[99] : Meeting Gon, Killua at Yorknew City! Greed Island!
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"Don't think 8.6 billion is a lot. That's just the starting price for the game," Mika said with a grin, lounging on the carpet spread across the floor.
"You're saying that's the starting price?" Mellie, Airmid, and Gabriel fell silent, stunned by the astronomical figure.
They recalled their initial arrival in Orario, meticulously budgeting for a house, even purchasing inexpensive equipment.
Now, hearing about treasures worth hundreds of millions, they finally understood why Mika had said 10 billion Jenny wouldn't be enough.
Money held a different value in this world.
"Now that you mention it, I'm curious about this game with a starting price of 8.6 billion. What kind of game is it?" Mellie closed her eyes, imagining the sheer entertainment value of such an expensive game.
"Hmm, you want to try it, Mellie?"
"Is that possible?" Mellie sat up, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Of course!" Mika replied with a cheerful smile. "After all, the purpose of this trip is to have fun!"
"But we don't have enough money, do we?" Airmid asked curiously.
"We don't necessarily have to buy the game to play it."
Mika recalled that in the original storyline, Gon and Killua didn't purchase Greed Island.
A wealthy individual named Battera had bought all the Greed Island game consoles at the auction, with the highest bid reaching over 60 billion.
Even with their considerable wealth, Mika had no intention of competing against someone with such deep pockets. There were other ways to access Greed Island.
For instance, participating in Battera's player recruitment event.
This method was far more reliable than spending tens of billions trying to outbid him.
That was precisely how Gon and Killua had gained access to the game in the original story.
"There's no need to overthink things right now."
"We'll figure everything out once we arrive in Yorknew City."
Mika gazed out the window, a confident smile playing on his lips.
After a leisurely journey, enjoying the scenic landscapes along the way, Mika and his companions finally arrived in Yorknew City on September 1st.
...
"Wow! Is this Yorknew City? It's so lively!"
As they drove their RV into the city, Mellie, Airmid, and Gabriel pressed their faces against the windows, captivated by the bustling streets and numerous stalls lining the roads.
"Hold on, before we go sightseeing, we need to contact Gon and Killua. They should have arrived here by now, right?"
"I'll contact Killua. I have his phone number," Mellie offered cheerfully.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you, Mellie."
"Consider it done!" Mellie said confidently, pulling out her phone and dialing Killua's number.
...
"Ha! You're here too? We'll come pick you up!"
After receiving Mellie's call and learning that Mika and his companions had arrived in Yorknew City, Killua, who had just met up with Leorio, ended their roadside lunch and headed towards the designated meeting point.
"They said they'd be here soon. Why are they taking so long?" Killua complained impatiently after waiting for a while.
"Maybe they're stuck in traffic? Yorknew City is incredibly crowded during this time of year. With so many people, traffic jams are inevitable, especially if they're driving," Leorio speculated.
"You're right, Leorio. We're stuck in traffic."
Just as Leorio finished speaking, an RV pulled up beside them, and a familiar voice called out.
"Mika!" Gon exclaimed excitedly.
The RV door opened, revealing Mika.
"Hey! Long time no see, Gon, Killua, Leorio!" Mika greeted them cheerfully.
Airmid and Mellie's voices followed from behind him.
"It's good to see you all again."
"Airmid! Mellie!" Gon waved enthusiastically.
After a long separation, the seven who had participated in the Hunter Exam, excluding Kurapika, were finally reunited.
"Wow, Mika! You guys are loaded!" Killua exclaimed as they settled into the RV, following his directions to their hotel.
"Don't underestimate us. While we may not be as wealthy as some billionaires, we're still quite well-off compared to the average person," Mika replied proudly, seeing Gon's envious expression.
"It must be nice to be rich," both Gon and Killua muttered enviously. They had been struggling financially lately.
Soon, they arrived at Gon and Killua's hotel.
After booking rooms for themselves, the six of them gathered in Gon's room, catching up and sharing stories.
"So, Gon and Killua, I hear you've been working hard to earn money. Are you saving up for something?" Leorio asked curiously, having heard about their recent activities.
"We want to buy a Greed Island game console. It's a game Gon's father created, and he wants to find clues about his whereabouts within the game," Killua explained.
"I see." Leorio nodded understandingly. He knew about Gon's ongoing search for his father.
After all, that was Gon's primary motivation for taking the Hunter Exam.
"Wait, Greed Island? That was created by your father? Mika mentioned it's incredibly expensive."
"Mika knows about the game too?" Gon asked curiously.
"Yeah, I heard it's a game exclusively for Hunters."
"Wow, it really is famous!" Gon exclaimed excitedly, seeing that even Mika knew about Greed Island. He took it as a testament to his father's work.
Observing their conversation, Leorio turned to Killua and asked, "Just how expensive is this game? Even Mika said it's pricey."
Judging by the luxurious RV parked downstairs, Leorio knew that Mika was quite wealthy. The fact that even he considered the game expensive piqued Leorio's curiosity.
"The price? It's about 8.6 billion Jenny!"
"Pfft!"
Leorio, who had been sipping his coffee, spat it out in shock.
He was utterly stunned.
---
"8.6 billion?!" Leorio roared, a look of disbelief etched on his face. He had never seen so much money in his life.
"What about 8.6 billion? It's not that much," Mika replied, tilting his head in confusion. "Don't you know that 8.6 billion is just the estimated price? Once the auction starts, it'll go for at least two or three times that amount."
"Two or three times?!" Not just Leorio, but Gon and Killua also cried out in astonishment.
While they had anticipated a higher final bid, two or three times the estimated price was beyond anything they could have imagined.
"They say money can solve any problem, but this is ridiculous," Killua groaned, slumping onto the sofa in defeat.
The difficulty rating for obtaining Greed Island on the Hunter website wasn't particularly high.
They had assumed that with enough effort, they could acquire it.
"What you said isn't wrong. In this world of Nen and mysterious powers, money can solve most problems," Mika began, a thoughtful expression on his face.
"But acquiring money itself doesn't fall into that category."
"Accumulating vast wealth is a unique ability that transcends even Nen. After all, even powerful individuals like your family, Killua, resort to assassination for money."
Mika understood that in this advanced society, wealth was a form of power.
He recalled the Chimera Ant King, whose terrifying strength was undeniable.
Even Chairman Netero, despite his age, was one of the strongest Hunters.
Yet, he struggled against the Ant King throughout their battle.
So, how did the Ant King ultimately perish?
He was nearly killed by the "Poor Man's Rose," a miniature rose bomb. Even after regenerating by consuming his Royal Guards, he succumbed to the bomb's poison.
And what was the "Poor Man's Rose"?
In essence, it was an inexpensive, easily manufactured nuclear weapon possessed by nearly every nation.
With enough money, anyone could acquire it.
After all, there was no shortage of individuals willing to sell dangerous weapons for the right price.
If the Phantom Troupe weren't so elusive, with their unique abilities and unknown base of operations, the Ten Dons, the leaders of the Mafia Community, wouldn't hesitate to unleash a "Poor Man's Rose" upon them.
For the immensely wealthy Mafia, such weapons were readily available.
This, too, was the power of money.
"Speaking of which, the Mafia in this world seems incredibly powerful. After their clash with the Phantom Troupe, the Ten Dons will undoubtedly suffer significant losses."
"Should I take advantage of this opportunity?"
Mika pondered the possibilities.
Gon and Killua nodded thoughtfully, while Leorio exclaimed in agreement, "See? I told you, money is everything in this world!"
Mika refrained from dampening Leorio's enthusiasm, knowing he wasn't one to gloat excessively.
Leorio quickly regained his composure and turned to Gon and Killua with a concerned expression.
"So, what are you two going to do now?"
"We'll have to find another way, but we can't give up on earning money," Gon declared, his determination unwavering.
"The billionaire Battera has been collecting Greed Island consoles for years, recruiting Nen users to play and decipher the game's secrets."
"You could try joining through him."
"Really?" Gon's eyes lit up with hope.
"Of course!"
"That's great!" Gon jumped up in excitement.
Killua smiled, happy to see Gon's enthusiasm.
"But just in case, we can't stop earning money. We might just get lucky!"
"I understand, Killua!"
"Let's work hard and earn some serious cash!"
Gon and Killua grinned at each other, their spirits renewed.
"It's nice to be young and optimistic," Mika remarked with a wistful smile.
"Aren't you only a few years older than them?" Mellie teased.
"Mellie! You're ruining the moment!"
"Just reminding you."
"I didn't need reminding!"
The others laughed, amused by Mika and Mellie's playful banter.
"So, what have you three been up to lately?" Leorio asked, turning the conversation to Mika and his companions.
"Us? We've been traveling and training," Mika replied with a grin.
"Sounds fun, right?"
"Traveling and training? Killua, we should do that too!" Gon exclaimed, turning to his friend.
"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," Killua agreed with a chuckle.
"But first, we need to find your dad."
"Right! We need to find Ging!"
Gon's eyes hardened with determination as he thought about his father.
"In that case, let's get to work and earn some money!" Leorio shouted, pumping his fist in the air.
...
Mika and the others joined Leorio in his search for money-making opportunities.
Although Mika carried 10 billion Jenny, he knew it wasn't enough to purchase Greed Island, so he kept it to himself.
If Gon and Killua managed to raise the remaining funds, Mika would gladly lend them the rest.
After all, he had a substantial reserve of gold.
However, using it to buy Greed Island directly seemed like a waste, especially since there were other ways to gain access to the game.
Leorio came up with an idea: Gon would challenge passersby to arm-wrestling matches, with the prize being a 3 million Jenny diamond ring purchased with Mika's funds.
Their stall attracted numerous challengers, including members of the Phantom Troupe.
"This is interesting..."
Mika chuckled, watching Gon struggle against Shizuku, a member of the Phantom Troupe.
"If I remember correctly, the Phantom Troupe is planning to raid the Mafia auction tonight."
"Should we get involved?"
As Shizuku walked away, slightly disappointed after her loss, Mika muttered, "Memorize her and her companion's aura with your Tracking Divination, Gabriel."
"Understood," Gabriel's voice responded softly from the air.
...
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