Fang Zhen retracted his spear.

He took a look. Just from that single strike of the Li Shan Seal - Po Shan, the immense force channeled into the spear had caused its tip to glow red-hot.

Looking at the spearhead, Fang Zhen knew he needed to get a sturdier, more durable spear, preferably one with some Extraordinary effects.

He walked around to the other side of the wall.

There, he saw a huge, cone-shaped crater centered on the point his spear had struck. It was over one and a half meters in diameter. Beyond the cone of destruction, a web of cracks spiderwebbed outwards for more than three meters.

He could only imagine what would happen if that spear strike had landed on an enemy...

Fang Zhen guessed that if he were to face Viscount Montagu now, one such spear strike might leave the front of Montagu's armor intact, but the force would likely shatter the armor on his torso and back, sending the pieces flying. It would be a one-hit kill.

The difference in destructive power was like hitting a nail with a regular hammer versus using a nail gun.

Fang Zhen sighed with some emotion.

'Without even realizing it, my strength has grown to this extent.'

"I've damaged the wall pretty badly. It's not right to mess up someone else's factory like this. Good thing it's not a load-bearing wall. When the lease is up and I don't renew, I'll hire someone to rebuild it."

Fang Zhen stored the spear in his King's Belt and walked outside.

After leaving the factory and getting into his car, his phone suddenly chimed with a notification.

He picked up his phone to look.

He saw a message from someone with the ID 'Guess I'll Have to Eat the T-Rex'.

"Boss Fang, Boss Fang! I'm about to arrive in Xiahai. Is there a place to stay? My classmate and I were wondering if we could crash at your place to save some money on travel expenses?"

"Huh?" The ID seemed unfamiliar, so Fang Zhen tapped the profile picture to check the contact note.

The note read 'Niece'.

"Ah, it's Wen Ziyu. She changed her profile picture and nickname again."

Fang Zhen couldn't help but smile when he saw the name.

The person who sent the message was indeed his niece, Wen Ziyu.

Fang Zhen had other relatives, but people didn't visit family all that often these days. An increasing number of people treated their relatives like friends. The attitude of many young people was simple: if they clicked, they'd stay in touch; if not, they wouldn't bother.

Wen Ziyu was his older cousin's daughter, and Fang Zhen got along fine with this cousin.

He had a good impression of this cousin because he used to mooch a lot of manga, game cartridges, and arcade tokens off him back in the day.

His cousin was over ten years older than him, while Fang Zhen wasn't that much older than Wen Ziyu.

Wen Ziyu was a sweet and cute girl who had been quite clingy with Fang Zhen when she was little.

The age gap between them wasn't huge, so they had a good relationship.

There was a reason Wen Ziyu called him Boss Fang.

Back when he was still a freelancer, he would sometimes pass on small, paid tasks that weren't too technically demanding to Wen Ziyu and her classmates online. They always did a decent job.

It reduced Fang Zhen's workload, and for Wen Ziyu and her friends, it was like a summer job that earned them a good amount of spending money.

It was summer vacation for students now, so he figured Wen Ziyu had come to Xiahai with a classmate for fun.

'That mischievous girl, pulling a surprise visit on me.'

"You can't stay at my place," Fang Zhen replied.

He had the Dungeon Life game and a pile of important items at home; there was no way he could let Wen Ziyu come over.

Wen Ziyu immediately sent a sticker of a green cartoon parrot with a wronged expression.

"But I can book a hotel room for you, and I'll cover the cost. I can also treat you to a meal. The rest of your time and expenses are up to you," Fang Zhen sent another message.

Wen Ziyu instantly replied with another cartoon parrot sticker, this one with sparkling, expectant eyes.

"Boss Fang's treat? Yay!"

…

「An hour later.」

「The Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in Xiahai City.」

Fang Zhen checked into a suite with two girls who looked to be seventeen or eighteen.

The taller girl behind him, about five-foot-five, was his niece, Wen Ziyu. She was wearing a white graphic tee and faded blue jeans, with her hair in a ponytail. She was slender and always seemed ready to smile.

Behind Wen Ziyu was her classmate and best friend, Song Yafei. She was a little shorter, had a bookish air about her, and her skin was slightly tanned. She wore black-framed glasses, casual pants, and canvas shoes.

Right now, both girls were looking down at their phones, apparently chatting with friends on a messaging app.

These two were pretty bold. They had just told their families they were going on a trip, grabbed their small travel bags, and come to Xiahai for summer vacation. And they only told Fang Zhen right before they got off the train.

After asking about their plans and learning they were here for a cosplay convention, Fang Zhen booked this hotel near the convention center.

The DoubleTree is one of the better business hotels under the Hilton brand, a step up from the more accessible Hampton and Garden Inn.

Fang Zhen used to stay there occasionally when there were promotions, but he usually stayed at places like All Seasons or Atour.

Of course, he had a lot more money now, so his options had naturally expanded.

After getting the room key, he turned and looked at Wen Ziyu.

His young niece was a second-year in high school. Despite her quirky and mischievous personality, she was a good student, ranking in the top twenty or thirty in her entire school. She was the type who knew how to have fun but also took her studies seriously.

Fang Zhen led the two girls upstairs to the suite.

Once inside, Wen Ziyu saw the nice accommodations and let out a cheer. "Whoa! Is this the kind of place you adults stay in, Uncle? It feels really nice."

"I booked it for two days. Checkout is at noon the day after tomorrow. Just go to the front desk then," Fang Zhen said. "I'm going to make a dinner reservation. Rest for half an hour to an hour, and then I'll come pick you up."