Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 60 (Patreon)

Chapter 60: The Test Aboard the Ship

The middle-aged butler's demeanor and tone exuded a sense of superiority.

The saying that a dog's behavior is often influenced by its owner is not entirely accurate, but it holds some truth.

Judging from the butler's actions, it could be preliminarily concluded that the yet-to-be-seen employer would likely be an arrogant individual.

The argument temporarily came to a halt, and Luo and his group boarded the black stretch Lincoln.

This vehicle wasn't actually a Lincoln, but its exterior bore a striking resemblance. The interior, however, was luxurious, equipped with sofas, a refrigerator, a table, and a TV, among other amenities.

Upon entering the car, Luo chose a corner seat and settled down with ease, having experienced far more luxurious rides before.

In contrast, Kuli and his three companions seemed somewhat restrained, as if it was their first time being in such a luxurious vehicle.

Once everyone was aboard, the car slowly started, turned around, and quickly picked up speed, heading towards the distance.

The car soon reached a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, but the ride on this road was exceptionally smooth.

The middle-aged butler sat next to the innermost seat, a position of respect even though the master and mistress were not present, and he did not take their seats.

This was a form of inherent and heartfelt respect that did not require visibility or acknowledgment, just self-fulfillment.

After boarding, the middle-aged butler observed the five individuals sent from Meteor Street.

One member, looking to be no more than fourteen, was among them, which made him uncomfortable. However, he was not as foolish as the spiky-haired and horse-faced men to question Luo's capabilities at first glance.

The other four seemed reliable, but he could not judge the strength of their Nen abilities at a glance.

As the car drove away, the middle-aged butler's discreet observation came to an end.

It was confirmed that all five were Nen users, and they met the basic criteria.

Despite the young boy's age, his knowledge of Nen abilities led the butler to put aside his disdain.

"Calm and composed."

This was the middle-aged butler's assessment of Luo, as he was the only one who remained calm and composed after boarding. The other four were somewhat affected by the luxury of the car.

Although this impact was minor, it still reduced their impression scores, especially when compared to Luo, a relatively young boy, highlighting the negligible impact.

"Nice to meet you, I am the master's butler, Kenda J. Geffel."

Ten minutes after boarding, the middle-aged butler spoke for the first time, introducing himself.

After speaking, Kenda's gaze fell on Luo.

"Luo." Luo responded briefly, stating his name.

Kenda's gaze shifted to Wogret, the second closest, who said, "Just call me Wogret."

The gaze moved again, in order of proximity, to the next three, who each introduced themselves.

Having learned their names, Kenda nodded slightly and said, "Our destination is the airport in Yanchung City. We'll arrive in about four hours, and from there, we'll take a spaceship directly to Yorknew."

He continued, "When we arrive at the airport, the master should also be arriving. Before we get to the airport, there's something I need to clarify."

Luo's eyelids lifted slightly as he looked at Kenda with increased attentiveness, a sentiment shared by the others.

There were no meaningless interjections, which was good.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Kenda's eyes as he continued, "Both the master and I are unaware of your strengths and whether you're suitable for the bodyguard role."

"So…"

Kenda's expression became more serious as he held up a second finger and smiled coldly, saying, "On the spaceship to Yorknew, any enemies attempting to approach the boss and the young mistress... kill them on the spot!"

Luo's expression changed slightly, but he resisted the urge to ask questions, as it was clear Kenda had more to say.

He held back, but the impulsive spiky-haired one couldn't, asking, "Is there any information on the enemy?"

Kenda's face turned cold, and his gaze fell on the spiky-haired man, sharply saying, "Shut up and listen quietly."

The spiky-haired man's face changed, but he forcibly held back and showed some sense.

Kenda withdrew his gaze and continued, "The spaceship we're taking is not private but a public one, providing an excellent opportunity for assassination."

"I may not agree with this method of testing, but it is the master's will."

"You must understand, the master has countless enemies. Assassins come in waves, endlessly."

"Even we don't know how many enemies are on the spaceship; even the waiters could be disguised enemies."

"Your task is simple: to nip any danger in the bud."

"It doesn't matter by what means you judge, right or wrong. You must not give the enemy any chance to shed their disguise. It's better to kill by mistake than to let one go."

"Do you understand?"

With that, Kenda concluded his explanation.

The journey to Yorknew on the spaceship was a test for the five of them.

To conduct such a test, the employer chose to take a public spaceship instead of a private one, putting himself in danger. This could only mean he was either very confident or overly arrogant.

Luo believed it was a bit of both, with the key point being the directive to "kill on the spot."

Regardless of whether the judgment was correct or not, without any intelligence indicating the enemies' identities, they had to rely on personal judgment to decide when to "kill on the spot."

"This kind of test must be unprecedented in the history of our cooperation."

Luo silently observed the reactions of Kuli and Wogret, noting their surprise.

Indeed, this was the first collaboration between Barney and the Elder Council involving a test of this nature.

"Is there no information about the enemies at all?" Wogret suddenly asked.

Kenda, having finished speaking, remained silent, indicating it was the time for questions.

"As I said, there are countless enemies, so we cannot rely on intelligence. We only need to eliminate any potential threats to the master in advance," Kenda coldly replied.

"What if we kill the wrong person?" Kuli calmly asked.

Kenda's face suddenly revealed a devilish expression as he coldly laughed, "Even if you kill everyone else, we have ways to handle it. Any concerns unrelated to the master's safety are unnecessary for you."

"Until your mission is over, all you need to think about, do, or consider must relate only to the master's safety."

Hearing Kenda's words, including the horse-faced man and the spiky-haired one, Kuli and the others felt a slight relief. This made things simpler.

Once identified as enemies, there was no need for hesitation, just "kill on the spot." The employer would handle the aftermath.

"What kind of test is this? It's too simple," the spiky-haired man thought to himself, and the other three shared similar thoughts.

Taking a life seemed all too easy to them.

"The mere subjective belief that one is an enemy justifies an attack, and the employer even lifted the restrictions."

Luo's brows furrowed slightly. This essentially allowed Kuli and the others to unleash their killing intent freely, and it was only a test.

Such a test could be avoided entirely by conducting a real combat exercise that stops short of death, or perhaps, there was another purpose to this test?

Regardless of the motive, the disregard for the lives of others on the spaceship...

"Is this... the way of the mafia?"

Luo's frown quickly smoothed out as he kept his dissatisfaction to himself.

Additionally, he noted an important piece of information: there were not one but two individuals they needed to protect.

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