Kevin looked at the other party suspiciously, reached out to take the business card handed over, and examined it carefully.
Printed on the business card was a concise company name, a phone number, and a list of business scope: international logistics and transportation, accepting only small cargo weighing no more than two hundred Ging, guaranteeing safety and confidentiality, and capable of delivering to all regions, including forbidden zones and restricted areas.
"This isn't just standard delivery, is it?"
Locke looked at Kevin and said with a smile, "You understand my Nen Ability, so I have nothing to hide. For me, this business is perfect, isn't it?"
Indeed, using his Nen Ability to conduct secret small-cargo transport could certainly ensure confidentiality.
Coupled with his experience and strength, he could also guarantee the safety of the cargo to a certain extent.
Without knowing his Nen Ability, it would be almost impossible to intercept supplies from him, as people might not even notice him.
If Locke operated in the shadows, he could easily avoid trouble.
"So this is why you want to take the Hunter Exam for a hunter license?"
Locke smiled, "Of course, with a hunter license, it would be much more convenient to carry out my work."
"Do you have a private airship?"
Without one, delivery speed would be hard to guarantee.
"Of course."
Locke gave Kevin a look that said, "You underestimate me," and then said, somewhat boastfully, "My airship is the latest model on the market, custom-built for me. It's faster than the vast majority of civilian and commercial airships available, and can even rival some military airships."
After listening to him, Kevin pondered for a moment.
He couldn't seem to find a reason to refuse.
Compared to entrusting logistics to a regular company, Locke, with his special Nen Ability, seemed more reliable.
After all, Kevin understood his ability, and it was indeed more secure than a normal logistics company.
Moreover, the two parties now at least had a certain foundation of trust.
"Alright, let's discuss the details of the cooperation."
The most important thing, naturally, was the price per order.
Unexpectedly, Locke looked at him, shook his head, held up a finger, and said, "I can transport goods for you for free, but I want the qualifications of a 『Supplier』."
Kevin looked at him and shook his head straightforwardly.
"No. You should be able to tell that I have a clear purpose in establishing this shop. If you cannot provide the materials I need, you cannot obtain the qualifications of a 『Supplier』."
In that case, Kevin would rather spend more money, and he didn't only have Locke as an option.
The Hunter Association had Hunters who specialized in undertaking such delivery commissions.
As a Hunter and also a member of the Hunter Association, Kevin knew how to make full use of the resources of various Professional Hunters.
Logistics, in essence, did not require Kevin to worry too much.
However, Locke's Nen Ability did have its unique aspects, so Kevin was still willing to discuss the cooperation matters with him in depth.
Hearing Kevin's refusal, Locke was silent for a moment.
He was very perceptive; after all, having personally experienced Kevin's prowess, he knew that the other party's strength was not to be underestimated.
He also genuinely recognized Kevin's potions, and furthermore, he had carefully read the product descriptions.
Kevin's potions undoubtedly had huge development potential.
Facing such a high-quality partner, it would be too unwise not to establish a cooperative relationship in advance.
"How about this: from now on, I will undertake all your logistics commissions for free. Not only transporting potions outward, but I can also be responsible for other goods that need to be transported.
"I assume you must have fixed Suppliers, and I can help transport the materials they provide to you.
"And I only have one request: that there be no limit on the quota of materials I can obtain from you annually. I will find a way to get the currency I need, and I will also find ways to acquire materials to exchange for potions."
Hearing the other party's proposal, Kevin was a bit confused.
He looked at Locke and asked with a puzzled face, "So why do this? What is the difference between the request you are making and just having a Black Card?"
It might just have more discounts than a regular Black Card, but such discounts were limited; the main thing might just be having a higher potion quota, but in essence, there was no major difference.
Kevin really couldn't understand what benefit this would have for Locke under such terms.
If he just wanted a Black Card, there was no need to go through all this trouble. As long as Locke gave a slight discount on shipping costs, it wasn't like Kevin couldn't give him a Black Card.
"Why? How should I explain this? Maybe it's because my judgment of people is quite accurate? I think I have a pretty good eye for people.
"In my opinion, you are a very impressive person, and these potions are also outstanding.
"So I hope to establish a deeper cooperative relationship with you. Maybe there's no obvious benefit for me in the short term, but what about the long term?
"I don't think you're the type of person who hogs all the benefits. As long as our cooperation is close enough, I believe I will always be able to get a share."
After listening to Locke, Kevin felt even more strange.
"You trust me that much?"
"Trust? Not really, it's just a simple gamble."
Locke said with a smile.
"Besides, with the qualifications of a Supplier, the potions I can exchange for annually—even if I take them out and sell them at a high price—would yield a considerable profit."
"Fine, suit yourself."
Kevin directly took out a contract and handed it over, then made some modifications based on Locke's proposal.
For him, doing this had no downsides.
As for what Locke's true purpose was, what did it matter? As long as it didn't harm his own interests, it was fine.
Kevin gave Locke a new, specially made Black Card, and then handed him the potions for which Locke had previously paid a deposit.
Locke took the potions, picked one up, and opened and drank it on the spot.
"Oh!! The effect is even better than I expected!"
Locke looked at the Nen surging on his body and laughed out loud.
Kevin looked at him with black lines on his forehead; this guy was too reckless, drinking the potion right after getting it.
"Haha, didn't I say I have a good eye?"
It seemed Locke was very satisfied with the effect of the potion.
Only then did Kevin notice the change in Locke and said, "You are stronger than before."
Locke said as a matter of course, "Of course. Didn't you say that through training, Nen Ability can become stronger?
I won't easily swallow the humiliation of the last Hunter Exam; I also yearn to become stronger."
Indeed, this guy had a very strong desire to win.
After the two discussed the cooperation details, Locke said goodbye and left.
Kevin leaned back in his chair again.
Since things here had been settled, the potion shop could officially open for business.
He took out his phone and sent the pre-edited messages one by one.
At this moment, Kite, who was searching everywhere for his master's trail, Buhara, who was feasting in a large hotel, and Menchi, who was being picky about the dishes on the side.
As well as Biscuit, who was leisurely blowing in the sea breeze and enjoying the night view on a beach somewhere, all received Kevin's message.
Meanwhile, at the Hunter Association.
Cheadle, the Dog of the Zodiacs, was walking down the corridor holding some documents.
She walked straight to a conference room, pushed the door open, and went inside.
Inside this small conference room, several members were already sitting there.
Cheadle scanned the room and, finding that not everyone had arrived, walked straight to her seat and sat down.
At this moment, the phone in her pocket vibrated.
Since the meeting hadn't started yet, she took out her phone to check it directly.
It turned out to be a message from Kevin.
If the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, she might have really taken out her membership card and swiped it on the machine.
"Rare to see you playing on your phone before the meeting starts."
The speaker was a woman dressed in a black form-fitting dress; her eyes were like snake pupils, and her appearance exuded a touch of eeriness.
Gel, the Snake of the Zodiacs.
Cheadle just smiled, "The meeting hasn't started yet." After saying that, she set her phone to silent and put it back in her pocket.
At this time, it wasn't just the two of them in the conference room; there was also another member of the Zodiacs.
This person had a peculiar double-braid hairstyle, was dressed in red, had a sturdy build, and a face full of flesh; it was Botobai Gigante, the Dragon of the Zodiacs.
Just at this moment, the door was pushed open again.
A woman dressed in a fresh and beautiful outfit, with feather decorations on her clothes and small wing accessories on her shoulders, walked in.
Gugu, the Rooster of the Zodiacs.
With this, four members of the Zodiacs were gathered together.
Cheadle stood up and walked to the whiteboard.
"Per the Chairman's notification, everyone has been gathered here."
"So, what important matter is there this time?" Gugu asked, leaning on the table with one hand and looking at the whiteboard from the side.
Gel crossed her arms, her ample chest rising and falling, and waited quietly for Cheadle's explanation.
Botobai Gigante remained sitting upright in his seat, looking every bit the soldier.
"It seems to be a further deterioration of the issues involved in the meeting at the Kakin Kingdom a few months ago."
Cheadle said, distributing the materials in her hands to everyone.
Gugu took the materials, her originally indifferent expression gradually becoming serious. After reading the materials, she frowned and said, "So it's this matter. I've been hearing about it for the last two years, but I didn't expect it to have become so serious now."
"Has this problem existed for so long?"
Gel frowned, a bit surprised; she didn't know much about this situation.
After all, this matter might have a slight connection to her field of expertise, but such a connection is extremely limited.
Botobai Gigante looked at the documents in his hand, his brows furrowed, his expression remaining serious throughout.
"The rats who would do such a thing can already be classified as terrorists."
He is one of the world's rare Three-Star Hunters, and specifically, a Terrorist Hunter known for his martial prowess.
The documents they held at this moment revealed the issue of "Environmental Destruction Creatures," which had been intensifying in recent years.
"As expected, when I first saw news of this kind, I suspected it was the work of some arrogant fools," Gugu remarked.
This world has no shortage of gargantuan beasts, as well as various highly dangerous magical beasts; there is no lack of strange creatures.
However, most of these creatures are in inaccessible areas, which are classified within the Hunter Association as "Forbidden Zones," "Demon Realms," or "Secret Realms."
Except for some Professional Hunters, very few others ever venture into these areas.
Not to mention ordinary people.
Even if there are those bold ordinary people who enjoy wilderness hiking, there is no need to pay them any mind.
After all, they are few in number, and if they perish in these dangerous areas, they can only blame themselves.
As for those that approach city borders, they are basically magical beasts with extremely high intelligence; to some extent, they coexist with humans.
The Hunter Association even has connections with many intelligent magical beasts.
Regardless, there won't be any monsters with extreme lethality, and even if there were, they would be cleared out by the actions of various Nen Users.
They rarely cause any overly serious losses.
From the documents, it can be seen that these massive, devastating "Environmental Destruction Creatures" that have been sighted or even hunted are actually man-made biological weapons.
And they come in various forms, having been deliberately released.
"Now that they finally let us handle it, it's most likely due to the power struggles of those filthy politicians again. What a disgusting bunch."
Gel's tone was filled with disdain.
This kind of matter is easy enough to solve on its own; that it has dragged on until now is basically caused by the bickering of various parties.
The forces behind the biological manufacturing definitely have funding from various sides. "Alright, the Chairman requires us to be responsible for coordinating and resolving this issue."
Cheadle stated the mission directly.
To a certain extent, it was simply that the Chairman couldn't be bothered with such a boring task and let them help clean up the mess.
This isn't the first or second time this has happened; it's best to get used to it.
More than two weeks had passed since the launch, and the name of Red Stone Pharmaceuticals had spread throughout the world in that short amount of time.
Kevin was leaning back in his shop.
At this moment, a television had been placed in the corner of the shop, and he was watching the news.
What was playing on the television was undoubtedly an interview video regarding Light, along with various related news reports and footage of people scrambling to buy the medicine.
"Excuse me, do you have any concerns about this newly launched medicinal product?"
In the live broadcast, a reporter randomly selected a customer from the crowd queuing outside the pharmacy to interview.
It could be seen that most of those queuing were male, but there were also quite a few female buyers.
"Concern? Concern about what?" the interviewed customer asked, looking bewildered.
"Are you not worried about whether the medicine's effects might be harmful, or if there might be side effects?"
Upon hearing this question, the buyer realized that an interview was being filmed.
"Is this live? Go away, go away, don't film me."
He hurriedly covered his face with his hand and turned his head to the side.
From his young face, one could tell that if his friends knew he had come to buy this kind of medicine, he would probably feel very embarrassed.
Only then did Kevin notice that many people coming to buy the medicine were wearing masks or had used some simple disguises.
Watching the interview footage on TV, Kevin shook his head helplessly.
Such scenes had been continuing for several days.
After all, Light had invested a large amount of capital into advertising.
Similar advertisements were not uncommon in the past.
But this time, many who had experienced it firsthand gave it high praise.
Through the internet, various information interviews, and the vigorous promotion by television channels that Light had specifically cultivated relationships with, the popularity of the medicine rose rapidly.
Not only was it being reported on TV, but even the pharmacy downstairs from Kevin's shop was packed solid at this moment.
Light was very busy now.
He was now a rising star in the business world.
However, compared to truly formidable figures, he could only be considered average; it was just that everyone valued the future prospects of his company.
"It's a good thing we made preparations in advance, at least we can handle the initial rush of panic buying."
In the past, most products of this type on the market were fakes disguised with advertisements.
Now that there was a truly effective product, it was naturally enthusiastically sought after by everyone.
Once this wave of popularity passes, the situation will stabilize.
It will settle down by then.
Regardless, the company's reputation has been established.
Although the company has not yet gone public, its estimated market value is constantly climbing.
Kevin no longer paid much attention to this; as long as it could make money, that was fine.
Just at this moment, the shop door was pushed open.
A little girl wearing a pink dress rushed in happily.
"Uncle! I've come to see you!"
Neon ran in with a grin, spun around in the small shop, her face full of disappointment.
"What is this? Why is there nothing here?"
She asked, looking both confused and disappointed.
Kevin rolled his eyes: "There was never anything here to begin with; this isn't a place that sells toys."
Kurapika, who was following behind Neon, also looked around the surroundings.
It had to be said that this place really didn't look like a proper shop.
The two of them, along with the two maids who followed in, suddenly made the already small shop feel crowded.
Fortunately, the two bodyguards standing at the door didn't follow inside, otherwise there probably wouldn't be room to turn around.
Neon looked at the bookshelf, scanning it back and forth.
"So many books I can't read, but why are there so many storybooks?"
Neon asked, puzzled.
Because Kevin is also a Mythical Beast Hunter, even though he has never done anything related to the profession.
However, according to the intelligence information that could be queried, many strange beasts are closely related to local folklore or various legends and stories.
One can find clues through this point.
"Alright, alright, there's nothing fun here. Kurapika, take Neon elsewhere to play."
Kurapika nodded and took Neon, preparing to leave.
While walking, Neon muttered: "So boring, I even made a special trip to come here."
The maid beside her said with a smile: "It's okay, this place just happens to be in the mall, let's just consider it a stop while shopping."
Hearing this, Neon nodded.
They came quickly and left just as quickly.
The originally quiet shop, having just experienced a brief moment of liveliness, returned to calm.
Kevin leaned back in his chair again.
"Indeed, I can't just stay here guarding this place every day."
It's impossible for this small pharmacy of his to become an overnight sensation like Red Stone Pharmaceuticals.
Kevin didn't intend for it to be overly popular either.
But it wouldn't do to have no one looking after it.
He was willing to stay here mainly because he wanted to indulge in the experience of being a shopkeeper.
He had never had a similar experience before.
But after staying for a few days, he felt a bit bored; spending the whole day here reading books wasn't really a solution.
He needed to hire someone, preferably a Nen User.
Kevin glanced at his watch.
"It's already three o'clock, time to get off work."
He was the boss now, so he could decide for himself when to get off work.
As he spoke, he turned off the lights, walked out of the shop, and casually flipped the sign at the entrance, attaching a business number to it.
At this moment, he saw Kurapika and the others who had just left not long ago; they were browsing in a shop not far away next door.
Kevin walked straight over.
"Uncle, what's the matter?" Kurapika asked, puzzled.
"Nothing, I'm just getting off work."
"Off work?"
Kurapika was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look at the shop in the distance that had already closed.
"Are company affairs going smoothly?"
Kevin asked with a sudden smile.
Hearing this, Kurapika smiled: "A bit tedious, but it's also a very good learning opportunity."
As for the issue of the mob eyeing them, Kevin didn't ask further.
After all, he had already entrusted matters in this regard entirely to Pairo and the others, so naturally, they would handle it themselves.
Meanwhile, the Ritz Family, originally the superiors of the Nostrade Family, only learned of the relevant situation after receiving reports from other small mafia families.
"You mean to say that the Red Stone Pharmaceuticals reported on TV is that guy Nostrade's company?!"
The eldest son of the Ritz Family, suspecting he had misheard, pointed at the news currently playing on the television nearby and asked.
The head of the small family who had come to report the situation nodded obsequiously.
"Yes, Boss, you might not be aware, but recently he detailed everything Light has done over the past few months."
Originally, this information didn't need to reach the ears of the eldest son of the Ritz Family; he usually didn't have the energy to pay attention to such trivial matters.
But the situation this time was clearly different.
"I see. You may go."