"When there were many people, did I successfully hide my thoughts from you?" [I'm a bit tired, so I'm not pretending anymore.]
Amazing. So, all that complex thinking was to hide from mind-reading. It's like flooding yourself as a strategy.
Chrollo looked at the scenery again. The cable car had slowly gone around a large circle and was on its way back. After a brief silence, Chrollo said, "I'm surprised you're doing odd jobs. Do you need something? If it's because of your hunter status, I met you through the wrong channels. And the mafia connections don't seem like something the Zoldyck family would need." [Being able to deal with all ten mafia bosses in Yorknew City doesn't seem like someone who needs to build friendly relationships with the mafia.]
Is there a reason? If there has to be one, is it to save you from danger to make up for accidentally breaking your legs?
[He thinks too much. Isn't the point of working to earn money?]
As soon as Saiki Kusuo finished speaking, he judged Chrollo's belief level from his thoughts: 0%.
"Hmm—does the Zoldyck family also need to accept these kinds of tasks?"
Who are you looking down on? Earning money isn't shameful.
[Right now, I shouldn't be worth being watched. When I met him before, he was traveling with his brother. But now he's left his brother to do a task. Or maybe they were using travel as an excuse all along.] Chrollo pondered.
You're a bit too suspicious.
"The income from one Zoldyck mission should be much higher than the payment I'm giving you."
[That's only if I'm willing to kill people.]
Chrollo: …
Silence, surprise, looking away.
Even though he didn't say a word, I heard all his thoughts.
[What's so surprising? Is there a problem with being born into a family of assassins but not killing anyone?]
"Were you kicked out of your family?"
[Hey, it hasn't come to that yet.]
"Meteor City will accept everyone."
[I don't plan on living in a garbage dump.]
"Okay."
The cable car shook and stopped. Saiki Kusuo jumped out first, and at the same time, grabbed Chrollo's shoulder and half-pulled, half-threw him into the wheelchair.
The cable car stopped next to a cliff. This is a "disabled person." Several staff members wanting to help were stopped mid-reach by Saiki Kusuo.
Saiki Kusuo almost thought his glasses had fallen off again and turned people to stone.
Chrollo barely held onto the wheelchair. His bandaged leg even touched the ground, getting dirty.
He chuckled sheepishly, "Haha... please continue to take me down the mountain."
[Why is he being polite now when he's hiring me with money?] Saiki Kusuo bowed to thank the staff and pushed Chrollo away.
"Is it because you recommended the very soft and delicious honey bread?"
I prefer the honey one.
Kikyo's slightly rough disembarking was only because Saiki Kusuo thought this was the most convenient way.
There's no possibility of personal grudges.
The return to the market was quick. Having already been seen through, Saiki Kusuo didn't pretend anymore. He let the wheelchair float next to him and slowly walked down the mountain road with Chrollo, while using clairvoyance to find Alluka.
Quite lively, playing hide-and-seek.
"Can I hire you to do more things for me?" Chrollo said. [If it's him, maybe he's more reliable than Hisoka. And he's someone I met on the way east.]
[No.] Saiki Kusuo decisively refused. Accompanying Alluka is the top priority. Money isn't that important to him.
"You can bring that child. Since the child passed the hunter exam, they can use Nen now, right?"
You know too much.
[Alluka and I came out mainly for travel and training. Earning extra money is just a side thing.]
"Oh, is that so? Then if travel and training are your main reasons for leaving home... Saiki, have you heard of Greed Island?"
Saiki Kusuo paused slightly.
Greed Island? Is the story progressing this quickly? It's only been a few months, and Chrollo already knows that Greed Island is where the Nen remover is.
[I know, it's a game.]
"A real game only for Nen users. I can't get in right now. Greed Island's physical location is directly east of Yorknew City. I've tried to go, but the people guarding the island sent me back to the mainland."
I didn't expect you to have such a bad fracture.
Chrollo guessed something from Saiki Kusuo's expression and explained, "The other party used a card to expel me, some kind of teleportation-like thing in the game."
Oh. I know about that.
I know many of the cards from Greed Island. I've even tried some.
"Although I haven't gotten the game console yet, once I get it, I'll need someone to help me find the Nen remover. Can I ask you to help then? With your mind-reading, it should be very convenient." Chrollo said. To make Saiki Kusuo interested, he immediately added, "According to the original purpose of the game, that child should also be able to train their Nen well inside."
Let Alluka play inside? Sounds good. I don't have to search all over the world for interesting things to broaden his horizons.
Also, Killua is inside. Alluka would be very willing to go.
But, [the limited edition Hunter X Hunter set, how are you planning to get them now that you don't have Nen?]
"Kikyo stole them." Chrollo said matter-of-factly, with clear eyes.
Is that something a normal person can steal?
"If it doesn't work, we can only buy them. Shalnark intentionally dropped a bank card on the ground at the time. It's a savings card that the Troupe has been using to exchange money when they're free these past few years." Chrollo pulled out a black card from his pocket.
Sounds familiar. Illumi and Hisoka seem to have one each.
This has to have at least a hundred million in savings.
"I don't know the exact amount, but it's over a hundred billion." [I've spent some recently. The balance should be around 128 billion?]
[That's too much.]
"The things our Troupe sets its sights on, the owners' savings are never small. Grabbing them casually and unknowingly reaches this number. We usually don't use it. Now, hopefully it'll be of use in buying a game console."
That someone from a slum like Meteor City would take out funds comparable to part of the Zoldyck family's fortune. If the Zodiac's fortune were evenly split among all living Zodiac family members, it would be roughly that amount.
Chrollo shook the card, not knowing what Saiki Kusuo was thinking about.
"You can give me a price as payment for helping me find the Nen remover. Some things that are easier for the Troupe to get are also fine."
Saiki Kusuo was actually very tempted.
Because he suddenly thought that if he left, the debts of those industries under his name might become real debts.
But if he had this money from Chrollo and returned the debt portion to his family, it would be like repaying some of the upbringing. Those industries would only bring stable income to the Zoldyck family in the future.
At the corner next to the entrance outside the woods, Saiki Kusuo let the wheelchair down.
Chrollo adjusted the wheels and then carefully stood up from the wheelchair, stepping on the stone steps.
Can you even stand? If you twist it again, it's not my problem.
"Don't worry, the cast is pretty strong, and I've already rested for two days."
It takes a hundred days to heal from a bone injury, no matter how fast...
"Nen is life energy. It exists as long as a person is alive. My Nen hasn't disappeared. It's been forcibly entered into Zetsu, and Zetsu itself can help the body recover faster." Chrollo said, while carefully twisting his ankle. [Ouch! It still hurts!]
You're talking nonsense.
Chrollo didn't really care about that stabbing pain. After adjusting a bit, he stood up straight and looked Saiki Kusuo in the eye.
A height of 1.77 meters, just a bit taller than Saiki Kusuo.
He even purposely stepped on a step.
Chrollo began to recall, and then recited like a poet, "Enjoy this intermission, go find new companions."
"When leaving the house, go east, you'll definitely meet the people waiting for you."
"This is the last part of my prophecy poem from Yorknew City. Although you still can't be our companion, I think the meaning of new companions also includes traveling together. You happened to take my task, I happened to release it. There are so many coincidences in this, it's like an arrangement of fate."
Don't let me hear things like "the red thread of fate" from your mouth.
"I've repeatedly thought the well incident two days ago was bizarrely strange."
...I don't know either. It must be an arrangement of fate.
"But it's because of that well incident that I needed to hire someone to complete the climb today."
Why do you have to climb the mountain? Find a place to rest.
"Now I feel even more that I must entrust the task to you. Can I ask you? Anything I can offer as payment."
[How about 128 billion?] Saiki Kusuo blurted out.
This was the exact sum of money in the card that he had just heard from Chrollo's thoughts.
Not too much, not too little, almost enough to pay off the debt with extra.
Chrollo paused, but quickly said, "Okay."
Okay?
That was so easy?
That's 128 billion! Chrollo Lucilfer!
"The task requires ensuring my safety, finding a Nen remover for me, and helping me complete the Nen removal transaction until I ensure I recover Nen. How about that?"
Saiki Kusuo was very sensitive to noticing an extra expense.
Let's be a bit more greedy.
[The Nen removal transaction with the Nen remover also needs money, right? How about letting the other members of the Troupe pay for this part?]
"No problem." Chrollo didn't hesitate at all, and didn't even worry about how much the Nen remover would cost.
Saiki Kusuo knew it.
Money really is just a pile of paper to the Phantom Troupe.
[Transaction completed.] Saiki Kusuo especially canceled his illusion to say this.
Now, letting the invincible Nanika remove Nen once will directly let the entire Zoldyck family know what the best-paying job is in the world.
But, no.
It's not that he's stuck on the Zoldyck family's [request], which is that he can't complete the one-year restriction in a short amount of time. It's that, considering all aspects, Saiki Kusuo wouldn't easily let someone like Chrollo know about Alluka's wish-granting ability. The decision is to follow the original storyline. Whoever is supposed to remove the Nen for him is who will remove it.
Saiki Kusuo couldn't possibly do a big deal with the Phantom Troupe secretly. He took out his phone and messaged Tsubone directly to draft the contract.
"The bank card is this one." [The password is 48269464588826, The Troupe's name in pinyin using the nine-key input.]
[You exposed the password.]
"It's hard not to expose it with the mind reading and such. I believe you have professional ethics." Chrollo even directly gave the card to Saiki Kusuo.
What am I going to do with the card?
"Ah! It's brother! I found you!" Alluka's voice suddenly came from behind.
I didn't participate in the hide-and-seek game.
But Saiki Kusuo welcomed Alluka to come over.
But before he could say more to Alluka, Tsubone from the Zoldyck family called back.
Saiki Kusuo answered.
"Kusuo-sama~ Are you feeling well?"
Although it was just a call, Saiki Kusuo could completely imagine Tsubone's kind face.
"I received Kusuo-sama's information. Is it confirmed it's 128 billion Jenny?"
Yes, besides drafting the contract, should he sign a waiver or something?
After all, it's a lot of money. Although psychics can get whatever they want, this amount of money…
Thinking about it carefully, it really is too much.
"Kusuo-sama is really amazing, but under normal circumstances, the Zodiacs won't casually offer such prices. The amount of the order must be equal to the value of the task. Kusuo-sama, the head of the family has many questions about this order. Would you mind coming home?"
After Tsubone finished speaking to herself, Saiki Kusuo hung up the phone.
They're actually honest people in the industry, it goes against family rules to overcharge.
They even want him to go home now. Tsubone said it. Is it already public knowledge that teleportation has no distance limit?
Saiki Kusuo hesitated. Alluka obviously doesn't want to go home. Who should he entrust his brother to temporarily?
He turned and looked at Chrollo. No, this cripple can barely protect himself.
If it's only a few minutes, it should be okay.
There are many people here now, so it's relatively safe. There won't be any kidnappers, and Alluka is already a Nen user.
[Alluka, can you wait here while I leave for a bit?]
Alluka looked at Chrollo standing to the side and understood, "Kusuo-sama asked me to help take care of the patient!"
"Okay!" Alluka's eyes were firm, having received an important task.
[You misunderstood...] Never mind, this misunderstanding doesn't matter.
Saiki Kusuo turned to Chrollo and introduced, [I'm going to go prepare the contract. You know him, Alluka.]
Saiki Kusuo walked into the grove and teleported home. With a simple introduction without elaborating, Chrollo reasoned, if there was a hidden meaning behind that.. maybe...
If something happens to Alluka, I cannot get out of the situation with no consequences after Saiki comes back?
Home.
In a room with many small computer screens, Silva, Tsubone, Illumi, and Milluki were present.
Saiki Kusuo: I thought I would only see Silva and Tsubone when I came back. What a coincidence that they're all home.
"Bro! Did you misplace the number of zeros? That's outrageous!" Milluki shouted.
There's no way I'd make such a basic mistake. Didn't the messaged say that the other party is the leader of The Phantom Troupe.
"Doesn't Chrollo not have Nen right now? Although this mission is to find a Nen remover, can they pay those wages?" This was Ilumni. He doesn't care about anything other than if they can pay the promised wages or now, and how Saiki was able to negotiate that amount.
Is it his forte.
[About that, the card is on that table.] Saiki, Kusuo had passed the black card onto Illumi, with the password already known on that very table from mind reading. If Saiki wasn't a good person, he could have been using the card's money already.
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