"If we can achieve this, and receive praise from the Elders, then everyone here will definitely benefit from it!!" Dalzollene excitedly painted a rosy picture for the bodyguards. However, the response was sparse.
The bodyguards present were mostly seasoned Hunters who wouldn't be easily swayed by such tricks. Moreover, each of them had different goals.
Kurapika aimed to reach the pinnacle of the mafia to connect with the V5, while Melody sought the Dark Sonata. Skuwala wanted to marry Nion's maid, Alisa, and had plans to quit his job. Bajio was simply looking for work, and as for Baise, she wasn't interested in the Phantom Troupe at all.
Therefore, after Dalzollene finished speaking, they merely focused on completing tasks within their job scope, not wanting to get too involved.
After all, they were dealing with members of the world's top criminal gang, who looked fierce and dangerous even in photos.
Plus, with the battle damage reports from earlier in the day, the bodyguards knew that taking down even one member would come at a significant cost. And there were thirteen such dangerous individuals in the Phantom Troupe!!
"The Elders have already dispatched the Shadow Beasts, so we should focus on cooperation rather than taking extra actions." Seeing his subordinates unmoved, Dalzollene softened his tone. "But the main thing is that all actions must be under the premise of protecting the boss!!"
While Dalzollene and many in the mafia were eager to move, on the abandoned land away from the bustling areas of Yorknew City,
in a dilapidated, crumbling building that seemed ready to collapse in the wind, Hisoka had arrived early and was playing with a deck of cards out of boredom.
Suddenly, his hand slipped, and a trump card fell. He looked up to see three figures standing at the entrance of the hallway. One was the Phantom Troupe's leader, Chrollo Lucilfer.
The other two were Bonolnov, wrapped in bandages and wearing boxing gloves, and Kortopi, shorter than Feitan, with long hair covering his face, leaving only one eye visible. Hisoka's mouth curled into a twisted smile: "Finally, I get to see you again, Chrollo!!"
As time passed, the moon rose high. Yorknew City was one of the most prosperous places in the world, modeled after a certain bright and bustling nation by the creator.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have so many mafia members and such a large wealth gap. To some, it was a dream paradise, and to others, a harsh hell. The bright lights and bustling crowds made it difficult for anyone not accustomed to such a lavish lifestyle to adapt.
"Hey! Everyone, come take a look!!" Leorio shouted at the top of his lungs, "There's a special auction here!!" "The auction item is a diamond worth three million, with a shop's appraisal certificate!!"
Killua held a ring beside him as more people gathered. "The auction condition is an arm-wrestling match!!" "The first to beat this young man wins the item!!" Leorio pointed towards where Gon was sitting. "And the entry fee is only ten thousand!!" "The auction starts now!!"
A crowd immediately waved money, rushing towards Gon. "Arm wrestling?!" From afar, Uvogin heard the shout and became interested. "I want to give it a try!!" he said, wanting to join the fun.
"We're running out of time; we should head to the meeting point first," Phinks suggested. At the mention of the meeting, Uvogin lost interest. With his punctual nature, he wouldn't waste a second.
"It's all your fault. If we hadn't run into you being chased by the mafia and helped you out, you'd still be running for your life!!" Uvogin blamed Phinks. On the way to the meeting point, he had indeed run into Phinks being attacked.
With the spirit of helping a fellow member and a greater desire for a fight, Uvogin jumped in to assist Phinks. However, the latter might not have been too grateful.
Phinks, hearing Uvogin's words, was also annoyed: "You say that, but I was about to shake off those pests when you jumped in and made a mess of things. If not for you, I would've been out of there already."
"So you're saying it's all my fault?!" "Who was it that lost so much at mahjong?" "Is that even related?! Mahjong and debt, wasting so much time?!"
---
"That's why you're being chased for all those debts," Uvogin retorted, "What does that have to do with you jumping in and messing things up?!!" The two continued to bicker back and forth.
"Alright, you two head to the meeting point. I'll go check things out here," Morin said, ignoring their quarrel and heading towards Gon and the others. Uvogin and Phinks kept arguing as they made their way to the abandoned building.
"Smack!" Gon had just toppled another burly man on the wooden board. His eyes were slightly unfocused, and a bit of cold sweat trickled down his back. He felt guilty, as if he was deceiving people with his actions.
"Alright, any challengers left?!" Leorio continued to call out. However, the people around began to realize Gon's arm strength was extraordinary, and no one stepped forward for a while.
"Hey, setting up a stall here?" Morin greeted as he approached.
"Morin?!!" Seeing Morin arrive, both Gon and Killua lit up. They hadn't expected to run into Morin here. And if it was Morin... perhaps their need for a large sum of money might be resolved!
"What a coincidence, Morin. What are you doing here?" Leorio joined in, "Are you here for the auction too?!"
"Of course, the annual Dream Auction is something to check out, to see if there's anything I need," Morin replied with a smile.
"Hey, Morin..." Gon said, placing a hand on the hat atop his head. "This hat is one of your items, right?"
"Why, is it starting to work?" Morin asked with a grin, "It's called the 'Monster Hat,' because when your body stretches, you look like a monster."
"So it is your item," Gon recognized immediately. "Did you give this hat to Ging, who then gave it to me?"
"No, it was a gift from me to you when we first met," Morin explained.
"A meeting gift??" Gon's eyes turned into little dots of surprise.
"Yes," Morin nodded, "I met you when you were a baby and gave you a little gift."
"A baby...?" Gon blinked in disbelief. "Where did you see me?"
"When I met Ging," Morin said, "Ging had you with him as a baby. That's when I met him and we got acquainted. As for where I met Ging, you'll find out on your own someday."
Morin and Ging had met on Greed Island. It was then that Morin gave the 'Monster Hat' to Gon. Once Gon entered the Greed Island game, seeing Ging's game name "Nigg" and Morin's name in the contact book, he would understand.
"Why didn't you tell me about this before?" Gon asked, puzzled.
"Why should I have mentioned it?" Morin replied confidently, "Your own father abandoned you for twelve years without a word, so how could I, an outsider, have the nerve to check in on you?"
Gon: "Mmm..."
It seemed reasonable enough.
"Morin, you met Gon when he was a baby..." Killua scrutinized Morin, "How old were you then? You don't look much older than twenty now."
"According to Morin, he's been around for over fifty years," Leorio chimed in.
"Over fifty years? No way!!" Killua's hair stood on end in shock, hearing this for the first time.