Chapter 18: Preparation
In the safe house's lobby, the middle-aged man—the mayor—crawled toward the door, desperately calling for help. His pleas were cut short by a chilling voice:
"My little pet seems a bit unruly, doesn't he?"
"You thought you could call for help and leave me? How disappointing!"
The Joker emerged from the shadows, a playful smirk on his face, brandishing an electric cattle prod and a small whip.
"Tied up, locked in a secret room, imprisoned, whipped?!" Yang Xu's expression was a mixture of disbelief and disgust at the sight of the Joker's implements of torture.
The mayor, hearing the Joker's voice, trembled violently, tears streaming down his face.
"Boss, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you," the Joker exclaimed, relishing the mayor's terror. He began to viciously whip and shock the mayor, the sounds of leather and electricity echoing through the room.
Yang Xu waited patiently until the Joker's sadistic "training session" concluded before asking, "So, what did you get from kidnapping him?"
"My haul, Boss, is beyond your wildest imagination!" The Joker tossed aside his tools, jumping and laughing maniacally, then led Yang Xu to a small truck.
"This is...?" Yang Xu asked, before the Joker flung open the truck's doors, revealing its contents: gold bricks haphazardly stacked on the bottom, with precious jewels and antiques piled on top.
"And this, Boss!" The Joker pulled out a large suitcase from a corner and opened it to reveal millions of dollars in US currency, carelessly strewn inside. He tossed the suitcase to the ground, scattering cash everywhere, and continued nonchalantly, "He has numerous bearer accounts. I had to 'persuade' him to reveal them."
Looking at the money, gold, antiques, and jewelry, Yang Xu sighed, "The quickest way to get rich is definitely seizing assets!"
Despite the massive fortune, the Joker seemed uninterested. Yang Xu knew the Joker genuinely didn't care about money, so he pressed on, "Besides the loot, is there anything else worth celebrating?"
The Joker hesitated—a rare occurrence. After a moment of silence, he produced a video recorder, handing it to Yang Xu with an unusual warning:
"I'm very interested in this, but you might not be."
The Joker's "for your own good" expression was unsettling. Yang Xu suspected he knew exactly what was on the tape.
Looking at the recorder, he pondered, then asked pointedly, "Is this related to children, secret societies, or some high-profile party?" He continued, "Something that would deeply disturb a normal person?"
The Joker didn't answer, only nodding repeatedly, his mouth twitching as if he wanted to speak but couldn't. His hand trembled as he pushed the camera toward Yang Xu, urging him to look. The conflicting emotions of excitement and worry on his face were bizarre.
"Something's wrong. Is it the camera, or something else?" Yang Xu reached for the camera, his eyes fixed on the Joker.
He noticed a change in the Joker's expression as he reached for the recorder. His face twisted, as if battling something within himself. Yang Xu realized the Joker kept retracting his hand whenever Yang Xu tried to take the camera.
"Something's definitely wrong with the Joker. The camera, or something else?"
After a moment of reflection, Yang Xu said sincerely, "Since you've already seen it, I don't need to."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the struggle on the Joker's face vanished, his expression returning to normal. Yang Xu noted this change, his mind racing: "Is it the content, the Joker, or the way I handle the camera...?"
He carefully considered the possibilities. The Joker admitted the contents were against Yang Xu's values and would cause psychological distress; therefore, he didn't want Yang Xu to see it. Though this didn't fully explain the Joker's earlier strange behavior, Yang Xu decided not to press further, having a hunch about what was wrong.
"If I'm right, there's something seriously wrong with the Joker!"
Yang Xu looked at the pensive Joker and said, "Convert the loot into cash. Give some to Joey and the others—let those amateurs disperse. Use the rest for the next plan. We'll need top mercenaries, computer experts—money solves everything."
The distracted Joker immediately snapped to attention, giving a stiff, almost comical salute.
After instructing the Joker to be cautious, Yang Xu left, completely ignoring the unconscious mayor.
...
In a cramped, shabby room, a worn-out television displayed the morning news:
"Last night at 10 PM, a wealthy individual was robbed at the Aman Hotel in New York's Crown Building!"
"The suspect, a Russian calling himself 'John Wick,' attempted to blow up a gas station to evade police."
"Though the terrorist act was thwarted, the suspect escaped. He's a highly skilled shooter and driver—extremely dangerous. We urge anyone with information to contact authorities."
Yang Xu ate his breakfast, watching the news with interest. He then checked his system panel. His reputation points had soared—over 4,000 and still rising—thanks to Tony Stark's public announcement offering a million-dollar reward for John Wick's capture after his hotel robbery.