300 gems = bonus chapter
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Ferdinand awoke in a daze.
Soon, however, he realized he could not move.
"Mmph! Mmph mmmph!"
His mouth was gagged, and his eyes were covered with a cloth. His hands were cuffed and bound to a chair; he struggled fiercely but could not break free. Fear spread through him. He tried to call for help, but only the echo of his own whimpering answered.
The kidnapper, seeming to notice he was awake, removed the gag from his mouth.
"Who are you?" Ferdinand asked fearfully. "Dude, I just said something casually; it is not that serious."
"You want money?" His first thought was robbery. "I still have five hundred US dollars in my pocket. I know the rules, man. I did not see your face. Please let me go."
As a former small-time hooligan, Ferdinand had never experienced a scene like this. At most, they would just talk big and snatch some pocket money from kids. Being kidnapped like this was a first. Ferdinand babbled like a running faucet, nearly blurting out the color of his underwear.
The kidnapper listened for a while without speaking. Just as Ferdinand began to wonder if the person was still there, the man spoke.
"How much do you know about John Wick?"
The voice sounded a little familiar. Ferdinand hurriedly said, "What? Man, I am just a driver. What could I possibly know?" Afraid the other party would not believe him, he added anxiously, "It is true. Look at my library card. I have not seen him for half a month. Really, I am just a driver; I do not know anything. I swear to God."
He spoke tearfully, but the kidnapper stepped forward and removed Ferdinand's blindfold.
"Man, I did not see anything. I definitely did not see anything." Ferdinand was so scared that he kept his eyes tightly shut. He knew the rules; if you saw the kidnapper's eyes, you were basically finished.
"Open your eyes," the other party commanded.
Ferdinand was extremely flustered. "I know all the rules; I will definitely be honest." He just would not open his eyes.
Suddenly, he felt a cold sensation on his head, as if something was pressed against his forehead. The voice sounded again, "Open your eyes."
Between dying later or dying now, Ferdinand chose the former. He opened his eyes a crack and saw a familiar face.
"What the…?" His eyes widened suddenly. "Is it you? An FBI agent?" He had seen this person before when his Boss was arrested and taken to the station. His name was Dax, was it not?
"What the hell are you doing, man!" Ferdinand was furious; after all, an FBI agent was not as intimidating as a random kidnapper. He immediately reverted to his hooligan demeanor and cursed, "I will have my lawyer file a complaint against you! Let me go quickly!"
He was cursing and swearing, but he did not notice Dax's indifferent expression. When Ferdinand gradually quieted down and realized something was amiss, Dax spoke, "You saw my face, so you should know that if I do not get the answer I want, you will die here."
The blunt words choked Ferdinand's stream of curses. An FBI agent kidnapping someone clearly did not want it to be known. Ferdinand reacted at this moment, his teeth chattering as he said, "You are the FBI; I have not broken any laws."
"I do not care about that nonsense!" Dax suddenly roared, his face contorted like a ferocious devil. "I need to know, who exactly is John Wick!" John's strange ability to disappear out of thin air drove Dax to find out how. Dax's eyes were red. "Tell me, who is he, why did he suddenly disappear, and how did he do it!"
"I do not know," Ferdinand explained. "I am just a driver."
"Stop lying!" Dax said angrily. "Only trusted people would be his driver and stay by his side. You must know something, I can tell." Dax was an FBI agent; his instincts were usually sharp. His questioning made it difficult for Ferdinand to parry.
But to betray John… As soon as Ferdinand thought of John's terrifying abilities, he immediately shut his mouth. Offending Dax would at most get him killed, but if he betrayed John, his whole family might be in danger.
Seeing that he was not speaking, Dax punched him in anger, dragging Ferdinand and the chair back two meters. Dax was almost turning into a demon; he had lost his North Star and now needed to find a new guide. And John's special nature ignited Dax's desire to pry. A harsh interrogation was about to begin.
The phone suddenly rang.
Dax came to his senses and took out his phone, only to realize it was not his that was ringing. Looking up, Ferdinand's dropped phone was flashing. He walked over, picked up the phone, and saw the incoming call labeled 'Boss.' He answered.
"Do I need to remind you that your vacation is over?" John's voice sounded.
Dax said in a deep voice, "You want your driver?"
Hearing this voice, John was a little surprised, but not panicked, and said calmly, "It seems you are with my driver, Dax?"
"John Wick," a chill flashed in Dax's eyes. "If you want to see your driver, you had better come to…"
"Bring him to Wick's house. I have something for you, Dax." John's words cut through Dax's madness.
Dax was startled. "What?"
John, on the other end of the phone, opened his pocket watch and glanced at it, saying casually, "I will give you half an hour. If you think that is not enough time, you can have Ferdinand drive."
"Your driver is with me…" His words were cut off again; the call had already been hung up.
Dax stared blankly at the phone. Ferdinand, who had heard the entire conversation, forced an ugly smile. "See? I told you I am not close to him." Now Dax believed him. Otherwise, who would dare talk to a kidnapper with that attitude? He stood there thinking for two minutes, then said to Ferdinand, "Drive me to his house."
Ferdinand looked at his bound hands and feet. You should untie me first.
*****
In front of Wick's house.
Dax arrived with Ferdinand and rang the doorbell. After a while, John opened the door.
"Come in." He completely disregarded Dax and walked straight into the living room. A photo was on the table. Dax entered and said, "I have discovered your secret, John Wick."
"Oh."
John's flat reaction made Dax wonder if he had not expressed himself clearly enough.
"You mean you saw me use Apparition to leave?" John sat on the sofa and said casually, "That is not particularly strange."
This attitude left Dax a little dazed. "Are you not afraid of your secret being discovered?"
"It is you, Dax," John said, sounding genuinely puzzled. "Why should I be afraid?"
Dax was even more dumbfounded. "You always knew I was following you?"
"Otherwise?" John rolled his eyes. "Do you think you are very stealthy?" The young man had his theories, but none of them were particularly astute. He even wanted to use this secret to threaten him. "I said you could find someone else to be your star," John spread his hands helplessly. "Since I said that, I naturally do not mind you following me."
Dax felt a bit confused. Why did it sound, from this person's words, as if Dax was already his?
"Let us not talk about this. Look into someone for me." John handed over Shang-Chi's photo and said, "His name is Shang-Chi, a fourteen-year-old boy who ran away from home behind his father's back."
Subconsciously taking the photo, Dax looked at the Asian teenager in the picture.
"I will not treat you as an anomaly, Dax." John shrugged. "You have also seen my special abilities; we are basically similar in that regard. The monster that exists within you is both a curse and a blessing, giving you extraordinary abilities." Flipping his fingers, a gold coin appeared. John said meaningfully, "He can use you, and you can use him." With a flick, the gold coin flew towards Dax. "This is your reward. I will teach you how to make use of that part of you."
Dax caught the gold coin, looking at the glittering gold. He was startled. "You do not think I am sick?"
"You can think of it as a sickness, but if you can utilize it, you will gain different rewards." John smiled. "This is not the first time I have seen a situation like yours, so I understand. You need something to rely on. I can become your reliance. When you want to kill, remember my words." John said, "You can be a superhero, Dax."
"No one wants to live in darkness. Captain America and Iron Man also kill people and cause destruction, but they are revered by thousands." John's voice planted itself deeply in Dax's mind.
Dax had never thought that his 'sickness' could be seen as a blessing. What was his original intention in becoming an FBI agent? Killing? Or enjoying the respect and reliance of others? He took a deep look at John. "I will help you find out, but what should I do next?"
"Tell me when you find him. After that, we will get you a new set of clothes."
Before the time the "Purple Sweet Potato" appears in the future, John did not mind creating a few more superheroes in this world. After all, his agreement with the Ancient One was to protect this world. This also counted as a form of protection, right?
The two reached a cooperation.
Only Ferdinand was completely bewildered. "No, I was almost beaten to death, and you tell me he is one of us?"
It was a world where only Ferdinand seemed to get hurt.
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