Having decided to work with Kevin, Light acted swiftly and decisively.
In a very short time, he began to clean up the undesirable businesses within his gang, like cutting off the 'rotting flesh' from his body.
He didn't want these things to affect his cooperation and friendship with Kevin.
"Boss—do we really have to do this? These are our most profitable businesses. If we abandon all of them, the gang's operating funds might face a serious shortfall."
It was Tebi, Light's subordinate, who spoke, earnestly trying to dissuade him, his voice filled with worry and anxiety.
He truly struggled to understand why a gang would now voluntarily give up its most lucrative industries.
Gambling, prostitution, and drugs, especially the highly profitable drug trade, were now to be completely severed, with a clear line drawn between them and these industries.
Even the organ trafficking business, which was on the verge of being finalized, was completely halted within a few days.
This series of measures almost instantly shrunk the Nostra Family's assets by nearly half, undoubtedly causing an immeasurable and heavy blow to the entire gang's operations.
Moreover, a large portion of these industries were connected to those above them, with many merely assisting with sales.
If they were to abandon them decisively, it would surely anger those above, and they could forget about climbing higher; they would be stuck in this small city.
What made Tebi even more difficult was that these decisions were personally issued by the Boss.
Thinking of this, Tebi quickly added, "The actions of the past few days have made the brothers below feel uneasy. They—they have already started to become dissatisfied with our methods."
After all, these industries were closely linked to the interests of many low-level gang enforcers, serving as their important source of income.
Now, to stop them so suddenly was tantamount to cutting off their financial lifelines. How could they not harbor resentment?
They joined the gang, risking their lives, wasn't it for these very benefits?
Light listened quietly to his subordinate's dissuasion and report, not responding immediately, but silently smoking a cigarette, lost in thought.
How could he not understand these principles? In fact, he was far more aware of the stakes involved than his subordinates.
The abandoned industries were quickly swallowed up by rival families.
Although the Nostra Family held the top position in the city's underground gang world, this did not mean they had no enemies.
Compared to ordinary business competition, the struggles between gangs were more violent, direct, and bloody. Now, the Nostra Family's actions had stirred up many previously suppressed families.
And the Liz Family, Light's superiors, wouldn't care about any of this. In their eyes, whoever could become the gang leader of this city was the only one qualified to serve them.
"These are necessary," Light said with a serious expression and an unshakeable firmness in his tone.
Tebi opened his mouth, not expecting his earnest persuasion to have no effect.
He sighed helplessly and tentatively asked, "Is it because of—that man?"
The "man" he referred to was, of course, Kevin. As Light's subordinate, he was relatively well-informed about the reasons behind Light's recent actions.
He was one of the two enforcers Light had brought to meet Kevin, and he had been easily knocked down by one punch from Kevin.
The other enforcer was the plain-looking man responsible for delivering messages to Kevin. He now exclusively served Kevin's commands, helping with various errands.
Tebi had originally wanted to inquire about Kevin from this man, but the reason this fellow was chosen to deliver letters was precisely because he was tight-lipped, knowing what to do and what to say.
This made Tebi somewhat helpless.
He really wanted to ask, wasn't the 100 million given last time enough?
Light looked at his capable subordinate. Tebi was someone he had personally discovered and nurtured from the bottom, and he was trustworthy.
Indeed, it was time to reveal some information to him.
"Now, we are still a gang, but we are completely different from the past. Those businesses that consume energy and damage our reputation should be abandoned.
"Besides, the competition in these industries is too fierce, isn't it? Many people are coveting them, wanting to snatch the cake from our hands."
Hearing his Boss's words, Tebi looked confused, truly struggling to understand.
In his opinion, wasn't it by gradually expanding their influence that gangs climbed to their current position and established such a large family? Fierce competition is normal. What industry isn't fiercely competitive? It's just that the intensity of their gang's competition is more obvious.
"The past is the past, and now is now."
With that, Light, cigar in mouth, reached out and patted Tebi on the shoulder, then walked alone to the window.
He pointed to the lawn and the blue sky outside the window and said, "We should look further ahead and not always confine ourselves to the dark corners of this city."
Tebi stared at his Boss, feeling that he was sounding more and more like a profound philosopher, making him unable to grasp his meaning.
Seeing the confused look in his subordinate's eyes, Light awkwardly cleared his throat twice and earnestly explained, "I have now decided to tie the family's fate to Kevin. In a sense, he is now my Boss."
Light tried to explain in an easy-to-understand way, then raised his hand to signal Tebi not to speak yet, and continued, "After this, we might be entering the pharmaceutical industry."
"Huh?" Tebi couldn't help but let out a surprised gasp.
In his opinion, abandoning existing industries and venturing into the pharmaceutical sector—wouldn't that be even more difficult?
He certainly knew that the pharmaceutical industry was highly profitable, but the problem was that just developing new drugs and competing with similar products on the market required huge investments, as well as building laboratories that swallowed funds like a bottomless pit and hiring top scientific researchers.
How could their small gang family easily get involved in or afford to invest in such endeavors?
He had originally thought his Boss had lost his ambition, but he hadn't expected him to harbor such grand and incomprehensible ambitions.
This worried him even more than losing ambition.
Tebi was sweating nervously.
"Boss, you—you should reconsider carefully. Those industries are gone, so let's not—"
He sincerely hoped that Light would give up such seemingly unrealistic ideas.
"Alas," Light was not surprised by this; his subordinate's reaction was within his expectations.
Before witnessing Kevin's miraculous abilities, it was indeed difficult for people to understand his decision.
At this moment, Light felt a sense of loneliness from being at a high place, a feeling of being above the fray. A thick barrier now separated him from his subordinates and the general public.
"We don't need to worry about these things," Light said, feigning profundity.
Hearing this, Tebi's eyes lit up, a flash of inspiration in his mind, and he excitedly lowered his voice and asked, "Could it be—could it be that we have some new drug that hasn't been released yet?"
"Hmm," Light just nodded calmly.
"This! This!" Tebi was so excited he was incoherent.
If there really was a new drug, it would indeed be enough to support them in abandoning those undesirable gang assets.
"Be steady. You're losing your composure over such a small matter?" Light frowned and reprimanded him.
Tebi suppressed his inner excitement and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, Boss, you're right to scold me. I'm still too impetuous and need more experience."
In truth, he had no idea that Light was even more excited than him when he first learned of this news.
"Alright, you can go now. These next few days, try to consolidate the gang's liquid funds, and establish connections with the regulatory agencies to ensure that the subsequent drugs can smoothly pass inspections and be listed.
There's no need for illicit means; just make sure the drugs can accelerate their approval through regular procedures." Light instructed.
Tebi nodded, unable to hide his excitement, then bade farewell and left.
Watching him walk away, if the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, he would have probably jumped for joy.
"Still not steady enough," Light stood by the window, gazing at the scenery outside, feeling more relaxed than ever before.
Just then, a maid came forward.
"Master, Kevin has something to discuss with you."
"Then quickly take me to him," Light quickly said.
Led by the maid, Light arrived at a small conference room within the manor.
At this time, the conference room was already filled with the initial members of the team Kevin had pre-selected: the three Kurutas, Neon and her father, and Kevin himself.
As the door slowly closed, the six people sat around the table.
The three Kurutas looked serious. Although they were unsure of the reason for being summoned, judging by the setup, it was likely that something important was about to be announced.
Even Neon, for once, sat obediently, though with an unwilling expression.
Recently, Kevin had asked her to undergo training. Although it was only the most basic content, for the pampered Neon, this hardship was not easy to bear, and she cried and fussed all day long.
If Kurapika and Pairo hadn't also been training alongside her, sparking her childish competitiveness, Neon would probably have given up long ago.
However, precisely because of this, she gradually submitted to Kevin's authority, and usually followed Kevin's arrangements.
Mainly, Light's doting on his daughter gave Kevin a headache. How could anyone spoil a child like that?
But the problem was, Light found it truly difficult to change.
Even before Neon displayed her fortune-telling ability, he had already spoiled her excessively. Since his daughter gained this miraculous ability, he had been even more indulgent, granting her every wish.
He knew in his heart that this was wrong, but he just couldn't bring himself to be firm.
So, every time Neon trained, he chose to look the other way, staying far away.
Whenever Neon ran to him to complain, and he was about to intercede for his daughter, Kevin only needed one sentence to render him speechless: "This will enable Neon to protect herself and even strengthen her Nen Ability."
This was not Kevin deceiving her; even if one naturally awakened a Specialization Nen Ability, they could still become stronger through postnatal growth.
With her father unable to help, and Kevin's demands not being excessive—he merely made demands and supervised during training—and Kurapika also encouraging and comforting her, Neon barely managed to persevere.
After all, it was just simple training that even ordinary people could endure.
Kevin looked at the three Kurutas. After this period of recuperation, their complexions, expressions, and mental states had visibly improved significantly.
They no longer looked as constantly downcast and immersed in sadness as when they first arrived.
They had more or less recovered some of their former vitality. Although they had not yet fully emerged from the shadow of past pain, the situation had greatly improved.
More importantly, Kevin had truly witnessed the three's talent for learning.
Not talent in Nen Ability, but the ability to learn new knowledge.
Kurapika, needless to say, was making rapid progress in learning all kinds of knowledge.
Pairo, due to a relatively lower training intensity, devoted more time to knowledge acquisition, and his progress was equally astonishing.
Even Rosana, Kurapika's mother, at her age, still possessed a learning ability that should not be underestimated.
To be honest, even what Kevin originally considered a genius learning mind seemed slightly inferior in front of these three.
Kevin gently tapped on the table, officially starting this small meeting to communicate with everyone.
"Many things have happened during this time, and I have thought for a long time, and thus made some decisions. Before explaining, I will first show my sincerity, and the fundamental basis of this matter as I envision it."
With that, Kevin directly materialized his pharmaceutical workbench.
Everyone was not unfamiliar with this.
After all, Kevin had briefly demonstrated it when he taught them basic Nen Ability knowledge.
However, that was just a rough display; Kevin had never mentioned his Nen Ability in detail.
"This is my Nen Ability, Specialization type—One Moment's Dream."
"Isn't that the same as Neon?" Leorio's interest was immediately piqued, and Neon also widened her eyes in curiosity.
During a previous check-up, Kevin had tested Neon, and the phenomenon presented by the cup was: the liquid turned a faint pink, and the leaves sank into the water, with writing appearing on them—a very typical manifestation of a Specialization type.
The three Kurutas, also full of curiosity about Nen Ability, stared intently.
"The principle of my Nen Ability is very simple. I can materialize this pharmaceutical workbench. By placing corresponding materials on the three scales, I can create wonderful potions. These potions are as magical as the elixirs in fairy tales."
After speaking, Kevin dispelled the pharmaceutical workbench and said with a solemn expression, "Not only these special potions that cannot be mass-produced, but for some drugs that can be mass-produced with modern technology, I can also analyze and produce them using my Nen Ability."
"I see," Leorio suddenly understood.
No wonder Kevin was so confident when he talked about wanting to enter the pharmaceutical industry.
With such a magical Nen Ability, developing new drugs would indeed be like adding wings to a tiger.
The three Kurutas, who had been rapidly absorbing external knowledge and striving to adapt to their new lives recently, immediately realized the huge advantages and potential profits contained therein.
After all, even though they had been isolated from the world before, they often needed to send people out to purchase large quantities of medicines, which cost them a lot of wealth.
Kevin first turned his gaze to Leorio.
"As we discussed before, let's establish a pharmaceutical company. You will be responsible for funding, staffing, and effort, as well as applying for patents and opening up fast-track approval channels for drug listing. I, on the other hand, will invest with research results and patents for various new drugs."
The patent rights for the drugs would naturally belong to Kevin, and he would also hold absolute controlling shares in the company.
After all, a new pharmaceutical company's profits largely come from the research and sales of new drugs.
Then, Kevin looked at the three Kurutas.
"Whether now or in the future, if you are willing, this company will need your help, so I will also give you certain shares."
"How about it, are you willing to join? Whether it's for revenge, or for your future lives, or to continue the Kuruta bloodline after revenge, none of it can be done without financial support."
The three Kurutas hadn't expected this matter to involve them; they had originally thought it was just a discussion between Leorio and Kevin.
Completely unprepared, they were somewhat at a loss for a moment.
Pairo, who always acted decisively, nodded without hesitation, making his decision.
His father had entrusted him to Kevin, and Kevin had indeed been fulfilling his promise and performing his duty. Even without shares,
He was determined to help Kevin wholeheartedly.
"No problem, Uncle Kevin, I'll do my best in anything I can do."
Kevin nodded; Pairo's response was within his expectations.
Then, Kevin looked at Kurapika and his mother.
Although Kurapika was an independent child, on such an important matter, he would still respect his mother's opinion, so he turned his gaze to Rosana.
Rosana also looked at her son, a brilliant smile blossoming on her face. She reached out and hugged him, gently rubbing her cheek against his.
"You decide, Kurapika. Mom trusts you."
In the past, Kurapika would have pushed his mother away in embarrassment.
But at this moment, he could only bear it with a slight awkwardness, persuading her, "Mom, I'm not a child anymore. There are other people here."
Rosana's smile instantly vanished, and she sat back with a dejected expression: "Kurapika has grown up. Alas, is Mom already old?"
"Mom!" Kurapika looked helpless.
"Alright, no more jokes. You make the decision."
Kevin watched this scene with a smile from the side.
He hadn't realized before that Rosana had such a lively personality.
After this period, she had gradually emerged from the previous gloom, and her original nature was slowly resurfacing.
Of course, this was largely because Kurapika had returned to her side.
Kurapika barely thought about it; there was nothing to hesitate about in this matter.
He looked at Kevin and nodded vigorously.
"We trust you, Uncle Kevin. If you need our help with anything, just say the word."
He knew very well that Kevin had made great efforts to save the three of them, even risking his life.
In the past few days, he had also learned from Pairo about the connection between Kevin and the Kuruta.
To be honest, in his opinion, there was no life-or-death friendship between Uncle Kevin and Uncle Mito; in fact, to some extent, Mito might even owe Kevin a favor.
Kevin was willing to help them so wholeheartedly, and they were filled with gratitude. They were eager to do something for him.
Therefore, neither of them declined the shares Kevin offered.
They understood that this was both for their own good and for the long-term development of the company.
A helping relationship that asked for nothing in return would not make one feel at ease.
Kevin was very satisfied with the two children's statements.
"So, everyone, let's share your thoughts and suggestions, speak freely. Let's discuss together how this pharmaceutical company should develop."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone exchanged glances.
Pairo actually started thinking seriously, then raised a question that seemed somewhat out of place for his age.
"Uncle, do you have that kind of—you know, medicine that can help men regain their vigor?"
Although his expression was somewhat euphemistic, the adults present all understood what he meant.
Only Kurapika and Neon looked bewildered, not understanding why.
Kurapika cast an inquiring look at his mother.
Rosana's face flushed slightly: "Children shouldn't be so nosy."
"What? How boring," Kurapika said, a little displeased, secretly deciding to ask Pairo later.
Neon, on the other hand, looked at her father, Leorio, who just gently patted her head without speaking.
To be honest, he himself was quite curious.
"You're really sharp, hehe. I actually do have products in that area," Kevin said, both pleased and a little surprised.
"Really?" Leorio blurted out.
Meeting everyone's gaze, he quickly cleared his throat twice, feigning composure as he explained, "I'm just curious, purely curious."
"Haha, of course I do. If you need it, I can even provide you with a special edition. It's more effective and can slowly strengthen that ability. It's just that the materials are a bit scarce, and the price won't be cheap."
Leorio was tempted, but he just nodded silently.
To quickly make the company famous and rapidly accumulate initial capital, this was indeed a shortcut.
Kevin had specifically researched this, and there were no similar "Little Blue Pill" products in this world.
Even if there were, they were specialized medicines, only available to a very few top wealthy individuals.
This was simply an excellent flagship product.
There was almost no competition; once launched, it would undoubtedly stand out. At this point, Rosana also put away her smile and said with a slightly serious expression, "The profit margin for this medicine will undoubtedly be very high, but at that time—I'm afraid many people will try every trick in the book to acquire it illegally."
She had never before given much thought to the darker side of human nature.
But after that horrific massacre, she shed her naive illusions and gradually understood her husband's words from before he died.
Leorio had wanted to pat his chest and guarantee protection, as he was still a gang leader and capable of protecting assets.
But the words caught in his throat, and he swallowed them back.
This was not an ordinary small company in a small city; once this medicine was launched, the company would become world-famous.
And it would grow at an extremely fast pace.
At that time, even the Liz Family above him would probably be tempted to get a piece of the pie. In such a situation, how could he be sure he could protect it?
At most, he could only deal with some minor troubles from the lower and middle strata, maintain basic security, and ensure the company wasn't easily harassed.
"Don't worry, I've already considered this problem. Let's establish the company first, and the drug release can wait until I become a Hunter."
This was a new use for the Hunter License, and Kevin had to admit that the Hunter License had almost become an indispensable important item for him at this stage.
"Hunter License? I've heard of it, but it has such a function?" Kurapika asked curiously.
"That's right. If you look closely at the data, you'll find that many people on the rich list are Hunters."
Kevin didn't say much more. In fact, the total number of Hunters was just over six hundred.
Among them, a considerable portion had made it onto the rich list, accounting for more than one-tenth of the total.
On average, one in ten Hunters was a regular on the rich list, which was truly astonishing.
This meant that the Hunter identity concealed powerful networking resources and a mutual asset protection network.
Never underestimate the Hunter Association; it's not something ordinary companies or gangs can easily provoke.
Even small countries must be respectful towards the Hunter Association, let alone those who attempt to seize the assets of companies founded by Hunters through illicit means; they would certainly have to weigh the consequences carefully.
With this topic as a starting point, everyone's discussion became more lively.
Soon, the general framework for the company's development began to take shape.
The company was mainly divided into two segments.
One was the sale of various ordinary medicines and specialized drugs, for which Kevin would provide the formulas and patent authorizations.
Leorio would be responsible for this aspect, overseeing the company's operations and development.
The true Nen Ability products, those magical potions, would be distributed through Leorio's gang channels, establishing strongholds across various continents.
They would be sold to the wealthy, upper-class individuals, and Nen Users.
Because they were all made by Kevin himself, they were extremely expensive, and the output was relatively small.
Later, they might accept custom orders.
Customization was the most expensive.
And through these channels, they would build their own intelligence network.
Kurapika and Pairo were very dedicated to this aspect.
Because they knew that all members of the Genei Ryodan were Nen Users, and through such Nen User channels, it would be easier to obtain information about the Troupe members.
Furthermore, Kevin could also arrange for the "Material Hunting Group" he had befriended to exchange goods at these strongholds.
They would issue commissions to befriend and develop more material trading channels.
This detailed and in-depth conversation left Kevin extremely satisfied.
It provided an excellent framework that could be slowly filled in over time.
Just as the prophecy had said.
He indeed already had very suitable candidates around him.