North American detective: From scoundrel to god among men

Chapter 73 Japan Continental Hotel Branch

The two walked out of the basement and into the living room of Mr. John Wick's renovated, minimalist villa.

During morning tea time, Titus ordered a hot latte.

John used the coffee machine to extract about half a cup of coffee, then poured half a cup of pure milk into a stainless steel milk pitcher. He didn't do any latte art; he just poured it in.

"Thank you, John."

Titus took the latte, took a sip, and then praised it:

"A delicious mixture of milk and coffee powder... What are you planning to do with it?"

John glared at him and replied:

"To continue living with Daisy."

Daisy Little Big heard John calling out "werwerwer" and started calling back, which John tried to stop.

Titus smiled at this scene of 'filial piety and paternal love,' and then changed the subject, asking:

"Is this how you live like a walking corpse?"

John held Daisy close and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't understand you."

Titus said:

"Blood Pact"

John was visibly taken aback when Titus uttered the word "blood pact".

He continued:

"According to the rules of the High Table, the blood pact cannot be destroyed, nor will it be terminated due to the death of the initiator."

"So, you killed Jaina?"

John replied coldly:

"no."

"Do you think the High Table will let you off the hook?"

"They're putting all their energy into you."

Titus nodded and then said:

"Then they should be looking for you. In their eyes, I'm already a living dead."

"Remember the rules of the High Table—the adjudicator is responsible for judging violations and enforcing punishments."

"A month has passed, John... guess what, will your adjudicator be an old friend?"

John grasped Daisy's mouthpiece as she tried to sing and whispered:

"What exactly are you trying to say? I went through all that trouble to rescue you, not to listen to your sarcasm!"

"I don't even know whether to call you Jack or Titus."

Titus put down his latte and said slowly:

"First of all, let me clarify that I'm not trying to be sarcastic; it's just that honest advice is hard to swallow."

"Secondly, what I want to do... didn't I already tell you when I asked?"

Daisy, nestled in John's arms, struggled to open her mouth, licking John's palm with her tongue. As soon as John let go, she started 'werwerwer'ing again.

"If you wanted to become a legend, you already are. Here are a few issues of your 'Killer Secrets,' where you flaunted your prowess. Want to take a look?"

Titus shook his head and said:

"That's not enough. I don't want to just become fodder for hitmen's drunken gossip, like the scandalous news of entertainment stars."

He paused for a moment, then looked into John's eyes and said, word by word:

"I want to overthrow the High Table Council!"

Shocked, John replied without hesitation:

"You're asking for it!"

Titus couldn't help but chuckle and said:

"Mr. Night Demon, for people like us, is death something we need to specifically seek out?"

"Do you intend to spend the rest of your life hiding from the Arbiter, like a mouse trying to evade a cat?"

John gazed at Titus for a moment and said:

"I'm not like you... Are we just going to charge straight in?"

Titus immediately denied it:

"This is not rational. We need to dismantle it from within, efficiently and quickly."

"High Table Duel - A lower-ranking person can initiate a one-on-one positional duel with a higher-ranking person, but the duelists must be members of one of the twelve families and bear the family crest."

John said:

"This is an ancient tradition, but do you know why it's ancient—"

"The challenged superiors are the twelve families, and the challengers are also the twelve families. Before the duel, both families are under the control of the High Table. After the duel, both sides will seek revenge based on their own abilities."

(This is a speculative interpretation; many details in the original work are incomplete and can only be supplemented.)

Titus Road:

"This is where I need your help, my friend."

"I regret to decline!"

"I knew you would say yes."

"On what grounds?"

"Because you were born with a face that defies order, you'll definitely blow up Arasaka Tower."

"Mr. John Wick, a nobody or a household name?"

"What nonsense are you spouting now? I already said..."

As John spoke, Daisy in his arms kept crying out. The more he pressed her with his hand, the louder she cried out, getting his hand covered in saliva.

He angrily said:

"Shut up!"

……

Dotonbori, Osaka, Japan.

Underneath the glowing "Runner" logo, created in 1935 by Ezaki Glico, a snack giant.

An artificial canal reflects the brightly lit pedestrian streets and rows of neon signs on both banks in the night.

A brass-painted FRP fiberglass sightseeing boat slowly sails on the canal.

On the sightseeing boat, two masked men sat shoulder to shoulder, admiring the cyber city.

"John, a ticket costs 2000 yen! Didn't the ticket seller say that adults can bring one child for free? Why don't you dress up as my son?"

"Jack, shut up!"

John found that he could never control his temper when he was with this guy.

He said:

"We took a boat to a hotel on the mainland of Japan, where an old friend of mine lives."

"We can initiate a high-table showdown in the name of his family's 'Yakuza,' but only if we get his approval."

Titus asked:

"I remember you were trained by the Russian Gypsy gang under the Bratva, one of the Twelve Families of the Russian Mafia. Why don't you go to them?"

John said calmly:

"I have been sentenced to leave the family."

Realizing he had asked the wrong question, Titus immediately changed the subject:

"Is your old friend a yakuza boss around here, Genji? Taira? Uesugi? Tachibana?"

"Could his surname be Saeki Ryuji?"

John, used to his occasional ramblings, replied emotionlessly:

"Shimazu, Shimazu Koji."

Soon the cruise ship arrived at their destination, the Continental Hotel in Japan, a building with a steel frame and a wave-shaped glass curtain wall.

Before disembarking from the ship, John asked Titus:

"Why wear these strange masks? What are they?"

Titus replied:

"Reduce unnecessary trouble, and don't underestimate yourself!"

"To put it bluntly, we're absolutely hot commodities in the assassin world right now!"

John regretted asking the question, and Titus continued to explain:

"This is called a Nuo mask. Mine is the Cuo Duan Shi Ju, and yours is the Ji Wei Shi Hu."

Titus stepped onto land and strode into the Continental Hotel.

"The Nuo dance begins, all diseases are cured! Let's go and get rid of illness!"

The two attracted a lot of attention as soon as they entered the hotel, dressed in smart custom-made high-end black combat suits and wearing ferocious-looking Nuo masks.

This is the ultimate collision between traditional Eastern art and modern Western suit culture.

The hotel receptionist was a young woman with a neat low bun, wearing a navy blue haori coat, and sharp eyes.

John placed a small amulet on the reception desk and gently pushed it toward the receptionist.

"Miss Shimazu Akira, I am looking for your father. This is my letter; please pass it on to him."

Shimazu Akira glared at John, recognizing the masked man in front of him by his voice.

"Just wait!"

The two seemed to have a deep connection. Ms. Shimazu stomped her foot and angrily turned and left.