Morin clicked his tongue in amazement. Observing up close, he could truly appreciate the diversity of aquatic products in the Hunter world.
"Alright, I've caught the fish, now how should I prepare it?!" Kurapika returned leisurely from outside, holding two fish that resembled long ribbonfish.
"Did you bring them back?" Morin glanced at him first, then surveyed the surrounding examinees. Hmm, a total of seventy-one candidates, most of whom were present.
Except for Hanzo, who knew exactly how to make nigiri sushi and was hiding away to prepare it secretly, not letting others see.
The other examinees were enthusiastically trying to cook in all sorts of strange and novel ways. The sight of those dishes... was simply unbearable to look at!!
"Ahem!!" When Morin saw Leorio grabbing a few fish and a large handful of rice, he felt the time was right and cleared his throat a few times.
"Attention, examinees, please listen to me!" Morin took out a small megaphone, his voice spreading throughout the area. All the examinees making nigiri sushi instinctively paused their actions simultaneously.
"It's that peculiar examinee!!" Seeing that it was Morin speaking, everyone shifted their attention to him. Morin had left a deep impression on them before. They wanted to hear what this mysterious examinee had to say.
"Do you all know how to make real nigiri sushi?" Seeing everyone's attention drawn to him, Morin nodded in satisfaction: "From what I see, most of you have no clue, and some are just aimlessly cooking."
"What does he want to do?!" Menchi suddenly had a bad feeling.
"Don't you want to know the real way to make nigiri sushi and easily pass this test?" Morin's words reached the ears of all the examinees.
Everyone was momentarily stunned, and then a question mark appeared in their minds.
"You say you know the real way to make nigiri sushi?" The stout man in purple clothes with a small ponytail, Tonpa, couldn't help but ask.
"That's right!" Morin nodded, "I absolutely guarantee it's the most authentic method!! The examiners are right here, they can immediately verify if it's true or not, there's no way to fake this!" The other examinees instinctively nodded in agreement.
"If you know how to make nigiri sushi, why aren't you hurrying to make it yourself, instead of using a megaphone to shout at us?" An examinee, his curiosity piqued, asked.
Especially Bokur, who was closer to Hanzo and knew he understood how to make nigiri sushi, instinctively looked towards the hidden Hanzo.
"That's because I plan to share this method with you all." Morin smiled and calmly said something that none of the examinees could believe.
"You say, you want to share the recipe with us?!!" Scar Pen, the snake charmer, Sommy, the monkey trainer, and Pence, the beekeeper, all asked in unison.
"Exactly!" Morin confirmed. His words sparked a huge discussion among the examinees.
"Oh ho ho ho?" Hisoka in the crowd subconsciously licked his lips.
"Tap tap tap tap tap," Illumi maintained his usual posture, not revealing anything.
"Why are you so kind as to tell us the key to passing this test?!" Bokur raised his hand. Next to him was the hidden Hanzo, and in front of him was Morin, who was about to share the method. The contrast and division between the two were truly surprising and intriguing to Bokur.
"Right, do you have some other motive?"
"We're all examinees, competitors! You'd help us?!"
"Is there some unspeakable secret here, or something else?"
"It can't be free, there must be some price we have to pay?!"
The examinees were all highly alert and cautious individuals; they wouldn't believe in such a good thing as a free lunch. Only Gon was genuinely happy:
---
"Leorio, Kurapika, Morin said he's going to tell us how to make nigiri sushi!"
"That's great! Now we can all make it and pass the test!!"
"Morin, he's really such a good person!" Gon immediately awarded Morin a big "good person" card.
"Well, if that's true, it would be the best outcome, but I'm just worried Morin has another motive." As someone who had witnessed many of Morin's gadgets, and even been on the receiving end of some, Kurapika maintained a respectful distance and suspicion towards Morin.
"That's possible." Leorio nodded seriously, "Anyway, for me to share the key to passing for free is simply impossible."
"Hey, do you think..." He nudged Kurapika with his elbow and whispered, "Do you think, given our relationship with Morin on this journey, he might tell us the method for free?" His greedy and opportunistic nature was something he couldn't change in a short time.
"Kurapika, you seem a bit unhappy, and also... uh, I don't know how to describe your expression. Did something happen?" Gon looked at Kurapika's pale and complex expression with some concern.
"I'm fine~" Kurapika slowly shook his head, his gaze fixed tightly on Morin in the center of the field. "I just want to see what you're really up to..."
Menchi shared the same sentiment as Kurapika. When Morin said he would share the method for making nigiri sushi with the other examinees, only one thought crossed her mind: Is he crazy?! What exactly is he trying to do? Is he trying to completely disrupt this test, or what!! Menchi felt that the situation had already spiraled out of her control.
"Tsk tsk, as expected of an examinee specially noted by Chairman Netero, his thoughts and actions far exceed my expectations... and Menchi's as well." At the entrance, Satotz leaned in, watching the scene unfold. He couldn't help but comment as he observed everything happening. Morin's unexpected plan especially made him click his tongue in wonder.
"First, there was the peculiar dish of 'nigiri sushi,' and now this unexpected move by examinee 406. It seems Menchi, who is usually considered difficult and hard to deal with, has finally met a new challenging opponent." His little mustache twitched slightly, clearly showing his growing anticipation for the unfolding events. His interest in being a bystander was becoming more intense.
Inside the factory, amidst the discussions, Morin picked up the megaphone again.
"That's right, I have my own purpose for telling you the method for making nigiri sushi."
As expected? The examinees' eyes showed a look of realization mixed with a hint of wariness. However, their initial doubts and speculations gradually faded.
"My purpose for doing this is actually just one thing." Morin looked at their varied expressions, a smile slowly spreading across his face: "And that is to have fun!!"
Tonpa, with his unforgettable and deep-seated memories, was startled. Who would dare to try first? In the original storyline of the second test, it was others who first made a mess of fish and rice combinations, earning Menchi's scorn.
Then, when Hanzo presented a somewhat acceptable nigiri sushi, things began to spiral out of control.
Mainly because Hanzo, with his big mouth, leaked the method for making nigiri sushi, leading the other examinees to learn the real method, which in turn made Menchi so angry that she decided to judge based on taste.
This was inherently a very capricious and irresponsible approach. The Hunter Exam wasn't about testing chefs and cooking skills, after all.
Morin had the "Gourmet Tablecloth," which would undoubtedly ensure his passing. But the other examinees were still doomed to be eliminated by Menchi. Honestly, Morin was quite averse to Menchi's troublesome methods.
Since that's the case~~
"Aren't you planning to decide the winner based on taste?"
"Then I'll make sure all the examinees' nigiri sushi conquers your taste buds!!" With this thought, Morin's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Fun?!!" The other examinees, hearing Morin's inexplicable answer, were baffled. But seeing the smile on Morin's face, they knew he was thinking about something they didn't understand.
"It seems like we might be able to get the method without paying any price?" This thought surfaced in the minds of the examinees.