Let the numbers at the vertices be V1 = 9 (top-left), V2 = X (top-right, the missing number), and V3 = 8 (bottom). The number in the center is C = 98.

To solve this deductive reasoning problem, we need to find a pattern that relates the numbers at the vertices of the triangle to the number in the center.

Let the numbers at the vertices be $V_1 = 9$ (top-left), $V_2 = X$ (top-right, the missing number), and $V_3 = 8$ (bottom). The number in the center is $C = 98$.

We will test a common pattern for these types of puzzles: multiplying two vertex numbers and adding the third to get the central number.

Step 1: Formulate a hypothesis for the pattern.
Let's assume the pattern is $(V_1 \times V_3) + V_2 = C$. This means we multiply the two