Castle finally understood from Black Fox that his current hiring was mistakenly treated by the Continental Hotel as a mission issued by an internal big shot of the 'High Table,' hence the mercenaries' payment was handled internally by the Paris Continental Hotel.
Castle knew this must have been due to the favors of Sister Gianna, likely because of the coded order he placed, which made the hotel's receptionist believe he was a high-level insider, causing the mix-up.
However, Castle was very satisfied with the services provided by Black Fox and his team. Additionally, relying on them to deliver Kem and Amanda to the embassy, he felt it unnecessary to exploit them without any compensation.
Moreover, with $1.2 million and six Rage Lion coins each valued at a million already prepared in the car's trunk, it was a generous tip!
"Consider it a tip!"
Castle thought and said as much, chuckling at his own lavishness, which surely dazzled anyone watching.
"..." Black Fox was genuinely choked up by his employer's extravagance.
"Thank you, sir, we won't be shy then!"
With the extra tip, which was hard to refuse, Black Fox was delighted. Not only was the mission unexpectedly easy, but it also paid twice, which was indeed a stroke of good luck.
"Then, sir, we'll evacuate now. Leaving you alone, is that really okay?"
Out of dual respect for the boss and as a financier, Black Fox asked once more for confirmation.
"It's fine, just go. Do you think those dead fish in the room can threaten me? And, make sure you clean up all the surveillance equipment you installed, don't leave any tails!"
Castle, feeling buoyant after proving the system's rewards, responded confidently.
"Alright, sir, we will evacuate now. All surveillance equipment has been retrieved. And, sir, it has been a pleasure working with you! Out of respect for you, that little punk who lured the girls at the airport, we will make sure he reunites with the others in that room! Goodbye, sir!"
Since the employer had made his wishes clear, Black Fox didn't dawdle. After flattering his financier once more over the comm, and stating they would clean up any remaining traces of the gang, he quickly led his team out of the house. They retrieved a suitcase from the trunk of the Citroën Castle had driven, then departed in the vehicle the sniper had brought.
"Now that Kem and Amanda are safe, let's see if everyone inside is dead yet!"
Castle retrieved a flexible endoscopic camera from his inventory and slipped it under the door.
"Huh, Mark's life is pretty tough, huh? Still not dead?"
Castle grinned as he watched the screen which showed a chaotic scene inside the room. Of the ten people, three were still alive: two members of the Dandongniuo family and Mark, the instigator of this mess.
Indeed, it was the Dandongniuo family who had the advantage of the first strike. Caught off guard, the Albanian traffickers were overwhelmed from the start. Although Mark was cunning enough to surround them, the difference between street thugs and organized crime was significant.
Satisfied with his observations, Castle withdrew the camera and monitoring devices, put down his M4A1, which was too cumbersome for the room, and drew his pistol, carefully entering.
The three men lying on the ground, who had run out of bullets but not yet died, finally saw the instigator of their misfortune. Unfortunately, fully clad in urban combat gear, only a pair of blue eyes was visible, obscuring any other identifiable features.
Approaching Mark, Castle decided to let him die with understanding, pretending to be Bryan and said with a light chuckle, "Didn't I tell you that I would come for you, that what I learned would be your nightmare? I'm here now, would you like to say 'GOODLUCK' to me again?"
"It's you…"
Mark's eyes bulged with fury. How had this person found him so quickly? Did he ride a rocket here?
"Bang…"
Adopting John Wick's style of being harsh but not verbose, Castle didn't allow Mark any more chances to speak. A bullet struck directly in his forehead.
With eyes wide open in shock, Mark was dead.
"Whew, the main culprit is dead. Now, it's your turn," Castle turned to the two Dandongniuo family members on the ground, speaking in a tone they couldn't quite understand.
"What... what are you going to do? You said you wouldn't trouble us!" one of the Dandongniuo family members pleaded, panic rising as he saw Castle's menacing look.
"Yes, whether I trouble you depends on which side you're on," Castle responded cryptically to the confused men on the floor.
Ignoring the two half-dead men, Castle took out his phone and called John, probably lounging back in Long Island drinking go
ji berry tea.
"Damn it, you bastard, what did you send me again? What the hell is NINGXIA-GOUQI?"
John Wick's furious voice burst through the phone as soon as the call connected.
"Ahaha, John, don't get so worked up! It's good stuff, I don't tell just anyone about it! But let's not talk about that now. I need to speak with Gianna, can you put her on?"
Castle laughed heartily, noticing how one of the men on the ground turned pale upon hearing he was calling someone named 'Gianna', his forehead breaking out in sweat.
"Hello, Rick, what's up? What do you need?"
John handed the phone to Gianna.
"Well, it's like this, a friend's daughter was kidnapped while visiting Paris, and the Albanian trafficking ring intended to sell her to some perverts through an auction by people claiming to be from your Dandongniuo family. What do you think about that?"
Having some suspicions about the two men's origins, Castle left the choice to Gianna, after all, she had thrown a peach, and he should return the favor.
"Oh? Is that so? Rick, all matters in Paris are currently handled by my brother Santino. Although I've heard a few things before, Santino claimed it was his way of networking with some influential people, so I didn't pay much attention.
You know I was raised as a family heir, and I would never get involved in such dehumanizing activities!
The person handling these matters for Santino in Paris is someone named Valentino!
But now…
Rick, I'm leaving the decision on how to handle this to you or your friend, however you guys want to proceed is fine, and I can assure you, the Dandongniuo family won't cause any trouble for your friend over this!"
Gianna truly adored Castle, her lucky star, who not only brought her lover from thousands of miles away but also helped undermine her brother's influence in France.
"Thank you, Gianna. I've got things to handle here, so I'll hang up now. I'll be back to see you guys in a few days, and I'll bring gifts! Say hi to John for me!"
With his suspicions confirmed, Castle hung up and looked at the two men on the ground with a cat-playing-with-mice gaze.
"You... you're one of Gianna's men?"
The men on the ground felt like dying. How could they have been so foolish as to believe this guy's provocations?
"I'm not one of Gianna's men, but my daughter's godfather is her boyfriend…"
Castle continued speaking cryptically, pulling the trigger of his pistol. One bullet each, right in the foreheads of the two men!
After carefully checking the room to ensure there were no survivors, Castle did not bother going upstairs. Sirens were approaching in the distance—what joy, nearly twenty minutes after the battle started, the Paris police were finally arriving!
"Valentino...hmm..."
After briefly covering his tracks, Castle drove off in his rented car, leaving behind Heaven Street, which he had turned into a hellish scene.
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