Milia's efficiency was high. On the third day after Luo Ning won his match, she brought him some good news.
When he walked into Milia's office, Luo Ning saw a middle-aged man he had never met before. The man's name was Vansen. He was the person responsible for contacting the seller of the Scarlet Eyes and would serve as the primary negotiator for this operation. Luo Ning, the actual buyer, would instead disguise himself as an assistant.
Vansen was a clever man; he did not show even a hint of curiosity about things he shouldn't ask.
"The seller is a politician named Wesley from the Ochima Federation. He's asking for 1.8 billion Jenny, which is essentially twice the market price. If it weren't for this price, he wouldn't have been prepared to sell the Scarlet Eyes in the short term. Since they became limited editions recently, their collection value has been soaring."
While accompanying Luo Ning to the airship port, Vansen proactively shared the information with him.
The destination for the duo was the Ochima Federation, one of the V5. The V5 functioned as the United Nations of this world, composed of the five most powerful nations on earth, with various special departments under its jurisdiction. From what Luo Ning knew, these included the Hunter Association, the Bureau of Immigration, the Hazardous Species Isolation Bureau, the World Health Organization, and more.
When he stepped off the airship, Luo Ning didn't feel anything particularly special about the Ochima Federation, though it was perhaps slightly cleaner than other places he had visited.
The agreed meeting place was a private club. For safety, Luo Ning wore a hat and glasses. Unless someone was extremely familiar with him, it would be difficult to recognize him at a glance.
The transaction proceeded very smoothly. When the Scarlet Eyes were produced by the other party, Luo Ning felt a burning sensation radiating from the position of his own eyes.
'It's the real deal!'
Excitement surged in his heart as he gave Vansen a slight nod. Once the 1.8 billion Jenny was transferred, the Scarlet Eyes were placed in a case and handed over to Luo Ning.
The entire process was seamless. Wesley even took the initiative to provide a piece of intel after the trade was completed.
"Back then, someone put a large batch of Scarlet Eyes on the market—about twenty pairs. However, nearly half of them were purchased by a mysterious individual. Among those was the most exquisite pair: a set of crimson eyes still preserved within a skull."
Lighting a cigarette, Wesley's chubby face was filled with regret. "Just that one pair sold for the astronomical price of ten billion. It's a pity I didn't get to see them myself, but I heard that all other Scarlet Eyes paled in comparison to that pair. Those crimson eyes were hailed as a beauty that transcends the Seven Wonders of the World!"
He puffed out a cloud of smoke and continued, "I suspect those sellers were the ones who slaughtered the entire Kurta Clan. If you ask me, it was a real waste. It was just a small village of a hundred people; why not just keep them in captivity like livestock? Those bandits really have no brains, only knowing how to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."
Wesley's tone was full of disdain and pity, but to Luo Ning, the meaning behind those words was no different from that of a beast.
As for the "most beautiful eyes" he mentioned, Luo Ning could guess whose they were. They likely belonged to Pairo, Kurapika's best friend. In the memories of his previous self, Luo Ning had many recollections of Pairo. He was a boy with a bit of wit, a gentle soul, and a sunny disposition, though his health had been poor and his eyesight failing.
It was said that his condition was a lingering result of saving Kurapika years ago. Kurapika hadn't been in the village when the Kurta Clan was massacred because he had left to find a doctor for Pairo.
Luo Ning also knew the identity of the person who had bought nearly half of the eyes: Tserriednich, the Fourth Prince of Kakin. Furthermore, based on the timeline, the current Tserriednich likely didn't even know what Nen was yet.
'If I sneak into Kakin now, would I have a chance to steal Tserriednich's collection?'
That would be over a dozen pairs of Scarlet Eyes. If he had that many, Luo Ning felt he could directly evolve his Sharingan all the way to the Rinnegan. With the power of the Rinnegan combined with his unsealed S-rank Ninjutsu, Luo Ning felt he wouldn't exactly be untouchable in the Hunter world, but those who could pose a threat to him—at least within the vicinity of Lake Mobius—would be few and far between.
But this couldn't be rushed. The opponent was, after all, a high-ranking prince of Kakin. Even if the prince himself hadn't mastered Nen, he likely had Nen users as subordinates. Coupled with the mysterious aura surrounding Kakin, a rash move could lead to unexpected disasters. He needed to plan this carefully.
"Mr. Wesley, if you have more news about Scarlet Eyes, or if you acquire another pair, please feel free to contact me," Vansen said as he rose to take his leave.
Although Luo Ning had no favorable impression of Wesley, he didn't consider getting rid of him. Firstly, the man had excellent connections and channels that might prove useful in his future efforts to recover more Scarlet Eyes. Secondly, there was a Nen user in the room who exerted a great deal of pressure on Luo Ning.
It was a fellow who looked like he had no chin, with an inverted V-shaped hairstyle that only left one eye visible. That single eye had been locked onto Luo Ning from the moment he entered the room. It seemed that if Luo Ning showed even a hint of intent to harm Wesley, the guard would kill him instantly.
Luo Ning recognized him immediately. Though he didn't know the name, he knew the man was a Professional Hunter and a member of the team Beyond had assembled to go to the Dark Continent! To be valued by Beyond Netero, the son of the Hunter Association Chairman Isaac Netero, was proof enough of the man's strength.
The man felt dangerous—on par with the feeling Nobunaga Hazama had given him when he blocked the path at the airship port. This Wesley fellow was certainly cautious.
"Gladly," Wesley replied with a sincere smile. He had purchased those Scarlet Eyes for only 1.2 billion Jenny and had just made a net profit of 600 million. In his eyes, Vansen was a massive cash cow. He was already plotting how to pry more Scarlet Eyes away from his "friends'" collections.
After leaving the club, Luo Ning didn't rush back. Instead, he checked into a five-star hotel. He needed to absorb the Scarlet Eyes he had just acquired as quickly as possible to avoid any complications and to boost his strength. He had a lingering sense of crisis; a man like Uvogin would definitely come looking for him.
Especially with the overwhelming publicity Milia was generating, there was another person who would undoubtedly come for him the moment they saw the news.
That person was Kurapika.
Sitting on the hotel bed, Luo Ning took the Scarlet Eyes out of the case. Nen flowed from his hands, covering the jar containing the eyes. Just like the first time, a warm sensation surged toward his own eyes the moment the Scarlet Eyes inside the jar began to dissolve.