The Chairman's Curiosity

"Out of curiosity, how did you find out about Byande?"

Facing Netero's inquiry, Moarik shrugged.

"This sort of thing is no longer a secret as long as more than two people know about it."

"Hmm, that's true," Netero thought for a moment and found it reasonable. "That guy, Byande, recruiting people and leaking some information is normal."

"Young people can't keep things to themselves," Netero nodded as if it were self-evident.

*Morel*, standing nearby, wanted to say something but hesitated.

Byande is already over sixty years old. Calling him a kid... well, in front of the chairman, who is over one hundred and ten, he might as well be a child.

"So, may I be curious and ask~"

Netero stroked his beard and calmly looked at Moarik, saying, "You've mentioned Byande by name; what exactly brings you here?"

"Of course, if it's inconvenient to say, that's alright. I won't press you."

After saying this, he adopted a casual attitude.

Moarik glanced at the yellow dodgeball rolling out beside Netero.

Well, if he didn't say anything, there wouldn't be much consequence. It would just mean playing a game with this old prankster... and knowing his personality, he would certainly go through with it.

Luckily, Moarik was prepared for this situation.

"There's no inconvenience," Moarik said, flipping his palm and producing a small green bean.

"It's just related to my personal abilities," he continued. "A small gift, a token of respect."

He placed the Senzu Bean on the table and smiled lightly at Netero, saying, "Consider this as an apology for disturbing the chairman."

"This is..."

Netero looked at the Senzu Bean on the table and examined it carefully.

"Could this be a relative of yours?" He suddenly turned his head to *Morel*, who was also curiously examining the bean.

*Morel*: "???"

Even though we are both green beans, there's a fundamental difference, right?!

He looked at his chairman in speechless frustration. Then again, he was no stranger to this quirky personality.

"This little bean..."

Netero pinched the Senzu Bean between his fingers, closing one eye and opening the other wide to scrutinize it.

"What is it used for?"

"It's for eating," Moarik replied with a light cough. "Since it's a bean, it's obviously edible."

"That's not necessarily true," Netero said without turning his head. "The bean next to me isn't for eating."

*Morel*: "..."

Alright, this is all aimed at me, isn't it?

*Morel* felt like crying but had no tears, feeling like he was the only one being targeted.

"If it's edible, I wonder how it tastes," Netero mused. "Or is it some sort of purgative?"

He eyed Moarik while pinching the bean, adding, "As an old man with a frail body, I can't handle too much strain."

Joking aside, if you're weak and can't handle strain, then there isn't a strong person left in the world.

"The chairman could just try a small bite," Moarik suggested with a slight smile. "Once you taste it, you'll understand."

"Is that so?"

After failing to discern anything from looking at it, Netero licked the bean's surface with his tongue.

"Hmm, seems fine," he chuckled mischievously, glancing at Moarik and *Morel*, who were both speechless. Then, he bit into the Senzu Bean.

Crunch.

"The texture is quite crispy," Netero commented while chewing. "If the culinary hunters in the association worked on it, perhaps it could be... hmm?!"

Netero's eyes suddenly narrowed slightly, his body appearing to pause momentarily.

As the highest combat power on the six continents and the strongest man in the world, Netero had an intimate understanding of his body. He could easily sense even the slightest changes. So, after biting the Senzu Bean...

"Hmm, this is indeed a very nice gift," Netero said, moving so quickly that Moarik couldn't even see him as he swiftly hid the remaining half of the bean somewhere unknown.

Stroking his curved beard, he chuckled, "Your sincerity is much appreciated!"

"That's good," Moarik nodded slightly.

Netero's satisfaction with the Senzu Bean's effects was only natural. For these powerful Nen users, an item like the Senzu Bean was the best lifeline—a true hard currency among the top-tier Nen users.

"The Martial Arts Tournament is about to take place, and you must have many things to attend to, so I won't disturb you any further," Moarik said, preparing to get up and leave.

"Wait a moment," Netero suddenly called out. He looked Moarik up and down, then smiled, "Do you have more beans like this one, which might be a relative of *Morel* here?"

*Morel*: "..."

Moarik: "~~~"

"I don't have any more with me right now," Moarik said, raising his hands in mock helplessness. "If you don't believe me, feel free to search."

Netero stroked his beard without saying a word.