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M: TSIA Chapter 136: Smith Family
🕑 Added 2025-04-09 13:12:46 +0000 UTCThe Coleman family villa was larger and very spacious inside, with two small living rooms on the left and right, comfortably accommodating more than thirty people. The warm lighting, combined with luxurious furnishings and walls adorned with beautiful paintings, created an elegant yet cozy atmosphere.
In the large central living room, besides a dining table laden with tempting snacks, there was a group of children playing joyfully, running between the large chairs. Their cheerful laughter occasionally rang out, adding to the festive spirit of the evening.
As soon as Lance entered that small hall, he could hear the dull chatter of the men discussing stocks.
"The Dow stocks are crashing."
"Yes."
"It’s a bloodbath."
"John, I heard you lost a lot of money last season?"
"Actually, my money is hidden in the equipment room."
At that moment, Coleman walked to the edge of the crowd and said to one of the handsome men, "John, haven’t you met White? Let me introduce you."
"White, are you finally willing to come out of your magic house?"
"Is your Eastern witch's soup ready?"
Lance, who rarely participated in social activities like this, merely smiled faintly, not too affected by the cynical looks from those around him. Because Lance was from the East, many neighbors felt curious, even a bit judgmental. However, Lance didn’t care and simply stared at Mr. Smith standing before him.
The first time the man saw him, his eyes narrowed quickly, as if he had seen something extraordinary. That reaction did not go unnoticed by Lance, who remained calm and looked at John with curiosity.
"Have you seen me before?" Lance asked with an interested tone, trying to elicit further explanation.
John lowered his eyes slightly, trying to maintain his composure. "I’ve seen you once."
Coleman looked confused, unaware of the tension that had arisen. "We all live in the same community. It’s not surprising that John has seen you before."
Lance smiled faintly while gathering the playing cards scattered on the table. "Mr. Smith, are you interested in a reading?"
John’s expression looked strange, as if something very surprising had occurred when he saw Lance. The look in John’s eyes indicated that he recognized Lance, though it was unclear from where.
Lance felt curious. He wanted to know exactly when John had seen him before.
"Oh, White, want to show off your Eastern magic?" someone else called out mockingly. "I heard your fortune-telling shop has very few customers. Do you need our help to attract more?"
Lance looked at the man with a calm gaze, though his eyes sparkled slightly, as if he were smiling. Several men sitting at the table immediately lowered their heads, closed their mouths, and coughed repeatedly as if choking on their own saliva.
Coleman, who was about to speak up to intervene, paused for a moment. Coleman’s face showed confusion. Meanwhile, John appeared to tremble uncontrollably, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to calm himself.
Lance then pushed the stack of playing cards closer to John. "Concentrate and draw three cards," Lance said in a calm voice.
"I know Tarot cards can be used for fortune-telling, but how can playing cards?" John forced a smile, anxious about what would happen next.
Lance raised an eyebrow, still smiling, "It doesn’t matter what type of cards are used. What matters is how it relates to your spirit." Lance’s voice was calm but carried a deep confidence.
John swallowed hard, staring at the playing cards in front of him with hesitation. Slowly, he extended his veiny hand, carefully drawing three cards from the stack.
Lance took the three cards and looked at them for a moment: 5 of clubs, 5 of hearts, and 5 of diamonds. All the cards bore the same number, creating a strange pattern, but for Lance, it provided a clear clue.
Lance played with the cards nonchalantly, but the look in his eyes shifted slightly. A moment passed before Lance nodded with a faint smile on his lips. "I think I understand," Lance said in a lower voice, almost a whisper.
Instantly, John’s expression changed. The Smith family, killers working for various large organizations, was now revealed. John worked for an organization led by "Wolf," which had just been wiped out. Lance vividly recalled his encounter with this group some time ago.
Back at that time, Lance was hunting an Albino accountant. They were fiercely battling the Hand ninja group led by Kagenobu Yoshioka at the assassin's headquarters. In that battle, John Smith collaborated with another group of assassins. However, most of them were not fortunate enough to survive. Only a few managed to escape from the fight. John, who was at a distance, witnessed the devastation through a sniper scope.
The Hand ninjas, armed with cold weapons, had eliminated many assassins, and Lance, with the same weapon, defeated the ninjas. This event clearly shattered John's worldview. Afterwards, John felt dazed and confused, unsure of what to do next.
Seeing other assassins from the same group reappear, John couldn't suppress the discomfort that crept through his entire body. In fact, John felt his calmness beginning to fade, something that rarely happened.
With a trembling voice, John asked, "What do you see?"
Lance took a deep breath before answering, "Your past, your present, and your future."
Lance then carefully picked up the first card. "Your past is filled with darkness, blood, and lies. Your present is shrouded in love, confusion, and suspicion. However, your future… soon, you will face a great life-and-death crisis related to your love. If you can get through it, everything will be fine. If not, everything will end."
John felt as if the world had momentarily stopped upon hearing those words. It felt like a ticking time bomb was lodged in his chest. All the feelings of confusion and uncertainty that had consumed John seemed to materialize in that prophecy.
John knew that the Smith family, where he worked, was always involved in power struggles between major organizations. When the organization led by Wolf was destroyed, all members involved in that group would be threatened with annihilation, including John.
PS: John Smith is played by Brad Pitt and Jane Smith is played by Angelina Jolie from the film Mr. & Mrs. Smith.
