Ponzu did not hesitate for a moment at Luo Ye's proposal for a "huge profit."
She did not dare to.
This boy had overturned everything she thought she knew about humans.
Immune to bee venom.
She simply could not comprehend a monster like that.
She was certain that if she dared say no, she would end up far worse than those guys whose faces had swollen up like pigs' heads.
"I-I agree."
Ponzu's voice was barely audible. Her hands shook badly as she took two things out of her pocket.
One was her own number [246] badge.
The other was the number [80] badge she had snatched from some unlucky fellow.
"Excellent. We're friends now."
Luo Ye took the badges with an utterly sincere smile, as though the extortionist devil from a moment ago had been an illusion.
He waved toward the cave entrance.
"Got the goods."
Killua and Kurapika jumped down from the cave entrance.
Gon followed behind them.
"Kurapika, this one-point badge is yours."
Luo Ye tossed him the number [80] badge.
Kurapika caught it, and his tense shoulders finally relaxed. Three points for his target, two from the Amori Brothers, and this last point made six. Enough.
"As for this one..."
Holding Ponzu's number [246] badge, Luo Ye walked over to Leorio, who lay groaning on the ground, and waved it in front of him.
"Mr. Leorio, valued customer. Sign for your order."
The moment Leorio saw the badge he had dreamed of getting, tears streamed from his eyes.
"I got it... I really got it."
His own number [403] badge was worth three points, and Ponzu's number [246] badge was worth another three. Six points. He had enough too.
"All right, everyone's happy."
Luo Ye clapped his hands, then turned to Ponzu with a serious expression.
"As a major client of our studio, you're entitled to our protection. Now, please close your eyes, cover your ears, and count to ten in your head. Once you're done, you can leave."
Ponzu had no idea what was going on, but she did as she was told.
The instant she closed her eyes...
That devilish smile returned to Luo Ye's face.
He loosened his wrists, then gave the immobilized Leorio a round of "friendly" physical therapy.
"That's for refusing to listen. That's for losing your head whenever you see a woman. That's for getting fifty hours deducted from our time."
"Ow! Not the face! Look at me! You're still hitting me?"
"You're exactly who I'm hitting. Maybe now you'll learn."
"Aaaah-!"
Leorio's agonized screams echoed through the cave.
Watching from the side, Gon shrank back. He wanted to intervene but did not dare.
Killua leaned against the wall, smiling as he enjoyed the show.
Kurapika lowered his head and wiped his weapons, turning a deaf ear to the noise beside him, though the slight shaking of his shoulders gave him away.
Ten seconds later.
Ponzu opened her eyes.
The cave was empty.
All that remained were bee stingers scattered across the ground and a faint scent of roasted meat in the air.
At the other end of the jungle.
Luo Ye dragged the battered, swollen-faced Leorio along like a torn burlap sack.
Gon and Killua followed beside him, still savoring the "fun" they had just witnessed.
"All right, let's tally up the results."
Luo Ye dumped Leorio on the ground.
"Gon, six points. Done."
"Kurapika, six points. Done."
"Leorio, six points. We'll call that done too."
"Me, seven points. Above quota."
Finally, he looked at Killua.
"You're the only one left. How many points do you still need? Who's your target?"
"I need one more point," Killua said coolly. "My target is number 191, a guy named Sommy."
"Oh, him."
Luo Ye vaguely remembered him. A bit player.
As soon as he finished speaking, Gon tilted his head.
"Wait, Luo Ye, don't you have seven points? That's one more than you need to pass. Why not just give Killua your extra badge? Then we'd all be done."
Leorio and Kurapika both gave him approving looks at the suggestion.
Before Luo Ye could speak, Killua snorted and folded his arms, undisguised pride on his face.
"Huh? Who do you take me for?"
He glanced at Gon.
"My target's just a rookie. Crushing him would be easier than crushing an ant. Why would I need a handout for that?"
"Don't underestimate a professional assassin's standards."
Luo Ye nodded beside him and added with a grin.
"Hear that, Gon? That's a professional's commitment. We're the professional 'VIP Victory-Farming Studio.' Since when do we leave an order half-finished and use the boss's own money to subsidize the client?"
He cleared his throat and adopted the air of an entrepreneur.
"We believe in seeing things through. A complete, end-to-end service. Completing our final client's hunt is our studio's last piece of finishing work, and the perfect embodiment of our corporate culture. Now that's what I call real fun."
Looking at the pair-one brimming with pride, the other making his case with absolute conviction-Gon scratched his head.
It sounded a little strange, but it seemed to make sense.
"Found him."
Luo Ye, who had kept his eyes closed all this time, suddenly opened them and pointed in a direction.
"Your 'final order' is being chased by a herd of wild boars."
"Let's go." Killua's gaze sharpened. "Time to complete our studio's final order."
"Wait for me!"
Leorio, still lying where he had been dumped, weakly reached out a hand.
"Take me with you! You can't leave me here alone!"
"Tch. What a pain."
With a look of disgust, Luo Ye walked over and slung Leorio over his shoulder like a bag of garbage.
"Move out."
The four of them, plus one burlap sack, vanished into the depths of the jungle once more.
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