abnormal mutation

Chapter 161 Starting Today, I'll Be a Boss
Sogattak.

The top floor of the Oath Building was brightly lit.

Dozens of people gathered together, but only six people sat at the conference table, while the others sat on the sides.

An elderly man with gray hair and beard sat in the main seat. He had a pair of sharp eyes perched on his large nose, and his gaze was quite intimidating.

Suleiman sat opposite him, looking relaxed.

At this moment, Committee Member Gao Wen began to speak with great intonation, and everyone listened attentively, their expressions growing increasingly shocked.

"...Councilor Otto unexpectedly discovered the missing [Honest] and [Sacrifice], and immediately engaged in battle with two Sequence Extraordinary individuals from the Deep Sea Path, as well as dozens of Seafolk and Gill People..."

They finally captured the frogmen and some of the sea creatures alive. During the standoff with the octopus monster, Director Otto revived the twenty-eight dying crew members and Commissioner Liam, and together they gained control of the three cargo ships before returning to port...

The octopus monsters retreated after being confronted with difficulties, and their whereabouts are unknown. It is said that they belong to an organization called the Storm Council, and the intelligence department is conducting a full investigation..."

His words caused a huge uproar. As soon as he finished speaking, everyone could no longer suppress their shock and doubt, and a clamor erupted.

"The intelligence department is going too far. Is this some kind of fabricated story?" Benedict was the first to lose his composure, making no attempt to hide his anger. He even suspected that this was a clumsy tactic by Suleiman to promote Roland.

“Committee member Gao Wen, please tell me, how did an ordinary person who just entered the extraordinary realm last month manage to capture the middle sequence alive? And how did he suddenly appear in the vast ocean?” His questions came one after another.

Many senior deacons nodded in agreement, for the question had voiced their true feelings.

“The intelligence was jointly submitted by Commissioners Liam and Matthew, so it’s highly credible. Commissioner Safawi just returned from Almosid today and has also confirmed the veracity of this matter.” Gawain remained calm and composed, a faint smile always on his face.

"Also, I just learned something interesting." After glancing around, he pulled out another document. "The granddaughter of Earl Bernadotte suffers from a serious congenital illness. She has sought medical treatment for many years, spending a lot of money, but to no avail. Even many high-sequence extraordinary individuals are helpless."

But today, she was cured by Commissioner Otto, and the reward... was two hundred thousand German dollars!

The room fell silent for a moment, then erupted in uproar.

What does 200,000 mean? A huge security consulting firm with more than a thousand employees can't even make 200,000 in profit a year.

The shipping group with the largest investment and heavy assets has an annual profit of just over one million, yet it is already one of the top ten shipping giants in the Xide Empire.

Count Bernardot, having navigated the business world for decades, was certainly no fool. It was impossible to get him to willingly spend money through deception.

“But that only proves he has the ability to help Commissioner Liam.” Benedict’s tone softened; he was questioning, not targeting him.

He also voted in favor of Roland becoming a director. "Performing" internal strife in front of outsiders was partly to express his stance, and partly an act.

No one wants to see a united Northern Merchant Guild, especially the royal family.

He's always been a smart aleck, he doesn't need to act, he just needs to tone it down.

"Why don't we just call him over and ask him in person?" Suleiman said calmly.

"Then why hold this meeting today?" Benedict complained.

“Weren’t you curious about how he got to the sea?” Suleiman pulled out a pyramid-shaped tetrahedron and placed it on the conference table.

With a light touch of the fingertip, the pyramid immediately shone brightly, turning into a golden spectacle.

A dozen seconds later, a figure wearing a dark gold cloak appeared out of thin air beside the conference table. He took off the cloak, revealing a handsome face.

It was Roland!

Hussein's pupils contracted slightly, and the shock in his eyes could not be concealed.

'The spirit world! He can freely enter and exit the spirit world!'

Roland's invisibility could not fool him, but there was no warning before he appeared; he could only sense a fleeting aura of the spirit world.

The prerequisite for the physical body to enter and exit the spirit world is the initial unification of the three natures, which he cannot do. Only Suleiman in the entire Northern Merchant Guild can do it.

Moreover, he keenly noticed the intricate magical runes that flashed across Roland's eyes, at least ten rings.

"Good evening, esteemed committee members and colleagues." Roland bowed slightly, his gaze inadvertently meeting Suleiman's. This was something the two had planned; Suleiman had anticipated that someone would raise questions, and one way to quell those questions was to demonstrate strength.

Holding back your trump card and playing dumb to outmaneuver others are two different things. In this world, the strong are respected, and strength is the passport. Demonstrating strength can not only avoid trouble but also secure huge benefits for yourself.

Hussein forced a stiff smile: "Roland's here, please have a seat. I've been wanting to see you for a long time, but I've been too busy."

Seeing you makes me realize how old I've truly become; the future belongs to you young people.

The expressions of the crowd changed slightly. Hussein was an old stubborn man who never admitted to being old, and even someone as strong as Suleiman could not make him bow his head.

This sudden change of attitude is probably a signal of backing down.

The top brass of Hussein's faction exchanged worried glances, feeling that their good days were over.

Suleiman seemed to have anticipated this; the two had been fighting for years and knew each other better than they knew themselves.

Hussein wasn't power-hungry, but rather attached to power and distrustful of others. If he had truly suppressed his competitors, Suleiman wouldn't have been able to advance smoothly to the higher ranks.

During his tenure, the Northern Merchant Guild repeatedly backed down, biding its time, avoiding direct confrontation, and preserving the overall situation. Suleiman, on the other hand, was full of vigor and had a completely different approach.

The internal strife was real, but there was also an element of deliberate indulgence by the two to weaken their own threat and focus on cultivating strong individuals. They earned less and less money, but the middle and high ranks did not break apart.

He also wanted to recruit talent from outside the industry, but that would cause the chamber of commerce to gradually spiral out of control. Just like the Thistle Chamber of Commerce, whose founder died mysteriously and whose new president struggled to steer the ship, it was only a matter of time before it went astray.

Neither could convince the other until a "variable" appeared.

"You're in the right place at the right time. You and Commissioner Suleiman are both pillars of the Chamber of Commerce, and neither of you can be missing." Roland didn't quite understand the feud between the two, so he just said polite things.

"Haha..." Hussein laughed heartily, "We were just discussing you a moment ago, but now there's no more controversy."

"With that move you just made, none of these committee members could do anything to you. No wonder the Seventh Apostle returned empty-handed."

"You flatter me." Roland shook his head slightly. "The world is vast and full of wonders. I am just an apprentice. Only by being cautious can I live longer."

“Very good.” Hussein’s eyes lit up, and he appreciated the young man even more.

It's better to be cautious; only by staying alive can you have a future. He couldn't stand Suleiman's radical nature.

The following meeting went exceptionally smoothly, without any questions or disputes, in a harmonious atmosphere, and all matters related to the Roland Award were passed unanimously.

Roland was stunned; the difficulties he had anticipated did not materialize.

Wasn't it said that there was serious infighting within the Chamber of Commerce? Wasn't it said that Hussein was autocratic? Wasn't there a bad habit of seniority-based promotion?

Roland was elected as a preparatory committee member in a daze. He had no voting rights, but he enjoyed the same treatment as the thirteen committee members. He could take office after entering the middle ranks.

At the same time, he was given full control of the security consulting firm and was given 30% of the net profits as training resources until he was promoted to a higher rank.

As Gao Wen explained the benefits of being a committee member, Roland's face was full of smiles.

The basic annual salary for committee members is 50,000 German Yuan. The headquarters will take care of all the extraordinary knowledge and promotion potions, without spending a single penny.

If you have the ability to advance to demigod status, the Chamber of Commerce will sell everything it owns to support you!

In addition, it offers housing, automobiles, custom clothing, and a team of more than ten assistants.

All services provided by their own businesses are free, such as hotels, train and ship tickets; auction houses offer free services; and they can intercept or procure scarce resources through internal channels.

The welfare section alone took several minutes to read, covering a wide range of aspects.

However, the greatest privilege is this position. There was no such thing as a preparatory committee member before. The thirteen committee members were fixed. Unless they made a serious mistake, they would only step down when they got old.

Roland will most likely become the fourteenth member, an even number, which is unusual and indicates a significantly different status.

'I'm a big shot now?!'

(End of this chapter)