Ginny had been found and would soon be sent to the USA on a plane. William's request to wait for a day was merely to keep Claude at bay.
After finishing his whiskey, William considered the tense situation in Paris. With dozens of people killed last night and the risk of personally dealing with Murad being too high, he decided to call on Carlos, the master assassin, instead.
He took an unused phone from his storage space and called Carlos.
The call was quickly connected. "I need you to do something for me. Tomorrow night, discreetly eliminate someone in Paris. I'll send you the photo soon."
"Understood. I'm in Switzerland, so getting to Paris is easy. I can be there in about six hours. Let's meet and discuss. I have something I need your help with as well."
"OK, see you tonight," William said, hanging up. He sat on the sofa, pondering what Carlos might need from him. Could it be related to the Assassin Brotherhood? If so, William would have to seriously consider it. He did not want to be targeted by the Brotherhood's boss, Sloan.
While weighing the pros and cons, William received a call from Brian. Answering with a smile, he heard Brian's excited and somewhat incoherent voice, "God bless you, William. I don't know how to thank you enough."
"Hehe, got a call from Ginny?"
"Yes, she's on the phone with her mother now, expressing her immense gratitude. I'll finally be able to sleep well. But William, how did you manage it? Why would the underground auction people send Ginny to you?"
"Hehe," William chuckled. "Brian, actually, it's simple. We both overlooked a fact: with enough money, there's nothing the underground auction can't sell. To put it bluntly, we're both fools. Even though we have money, we didn't think to use it. We've been poor for so long that we instinctively relied on our skills instead of realizing that money is the greatest power. So, Brian, I need to meet and discuss some ideas with you."
Brian was silent for a few minutes after hearing William's words, then sighed and said, "Alright, let's meet in the USA. William, I think I know what you want to discuss. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have agreed to meet you. I might have even killed you. But now, I've retired, and the higher-ups don't need me anymore. I need to think about Ginny. So, I'll wait for you in the USA."
"Great. I'm glad you've come around. Once I finish things here, I'll personally bring Ginny back to you in the USA."
"Finish things?" Brian asked, puzzled.
"Hehe, our enemy's family is coming to France. Shouldn't I pay them a visit? We can't leave any loose ends if we are to work together. We need to be as clean as a blank sheet of paper."
Brian immediately understood William's meaning. "Haha, indeed. We should pay them a visit and finish the job properly. Should I do anything?"
"Get the cleaners ready. With the current tense situation in Paris, we need professionals to handle some tasks to avoid accidents. Also, have the cleaners deal with the body in the safe house basement."
"No problem. I have over a hundred Continental Hotel coins, enough to pay the cleaners."
"Cleaners? Haha, I didn't know you had such a sharp tongue, Brian. Help me track Claude's whereabouts or find someone to lure him to a secluded place. I need to take care of him."
"Understood. I'll call you when everything's set," Brian agreed without asking why William needed to deal with Claude, knowing it must be related to his daughter.
Two hours later, William received Brian's reply. "I used my old contacts in France to reach Claude. The contact told Claude he had information about the White Palace to sell. The meeting is set for 9 PM at an old factory on Belote Street.
I know Claude well. He'll likely go alone to meet the contact in hopes of a promotion. Be careful, William."
"Don't worry, I will."
At 6 PM, William, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a fake mustache, met Carlos at a roadside café in Paris. They sat a few meters apart, back-to-back, quietly eating and drinking coffee.
After Carlos paid and left, William followed a few minutes later. They met at a corner, exchanged glances to ensure no one was following, and Carlos led William to a parking lot where he tossed him a black helmet. They rode Yamaha R6 motorcycles to a small forest.
Removing his helmet, William excitedly patted the Yamaha R6. He had loved heavy motorcycles in his previous life but could never afford them. Even the most basic ones cost tens of thousands, and mid-range ones were in the hundreds of thousands.
Carlos, seeing William's enthusiasm, laughed. "If you like it, buy a better one for yourself. These R6s are black market, basic models costing less than $2000. We need to dispose of them after use."
"Hehe, looks like you've been doing well, Carlos. Have you visited your son to improve his life?"
Carlos's face darkened at the mention of his son, worrying William. Had something happened to Wesley? William hoped to recruit Wesley openly. "What's wrong? Did something happen to Wesley?"
Carlos took a few seconds before shaking his head. "There's something Henry might not have told you. I didn't leave W Group after Henry's death but officially left seven years earlier to secretly join an assassin organization."
Hearing "assassin organization," William immediately understood what Carlos meant and was shocked. The Assassin Brotherhood's top enforcer, Cross, was secretly sent by his grandfather Henry?
"Our family members have a high chance of awakening a superpower after birth. Our adrenaline secretion can exceed ordinary people's by several times, even dozens of times, without dying. This gives us far superior eyesight and speed. With training, our family members are natural-born assassins.
Twenty years ago, one winter day, two men in black suits broke into my house. In desperation, I hid 4-year-old Wesley under a bridge and drew the killers away, taking a bullet. After fleeing several cities, I still couldn't shake them off.
Finally, outside Oxford, in a forest, the fear of death made me realize why my heart raced every time I was nervous. In a last stand against the two killers, the sudden superpower allowed me to kill them with a knife when they thought I was helpless.
I passed out from exhaustion and my wound but was saved by Henry, who was looking for a Christmas tree in the forest.
So, I should really thank you, William."
Thank me? Twenty years ago, I was just a newborn. How does this involve me?
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