Chapter 48: One Shot, Three Explosions
"Calm down, calm down, don't be impulsive!" Vigo Tarasov did not want to die; he hadn't enjoyed life enough yet. He felt that since Tommy hadn't shot him immediately, there might still be room for negotiation.
"Ten million dollars, how about it? As long as you spare my life, I will immediately have the money transferred to your bank account, with absolutely no delay!" Vigo pleaded, trying to maintain some dignity. "Also, I will lift the bounty I placed on you at the Continental Hotel!"
"Ten million?" Tommy raised an eyebrow, seemingly tempted. After a brief, calculated thought, he shook his head. "It's not enough. I also want your Red Circle Club."
Vigo felt a profound pang of pain. The Red Circle Club was his most profitable legitimate business front. Every year, just from ticket sales and drinks, he could earn millions of dollars. If you included the income from the illicit, shady businesses running through it, that number easily doubled. Unfortunately, circumstances were decisively against him. Now that Tommy Vercetti held the large revolver against his temple, the assassin naturally got to call the shots. Compared to his own life, the loss of the Red Circle Club was insignificant.
"Okay, okay, I agree to everything." Vigo took out his phone and called his lawyer, instructing him to bring the contract immediately to the location Tommy specified.
About ten minutes later, Tommy's own phone rang. Jin's voice was a little confused, not understanding the visit from a stranger. But under Tommy's firm instructions, Jin signed the necessary contract with Vigo's lawyer, completing the immediate transfer agreement. This meant that, from that moment on, the Red Circle Club no longer belonged to the Russian Gang but was now Tommy's private property. Almost simultaneously, a text message from the bank arrived, notifying him that ten million dollars had been successfully deposited.
"Very good." Tommy smoothly holstered his gun. "Since you're so cooperative, I can spare your life."
"Thank you very much!" Vigo felt a tidal wave of relief, forcing a sickly smile onto his face, grateful that he had somehow escaped this calamity.
However, in his desperate joy, he neglected to observe his surroundings and completely missed the subtle, almost imperceptible glance Tommy gave Franklin as he turned his back to leave.
Bang!
A single gunshot cracked through the silent church. Vigo Tarasov fell to the ground, clutching his chest. Blood continuously seeped from his fingers, while his other hand trembled, weakly pointing at Tommy Vercetti. His face was full of disbelief.
"Vercetti… you said you wouldn't kill me."
"That's right, I didn't kill you." Tommy Vercetti turned his head, seemingly not understanding why Vigo would ask such a foolish question. Franklin Clinton fired the gun, so what did that have to do with Tommy Vercetti? He was a man of his word, always keeping his promises. He could not tolerate such unwarranted accusations.
To help his boss make his point, Franklin pulled the trigger again, emptying an entire magazine of small-caliber bullets into Vigo's body, definitively ending his life.
The esteemed leader of the Russian Gang died at the hands of a rookie who had only just started out. One could only say that fate was truly unpredictable.
"Is that it? Just like that?" Franklin muttered to himself, still in disbelief. Although he was the one who pulled the trigger, the finality of the act was shocking. After all, that was Vigo Tarasov, the feared head of a major syndicate. Both his identity and status were far superior to a street thug like him; he was someone Franklin had to look up to. Yet, in Tommyi's hands, Vigo was reduced to a stray dog, easily dealt with, without the slightest hint of effort.
"Don't just stand there, follow me." Waking the still-dazed Franklin, Tommy walked towards the basement. With all immediate enemies dealt with, it was now time to collect the spoils.
Using the password he had forced from the priest earlier, Tommy successfully opened the iron vault door.
First to greet their eyes were stacks of cash piled up like walls, alongside neatly categorized jewelry, antiques, and valuable calligraphy. Franklin's eyes were dazzled by so much cash. He had never seen so much money in his life; it was something he only dared to dream about.
Unlike Franklin, Tommy Vercetti wasn't primarily interested in the cash. Vigo risking his life to come in person indicated there must be something more important than money in this vault. Sure enough, Tommy opened a hidden cabinet on the wall and casually took out several documents and recording devices. After just a quick glance, he saw the names of many important figures. These included high-ranking members of the New York Police and federal agents, and even several New York City council members.
"These are some good things." Tommy was well aware of the true value of these items. By possessing these recordings, videos, and correspondence, he effectively held the lives and fortunes of those important figures in his hands. Although he might not be able to make them completely obey him, he could certainly gain many benefits without crossing their bottom line. At the very least, his Crab Burger King restaurant wouldn't have to worry about various regulatory issues and could open smoothly.
Of course, while these documents were important, they were not Tommy's biggest gain this time. Vigo's death caused his long-dormant system to stir again.
[Congratulations to the Host for achieving the Killer Series "Assassin Master" achievement]
[Reward: Five hundred points]
With these new five hundred points, Tommy's total immediately rose to thirteen hundred. This meant he could activate the lottery wheel again and gain a brand-new ability.
However, he wasn't in a hurry. He could draw the prize anytime, and the cleanup work was more urgent.
Taking out his phone, Tommy made a brief call, reserving dinner for over sixty people. Soon after, the delivery arrived.
This wasn't some ordinary food delivery. It was the professional cleanup team from the Continental Hotel, specializing in discreetly erasing murder scenes. Charlie, who led the team, greeted them, looking at the piles of bodies inside and outside the church, secretly clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Today's workload seems a bit heavy!" He had been doing this for so many years, from youth to old age, but never before had he seen so many bodies at once. Even the previous job he had just completed—wherever John Wick was—was far from this one.
"Is this Vigo Tarasov?" Seeing the familiar body on the ground, the old man's eyes nearly popped out. Even the leader of the Russian Gang died here; it seemed he had to re-evaluate Tommy's strength.
Sixty-odd bodies required sixty-odd gold coins for cleanup fees. Tommy certainly wouldn't carry that much on him. But it didn't matter. Tommy had the right connections. The Camorra Family, one of the twelve seats on the High Table, had considerable authority over the subordinate Continental Hotel network. And Gianna, as one of the Camorra Family's next heirs, had an unlimited supply of gold coins. What she possessed naturally also belonged to Tommy Vercetti.
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