Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 442 (Patreon)

Chapter 442: Banquet Hall

The black suit is almost the standard attire for professional bodyguards.

Franklin's tall stature and imposing presence made him the most suitable member of the Troupe to fit the bodyguard role.

Nobunaga's physique was average, but his height met the mark. Dressed in a black suit, he looked quite distinguished.

Among the four, Shalnark was the most disadvantaged. His height barely qualified him as a bodyguard, whereas Chrollo just barely passed the line.

Pakunoda held the bald man's arm, maintaining a faint smile on her face.

The two walked ahead, with the four Troupe members following behind as bodyguards.

The bald man, now a puppet controlled by Shalnark, was the key for the Troupe's infiltration into the appraisal event.

The number of bodyguards at the front gate had increased to twenty, exuding a strong aura.

One burly guard stepped forward and stopped Chrollo's group.

The bald man expressionlessly took out a delicate invitation from his pocket and handed it to the guard, who inspected it and, upon confirmation, immediately allowed them through.

The six of them passed through the gate and boarded an open-top tour car.

"Ordinary people," Chrollo silently calculated.

At the front gate, besides the visible twenty guards, there were about fifty more hidden, none of whom were Nen users.

With nearly seventy guards at the main entrance, it was safe to estimate that the number of guards at the Ohara Museum would be at least ten times that, as a minimum estimate.

"From the start, there was no room for a frontal assault..."

Chrollo slightly turned his head, looking at the vast greenery extending by the roadside, a slight smile on his lips.

With an increase in both personnel and arms, a qualitative change could be triggered. Given the choice, a frontal assault was unwise.

Unquestionably, this private museum had its unique features, enough to prevent Shalnark from uncovering its true background, and to warrant local authorities agreeing to such heavy armed guards. It was indeed a tough nut to crack.

After about five minutes of driving, Chrollo saw the museum built from three ancient trees in the distance. One tree was taller, serving as the main building, where the ancient books were kept.

Seeing the museum, Chrollo's eyes lowered, hiding a fleeting glint.

The tour car stopped midway, and a team wielding sophisticated firearms approached, the leader politely saying, "Please cooperate with the inspection."

The bald man got off, and Chrollo's group followed suit calmly.

This process was known beforehand, so it wasn't surprising. Nobunaga didn't even bring his sword to avoid unnecessary trouble.

"Beep beep..."

The inspection device made the expected sound.

The leader calmly said, "Please disarm, and rest assured, the security of the Ohara Museum is well known."

The bald man gestured, and Chrollo's group handed over their handguns to the armed team.

"Thank you for cooperating," the leader courteously thanked them and then stepped aside.

Everyone got back on the car, which continued towards the two palace-like buildings.

Since the tour car driver was from the Ohara Museum, the Troupe members did not communicate with each other on the car.

Given the Troupe's strength, there was no need to rely on firearms. They carried guns merely to disguise their bodyguard roles.

The Ohara Museum didn't check for weapons at the main gate but suddenly intercepted them midway. This might have some implications, but it didn't matter anymore.

The tour car stopped in front of the largest palace-like building, and everyone disembarked.

A butler came to lead Chrollo's group directly to the banquet hall.

At noon, Clover hosted a high-standard banquet for the guests. After the meal, they would move to the museum.

Upon entering the banquet hall, the Troupe was separated.

The controlled bald man and Pakunoda entered the main hall, while the bodyguards were arranged in a side hall. Although they could see the main hall, this separation clearly indicated their status difference.

The bodyguard table seated ten people. As soon as Chrollo and Shalnark sat down, they drew disdainful glances from the other bodyguards, who clearly judged by appearances. However, when Franklin sat down, they quickly retracted their gazes.

Chrollo paid no mind to the few clowns at the same table. He glanced around, silently memorizing the positions of the guards.

"Along the way, the guards mostly carried automatic rifles. In the banquet hall, there were no fewer than two hundred guards, but none carried conspicuous firearms. Judging by the bulging clothes, they only had handguns."

"Emphasizing safety, while also paying attention to appearances."

"The necessary and the unnecessary distinction..."

Chrollo withdrew his gaze, lightly touching the knife and fork with his fingertips, thinking to himself that the key to the heist would be the distraction caused by Uvogin and the others.

With so many people indoors, the Troupe members didn't rashly use Gyo, so it was impossible to determine how many Nen users were in the hall with over a thousand people.

Time passed, and at noon, the symphony resounded through the banquet hall as the orchestra began playing.

In the grand and atmospheric performance, a man in formal attire stood up from the main table. It was Clover, heading to the stage beside the orchestra.

Salin was seated near the main table, showing Clover's high regard for her, a result of her interactions with him over the past two days.

At that table, there were eight people seated, including Mitch and Angie. Next to Salin was a rough-looking man resembling Zhang Fei, with dark skin, standing out from the surrounding guests.

"Can't you wear a decent mask?" Salin whispered to the man.

"I would if I could, but I don't have one," the Zhang Fei-like man glanced at Salin and then focused on Clover on the stage.

A highly important collaborator, provided the deal goes through.

This rugged-looking person was Luo, who had arrived just in time at the Ohara Museum. Among the many masks, he picked one that looked decent, even adjusting his voice to match.

Salin sighed lightly at his words, also looking at the stage.

Her seemingly intimate gesture with Luo was noted by Mitch and Angie at the same table.

Mitch, intending to win her over, silently observed Luo.

Angie mocked Salin's taste in her mind, believing Luo to be Salin's superior, likely with another layer of identity known to all.

The pleasant music abruptly stopped, and a slightly hoarse, mature male voice drew everyone's attention, including the bodyguards.

"Thank you all for coming. Those who know me understand that I only come on stage to make a brief statement. No need for unnecessary words, let me replace them with a song."

Clover stood straight, snapping his fingers, and the orchestra immediately began playing.

As the accompaniment started, Luo noticed the strange expressions on the faces of most guests around, including those at the same table.

Could it be...?

Luo had a thought, and then Clover's ear-piercing singing echoed through the hall via the microphone.

What a disturbance...

Luo opened his mouth, watching Clover's perfectly executed singing and expressions on stage, but the sound was truly unbearable.

"This singing is probably more terrifying than Uvogin."

At a table in the side hall.

Chrollo, Shalnark, Nobunaga, and Franklin exchanged glances.

"More terrifying than Uvogin's singing."

They reached this conclusion through their eye contact.

In a building a kilometer away, someone sneezed.

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