C 39

"This is the only appeal of the High Table," Aisha said seriously. "As for the quest object, I can only tell you after you accept the quest."

"In this world, there are many people who can be killed by the High Table, and there are indeed a small number of people who cannot be killed. But these few possess the ability to mobilize most of the world's resources."

Anton squinted his eyes and replied lightly, "Since this is cooperation, what can I get?"

"The friendship of the High Table, and the identity of a consultant to the High Table," Aisha offered. 

"The High Table consultant has the power to mobilize the internal killer members of the High Table. You can share all the information with the High Table. Of course, in return, you must bear corresponding responsibilities and conclude a blood agreement with the High Table. Once the contract is concluded, it must not be violated; otherwise, you will be relentlessly pursued and killed by the High Table."

Anton fully understood that this was an attempt to win him over. It seemed that the powerful abilities Batman had demonstrated had made them see his value.

"Blood contracts are out of the question! Killing is even more impossible!" Anton flatly refused. "If you've seen Batman movies, you know he has a principle—not to kill."

Aisha's expression grew complicated upon hearing this. She had anticipated rejection, but she did not expect it to come for this reason. Not to kill? It seemed absurd to her!

But then she recalled that throughout the battle that night, no one had died. Only two unfortunate men had been shot by stray bullets and succumbed to excessive blood loss. So, it could be said that Anton hadn't technically killed anyone. 

Facing Anton, the worst outcome had merely been the victim's rendered a vegetable state.

"However, although killing is impossible, if you want me to help you deal with others, that might not be out of the question," Anton said, suddenly changing his tone.

Seeing Aisha's face shift, he continued, "But it must be done in my way. Furthermore, I can establish a cooperative relationship with you, but only in terms of intelligence cooperation. If there are additional demands in the future, that will be considered another cooperation item... We can discuss that later."

"I can't make that decision alone," Aisha replied after pondering for a long moment. "Please give me some time."

She exited the car and took out her phone, speaking to someone on the other end for a considerable duration before returning to the vehicle. She nodded at Anton. "Happy cooperation."

"In that case, can you tell me who is the target you want to eliminate?" Anton asked with genuine interest, curious about who could be untouchable even for the High Table.

"His name is Sloan," Aisha explained, "and he is the leader of another killer organization, the Fraternity. He is also the High Table's biggest competitor in the killer world."

Sloan? The Fraternity? This situation was getting interesting.

Anton was taken aback. "The Fraternity? That ridiculous organization that manipulates fate in the name of weaving?"

"Exactly," Aisha confirmed. She was not surprised that Anton was aware of them. 

"Sloan leads the Fraternity. He commands many top-tier killers and has never lost a job. They have been the main competitors of the High Table for over ten years, engaging in numerous direct confrontations. The relationship between the two is like oil and water. Not only do we want him dead, but he also seeks our extermination."

In other words, both parties aimed to dominate the killer world. It made sense that if one could eliminate the other, they would naturally rise to the top.

"A person who cannot be killed by a killer organization is naturally the leader of another killer organization," Anton mused, realizing the reasoning behind the High Table's predicament.

He nodded to Aisha. "Send me the information as soon as possible, and I'll arrange a time to handle it."

"Sure thing. We've already compiled the information!" Aisha said, nodding. "If you need us in the future, you can contact the High Table through me or Winston. You will be our distinguished guest moving forward."

After saying this, she handed Anton a tablet-like device, exited the vehicle, and left. 

Watching Aisha disappear down the street, Anton instructed the driver to proceed. He then opened the handheld computer to review the information inside.

After reading through it, he understood why the High Table sought his assistance at this moment. The long-standing grievances between the High Table and the Fraternity had deep roots. 

Initially, the Fraternity was a principled killer organization that focused solely on missions they internally established. They posed no threat to the High Table. 

However, about twenty years ago, everything changed when Sloan took charge, leading the Fraternity's rapid rise and becoming a formidable threat to the High Table in the killer world.

Thus, the High Table wanted Sloan dead, to solidify its reputation as the everlasting empire within the killer domain.

The reason for approaching Anton at this juncture was likely due to the uncertainty surrounding Sloan's elimination. They knew that the strongest killer within the Fraternity, Cross, was currently in New York. 

He was the ace killer of the Fraternity, known for his extraordinary marksmanship.

Years ago, Cross had left the organization. The Fraternity, under Sloan's command, had seemingly severed ties with him, marking him as a target for assassination. This had sparked a prolonged standoff, with neither side gaining the upper hand. 

The Fraternity suffered heavy losses, while Cross remained largely unharmed.

The High Table had recently received intel suggesting that Cross would soon reappear in New York, prompting the Fraternity to mobilize all its members for this encounter. 

This would be a decisive battle, and Sloan was almost certain to be present. It presented the best opportunity for the High Table to strike.

Since the High Table was unsure of its success, it made sense to delegate the task to someone reliable—Batman. Even if Batman failed, he would maintain the status quo, posing no risk to the High Table.

Those on the High Table were not fools; they had calculated everything meticulously.

"Decisive battle?" Anton mused, stroking his chin. He realized that, based on his previous life's knowledge, there was no existing narrative regarding a "decisive battle" in the Fraternity's lore. 

The most plausible scenario would be a deadlock where neither side could outmaneuver the other. In desperation, Sloan might resort to seeking out Cross's son, Wesley, to use him against his father.

"Tomorrow, the Fox, the repairman, and other top killers of the Fraternity will arrive in New York..."

Anton powered off the handheld device and closed his eyes, deep in thought. Time was running short.

He reached for his phone and called Jim.

"Anton?" Jim's voice came through almost instantly, brimming with excitement. "I'm organizing a celebration party the day after tomorrow. You promised you'd come!"

"Of course I will come, but not the day after tomorrow," Anton instructed. "Move the party to tomorrow night. I'll be flying to Los Angeles tonight."

"What?" Jim was taken aback, his voice laced with frustration. "Tomorrow? What are you doing? My party invitation has already been sent out! Do you think those Hollywood people are free every day?"

"Whether they come or not, just hold the party. I want to make a highly publicized appearance tomorrow." Anton had no interest in who would attend; he only cared about being in the spotlight.

Jim, hearing the call disconnect, couldn't help but curse under his breath. He understood the nature of Anton's whims all too well. 

His thoughts drifted to the days when Anton was a director, he was working on the film project with whimsical ways.

Anton's obstinacy was reminiscent of Tony Stark's; both men had a knack for getting what they wanted, often at the expense of others' plans. However, Anton had one advantage over Stark—he rarely left others hanging when it came to commitments.

…

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