Chapter 48: The Auction Begins
Hearing the old man’s words, the assassins present showed no signs of anger or similar emotions; they were all veterans who had long faced life and death.
“Hmm? What are your color codenames?”
“Zeno.”
The long-haired strongman beside the old man gave his name and then fell silent.
“Jeno.”
The old man also spoke.
“What color is Jeno?”
“It’s not a color. What we just said are our real names.”
“What?”
The assassins were clearly taken aback. For killers, revealing one’s real name was extremely dangerous.
“Don’t expect to order us around. I’ll do things my own way.”
Silva’s tone was calm, but he seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the Ten Dons’ approach. Having already hired him and his father, the Ten Dons had also brought in other assassins, which was a serious breach of industry etiquette. Others might not understand this, but the mafia certainly should.
“Jeno, Silva… the Zoldyck family?!”
One assassin recalled these names, his eyes showing reverence. The Zoldyck family was the benchmark of the assassin world.
“If anyone needs someone killed, feel free to contact us. Don’t be shy—since we’re colleagues, I can give you a thirty percent discount.”
Jeno smiled, while the other assassins wore expressions of shock.
“This… is a bit…”
One assassin let out a bitter laugh. Compared to the Zoldyck family, they were mere small fry.
“Since everything has been settled, then…”
Just as Light began to speak, the door opened, and Su Xiao walked into the room.
“Sir, you’ve arrived.”
Light’s expression was noticeably uneasy; he had personally witnessed Su Xiao slit the throat of Sick Dog.
“Broken Building.”
Su Xiao found a chair and sat down. Light was somewhat surprised, while Black Mary, following behind Su Xiao, blushed slightly. Due to unfamiliarity with the terrain and the new auction venue’s larger size, the two had naturally taken a wrong turn, ultimately relying on Bubu Wang’s sense of smell to find this place.
“Back to business, Light. Have you explained the objective to them?”
“Yes, and a corresponding plan has been formulated.”
“Plan?”
Su Xiao turned his head to look at Light. Formulating a plan for several assassins who didn’t know each other was undoubtedly a foolish move. Letting them act independently would maximize their combat effectiveness.
“It was something the Ten Dons previously…”
“Forget about them. Let them hide quietly in the suburbs and wait to die.”
Light broke out in a cold sweat at these words; he dared not respond.
The assassins exchanged glances, their thoughts mostly being: Who is this guy? Isn’t he a subordinate of the Ten Dons?
Silva and Jeno sized up Su Xiao with interest. The two exchanged a look, both sensing that things were not as simple as they seemed.
“Everyone, your goal is very unified—it’s all about money. As for the previous plan, forget it. From now on, anyone suspicious in this building can be attacked, even killed if necessary. Make the most of your keen assassin’s ‘instincts.’”
Hearing this, the assassins inwardly rejoiced. What they feared most was an employer micromanaging them.
“Any method is acceptable?”
Jeno looked at Su Xiao, somewhat puzzled about Su Xiao’s status within the Ten Dons’ organization.
“Yes. If you find me suspicious, you can attack me right now.”
“Heh.” Jeno chuckled lightly. “Then we’re reassured. Provided you can represent the Ten Dons.”
“In a sense, I have a cooperative relationship with the Ten Dons.”
After confirming the target and method of action, the assassins stood up. They needed to first familiarize themselves with the building’s layout.
The other assassins left, but Jeno and Silva, father and son, remained.
“I heard you killed four members of the Troupe. Have you clashed with their leader?”
This time, Silva spoke. He had once fought the Troupe leader.
“Not yet, but it will happen soon. It would be best if you could beat him half to death.”
Seeing the two Zoldyck family members appear, Su Xiao had already sentenced the Ten Dons to death—not that he intended to kill them himself.
If Su Xiao guessed correctly, after the Troupe leader learned that the Ten Dons had hired the Zoldyck family, he would also hire the Zoldycks to kill the Ten Dons. Moreover, he would hire three of them, and those three might come for the Ten Dons tonight.
Among the three, Su Xiao could handle two, but the last one was completely beyond his ability to oppose. With his current strength, facing that person would mean certain death.
That person was Maha Zoldyck, a gaunt old man who looked like an alien.
It was worth noting that the Zoldyck family had long lifespans. The family tree went: Great-Great-Grandfather Maha Zoldyck, Great-Grandfather Zigg Zoldyck, Grandfather Zeno Zoldyck, Father Silva Zoldyck, and the younger generation, the silver-haired little prodigy Killua Zoldyck.
Leaving aside Maha Zoldyck’s strength, his age alone was astonishing. As for his power, Hunter Association Chairman Netero was the only person still alive who had fought Maha Zoldyck.
Chairman Netero’s strength was unquestionable. Who was stronger between him and Maha Zoldyck remained unknown, but Su Xiao was clear on one thing: neither of them was someone he could handle at his current stage.
Thus, the fate of the Ten Dons was left to the heavens. Dying for twenty Soul Crystals wasn’t worth it, especially since he had other arrangements. One of the Ten Dons would definitely survive—unless the Zoldyck family was insane enough to seek their own extinction.
…
At 7:00 PM that evening, only two hours remained until the auction began.
Very few actual guests had come to the auction. These people had only recently arrived in Yorknew City and were unaware of previous events. Most of the auction venue was filled with mafia members there to show support.
On the surface, the auction atmosphere seemed lively, with a full house, but beneath it lurked deadly danger.
At that moment, Su Xiao was in the monitoring room on the eighth floor of the auction building. Over a dozen staff members were busy at work, with dozens of screens monitoring the auction venue’s surroundings and interior.
“This camera, rewind.”
Su Xiao pointed at one screen. A young staff member quickly pulled up that footage, rewinding and slowing it down.
The image on the screen showed several mafia members who appeared normal.
“Zoom in.”
The image enlarged, still showing nothing unusual—at least in the staff’s opinion.
“They’ve arrived already.”
Su Xiao recognized a Troupe member mixed in among the mafia members. This man was named Feitan, Troupe member number 5, a Transmutation-type Nen user.
Picking up the communication device unique to the Hunter world beside him, he spoke.
“They’re here. Prepare to welcome our ‘guests.’”
Su Xiao continued watching the surveillance feed, which tracked the blonde-haired man Feitan’s movements. Feitan mingled casually among the mafia members, but oddly, he didn’t seem intent on infiltrating the auction venue. Despite several opportunities to sneak in, he kept wandering around the building.
Noticing this, Su Xiao narrowed his eyes. He vaguely smelled the scent of conspiracy, but his experiences across multiple derivative worlds told him that outsmarting opponents wasn’t his forte. He had no intention of engaging in a battle of wits with Chrollo.