The roar of the helicopter rotors ripped through the dead silence of the old castle, and the airflow stirred up gravel and fallen leaves, forming an invisible barrier on the helipad.
When the three heard the sound of the propeller and came outside, Oriska stood by the cabin door, one hand on the gilded handrail, the other holding a black megaphone.
His suit was still immaculate, his tie perfectly knotted, as if what had just ended was not a bloody hunt, but an ordinary business cocktail party.
"Congratulations to you all."
His voice came through the loudspeaker, calm and composed, with the self-assurance of someone long accustomed to high positions, "You have proven that in absolute chaos, true Strong can still survive until the end."
His gaze swept over the three: Zhang Jie's anger, James's calmness, and Razor Girl's murderous intent.
The corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, as if he were watching a meticulously planned play finally reach its climax.
"One hundred thousand dollars will be deposited into your accounts."
He continued, his tone gentle yet unyielding, "This is not charity, but recognition of professional competence."
He was handling a life-and-death chase in the tone of a business negotiation. For him, money was not an issue, but he disliked being passive, although he admitted he was a bit passive this time.
"One hundred thousand?" Zhang Jie sneered, his voice almost squeezed through his teeth, "We almost died here, and it's only worth one hundred thousand?"
Razor Girl stood to the side, her fingers unconsciously stroking the razor at her waist, her eyes cold.
Her two sisters had died in this game, and the culprit was about to fly away in a helicopter.
Her breathing quickened slightly, but in the end... she said nothing.
She knew they couldn't do anything now.
At such a distance, the other party could take off at any moment, and they didn't even have ammunition.
Zhang Jie's fists clenched, cracking, his HK416 long since out of bullets. At this moment, he could only glare at the old man standing by the helicopter cabin door, the surging anger in his chest almost burning through his reason.
"This old bastard..." He growled through clenched teeth, but he was helpless.
James stood beside him, the wound on his right leg still oozing blood, but his eyes were terrifyingly calm.
His gaze swept from Oriska's face to his attire, his watch, even his posture; every detail was etched into his memory.
His MI6 agent training had made him habitually collect intelligence, even if they couldn't pursue now.
But Oriska's gaze, hidden behind his gold-rimmed glasses, fell on James.
"An MI6 agent? Bond?" He chuckled softly and shook his head, "Your intelligence network is even slower than I imagined... However, I believe you'll improve after tonight."
This sentence was like a premonition, and also like a threat.
As the helicopter engine noise suddenly intensified, Oriska's figure swayed slightly by the cabin door, his golden hair blowing wildly in the airflow.
But his posture remained elegant, as if he wasn't fleeing, but boarding a private jet to his next meeting.
"Remember, ladies and gentlemen—"
His voice drifted on the wind, carrying a meaningful smile, "We will meet again."
The cabin door closed, and the dark helicopter slowly ascended, quickly disappearing into the night.
Inside the helicopter, Oriska loosened his tie, the composure on his face gradually fading, replaced by a cold scrutiny.
"Have their identities been confirmed?" he asked into the communicator.
His subordinate's report came through the earpiece:
Zhang Jie: An unknown assassin, but his marksmanship has improved rapidly, suspected to be John Wick's apprentice.
James Bond: A senior MI6 agent, codenamed 007, recently active in the investigation of Eastern European arms trafficking.
Serena: One of the core members of the Black Rose organization, codenamed White Rose, extremely vengeful, and highly skilled in cold weapon assassination.
Oriska's fingers lightly tapped the armrest of his seat, his eyes deep.
"Interesting..."
He murmured, "A newcomer trained by John Wick, an MI6 ace, plus an avenger..."
He suddenly laughed.
He remembered that in a previous video conference, some reckless guy killed John's men?
"Keeping them alive is more valuable than killing them."
True magnates never engage in meaningless slaughter.
If he had killed them tonight, it would only have invited full retaliation from John Wick and MI6.
But if he let them live... "They will become the whetstone for the KH Alliance."
Zhang Jie stared intently at the receding helicopter, his chest heaving violently.
Anger and resentment were like a red-hot branding iron, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
He suddenly kicked a nearby stone pillar, sending gravel flying, but it changed nothing.
"Damn it!" he growled, his voice hoarse.
James silently patted his shoulder, his eyes deep.
"Just let him get away like that?" His voice was hoarse, tinged with unwillingness.
James was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "He's not escaping, but he has reservations."
"What do you mean?"
"If he really wanted to kill us, that helicopter could have easily carried snipers," James analyzed calmly, "But he didn't... because he wants a bigger game."
Razor Girl sneered: "So, we've become pawns on his chessboard?"
James nodded: "And important pawns at that."
Zhang Jie gritted his teeth, suddenly understanding something.
James glanced at him, his eyes deep.
"He won't escape either," he said softly, his tone calm but with an undeniable certainty.
"MI6 has been watching him for a long time, but they haven't found any evidence... After tonight, they will act."
Razor Girl gripped her razor, her voice cold: "I don't care about your plans, I just want him dead."
Zhang Jie took a deep breath, then suddenly grinned: "Count me in."
At dawn, the three went their separate ways.
Razor Girl walked alone into the depths of the dense forest, her back resolute.
James got into a black car. As the window rolled down, he gave Zhang Jie one last look.
"Need a ride, master?" he asked with a smile.
"No thanks, I have a car."
Zhang Jie waved his hand, which pulled at his wound, making him wince in pain.
"Haha, then may we meet again."
Zhang Jie stood still, watching the vehicles drive away, and suddenly smiled.
"Don't worry, we will."
He turned and walked down another path, his figure lengthening in the morning light.
Behind him, the silhouette of Blackthorn Castle gradually collapsed, as if an nightmare had ended.
But Zhang Jie knew that everything was real.
On a distant oak tree, Marcus slowly put away his AXMC sniper rifle, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned.
"Mission accomplished," he murmured, then reported to someone through his earpiece, "The people are alive, the target escaped."
On the other end of the earpiece, John Wick's voice came calmly: "That's enough."
Marcus chuckled softly, put away his weapon, and his figure silently disappeared into the night.
He did not intervene to stop Oriska's helicopter.
Because John's request to him was simple: just keep Zhang Jie alive.
As for the rest?
Bro! Remember, being alive is the greatest reward.
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