The next day.
Lu Fang appeared at the Jiang City Class Center again.
When Liu Cheng saw him, he stood up almost reflexively, and even changed how he addressed him.
"Sir, Hell difficulty again today?"
Lu Fang nodded.
"Yes."
Liu Cheng asked no further questions.
Without even needing Lu Fang to speak, he had already deftly pulled up the highest-experience dungeon available for his current level range.
"This is a Hell dungeon with a level 40 entry requirement."
Lu Fang glanced at him.
"Thanks for the effort."
Liu Cheng was overwhelmed by the acknowledgment.
"No trouble at all, no trouble at all."
He had now fully adjusted his understanding of his own role.
Stop him?
Not a chance.
The only thing he needed to do now was make Lu Fang's dungeon grinding a little smoother.
He absolutely could not let himself delay this man's leveling.
Throughout the day, the terrifying scenario from yesterday continued to play out at the Class Center.
By evening.
When the dungeon portal lit up, Lu Fang walked out of it.
His clothes were still clean.
There was only a trace of additional fatigue in his eyes.
After nonstop, high-intensity dungeon grinding, even with physical stats far beyond those of others at his level, he could not possibly avoid all mental exhaustion.
But the gains were equally terrifying.
[Level: 58]
A day and a half.
From level 13 to level 58.
As Lu Fang looked at his stat panel, a hint of satisfaction finally appeared in his eyes.
Under the rules for class holders, the first class advancement became available at level 100.
After their first advancement, class holders would undergo an elevation in their level of existence.
At the same time, their class core would develop further.
Most importantly.
They could obtain new class skills.
For Lu Fang, every new skill could bring a qualitative change.
A sharp gleam flashed through Lu Fang's eyes.
"One week at most."
"Within a week, I'll complete my first advancement."
Meanwhile.
Jiang City.
Fangfang Chamber of Commerce headquarters.
Inside the top-floor conference room.
The atmosphere was oppressive and delicate.
The chamber's senior executives filled the seats on both sides of the twenty-meter-long black conference table.
These people were all core managers of the Fangfang Chamber of Commerce.
Some oversaw equipment trading.
Some oversaw potion workshops.
Some controlled the supply channels for dungeon materials.
There were also several veteran members holding substantial shares.
In the past, when Lu Tianxiong and Su Qingyu were still around, none of these people had ever dared harbor the slightest disloyal thought during meetings.
Those two were not only the chamber's founders, but also pillars of Jiang City.
Their strength, prestige, resources, and connections were all enough to keep everyone in line.
But things were different now.
The news of Lu Tianxiong and Su Qingyu's disappearance had not yet been announced to the public.
But most of the chamber executives present had their own sources of information.
They already knew.
The Three Pillars had all fallen in battle.
In other words, the Fangfang Chamber of Commerce had lost its greatest backing.
The seat at the head of the conference table was empty.
That should have been Lu Tianxiong's seat.
At this moment, no one dared sit there.
But the looks everyone directed toward that empty seat had grown complicated.
Some were thinking about how to preserve the chamber.
Some were thinking about how to profit from the chaos.
And some were already plotting how to seize power.
After a long silence, a slightly plump middle-aged man was the first to speak.
His name was Chen Guangmao, and he headed the Fangfang Chamber of Commerce's equipment trading department.
"Everyone, you should all be aware of the situation."
"President Lu and President Su encountered a spatial storm and are now presumed dead."
"Once this becomes public, the chamber will inevitably be shaken."
"We must draw up a plan in advance."
Beside him, an elderly man with graying hair spoke coldly.
"A plan?"
"The most pressing plan right now is how to survive."
"The Fangfang Chamber of Commerce has developed too quickly over the years and offended quite a few people."
"Before, with the two presidents keeping things in check, no one dared make a move."
"Now that the two presidents are gone, do you think those people will leave us alone?"
Another executive immediately nodded.
"Exactly."
"The Ten Thousand Treasures Chamber of Commerce in South Province, the Blackstone Consortium, and Heavenly River Pharmaceuticals-which of them hasn't had its eye on our channels for a long time?"
"Once word spreads, they'll definitely pounce."
"With our current strength, we can't stop them at all."
Many people in the conference room looked grim.
Indeed.
Without a top-tier powerhouse holding the fort, even the greatest wealth was nothing but the scent of blood drawing wolves.
A middle-aged woman in a black suit slowly spoke.
"So, we need to seek protection."
Everyone turned toward her.
Her name was Lin Man, the chamber's chief financial officer and a highly influential figure within the organization.
Lin Man tapped her fingers lightly on the tabletop.
"We can sacrifice some of our interests."
"Offer some of our channels, shares, and a share of our profits in exchange for protection from a major chamber of commerce or a top-tier faction."
"As long as we can stabilize the situation, the Fangfang Chamber of Commerce won't collapse immediately."
At those words, quite a few people looked tempted.
"I think it's feasible."
"Now isn't the time to begrudge those losses."
"Exactly. As long as we survive, we can rebuild."
"As long as the chamber remains, there may still be a chance to turn things around."
But some frowned.
"The problem is, the Fangfang Chamber of Commerce's legal heir is Lu Fang."
"According to the inheritance documents the two presidents left behind, if anything happened to them, the largest shareholding in the chamber would go to Lu Fang."
"A concession of interests this large requires his consent."
The conference room fell silent for a moment.
Lu Fang.
That name brought subtle expressions to quite a few faces.
In the past, they naturally would not have taken a high school student seriously.
But things were different now.
Lu Fang had awakened the day before yesterday.
Reportedly, it had caused quite a stir.
Chen Guangmao's gaze flickered as he slowly said.
"Lu Fang is young, after all."
"He's only just turned eighteen."
"What does he know about running a chamber of commerce?"
"Letting him take over the Fangfang Chamber of Commerce would be the height of irresponsibility toward the chamber."
Someone chimed in.
"That's right."
"The chamber is on shaky ground right now. What it needs is mature decision-making, not a student's impulsiveness."
"If he agrees to our proposal, that would naturally be best."
"If he doesn't..."
The speaker paused, a trace of cold malice flashing through his eyes.
"We can't just stand by and watch the chamber be destroyed in his hands."
Another executive lowered his voice.
"You mean, make him a figurehead?"
Inside the conference room, quite a few people's gazes flickered.
Sidelining the heir.
Although it would be somewhat troublesome, it was not impossible to arrange.
Lu Fang was young.
He had no experience managing a chamber of commerce.
These executives held actual authority over every department. As long as they joined forces, they could absolutely turn Lu Fang, the heir, into a mere figurehead.
Just then, at the far end of the conference table, a middle-aged man who had remained silent suddenly spoke.
"Lu Fang seems to have awakened a special class yesterday."
"And there are reports that, right after awakening, he killed a level 100 powerhouse."