"Yeah, I know, apart from Machi's side, there's nothing else."
Hearing this, Luke wanted to laugh speechlessly.
As everyone knows, to develop an industry, you definitely have to invest first.
Research and development costs aren't necessary; Ickshonpe provided sufficient technology.
However, manufacturing... from establishing the factory, land, buildings, and internal facilities and equipment... to purchasing raw materials for parts, and paying labor costs... and developing and investing in sales channels, opening offline stores, and so on.
Which of these doesn't require a large amount of money? Chrollo and the Phantom Troupe naturally don't have the funds.
Even if they did, they couldn't use their personal money for public purposes... well, mainly for the sake of separating public and private interests.
So, where will this large amount of money come from?
Naturally, it will come from other people themselves.
For the development of Ambrossa, Chrollo, with the attitude of selling off one's inheritance without a care and spending other people's money without hesitation, directly withdrew a large sum from Oscar Salvatore Malas's treasury.
Pablo Escobar, of course, didn't dare utter a single word, even if it was all the wealth his own uncle had painstakingly accumulated over most of his life.
It even included some of the money he himself had earned.
It could be said that it was the life savings of both the uncle and the nephew.
And now, it was all going to benefit someone else, being squandered by someone else without a care in the world.
Pablo Escobar, even if he had some thoughts, dared not voice them.
But Machi, who treated all this money as her personal property, felt it was completely unacceptable.
She expressed her great dissatisfaction, but it was useless.
Neither Chrollo nor Luke listened to her objections.
So she could only sulk there alone.
Fortunately, Luke and Chrollo described the rosy picture of making money.
Selling computer parts to computer malls all over the world, it sounded like a business that would make a fortune.
Machi also forced herself to stay and observe how things would develop.
If they really could make a fortune, it wouldn't be too late for her to get a share...
Thus, she temporarily settled down.
This formed a stark contrast to Feitan, who was quietly reading, and Franklin, who was chatting with Bonolenov Ndongo.
Luke didn't pay much attention, only briefly discussing future developments with Chrollo before hanging up.
One thing Chrollo was right about: This action had indeed resulted in a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Not just Chrollo, Ambrossa, the mafia, and Meteor City.
In this network world, Luke also gained Ickshonpe's gratitude and more access to the network world.
It could be said that everyone had a bright future… This statement was absolutely true.
"Everything is steadily improving, the times are developing, and we are progressing too", Luke remarked, reflecting on his life in this world.
A chance to relive the 1980s, even in such a fantasy world, for him, it was a truly rare experience!
…
Everyone in this world, at this time and in this era, is doing whatever they want to do.
And so, time flew by unnoticed.
In the blink of an eye, time passed quietly at an imperceptible pace.
The entire year of 1987 passed even faster than anyone imagined.
The most significant events of the year were two truly world-shaking news stories.
One was the release of the game Greed Island by Ging Freecs.
Whether it was the price tag of 5.8 billion Jenny, the groundbreaking hands-on gameplay, or the reward of taking away in-game items after completion, all of these factors made it incredibly desirable.
Greed Island was bought up by many buyers who were already aware of its potential upon release.
The entire first half of the year was practically dominated by the gaming frenzy stirred up by Greed Island.
Thanks to the popularity of Greed Island, countless people saw the potential behind this type of game.
While games like Greed Island have their own consoles, other games backed by the internet can create just as much buzz, if not more.
In particular, there have been numerous discussions about this on Hunter Websites and dedicated chat forums. Therefore, the fermentation and growth of the internet's influence also caught the attention of many bigwigs.
This indirectly promoted the development and sales of some computer industries.
Among them, the computer parts manufacturing factories in the city of Ambrossa quietly rose to prominence.
Taking advantage of the era's momentum, hidden forces gradually expanded and strengthened.
This leads to the second big news.
The world-renowned criminal syndicate, the Kute Gang of Thieves, has been dismantled.
And the person who dismantled them was a rookie hunter who joined the Hunter Association this year and passed the hunter exam.
As a top-tier S-class criminal in the world, the notorious Kute Gang of Thieves has truly earned its reputation over the years.
The crimes they have committed are countless.
It's not just about murder and arson, but also the destruction of numerous precious and rare historical relics and unique artifacts.
Yes, under the influence of the Stone of Seven Emotions and Six Desires, the Kute Gang of Thieves has done quite a few such things.
It's heartbreaking, and people are filled with resentment as they hurl insults at him.
Now that they have been captured, countless people are applauding.
But if it were any skilled professional hunter... Even those with a certain prestige and reputation.
For example, Botobai, the hunter whose strength and reputation are said to be closest to Chairman Netero's.
Or an elite veteran like Morel.
In that case, if such a person were to capture the Great Thief Kute and his group, it would be quite acceptable to most people.
A powerful figure taking action and bringing criminals to justice aligns with the psychological expectations of most.
But if a newcomer who has just joined the Hunter Association has committed such a significant act… it certainly attracts a lot of attention.
It was at this juncture that the Hunter Association officially announced its findings.
To recognize the achievements of Luke, a Blacklist Hunter, and his contributions to the world, he was awarded the rank of Single-Star Hunter as encouragement.
No one raised any objections.
Even the other professional hunters within the association merely discussed who this newly emerged powerful figure was.
No one questioned Luke's accomplishments.
Those were S-rank notorious criminals, previously pursued by countless hunters, including some highly skilled professional hunters.
None had succeeded in capturing them.
On the contrary, this newcomer, who had just become a professional hunter, had made a stunning debut, achieving something many renowned Blacklist Hunters couldn't.