"The V5 is quite interested in those items, tools, and artifacts that Morin has?" Botobai's tone emphasized the word "tools," his serious gaze piercing straight into Pariston's heart.
Everyone present wasn't a fool.
Back in the day when Netero was evaluating the world's top five Nen users, he surely reported the list to the V5. They must have some basic information and data about Morin.
But now, their sudden interest in Morin's affairs was suspicious. Besides Morin himself, what else could pique V5's interest so intensely?
Naturally, it was the tools in Morin's possession.
During Morin's battle with Jed, the live broadcast wasn't interrupted at the start. The items Morin showcased, like the "Magic Spell Book," "Protective Shield Orb," "Evasive Cloak," and "Invincible Turret," were all displayed before the world.
The V5 naturally witnessed the power these tools in Morin's hands unleashed. Inevitably, they were tempted by them.
Take, for instance, the "Invincible Turret" in Morin's possession. This kind of turret fortress, which can be set up anywhere and fire on command with considerable power, would make any national organization envious.
It's a bona fide strategic weapon, so it's only natural that it caught the V5's attention. At the very least, the V5 is very interested in the tools Morin has.
So much so that later, through special means, they fully recreated the battle between Morin and Jed. They even discovered the existence of items like the "Lucky Playing Cards" and the "Non-biological Hypnosis Speaker."
If the V5 could remain indifferent, that would be truly strange!
However, even though they coveted Morin's tools and were eager for those effects, they had to proceed with caution. After all, Jed suffered a significant defeat due to Morin's tools. Even if it were them, they might not escape unscathed.
Unwilling to watch so many tools go unused, the V5 decided to take a roundabout approach. That is, to gather comprehensive information on Morin from the Hunter Association to assist in their next steps.
The V5 knew very little about Morin. They considered using their own channels to track Morin's information. But with Ickshonpe and Ging around, no one could trace Morin's details beyond the publicly available information.
Even hackers with Nen abilities would hesitate before Ickshonpe's powerful virtual network world. Ickshonpe's defensive capabilities are unmatched; to date, no one has easily breached his defenses. And if they could, it would come at a great cost.
This led the V5 to abandon the idea of collecting information online after much consideration. They weren't willing to pay a price that even they found painful without knowing the rewards.
And Morin himself wanted no involvement with the V5! Collaborating with V5 was hardly an honor.
Of course, they had Nen users capable of gathering intelligence. Like the barber Biscuit used to train Gon and Killua, who could gather information by consuming hair.
But after Morin applied a protective "Lucky Playing Card" buff on himself, almost all negative Nen abilities became ineffective against him.
Thus, the only way to gather intelligence on Morin was through the Hunter Association. Netero was unreliable, and they couldn't expect any information about Morin from him.
So they turned their attention to Vice Chairman Pariston, leading to the current scene.
"Well, if I haven't guessed wrong, the V5's intention is something like this?" Pariston maintained his smile.
"What do you mean by 'something like'?!"
The hot-tempered Kanzai was the first to object, "The whole Jed situation was caused by those guys. How do they have the gall to make more demands?!"
"They want Morin's tools?! Are they stuffed or just brainless?!"
"Who gave them the audacity to have such unrealistic ideas?!"
Once emotional, Kanzai found it hard to control himself. However, his professional demeanor kept him from ranting like a fishwife in front of his colleagues and the chairman. But his indignation was palpable.
If not for the people seated at the table, he might have jumped up and kicked over the table and chairs.
"Want Morin's tools? That's not very realistic, is it?" Piyon's rabbit ears twitched as she spoke curiously.
"Can't he give his tools to others?" Pariston smiled at Kanzai, "I heard that during a very early Hunter exam, Mr. Morin gave you a tool?"
"If they want that thing, I'd be more than happy for them to take it!!"
---
Kanzai crossed his arms, a single fang glinting under the light as he sneered. The "Self-Combat Gloves" Morin had given him before had certainly given him a tough time.
"So if it can be given to Mr. Kanzai, it can naturally be given to others as well?" Pariston seemed to have found a feasible solution. "In that case, Mr. Morin could collaborate with the V5, and everyone would be happy, right?!"
As he said this, he clapped his hands together as if genuinely delighted.
"But the question is, why would someone want to cooperate with the V5? Why would they give tools that belong solely to them to the V5?!" Cluck propped her chin on her hands, elbows on the table, her tone sharp.
"Exactly, exactly. Morin has become one of the world's strongest Nen users through his own efforts and tools. Why must he collaborate with others now?" Zindah chimed in.
"It's a win-win situation!" Pariston smiled. "After all, collaborating with a world-class organization like the V5 should be an honor for anyone, right?" He turned to Kastro, who had been sitting quietly.
"Kastro? Isn't this a great opportunity to connect with a top-tier global organization?"
Kastro looked up at his words, casting him a faint glance. "Whether it's a good opportunity, I don't know, but with my master's personality, if it's not his own will, not even the King of Heaven could make him show his tools."
This statement was undoubtedly full of confidence, directly and firmly refuting him.
Kanzai listened, almost ready to applaud.
"Oh? His own will, is it?" Pariston's smile deepened. "In that case, with Mr. Morin's mindset, he should be willing to collaborate with the V5. We could start drafting a collaboration plan." He continued speaking as if to himself.
"Hey! Are you pretending not to understand or do you really not get it?!" Kanzai retorted bluntly. "He doesn't want anything to do with the V5!"
"Is that so? You're not Mr. Morin, so how can you know what he thinks?" Pariston smiled. "Perhaps, in Mr. Morin's view, forming a collaboration with the V5 is truly an honor..."
Boom!!
Before he could finish, the sudden rising aura in the room cut him off.
"If you dare utter another disrespectful word or make presumptions about my master, don't blame me for not being polite." The aura behind Kastro gathered, vaguely forming the image of a king of beasts, ready to pounce.
He looked at Pariston silently, his tone unwavering. But the aura and Nen rising from him made it clear to everyone he wasn't joking.
"Ahem, let's save any further discussion for later!" Netero coughed lightly, placing a fist to his mouth. With a wave of his other hand, the tense atmosphere in the room dissipated.
"Now, let's discuss the follow-up to the Jed incident and the handling of the Dark Record Book..." With Pariston now silent, Cheadle Yorkshire and Mizaistom, who had been quiet, began discussing the handling plan for the incident.
Without Pariston stirring the pot again, the meeting proceeded unusually smoothly. It didn't take long to finalize all the follow-up arrangements.
They had already discussed everything during their electronic meeting, so now it was just a formality.
"Let's proceed with your plan. I have no objections," Netero said. Mizaistom and Cheadle Yorkshire were top talents in their respective fields, and these matters were simple for them.
Naturally, Netero had no objections. Even if there were issues, Beans would be there to oversee everything.
Thus, the meeting concluded swiftly. The plans made would be implemented by the Hunter Association to minimize the incident's impact.
With the response plan in place, the meeting officially ended. The Zodiacs would now begin implementing the plans.
Botobai was the first to leave, followed by Saccho and Gel. Cluck and Kanzai left while glaring at Pariston. Kastro didn't even glance at Pariston, which was a clear statement of his stance.
The others gradually dispersed as well. Soon, the room was empty again.
After the Zodiacs left, Pariston's eyes, which had grown deep, regained their sparkle.
"Yo, it's only now that the V5 notices the tools in Morin's hands?" Netero, hands tucked into his sleeves, smiled as he asked.
"It seems you really didn't disclose Morin's situation before," he said, looking at Pariston with a smile.
"Of course, Morin had told me before that if I dared to meddle in his affairs again, he'd kill me," Pariston replied, turning to smile at Netero.