Ging extended his palm and used his five fingers to represent half the amount of information.
After he lowered his hand, Law also stretched out his palm, but he used his five fingers as a canvas, sketching a few images that completely changed Ging's intentions.
Those images were the murals from Stargie's tomb.
Information is indeed priced based on demand. By revealing a portion of intel that met Ging's needs, Law managed to reverse the perceived value, shifting their interaction from a trade to a sharing.
Ging wanted to know everything. If Law's full knowledge was something worth pursuing, then Ging was also willing to share everything he knew in return.
Law agreed to Ging's proposal. Unlike Ging, he would not make a value assessment of information. If it came to an equal exchange, he was even willing to trade more for less, as long as the information was useful to him.
It was like a jigsaw puzzle named Dark Continent. Law held some of the pieces, and Ging held others.
Even though Law had more fragments, he was willing to exchange a greater number of his pieces just to obtain copies of Ging's. That way, he could continue piecing together the complete picture.
Afterward, Law and Ging shared their intelligence. Neither of them pulled out a notebook to record anything. Instead, they relied on narration and questioning, committing the crucial details to memory.
The cycle of explanations and inquiries repeated countless times until evening, when the two finally concluded their sharing and each obtained substantial gains.
"Coming here was definitely the right move."
Ging stood against the wind, gazing at the half-orange sky reflected on the sea, his tone tinged with excitement.
The gains from this intelligence sharing session exceeded his expectations. To sum it up in one phrase, It's worth it.
Law also stood up and gazed at this rare scenery. He also felt that this trip had been the right decision, as he gained a lot of useful information from Ging.
After a moment, Law suddenly asked, "I'm curious about what price you paid to get the information from Netero."
"Have you ever played Hopping Checkers?" Ging asked back.
Law was stunned for a moment. Thinking that the Hopping Checkers that Ging mentioned might be some kind of board game in the Hunter x Hunter World, he shook his head to indicate he didn't know it.
Ging chuckled and explained, "Hopping Checkers is a board game where the goal is to infiltrate the opponent's base. Each player has one King Stone, two Guard Stones, and twelve Function Stones. The first to move their King Stone into the enemy's territory wins."
"In short, it's a game where the core principle is advancement. There are countless paths forward, and you can choose different routes depending on the situation to avoid obstacles and unnecessary trouble."
"The fun of this game lies in… taking shortcuts." Ging rubbed his chin and said seriously, "And I'm someone who really likes taking shortcuts. The old man saw that and set 'no shortcuts allowed' as the condition for giving me the information."
"Basically, Netero blocked off all the shortcuts on my board, leaving me only the longest, most troublesome path. That was the price."
"I suspect the condition he gave you was similar, just another way to stop you from going to the Dark Continent."
Ging's tone was casual when he explained this, as if he had never regretted his choice.
If he had taken the opportunistic approach, he could've reached the Dark Continent within a few years of preparation, but since he had accepted the price set by Netero, he had to play by the rules.
Ging didn't have a rough idea of how long it would take to obtain all the permission, means, qualifications, and contracts, but he was not in a hurry and was willing to take it step by step.
"Uh…"
Law didn't know what to say for a moment. Compared to the price Ging paid to obtain information about the Dark Continent, he had practically gotten off scot-free.
"What, wasn't your condition similar?" Ging asked.
Law scratched his cheek and said, "The person I exchanged with wasn't Netero, it was Linne."
"Then what was the price?" Ging continued to ask, slightly surprised.
"I think… you're better off not knowing." Law looked at him with pity.
"No, I want to know." Ging insisted.
At Ging's insistence, Law told him the 'price' he would have to pay.
After hearing it, Ging fell silent. After a long while, he said quietly, "Comparison really is the thief of joy."
Compared to the price he got from Netero, what kind of price was the one Law had gotten from Linne?
Law patted his shoulder lightly and added another knife to the wound, "Don't worry, I can take the shortcut and go check it out first. I'll bring back some photos for you later."
Ging turned his head to look at him and repeated: "Thank you so much."
"No need to thank me. It's nothing."
Law waved his hand magnanimously.
Ging's eyes instantly turned into dead-fish eyes.
The atmosphere suddenly fell silent, and the two of them quietly looked as the last traces of the setting sun paint the evening clouds red, the sea calm and undisturbed.
"If you're planning to go to Demon Island in the near future, I can come with you, but it has to be soon. I can't keep Linne waiting forever." As the final glimmer of light vanished from the horizon, Law suddenly spoke up.
During the process of sharing intelligence, it had become obvious that both of them wanted to visit Demon Island.
Law wanted to uncover the secret behind the tens of thousands of corpses and any possible clues about the Dark Continent, and Ging naturally had the same goal.
Hearing Law offer to join him, Ging had no reason to refuse, so he simply said, "Fine. I'll make the arrangements. Give me three days."
He did plan to visit Demon Island in the near future, and the sooner the better. It would be best to explore the government fully secured the island, as he wanted to explore the underground ruins.
Having a teammate with the same objective would greatly improve efficiency. And considering that teammate was Law, who already had a decent understanding of Demon Island, it was practically the best-case scenario.
"Mm." Law nodded.
The Hunter Association had dumped the Demon Island problem onto the International Permit Agencies, which means that Netero wanted nothing more to do with it. So if Law and Ging wanted to sneak onto the island, there was zero moral dilemma.
Taking a step back, even if the Hunter Association still had some lingering involvement with the Demon Island, neither of them would back down. They'd still find a way to quietly sneak in and investigate.
The issue that should be focused on is still the two existences, Void and the giant meat ball. It was unclear whether the government had found a way to deal with or at least suppress those things.
Either way, it'd be best if the authorities kept them occupied, as it would make it easier for Law and Ging to move freely.
As night falls, the sky now is filled with countless stars, so close it felt like they could pluck one with an outstretched hand.
Under the cover of darkness, Law and Ging climbed down the tree trunk, and soon returned to the 500-meter-high administrative office before descending the stairs.
"Meet up in three days at Gray Harbor."
That was the last thing Ging said before leaving.