“Those are just your excuses! You’re just taking your frustration out on innocent people!” Simon bellowed, You’re such a coward! We asked you for help because we thought you were still redeemable, but you’re beyond saving!”Ethan smiled. “To be honest, you’re just afraid of being laughed at when the others learn the truth.” “Ha! You have quite a sharp tongue, but what good is that? You abandoned Seaside City and let Howard roam free!” Simon argued. Ethan closed his eyes. Seeing that, Simon grinned. He believed he had won. With Ethan speechless, it seemed he had no other option but to restore balance in Seaside City! The others also shared the same thought until Ethan suddenly opened his eyes. “Yeah. You’re right, but you people are shouldering the responsibility this time. You released Howard, lost Dennis, and destroyed Seaside City. Just wait and see what the history books will remember you.” Ethan’s comment shocked everyone in the meeting room. The meaning of his words
Howard went from a hero to a traitor overnight. With money and firearms, he fled the city, which exacerbated the mess in Seaside City. The one who caused the mess, Dennis, the mayor of Crestwood, also fled with the money he scammed from the people, evading capture and leaving no trace behind. However, the one who released Howard back to Seaside City was not Stephen but someone else. When the news hit the internet, everyone online was left in shock. Many rubbed their eyes and pinched their faces, struggling to believe what they saw. Howard was labeled a traitor and had taken off with money and firearms? The one who caused the mess, Dennis, was also roaming free?“What on earth is happening? Howard Green is a bad guy now?” “I thought he guarded Seaside City for three years. Why did he flee with money and firearms?” “What happened?” In just two days, Howard had gone from a bad guy to a hero and ultimately a traitor. The rapid shift in his identity was too much for people to h
However, there was nothing George could not say. Stephen’s status trumped him. Even if he had complaints, he had to stomach it. If he somehow upset Stephen, the Quinns would surely sanction him, and he would lose more than he bargained for. George sighed. He felt like he was digging his own grave. “Stephen may be blind, but what about the others in the federal government? Shawn Hill, Eric Morningstar, Brandon North, and now Howard Green? All of them were publicly praised, and now look, they all turned out to have issues! “Even if the main problem this time isn’t with Stephen and the federal government, they should share some of the responsibility!” Even though Simon came up with a solution of finding a scapegoat, the public was not buying it. At the federal government’s office, everyone remained silent. Even with a scapegoat in place, they were still blamed for it. They dared not imagine what the reaction would be if the public knew the truth. Maybe it would turn out exac
“Riveria’s GDP has dropped from its previous 15 trillion to 13.2 trillion.” More than a million people had lost their jobs, countless businesses had gone bankrupt, public welfare in cities had taken a hit, and people were losing their homes. “If Riveria’s GDP continues to plummet, we will lose the title of the most developed province and stray further away from our target of 20 trillion!” Simon was rendered speechless. He knew Riveria was in a mess because of Stephen. He and George had conspired to frame Ethan, intending to claim the fruits of success Ethan had planted long ago. By stealing all the credit and hard work from Ethan, he aimed to get a position in the cabinet and ensure his name would go down in history. Yet now, instead of reaching 20 trillion, they should be relieved it had not plummeted faster than it already had. “Is Stephen really up to this? Should we replace him?” someone asked, looking at Simon. “No! This is not entirely his fault,” Simon argued. “Our
“Is there something else?”Stephen thought there was something Simon had forgotten to tell him. However, when he looked at his phone, his eyes widened in shock.That number belonged to Howard, and he could not believe the man had the nerve to call him!Immediately answering the call, Stephen gritted his teeth and said “Howard Green, damn you!”“Haha!” Howard laughed.“I’ve never killed before, yet you label me a murderer. Tell me. How many people have lived happy lives in the three years I protected Seaside City? You didn’t even look into it before throwing me in prison.“I admit that I’ve done many wrong deeds in the past that deserve punishment, but… Stephen Quinn, you arrested me at will and made up false charges of me, and now look at what you’ve done to Seaside City. How many families have been destroyed because of you? Don’t you deserve to be punished too?”Stephen stood frozen and speechless.What Howard did in the past was indeed wrong, but compared to Stephen, what Ste
However, he did not care.With the upcoming ‘gift’, every lie Stephen had prepared would ultimately shoot himself in the foot.Dennis handed over a memory card to Howard and said, “I know what you’re planning. There’s a video in there. It contains the whole footage of Stephen’s visit to Crestwood, including the part where he was poisoned and dumped in the trash by us.“If everyone finds out that he met me, got beaten up, and then tossed out like garbage, imagine how they’ll see him. I’m looking forward to it.”Dennis relished the drama. He had nearly 10 billion worth in assets now, and it was enough for him to squander for the rest of his life.“Thanks.” Howard took the card and walked away.Meanwhile, Stephen, who had yet to learn what Howard and Dennis were planning, felt incredibly uneasy.“Forget it. They’re not even in the country, so they can’t do anything even if they want to. They’re too busy running for their lives. Why would they waste time on me? I’m sure they’re just
The mayor led Stephen to the car and headed to the first shelter.In the car, the mayor asked quietly, “How much money and supplies did you bring this time?”Stephen smiled. “10 million, and some canned food, tents, and so on.”The mayor instantly fell silent.Only 10 million and stuff like canned food and tents? If those supplies were from someone else, the people would be grateful and appreciative. However, they were from Stephen!Whose was responsible for the downfall of Seaside City? It was Stephen! Seaside City would not be in this situation if he had not arrested Howard. His reckless move had caused Seaside City’s GDP to plummet by 1.2 trillion.With the city crippled, stabilizing it and restoring its infrastructure would cost billions, but he only brought 10 billion. It was the same as injuring someone and only handing over a dollar when the treatment could cost tens of thousands. What was worse was that Stephen’s family was rich, and Stephen himself held a high position.
“I believe that as long as we work together, we’ll surely overcome this crisis! Dennis Lewis can’t knock us down, and Howard Green can’t defeat us either. The final victory will be ours...”After his speech, Stephen raised his fist into the air. Applause roared from both the audience in the livestream and the hall.The audience cheered for Stephen while many in the hall were moved. Stephen’s words deeply resonated with them; even if they had complaints, they had put them aside. Now, they were filled with hope for the future.“How can there be someone so dedicated in this world? I’m going to cry.”“I have to say, Stephen is a real man.”“Although Seaside City has encountered some issues, with Stephen around, everything will be resolved.”“Seaside City will rise again!”The internet was filled with high praise for Stephen.By then, the reporters had also approached with their prepared questions.“The issues in Seaside City aren’t exactly trivial. Do you really have the confidenc
“Everything we’ve worked hard on would go to waste, and the Quinn family would be plunged into endless doom. The federal government would cull us. Nobody would let us off.”The issue now was not as simple as stealing Ethan’s achievements and locking him up. They were unafraid to do it in the past because they thought Ethan was an incapable orphan without any backing. They figured he just got lucky. However, they were wrong. Ethan turned out to be the Grand Marshal’s only mentee and the head of the Ledger family’s chosen one. He was also the one who intimidated the South Regent into retreating and achieving peace for Riveria. Everyone in the province owed him their lives.Just the revelation of his identity and achievements would be more than they could handle, and there was a new problem. Under their management, Riveria had nothing but problems. The province was once the nation’s largest, boasting a 15 trillion GDP, but how much of it was left now? It had long since fallen to
It happened all too suddenly. He had done everything he could to prevent this. He had made countless preparations, ensuring no criminals or illegal weapons could get in, and even arranged his own men to be the “lucky audience” chosen for the interactive session. Yet, he had not expected a celebrity of that level to speak out for Ethan. Simon racked his brains, trying to figure out how it all happened. However, how would he know that the celebrity had become famous thanks to Ethan? His mind buzzed, completely blank. He could only say, “We will investigate this matter. Everyone, please wait for our notice. For now, please continue to enjoy tonight’s show!”He handed the mic to the host and rushed off stage. The show had to go on. He had put too much effort into inviting celebrities and pouring money into security to have it go to waste like that.Unfortunately, people’s attention was not on the show anymore. Stephen, Simon, Riveria, and Ethan immediately started trending. The e
However, the truth was that everything she went through had nothing to do with Ethan, while the hardships he had encountered were even more unbearable than hers. However, he always remained calm and was even willing to lend a hand. “I’m sorry.” Snow trembled, tears streaking across her face. There was so much she wanted to say, but she did not know where to start. She could only apologize repeatedly and wipe her tears away. Her heart was filled with resentment toward Stephen, who was no human at all! Lily also spoke, her voice shaking, “I can’t believe you were the author. And you’ve done so much!”She thought back to the first time they met and when she called Ethan petty. Now, she finally understood how generous Ethan was. He had sacrificed himself to protect everyone in Riveria, saved her life when she should have been dead, and helped her find a new meaning in life. Yet what about him? He was imprisoned in that desolate mountain alone. Lily thought about herself. As the
Leo continued, "The song I just performed, my breakthrough hit, was written by him, and not just this song, but many other well-known songs and TV shows… He was behind them all."He listed several works that were famous nationwide and even worldwide, like "The Cosmic Conundrum," "Nick's Maritime Tales," "An Aquatic Adventure," "Billy and the Magical Realm," and "The Divine Ring.”The audience was stunned. The list Leo provided included many of their beloved works. They never imagined that the creator of these treasured pieces had done so much good for society.Even more shocking was the author's fate. He was falsely accused and had his achievements stolen. Worst of all, he was wrongfully imprisoned!The audience's anger ignited as they shouted from below the stage."Who was treated so unjustly?""Tell us who it is! We can't allow a hero to be treated this way!""Those who sacrifice for others shouldn't be left to freeze in the storm!""Was it Ethan Rivers who did this? He's cor
"I regret not being there in person. Hearing this live would've made my life complete.""Tell me about it. I had tickets but gave them away. Now I'm kicking myself.""Who wrote this song? It reminds me of graduation day."Three years after its release, the TV show was trending again because of the song."Even after three years, I wish the writer would change the ending.""Forget changing it completely, just give us a glimmer of hope!""Please just kill me. Why write such a heartbreaking ending?"Back at the mansion, a group of people discussed the drama over dinner.Cora sighed. "The female lead died of cancer, and the male lead ended up going to their dream university alone. That ending destroyed me.""I know." Lily wiped away tears. "Everyone in my class talked about it. We all thought it was too tragic."Avery nodded. "It was seeing separations like this that drove me to study medicine."After witnessing the Grand Marshal's death and the drama's ending, she threw herself
A celebrity slowly walked onto the stage.The crowd erupted in excitement when they saw him, shouting his name. It was Leo Cross, the hottest singer of recent years.Though in his forties, he was good-looking. Combined with his naturally husky voice, his song "One Person Remembering Another" went viral three years ago."Hello, everyone." Leo smiled as he walked to center stage. "I'm Leo Cross. Today, I'll be performing my breakthrough hit, 'One Person Remembering Another.'"The audience burst into thunderous applause.The song was universally known not just for its beautiful lyrics but also for being the theme song of a wildly popular TV drama. The show, which centered around school life, young romance, and heartbreak, moved millions to tears with its finale where the leads parted ways.Viewers, devastated by the ending, took to social media demanding the writer change it. Even those who had not watched a single episode felt the weight of that ending. The show was hailed as that
That step was called "forging the heart." The logic was simple: if they could kill someone they loved, what else would they hesitate to do?Yet, even with such brutal training, those assassins failed, and their organizations were eventually destroyed root and branch."If it were me," the South Regent said, "I would ask him: 'Everyone around you, in every city you've been to, has met with misfortune. You had solutions to all these problems, so why did you just stand by and watch it happen?'"He turned to Ethan with a grin. "What do you think of my question, Lord Rivers?""Don't ask such foolish questions during dinner," Ethan replied coolly. "If you want to break him, just have Hugo ask him when he plans to die."The South Regent froze, stunned by the vast difference between his approach and Ethan's. Ethan's question was not just more concise; it was lethal.Hugo was Stephen's greatest weakness. If Hugo were to ask Stephen about his death, the results would be devastating. A blow
Perhaps he would end up coughing up blood and being hospitalized again. Then, all their previous efforts to comfort him would be instantly ruined. On top of it all, those questions would reveal many truths they had desperately tried to conceal.Simon quickly had someone escort the lucky audience member away while ordering others to forge Stephen's spending records. After that, he hurried up on stage himself."I’m sorry. There was a small interruption just now. I know all of you have many questions, so let me explain everything. Stephen is indeed the Grand Marshal's only successor. As for what that person said about the spending records, those were baseless lies. I've gotten someone to retrieve the spending records, which will be published online later.”Simon spoke with conviction. "That person earlier was deliberately trying to sabotage the event."Due to our excellent security measures, they found no way to disrupt the event. And so, they got desperate and started making up lies
The number of viewers in the livestream skyrocketed.Everyone wanted to know if Stephen’s skills really came from the Grand Marshal. Would the Grand Marshal really have trained a student like him?All eyes were on Stephen.Now, it was Stephen’s turn to be silent. He had not expected this question, and he instinctively wanted to lie.However, just as he was about to speak, Ethan’s words from today flashed through his mind.“You don’t even dare to tell the truth. What right do you have to apologize?”Maintaining a lie often meant weaving an even bigger one, over and over, until the truth was inevitably exposed.Should he admit the truth?Stephen hesitated. If he revealed the truth here, everything would end. He would not have to be so exhausted anymore.“What are you waiting for?” Suddenly, Simon’s voice rang in his earpiece, “Hurry up and answer. You are the Grand Marshal’s student. The gala is our only hope. Nothing can go wrong!”Stephen’s heart instantly sank. He wanted to