Chapter 288: 抢

"The Twilight Society... How could people from the Twilight Society be here?"

Inside the hotel's luxurious suite, the president of the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce looked out the window, his face immediately clouded with worry. He stood up and began pacing back and forth in the room.

The president of the Cold Spring Chamber of Commerce next to him was equally restless.

"President Yan, I told you something like this would happen... The enforcers are a minor issue; after all, they are bound by order, and we can appease them without things getting too ugly. But the people from the Twilight Society are a bunch of lunatics, aren't they?"

"That's right, President Yan, that Black Spade 6 is not to be trifled with. Logically, someone of his caliber shouldn't concern themselves with our mundane affairs..."

"Is it because of that incident where your Starfall Chamber of Commerce impersonated him? Did he come specifically to disrupt us this time?"

"Yes, yes, yes... I heard those lunatics from the Twilight Society hold grudges fiercely. They're probably here for your Starfall Chamber of Commerce!"

The more the presidents of the Silver Moon and Cold Spring Chambers of Commerce pondered, the more convinced they became that this was the case. They quickly began to shift the blame onto Yan Shang, then urged him to stop while they were ahead. After all, the money they had already earned was astronomical; splitting it among the three would be enough for them to establish themselves in other realms.

Of course, since Black Spade 6 was attracted by the Starfall Chamber of Commerce, the other two chambers would naturally take a slightly larger share...

"Shut up!"

Yan Shang sat on the central European-style sofa, coldly observing the confused and panicked residents below. A single sentence silenced the two other presidents, who were clearly harboring ulterior motives.

"Remember this! The only reason you're making money now is because of me!" Yan Shang declared grimly. "Don't try anything clever with me, or I'll make sure none of you leave Aurora City!"

Under Yan Shang's threat, the two presidents immediately fell silent. Recalling the powerful individuals surrounding Yan Shang, they could only quietly return to their seats.

"But... do we really need to keep selling?"

"Why wouldn't we sell? Do you know how much money we're raking in every minute right now? Black Spade 6 has been driven off, there's no reason to stop... Keep selling!" Yan Shang paused for a moment. "Also, have them transfer the first batch of funds up here."

As one of the chamber members behind him nodded and left, silence once again filled the suite.

Just then, the president of the Silver Moon Chamber of Commerce let out a soft exclamation, as if he had noticed something:

"Wait a minute... that vehicle Black Spade 6 drove out... something seems off about it?"

Yan Shang raised an eyebrow and looked in the direction the Silver Moon president indicated. Amidst the dense crowd on Century Avenue, a massive truck sat quietly in the center. As a gentle breeze blew, a corner of the cloth covering the truck was lifted.

"Is that..." Yan Shang's pupils slightly contracted.

"Coal??" The president of the Cold Spring Chamber of Commerce abruptly stood up. "He stole the coal from the factory?!"

"Coal!!! It's coal!!!"

"An entire truck full of coal?!! Heavens, how many tons must that be?!"

"That was Black Spade 6 driving it... Was he intentional or unintentional??"

"Who cares!! With this coal, we're saved!!"

The moment the cloth covering the truck fell away, the crowd instantly erupted. Residents who hadn't managed to gather enough money and were excluded, as well as those patiently queuing for overpriced coal, all surged towards the truck!

Uncle stood at the edge of the crowd, gazing blankly at the figures who, with renewed hope, were shouting in ecstatic joy as they rushed towards the truck. His expression was somewhat dazed...

One person, one truck, had rewritten the fate of everyone here.

"Xiao Jian..." Uncle murmured to himself.

He had never imagined that Xiao Jian, who had once been dependent on the Starfall Chamber of Commerce, bullied from childhood, and was such a heartbreakingly sensible child, could have changed so much... He didn't know what Xiao Jian had endured, but the process must have been full of hardship and bitterness.

"Xiao Jian, please don't let anything happen to you..."

At the same time,

The boiler plant entrance, previously teeming with people, suddenly became empty. The chamber members who were preparing to continue collecting money were utterly dumbfounded.

"What's going on?"

"Black Spade 6 stole the coal?"

"Can you even call this stealing? He smashed the gate and killed people! This is clearly a robbery!!"

"He's taken all the coal; how are we supposed to make money now?"

"Quick! Send people to drive that truck back! We can't let them take any more!!"

At the command of the three major chambers' leaders, dozens of people immediately charged into the crowd, brandishing sticks, knives, and guns. They intimidated people, carving a path through the throng, slowly advancing towards the truck.

However, there were simply too many people surrounding the truck. Even with their full efforts, it was difficult to penetrate the crowd. Moreover, without the squinting man there to provide deterrence, the desperate residents weren't afraid of them at all.

Without coal, everyone would freeze to death... If death was inevitable either way, why fear their sticks, knives, and guns?

Just as the chamber members watched the coal being snatched away, gritting their teeth, a massive dark figure leaped from the top floor of the nearby hotel, plummeting towards the center of the crowd like a meteor!

Boom—!!!

The figure landed precisely on the truck's hood. The terrifying shockwave directly knocked over the people standing on the coal behind the truck, sending them spewing blood as they fell.

It was a giant over three meters tall. Its bare feet crushed the sturdy truck hood as if it were made of paper, transforming it into a pile of mangled metal. Exploding metal fragments sprayed outwards like shotgun pellets, directly hitting innocent residents closest to the truck, who collapsed on the spot, bleeding profusely!

This sudden turn of events instantly terrified the residents who were rushing for coal. They stood around the truck in horror, their faces deathly pale!

With the appearance of this giant, the scene was immediately brought under control. The faces of the three major chambers' members lit up with joy. They seized the opportunity to surround the truck, pointing their sticks, knives, and guns at the residents.

"Go ahead and take it now, huh?!"

"Weren't you so eager to snatch it? Go on, try to take it again if you dare?!"

"Can you snatch it from *him*?!"

They naturally recognized this giant; he was one of the formidable individuals accompanying Yan Shang, the president of the Starfall Chamber of Commerce. He was said to be a powerhouse of the 'God of Strength' path, capable of cracking the earth and collapsing buildings with a single punch, and possessing an invulnerable body... It was even rumored that he could crush nearby humans into pulp using "telekinesis" without moving a muscle!

The giant's immensely oppressive body stood atop the truck's wreckage. Its hollow eyes, as if drawn by hand, appeared vacant and soulless, yet combined with its terrifying physique, they were still enough to intimidate everyone around.

Under the cold sneers of the chamber members, none of the surrounding residents dared to move. But just then, a figure, slowly and unassumingly, began to move out from the crowd towards them.

The person's head was wrapped in cloth, making their face completely indistinguishable; not even a sliver of skin was exposed...

He walked out from the terrified crowd, standing before the chamber members and the giant, as silent as a dormant volcano just before a catastrophic eruption.

"It's you... isn't it?"