Xu Xialing was far from satisfied, but one thing was now certain—the other side truly had a Dragon Ball, along with a mysterious coin whose function she didn't yet understand.
She had a choice now: tell her father.
With Xu Wenwu's strength, she was sure he could crush the enemy and take the Dragon Ball.
But Xu Xialing was a woman with ambition. Because of her mother's death and her brother's departure, her life under her father had been far from ideal. After mastering martial arts, she left home and founded her own Golden Dagger Club.
And more importantly, in all these years of being away, her father had never once come looking for her. It was clear she was never truly valued.
Thinking this over, Xu Xialing decided not to inform her father. Still, she had to figure out exactly what kind of enemies she had just faced—and what that coin was all about.
"Head to the airport. We're going back to New York."
"Tell the club to gather all our top fighters."
She then pulled out her phone and called John Wick.
"John, it's Xu Xialing."
"Miss Xu, have you decided how to use the token?"
John Wick was secretly hoping she'd finally use it. The longer she delayed, the messier things could get—and the higher the cost.
Xu Xialing didn't bring up the token directly. Instead, she asked, "John, what's the deal with those people in London who have the Dragon Ball?"
"Why didn't bullets affect them? And that coin they had—one side had the Assassin League emblem and the other had a Dragon Ball. What's it for?"
John Wick was surprised. "So, you already fought them."
"Is that the intel you want to exchange the token for?"
Xu Xialing replied sarcastically, "Is that all your promise is worth, John?"
"Tell me what I want to know. Then I'll decide how to use the token. That way, you'll finally be free of your debt."
John sighed. He had known this token would come back to bite him. Back then, he had no choice—if he hadn't offered it, he wouldn't have gotten the Dragon Ball.
And as far as he knew, no one else in the organization had given out their tokens. In fact, most had earned favors and similar items from exterminating crime lords and gangs.
Even the boss he served had reaped major rewards, like gaining control of a group of Black Widows and Natasha's entire family. Compared to that, John couldn't help but feel like he'd gotten the short end of the stick.
"Alright, alright," he relented. "Just don't waste the token this time."
He began explaining.
"The one who owns the Dragon Ball in London is from the vampire clan. That's why regular firearms don't do much damage. Of course, if the weapon is powerful enough—like blowing them into pieces—it would still work. I don't think even they can regenerate from being vaporized. But the one you met isn't some random grunt. She's someone important, with full support from the vampire clan in collecting the Dragon Balls."
Now things made sense to Xu Xialing—no wonder the deal was scheduled at night and bullets were useless. They were vampires.
Knowing their weakness made them less intimidating.
"And the coin?"
John continued, "That's a token issued by our leader. It's a ticket to the Dragon Ball Tournament. Only those with one can participate in the competition."
Xu Xialing asked, "But I don't have a ticket or a Dragon Ball. I tried to seize one today—will there be consequences?"
John replied nonchalantly, "The tickets haven't all been issued yet. It's a blank period."
"If you'd successfully taken the Dragon Ball and held onto it long enough, our people would've found you and given you a ticket."
Now that she understood, Xu Xialing said, "Thanks for the information."
John asked again, "So… have you decided how you'll use the token?"
Xu Xialing thought quickly. She knew she couldn't stall forever—using the token just to extract information couldn't go on.
"John, I want to exchange my Assassin League token for a ticket to the Dragon Ball Tournament."
After witnessing the strength of a Dragon Ball holder, she didn't believe she could get one by force before all the tickets were distributed. Who knew how long it would take? The vampire already had one—maybe the rest would be handed out tomorrow.
John was relieved to hear that. At least a tournament ticket wasn't too hard to arrange. Still, he asked seriously, "Xu Xialing, are you sure you want to exchange your token for a tournament ticket?"
"I'm sure. I want a ticket in exchange for my token."
Of course, she would have preferred to exchange it for a Dragon Ball—or better yet, a chance to make a wish—but that was unrealistic. No matter how strong the Assassin League's promises were, they would never agree to that.
As the saying goes, if you can't solve the problem, eliminate the person who brought it up.
"Come to New York. Bring the token, and I'll give you the ticket."
Hearing his confirmation, Xu Xialing smiled. "I'll be there tomorrow."
After hanging up, John gently kissed his wife Helen's forehead, then quietly left the room. He saw the lights still on in the guest room—Akira, Koji's daughter, was still awake. He didn't disturb her.
He made his way to the gravity chamber, knowing the boss would still be training at this hour.
Inside, Smith Dole saw John arrive and asked, "About to break your limits again?"
John replied, "Boss, it's about the token I gave out earlier."
Smith stopped his training and stepped out of the chamber. "So Xu Xialing finally decided to use it."
"What does she want in return?"
Smith was well aware of this particular token—it had come from him. Not everyone had one. Even the higher-ups in the Assassin League were only allowed one each. And no second token could be issued until the first was used.
Because of the close-knit nature of the Assassin League—unlike the Hotel Continental's individual pacts—a token like this could mobilize the entire organization if necessary. The leadership included elders who had raised Smith Dole, childhood friends like Wesley and Fox. If they asked for help, even Smith would personally act.
"She wants a ticket to the Dragon Ball Tournament."
Smith didn't even hesitate. "No problem. Give it to her."
…
(End of Chapter)
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