Chapter 129: The Meeting

"Alright, I understand," Charles replied. He led his team towards the meeting room upstairs.

Addy immediately picked up the phone at the service desk and informed Winston, "Manager, the elder has arrived."

Winston was in the meeting room inspecting the preparations, ensuring everything was in order. He had been informed by Charles earlier that there would be a meeting at the hotel's conference room in the afternoon.

Iruka held the door open for Charles, and the group of six entered the meeting room.

Winston approached Charles and bowed slightly, respectfully saying, "Elder, the meeting room has been prepared and is ready for use."

Charles examined the round table in front of him, nodded in approval, and then spoke, "Winston, did the previous attack affect the hotel's operation?"

Winston stood to the side and answered respectfully, "The previous attack did not affect the hotel's operation. Thanks to the promotion of the wax baths by the Elder, some of the injured personnel were able to recover quickly. However, there were still some casualties among the staff."

Satisfied with Winston's response, Charles nodded and then spoke earnestly, "Since there were those who sacrificed their lives for the hotel during the battle, make sure to take care of the compensation for their families."

"Elder, you can rest assured; the New York Continental Hotel provides excellent compensation for its staff," Winston assured him.

Charles nodded again, checked the time on his watch, and said, "Alright, there's nothing for you here at the moment. Please prepare dinner for us. After the meeting, the other Adjudicators and I will have a banquet here."

"Of course, I will make the arrangements."

Winston respectfully left the meeting room and closed the door behind him.

As soon as Winston left, Naruto couldn't sit still and began to explore the room. He was filled with curiosity about everything in this world. Even though he had spent two days at the theater and learned quite a few new things, his curiosity remained undiminished.

Iruka watched Naruto's behavior with a hint of helplessness and approached Charles, saying, "Lord Charles, for the meeting later, should we arrange for Naruto to visit the Continental Hotel?"

Hearing Iruka's suggestion, Charles smiled and then said, "Naruto, later you can choose to either attend the meeting with everyone or explore the Continental Hotel."

Naruto pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Lord Charles, is this hotel yours too?"

Charles smiled and replied, "Yes, it's mine."

"I'll join the meeting with everyone. I can explore the hotel another time," Naruto decided.

Iruka reminded him, "Naruto, please don't cause any trouble during the meeting."

Hearing Iruka's reminder, Naruto adjusted his headband and immediately retorted, "Iruka-sensei, I'm no longer a student at the Ninja Academy. I'm a ninja now. You should trust a ninja."

Seeing Naruto's earnest expression, Charles said, "Iruka, now that Naruto is a ninja, you should learn to trust him."

Seeing that Charles had no negative feelings towards Naruto and was even taking care of him, Iruka expressed his gratitude.

Iruka's heart felt much lighter now. Ever since Naruto had arrived, Iruka had been worried about whether Naruto's mischief and immaturity would displease Charles. However, it seemed that everything was moving in a positive direction.

Time quickly passed, and it was now afternoon. A Maybach led the way, followed by a business car, as they arrived outside the Continental Hotel.

A doorman approached them and stood respectfully beside the Maybach's door.

The car door opened, and John Wick, dressed in a sharp suit, stepped out. Four enforcers followed him, one of them carrying a briefcase.

As soon as John Wick walked into the hotel lobby, he saw Winston approaching.

Winston reached John Wick and lightly hugged him, then said, "The Elder is waiting for you in the upstairs meeting room."

John Wick nodded and smiled, saying, "I'm very happy to see you unharmed. After the meeting, we'll catch up at the banquet."

After exchanging brief greetings, John Wick, accompanied by his team, proceeded to the meeting room upstairs.

Upon seeing John Wick leave, Winston didn't linger in the hotel. Instead, he went to the hotel entrance to welcome the other Adjudicator' arrivals.

Winston didn't have to wait long at the entrance. A Rolls-Royce and a business Mercedes soon arrived.

The car doors opened, and Cross stepped out, who is in charge of the London Continental Hotel, accompanied by several of his subordinates, each carrying a suitcase.

Winston walked up to the Cross and greeted him, "Welcome, Lord Adjudicator."

"The Elder is in the hotel's meeting room, waiting for you," Winston informed.

Cross and Winston shook hands briefly, and the Cross replied, "I understand. Thank you for your efforts, Winston."

After a brief exchange, Cross, with his entourage, entered the Continental Hotel.

The Adjudicator responsible for the Moscow Continental Hotel, Wesley, had not arrived yet.

Inside a stretched Bentley, Ginny looked at Wesley and the Russian brute beside him. She spoke, "Ivan Vanko, for your father, I have arranged for the best local medical staff to provide treatment."

"So when we meet our boss later, I hope you'll behave well."

"Don't waste Wesley's efforts. Although you do have some talent in mechanics, you should understand that you're not irreplaceable."

Ivan Vanko looked at the woman in front of him, frowning slightly, and then spoke, "If you want to recruit me, you should trust my abilities."

Hearing his words, Ginny's expression turned serious as she responded, "Ivan Vanko, we're not here to recruit you. Wesley recommended you to our boss."

"Our boss is only giving you an opportunity to meet him. Whether you accept it is still uncertain."

"As for whether you take this matter seriously, that's up to you."

"Of course, if you still want to live a destitute life and remain unrecognized, with your talents going to waste, we won't stop you."

"You should understand that our power is far beyond what you can imagine."

Thinking about the government's restrictions placed on him and his father, Ivan Vanko remained silent. 

He had long wanted to leave that wretched place. This time, he wanted to break free from the restrictions and see what Howard Stark, the man responsible for their miserable lives, was up to.

Although Howard was no longer alive, there was still Tony Stark and their company, Stark Industries.