With his hands tightly bound behind him and his neck pinned against the chair, Ted tried to struggle, but it was all in vain. His face quickly turned red, veins bulging as John Wick's chokehold tightened.
"My boss told me you liked killing people this way, so he wants me to send you to hell using the same method. I'm not just happy to oblige, but I consider it an honor to personally send you to meet Satan."
John Wick leaned in closer and continued, "And since you think your world is hell, it's time for you to return there, you scum."
With a final burst of strength, John Wick tightened his grip, and with a sickening "crack," Ted's neck gave way, his body going limp.
John Wick released him, grabbing Ted by the hair and tossing him to the floor like a piece of garbage. He then stomped on Ted's face, grinding his heel into it as he sneered, "Wait for me in hell, scum. When I find you, I promise I'll kill you again."
Spitting on the lifeless body, John Wick straightened his clothes. He was about to run his hand through his disheveled hair but stopped, realizing his hands were tainted with Ted's sweat. Disgusted, he walked over to Abram, pulled a pocket square from Abram's suit, wiped his hands, then neatly folded the square and returned it to Abram's pocket.
Smiling, John Wick turned to Viggo and Abram. "You two can handle the rest, right?"
The brothers nodded woodenly, still reeling from John Wick's chilling words about killing Ted again in hell. Despite being hardened criminals, it was the first time they'd heard someone talk about pursuing vengeance even after death. The thought sent a cold sweat down their spines, confirming for them that John Wick was indeed a terrifyingly ruthless man.
John Wick nodded in thanks. "This should be the last time we work together over a killing. In a few days, I'll be starting my retirement. When we meet again, it won't be as John Wick the assassin, but as John Wick, the head of a financial company or something like that. I need to spend some time getting used to my new life, so the next time we meet, you won't be so tense. One last thing: unless someone's trying to kill you, don't call me. Goodbye, Mr. Tarasov."
"Goodbye, John," Viggo and Abram replied blankly, internally mocking the idea that a change of profession would alter who John Wick fundamentally was.
As they watched John Wick leave the observation deck, Viggo turned to his brother, exchanging a glance before looking at the four corpses on the floor and the pen in his breast pocket. Suddenly, the pen felt like it was haunted by the souls of the dead men. Feeling uneasy, Viggo yanked the pen out and tossed it to Abram. "Here, it's yours."
Abram caught the pen but had a completely different mindset than Viggo. He calmly placed the pen in his own pocket, as if claiming a trophy.
Viggo shot Abram a glance and lamented, "I didn't expect John Wick to be so decisive. We barely hesitated, and he snuffed out any chance of us backing out, leaving us no room for second thoughts. Damn, it's such a pity. A million barrels of oil each week, with a profit margin of $200 million per month. I could've taken home $60 million, which is more than I used to make in a year. Now it's all gone."
Abram squinted and said in a low voice, "Viggo, you should be grateful that we're still useful to John Wick's boss. Otherwise, our names would've ended up on that grim reaper's list. Who knows, we could've ended up like Ted, tossed on the ground like garbage and stomped on."
"I'm not ready to die yet, Viggo," Abram added meaningfully.
Viggo understood this well. After a moment of silence, he responded, "Too bad John Wick is retiring after this. If only he could continue working for us."
Abram didn't bother replying, inwardly thinking Viggo was an idiot. Even if John Wick stayed, would he really be under Viggo's command? Keeping someone like Wick around, who wouldn't take orders and might attract deadly enemies, was far too risky. Anyone capable of seeking revenge on John Wick would be nearly as dangerous as him. Abram had no interest in recruiting Wick.
All he cared about now was when Pushkin would die. Only then would the Tarasov brothers truly be safe.
"Focus on what comes after Pushkin's death and how to manage all the connections on the East Coast," Abram advised.
"I know," Viggo agreed, though he didn't plan on discussing those secret matters even with his brother. Some things were better kept private, even between siblings.
Viggo then remembered that he still needed to hand over all the East Coast connections and some incriminating evidence of influential figures to John Wick's boss, which pained him. He asked Abram, "Do you know who John Wick's boss is?"
"Sorry, what?" Abram was caught off guard, but then something in him decided it wasn't wise to reveal that William was John Wick's boss. He had a feeling that he might need to align himself with William in the future.
Without showing any sign of his thoughts, Abram shook his head. "No idea. I told you everything I know. When I met Winston at the Continental Hotel, I tried to probe, but Winston was very tight-lipped. He seemed to hold John Wick's boss in great reverence, so I didn't push further."
Unfortunately, Viggo didn't pick up on Abram's subtle hint, or if he did, he chose to ignore it, filtering out what he didn't want to acknowledge.
"F***, we don't even know who the guy is, and yet we have to hand over all the leverage we've built up over the years. On top of that, we're supposed to give him 30% of our profits every year. We're getting the short end of the stick here."
Listening to Viggo's complaints, Abram felt a surge of fear. Was Viggo trying to get himself killed? "You could always try not paying and see if John Wick comes after you," Abram suggested ominously.
Seeing Viggo's face flicker with uncertainty, Abram quickly added, "Think about it—Pushkin, the biggest crime boss, hasn't been taken down yet, but John Wick's boss has left him in New York untouched. What does that tell you? It means his boss has plenty of resources—people who are just as dangerous, if not more so, than John Wick."
As Viggo nodded in thought, Abram continued, "If just one John Wick is this much of a headache, imagine dealing with two or more."
Abram shivered at the thought, not daring to contemplate the consequences of crossing William.
"Fine, I'll pay up," Viggo finally relented, equally unnerved by the idea of facing multiple John Wick-level threats. The mere thought of it made him shiver, and he had no choice but to agree.
After dealing with the cleaners who came to handle the bodies, Viggo and Abram returned to their base, anxiously awaiting the news of their boss Pushkin's demise.
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