Chapter 57: Rivalry

At night, in the dining room, Fan Bei ate his meal as Chef He stood beside him, reporting on the day's arrangements.

“There are nine people in total. Of them, five have basic mechanical repair skills. I’ve assigned two to handle daily inspections and repairs, and three to organize the equipment in the food refrigeration area. We aim to get the refrigeration area operational again.”

“The remaining four: two will prepare meals for the group and keep the living quarters clean. The other two, I’ve arranged to start cleaning and maintaining other areas and facilities.”

“As for accommodation…” Chef He paused, but Fan Bei listened calmly, nodding in approval. “Good. Continue as planned for now.”

“Yes, Mr. Fan.”

“By the way, regarding your compensation, here is my arrangement.” Fan Bei set down his chopsticks.

Chef He held his breath, listening attentively.

Fan Bei continued, “I’ll assess the value of your work and deduct the contract fees I’m paying monthly. Until the deduction is complete, only basic living expenses will be provided. Once the debt is paid, you’ll receive standard wages based on market rates.”

“All arrangements are at your discretion, Mr. Fan,” Chef He replied earnestly.

“Mm. You can now take your iron sphere master and help the others remove the risk of becoming puppets.”

“Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Fan.” Chef He’s gratitude was sincere.

Fan Bei waved him off, signaling him to leave, and Chef He withdrew promptly.

By the time Fan Bei finished his meal, it was already seven o’clock. Returning to his study, he felt the urgency of needing a trustworthy steward now that he had more hands at his disposal.

But Chef He’s personal loyalty belonged to the iron sphere, Xiao Bai, as did the other nine. They could never be confidants—merely a temporary measure.

He turned on the radio, continuing his daily program.

This time, he finally made a new discovery.

On a new channel, a voice appeared.

“Stellar Chamber of Commerce, Stellar Chamber of Commerce. Located in Silver City, chaired by Ms. Lin Zhongqing, a gold-rank expert and former high executive of the Silver Chamber. Main business: providing absolutely reliable human resource services, including but not limited to settlement security, servant management, cleansing evil spirit nests. We also accept various tasks posted by settlements and provide personnel according to the reasonableness of the reward.”

Hearing the broadcast, Fan Bei immediately understood—the “Steward” system’s host, Lin Zhongqing, had chosen to start her own company, charging ahead on the path to become a 'Heaven and Earth' steward...

Their business overlapped somewhat with the Silver Chamber, but most of it differed.

Carefully considering, it resembled the “Adventurers Guild” concept found in many ancient novels from his previous life.

Stellar Chamber’s scope didn’t yet include important material goods trading, but it would still create a great impact on Silver City...

Fan Bei believed the Silver Chamber wouldn’t take this lying down. Gold-ranked expert or not, they had a mysterious, unknown big boss behind them.

The one who could leave a “Kulene’s Hillside” spiritual mark in Lin Zhongqing’s soul was definitely not easy to deal with.

But all this was not his concern. Since Lin Zhongqing dared to stand on her own, as a former executive, she must be confident.

If she truly couldn’t withstand the pressure and fell, so be it.

It would be a chance to see if the third system could find a new host or simply vanish.

So for now, Fan Bei merely recorded the new contact information broadcast on the channel—a new radio call frequency.

Then, he opened “Father of Systems” and checked the “Steward” system page.

He found that the system logs showed far fewer entries in recent days.

In the past three days, Lin Zhongqing had only spent ten to twenty spirit cores daily.

Clearly, these spirit cores were used only to maintain her consciousness’s minimum daily needs. Most were exchanged for silver coins to keep the Chamber running, hire personnel, rent business premises—everything needed money...

It seemed the landlord’s pantry was nearly empty. Just starting out, no profit, only expenses—the hardest time.

Fan Bei decided not to send her any business immediately. He would keep a low profile, wait until others started using her services and she had gained a foothold, then follow suit.

With these matters settled, he returned to his routine: reading, training, inspecting key areas...

...

Copper Fortress.

In the highest office hanging from the inner dome, Lang Sheng listened to a subordinate’s work report.

After receiving the latest meditation technique from him, the team’s morale had noticeably improved, and work became more proactive.

He was not one to be trifled with. Ever since Wang Kui had tried to obtain his meditation method, Lang Sheng had arranged for him at a northern outpost of the Copper Fortress—the surveillance point for monitoring nearby evil spirits and other enemies.

This arrangement, evidently, hadn’t triggered any warnings from the “Good Person” system.

This reassured him—so long as it was a normal work arrangement, the system didn’t interfere. This allowed him much more room to maneuver.

“President, a new Chamber of Commerce has appeared in Silver City. I hear it’s Lin Zhongqing from the Second Trade Caravan, called the Stellar Chamber,” Feng Erjin spoke.

He was the small, thin man who always followed Lang Sheng around—“Erzi”—not strong in cultivation or ability.

Originally a strategist for the Copper Fortress Chamber, due to the deputy leader’s betrayal and his recent good performance—hardworking, studious—he had just been promoted to vice president.

“What? She actually dared to break away from the Silver Chamber?” Lang Sheng was taken aback.

He had interacted with her and knew her temperament—someone who wasn’t content to be subordinate—but her decisive independence still surprised him.

“The broadcast says she’s now a gold-rank expert,” Feng Erjin explained.

“So that’s it. Looks like she broke into a new realm and freed herself from the Silver Chamber’s restraints. This woman is something else,” Lang Sheng said with a hint of envy. “Gifted, lucky, well-born, smart and diligent... She’s got nearly every good thing in the world.”

“Yes, President,” Feng Erjin echoed with admiration. “A gold-rank expert—within a thousand kilometers, she’s likely the strongest. Ordinary people can’t compare.”

Lang Sheng nodded, but inwardly felt a trace of disdain: Hmph, gold rank—so what? Without a system, this proud woman is still just a mortal. However formidable she is for now, how can she compare to my boundless future?

Suppressing his thoughts, he asked, “What kind of business does her Stellar Chamber offer?”

Feng Erjin quickly handed over a report.

Scanning it briefly, Lang Sheng was intrigued.

“Not bad. If you can hire a gold-rank expert for money, that’s truly a bargain. I’ve met her—proud, unwilling to stoop to dirty tricks. Working with her would be more reliable than the Silver Chamber.”

“Wait, boss,” Feng Erjin cautioned, “If we cooperate with her rashly, won’t we offend the Silver Chamber? Her Chamber’s business—selling servant services, providing security—clearly undermines the Silver Chamber’s foundation.”

Lang Sheng nodded, pleased. “Exactly. The Silver Chamber relies on puppet servants to manage the surrounding settlements. Although these puppets legally belong to their employers and work diligently for board and lodging, we all know they’re secretly controlled by that mysterious entity—an enormous hidden risk.”

“Settlements that use puppet servants extensively dare not clash with the Silver Chamber and must maintain long-term cooperation. Now Lin Zhongqing is directly targeting their weak spot. Gold rank or not, a confrontation between them is inevitable in the near future!”