Back at the chop shop, Abram Tarasov had finished rallying his men. He looked over the nearly one hundred lackeys, all armed to the teeth with rifles and submachine guns, and nodded in grim satisfaction.
He threw his hand forward in a sharp motion.
"Move out!"
On command, the men turned in unison and piled into their vehicles. Engines roared to life as one car after another pulled out of the shop. A fleet of twenty vehicles formed a massive, intimidating convoy, surging toward the outskirts of Brooklyn.
Abram was flanked by three burly men in suits—his personal bodyguards. They escorted him into a black Cadillac SUV, which settled into the middle of the convoy.
He was determined to see exactly which gang had grown the "leopard's gall" to attack the Russian Mob at a time like this.
After clearing out the final guards, Shiranui Hayate took a moment to inspect the basement level.
The area wasn't particularly large, but it was divided into two sections by a heavy iron gate. One side was the combat zone he had just cleared; the other was packed with dozens of crates.
He noted that the gate was secured with an electronic keypad. Hayate placed his right hand over the lock, and a spark of lightning flickered across his palm.
Bzzt!
The lock fried instantly, and the gate swung open.
Hayate stepped into the room and picked a crate at random. As he pried it open, the interior of the room seemed to glow with a golden hue.
Gold. An entire crate filled with bars, stacked in neat, shimmering rows. Hayate picked one up, feeling its weight. He pressed his thumb into the metal, leaving a faint indentation. Based on the density and color, he confirmed it was genuine.
He tossed the bar back and opened the next crate.
This one was filled with jewelry—diamonds, necklaces, and loose stones. Perched right on top was a stunning blue sapphire, larger than a pigeon egg and weighing at least a hundred grams.
His curiosity piqued, Hayate counted the remaining containers. There were twenty more crates yet to be opened.
The Russian Mob is even wealthier than I thought, he mused.
He opened another. This time, it was filled with "greenery"—stacks of US ten-dollar bills, bundled tightly and organized perfectly.
Seeing only ten-dollar denominations, Hayate felt a slight pang of disappointment. Despite the size of the crate, how much could ten-dollar bills really amount to?
Then again, ten-dollar bills were the standard for untraceable cash circulation in the States. Anyone trying to spend a mountain of hundred-dollar bills would inevitably trigger a police report and an investigation.
Setting his disappointment aside, he opened the rest. They were all cash. No more jewelry, no luxury watches, and no more gold. Just twenty crates of cold, hard cash.
Hayate looked at the twenty-two crates. Anyone else would have struggled with the logistics of moving this much weight quietly, but for Hayate, it wasn't an issue. His system allowed for two-way conversion of currency into Copper Coins.
He placed his hand on the stacks of cash and thought: Top-up.
In an instant, the crates emptied as the cash vanished into the system. In his mind's eye, the numbers in his "Copper Coin" balance began to spin rapidly. After three seconds, the counter stopped.
The balance now read 4,200,000. Since 200,000 had been his previous balance from missions, this haul netted him exactly 4,000,000 US dollars.
Hayate was very satisfied with the night's work. He had cleaned up some social filth and secured a massive influx of capital. This was far more profitable than the bounty on John Wick, and better yet, the Continental didn't get a cut. This money would fix his car and, more importantly, upgrade his Ninken (Ninja Dogs). Summoning beasts were notorious for being "money pits" in the system.
As for the crates of gold and jewelry, he swept those into his private system storage.
Task complete, Hayate released his Transformation Jutsu, reverting to his original form. He walked out of the factory just as a red Ferrari 458 pulled up to the curb.
Hayate's eyebrow quirked up. He walked to the car, opened the passenger door, and slid inside.
"My dear Hotaru, your timing is impeccable. I was just wondering how I was going to find a taxi in this godforsaken place."
He looked at the stunning blonde behind the wheel and smiled. "As a reward for your efficiency, I have a small gift for you."
He reached into his storage, and the blue sapphire reappeared in his hand.
Seeing the gem, Hotaru's eyes lit up with the intensity of a dragon spotting a mountain of treasure.
"Boss, you are far too generous!"
She leaned over, wrapping her arms around Hayate and planting a heavy, lingering kiss on his cheek before snatching the sapphire from his hand.
"Does it have a name, Boss?"
Hayate wiped the lipstick from his face and watched the beaming blonde. "You can name it whatever you like. It belongs to you now."
Hotaru pouted slightly when she realized he didn't know its history, but her excitement didn't dim. She promptly tucked the gem into her cleavage for safekeeping.
Hayate swallowed hard. That's a very... provocative storage method.
Noticing his reaction, Hotaru gave a playful laugh. "Boss, I've already sent your Mercedes to the shop. They'll contact us as soon as the repairs are done. So, where to? Back to the Shiranui Agency or the Chrysler Building?"
Hayate nodded, pleased with her handling of the Mercedes. "Take me back to the Chrysler Building."
Hotaru didn't need to be told twice. She shifted gears and floored the accelerator, the Ferrari roaring as it sped into the distance.
The moment the car vanished into the night, the weather broke.
Rain began to fall—one drop, two, then a sudden, violent downpour.
Watching the rain lash against the window, Hayate's thoughts drifted. Viggo is finally going to die at John's hand.