Dragonbone

At eight in the evening.

Continental Hotel.

Before heading to the hotel, Russell finally defeated the gun-wielding Sword Saint in the game, completing the entire game.

In a cheerful mood, he drove his Porsche to Continental Hotel.

Garbed in a sharp suit, Charon was still at the front desk.

"Has Winston arrived?"

Russell asked Charon.

"He's here, in the restaurant."

Charon looked at Russell and replied with a professionally composed tone that didn't reveal any flaws.

Nodding at Charon, Russell walked directly towards the restaurant.

Though it was dinner time, the restaurant wasn't crowded with guests.

As he entered the restaurant, he saw Winston and Kingpin.

Winston, still with his refined demeanor, was quietly conversing with Kingpin.

Kingpin sat across from Winston, nodding occasionally.

"He's here. Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Wilson Fisk, also known as the renowned Kingpin."

Seeing Russell's arrival, Winston stood up and introduced Russell.

Although it wasn't necessary, given Kingpin's distinctive physique, Russell could already tell he was Kingpin.

At a height of 2 meters and weighing 200 kilograms, Kingpin looked like a small giant.

Just by his build, he was about twice the size of Russell.

"Hello, I'm Russell!"

Russell greeted Kingpin, who also stood up.

Although Kingpin seemed somewhat serious, he extended his right hand to shake hands with Russell.

After the introductions, the three of them took their seats.

"A year ago, I wanted to meet you in person. But who would've thought that it would only be now that I get the chance."

Kingpin looked Russell up and down, speaking first.

"It's not too late to meet now, is it?"

Russell didn't mind Kingpin's scrutiny.

When they shook hands, Kingpin seemed to be testing something about him.

However, for some reason, Kingpin ultimately abandoned the idea and shook hands with him normally.

But Russell had noticed the slight attempt that Kingpin had made to test his strength, then backed off.

"That's right, meeting now isn't a problem."

Kingpin wasn't as unruly as the rumors portrayed him, and his tone had no air of intimidation.

If it weren't for his naturally stern appearance, he might have followed a refined path like Winston.

During the following conversation, Kingpin didn't delve into serious topics with Russell. They conversed amiably, like new acquaintances.

Since Kingpin wasn't willing to disclose his purpose, Russell didn't bother asking.

Whether he said it now or later, it would eventually be revealed. There was no need to rush.

As Russell chatted with Kingpin, he also savored a top-grade Kobe steak from Japan that was placed before him.

He had eaten many meals in the hotel's restaurant, but he didn't remember the hotel's restaurant ever offering this kind of top-grade steak.

The rich, caramelized surface accentuated the enchanting marble-like texture, highlighted by the contrast with the glistening fat.

The meat's aroma, rich but not overwhelming, started to awaken his senses even before it touched his palate.

Using a delicate knife to cut a small piece, he placed it in his mouth.

Tender and succulent, the texture was delightful, juicy and flavorful.

Melt-in-your-mouth!

Premium ingredients often only needed simple cooking methods. After a day of busyness (forging), Russell now enjoyed the culinary delights of the Kobe steak.

Simple cooking, authentic and delicious flavors.

Clearly, these Kobe steaks were either Winston's private stash or something Kingpin had specially arranged.

Top-grade Kobe steak, and Romanée-Conti from 1974.

A perfect pairing!

Although the ingredients on the table weren't numerous, they were carefully chosen.

At least Russell was eating with great satisfaction.

They raised their glasses, chatting and laughing.

From appearances alone, one couldn't tell that this table was occupied by a kingpin of the underworld, a top-tier assassin, and the manager of an assassin's hotel.

After the waitstaff collected the plates and utensils, Kingpin looked at Russell with a complex expression. He seemed to be contemplating whether or not to discuss serious matters.

Seeing Kingpin's odd expression, Russell didn't say anything. He simply picked up his wine glass and took a sip.

Although Romanée-Conti from 1974 was an exceptional vintage, truth be told, he couldn't detect any particularly unique flavor.

Kingpin also picked up his wine glass.

However, instead of sipping it like Russell, he downed the exquisite vintage like it was blood.

After placing the wine glass down, he slowly said, "I have a commission for you. Are you interested?"

"What commission?" Russell also set down his wine glass.

"I want something, and I hope you can retrieve it for me."

"What is it?"

"Dragonbone!"

When Kingpin mentioned "dragonbone," his expression turned incredibly serious.

Dragonbone?

Russell looked at Kingpin with some confusion.

He certainly knew what dragonbone was.

However, the question was, why did Kingpin want dragonbone?

Was this guy trying to become an immortal monster?

"What's dragonbone?" Russell pretended to be clueless and asked slowly.

"Dragonbone, the bones of a divine dragon. The myths and legends about this dragon are quite famous, so you should know what a divine dragon is."

"I'm sorry, I've heard of divine dragons but didn't go deep into it."

Russell at this point displayed an extraordinarily adept acting skill, as if he truly knew nothing.

"I can now tell you for certain that divine dragons are real and possess extraordinary abilities, just like in myths and legends."

"I know where there's dragonbone, but my subordinates can't retrieve it."

"If you can retrieve it, I can offer you an absolutely substantial reward."

Kingpin didn't directly state where the dragonbone was or what the reward would be.

In fact, even if he hadn't said anything, Russell knew where the dragonbone was.

K'un-Lun, the Hand, and the New York underworld.

Firstly, K'un-Lun could be ruled out directly.

Even if Kingpin knew about K'un-lun's existence, there was no way he could know its exact location.

That left the Hand and the New York underworld as the two options.

Russell knew that there was dragonbone buried somewhere in the New York underworld, but he wasn't clear about the specific location.

The Hand seemed to also be looking for these dragonbones, though Russell wasn't sure if they had specific information.

Based on Kingpin's words, he probably knew about the dragonbones in the possession of the Hand.

Although Kingpin was a kingpin of the underworld and a dominant figure in the New York underworld, the Hand wasn't a pushover either.

On the surface, the Hand was merely a group of crazed assassins adhering to ancient traditions.

In a sense, Russell was in the same line of work!

But in reality, the Hand was a bona fide transcendent organization.

From the perspective of transcendent abilities, the purity of the Hand transcendent abilities was even higher than the combination of Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.

After all, the Hand had truly interacted with demons from other dimensions.

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