's safehouse and were about to pass final judgment on him.
"Winston, no one can defy the will of the High Table. Going against the High Table, breaking the rules, it won't work for you, you don't have that capability."
As Winston looked at the arrogant and domineering envoys, he sighed and admitted defeat. Without John Wick as the sharp edge of his defense, his men couldn't withstand the High Table's envoys.
Just as the adjudicator was about to order her subordinates to pass the final judgment, her phone rang.
Taking out her phone, she saw the caller ID and immediately stepped away a few paces before respectfully answering the call.
"Hello, Elder. How may I assist you?"
Hearing that it was the Elder on the other end of the line, Winston regained a glimmer of hope. Perhaps there was still a chance for things to turn around.
"Elder, we haven't carried out the judgment yet, he's still alive."
"Yes, understood, I'll inform them."
After hanging up the phone, the adjudicator turned back to face Winston, gazing at him as she said, "Winston, you're quite lucky. The Elder has decided to spare your life."
"Furthermore, the new High Table Elder will arrive in a few days. You need to prepare and host a banquet. At that time, the heads of all the American factions under the High Table will pledge their loyalty to the new Elder."
The adjudicator then disregarded Winston and gave her orders, "Retreat and wait with me for the arrival of the High Table Elder."
With that, the adjudicator left Winston's safehouse along with the High Table's envoys and Zero's team.
Winston stared blankly at the departing adjudicator. A sense of having narrowly escaped disaster washed over him. He didn't understand why the Elder had suddenly ordered a halt, but for him, it was a stroke of good fortune.
As for hosting a banquet for the new Elder and preparing to receive him, Winston couldn't help but feel puzzled. Could it be that John Wick had established a relationship with the new Elder while in Casablanca?
Winston looked at the hotel, which was in ruins. He muttered to himself, "Since I've survived, it's time to get to work..."
…
Meanwhile, on the other side-
After ending the call, Marktham said, "The adjudicator has stopped her actions. Winston is not in mortal danger."
"Mr. Charles, I have already instructed them to prepare a grand banquet in New York for you. At that time, all the American factions under the High Table will come to pledge their loyalty to you and the High Table once again."
"As for Mr. John Wick's expulsion, that will be revoked shortly, and the bounties on him will also be lifted."
Hearing Marktham's words, Charles Doyle nodded in satisfaction and said, "Thank you for your hard work. I will designate the Continental Hotel in Morocco as one of the first hotels to have a Wax Bath recovery room."
"As for the cleanup of headquarters here, I'll leave it to you. We'll head back to New York for now."
Upon hearing that Charles Doyle was leaving, Marktham approached him warmly and said, "I look forward to our next meeting, Mr. Charles."
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