Share

Chapter 135

Author: Old Pumpkin
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-08 14:08:07
Stephen had thought about it during the planning phase. Although blocking the streams might disrupt the water flow and traffic and cause minor economic losses, the gains and profits surpassed the losses.

“Just do as I say.”

However, the head contractor shook his head. “It can’t be done. It really can’t. If you insist, you can find another company to take over.”

The man might take up the challenge if the stadium had to be completed within a year, but a month was ridiculous. He was afraid to take on the project because if anything went wrong, he might be charged or prosecuted.

Stephen lowered his voice, saying. “Let me think about it.”

Only that particular construction company was capable of handling the job at the moment. If they dropped out, the construction progress would be disrupted.

“Alright, but you better think it through. A decision like this can’t be made on impulse,” the head contractor left Stephen with one last advice.

After that, Stephen and the mayor left.

Locked Chapter
Continue to read this book on the APP

Related chapters

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 136

    Stephen stood up. “Can you take me to meet your father now?” “Of course,” Snow said softly.She took her phone out and gave Oliver a call, informing him of the meeting, which he had been prepared for.Half an hour later, Stephen met Oliver in the private room of a restaurant. “You must be Stephen Quinn,” Oliver said, extending his hand to greet Stephen. “You’re so young and talented. You’re going to have a bright future ahead.” Stephen shook his hand with a warm smile. “Nice to meet you, Oliver.” The two sat down, with Snow sitting quietly and obediently beside them. Oliver said, “I’ve ordered for us. I hope you don’t mind.” “I’m okay with anything. You don’t need to be so polite. You can call me Stephen.” “Stephen, it is.” Oliver chuckled. “I didn’t expect Snow to know you.” Stephen glanced at Snow who looked down and said with a smile, “Maybe this is fate.” “Hahaha! Fate is doing a great job! So, what brings us together today, Stephen?” Oliver asked. Without was

    Last Updated : 2024-10-08
  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 137

    “Stephen, what do you think about Snow?” Frightened, Snow’s hand trembled and accidentally spilled some wine on Stephen’s pants. “I’m so sorry!” Snow grabbed a napkin, intending to wipe it off when Stephen said, “It’s okay.” At the same time, he instinctively grabbed her hand, and when they touched, both of them froze. “What’s going on here?” Oliver’s voice brought them back to reality. “Snow, you’re so careless! Where are your manners?” Snow pulled her hand away, her head lowered. “I didn’t mean it.” “Yeah, it’s fine. She didn’t mean it,” Stephen swiftly said. “Well, don’t just stand there. Thank him, Snow.” “Thank you, Stephen,” Snow whispered an apology. Stephen’s heart raced as he stared at her.“Stephen, back to my question, what do you think of Snow?” “Snow’s a great girl,” Stephen replied, suddenly pulling his gaze away from Snow. “Haha!” Oliver burst out laughing while Snow quickly returned to her seat after filling Stephen’s wine glass.Stephen then

    Last Updated : 2024-10-08
  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 138

    Stephen said, “You guys can submit the paperwork tomorrow.” The businessmen put on their best grateful faces and thanked Stephen for his kindness. “Thank you! Thank you!” “I can’t thank you enough!” “Here’s to you!” In reality, their thoughts were elsewhere, thinking it was way too easy. For three years, they had tried everything to get Ethan to grant them approvals to establish their factories in Aqua City. However, with Stephen, it took them less than a day. A few rounds of drinks later, Stephen started to get tipsy. Oliver said, “Since Snow didn’t drink, why not let her send you back?” With that, Snow drove Stephen back to his suite at the hotel. When she was about to leave, he grabbed her hand and made her stay. The next morning, Stephen woke up sober and noticed Snow beside him, naked. Confused, he lifted the blanket, and seeing red on the sheets instantly made him sober up. He asked himself, did he sleep with Snow last night? As his mind raced, trying to p

    Last Updated : 2024-10-08
  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 139

    At the same time, they also analyzed the project of the water stadium to maximize their profit gains. “We can’t slack off on this project either. If things go wrong, we won’t have a good excuse to give.” Soon, they came up with a schedule for the construction. Oliver gave Stephen a call and said, “After meticulous calculations, the water stadium will cost at least three billion.” “Three billion?” Stephen was surprised by the astronomical figure. The previous stadium cost just over a billion, but now it was more than double that to build it on water. “Three billion is just an initial calculation. We might have to increase the budget as it goes. The time frame is too short, after all. “We’ll need to work four shifts and use the best materials and equipment,” Oliver explained. Stephen understood a month was indeed a tight schedule, but it would all be worth it. If the water stadium could be completed in time, the money invested would ensure huge returns. “Provide me with

    Last Updated : 2024-10-08
  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 140

    Back at the federal headquarters, Simon shared the latest updates about Aqua City with everyone in the meeting. “Did Stephen come up with all those plans?” “Simon, were they your ideas?” “Not only is he juggling the tourism and industrial factories well, but he even seized the opportunity to capitalize on the sports games. What an impressive job!” Everyone was surprised that Stephen did such a good job, and seeing his colleagues praising his son, Simon felt proud. He chuckled. “I’m not part of this. He did it all on his own. His previous failures have taught him a lot, and he has grown more mature.” Everyone nodded. “Yeah. He’s more mature now.” “His plans are well thought out. Everything will go smoothly for Aqua City this time!” “I have to say that he’s stepping up and becoming as good as Ethan, even surpassing the latter in a certain aspect.” “Replacing Ethan was the best choice we made.” “Someone used to say without Ethan, Riveria would be over. But with Steph

    Last Updated : 2024-10-08
  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 141

    With things progressing in the right trajectory, Stephen had a lot more free time at hand, so he decided to return to Riveria for a while. “Do you want to come with me?” Stephen asked Snow. “I’ll go wherever you go.” She nodded. Over the past two weeks, their relationship had grown significantly intimate, and Stephen had thought of a way to break the news to Rachel. Being with Rachel was the decision made by the two families, but Snow was his true love. Hence, he decided he would bring Snow along to meet Rachel and make Snow his lover. Rachel, thrilled to have learned that Stephen was coming back, drove to the airport to pick him up. However, when she saw him walking out hand in hand with a girl, she felt completely blindsided. Only when Stephen came up to her did she snap back to reality. She took a deep breath, trying to persuade herself that maybe it was just Stephen’s colleague. Stephen said, “Let me introduce you. This is Snow. You can treat her like your sister from

    Last Updated : 2024-10-08
  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 142

    Once outside the house, Stephen asked Snow, “Are you okay?” “I’m fine. I understand how Rachel feels, so I’ll talk to her when I get the time. I just want to be with you,” Snow said softly. Moved by Snow’s resolve, he said, “I want you to meet someone.” Snow’s heart skipped a beat. Was she finally going to meet Ethan? Still, she asked, “Who is it?” Stephen scoffed. “My arch nemesis. Let’s go.” With that, he drove to Drakthorn Ridge with her. He had been waiting half a month to see Ethan again. In that time, everything in Aqua City had gone smoothly for him, and he had even found love, which would surely crush Ethan when they met again. A while later, they arrived at the mansion. Staring at the mansion, Snow felt nervous. The one responsible for Nina’s death was beyond those doors. Different questions flooded her mind: what was he like? How did he do it? How should she take revenge? “Come on,” Stephen, who was already a few steps in, said when he noticed Snow had not

    Last Updated : 2024-10-08
  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 143

    All the criticism Stephen threw at Ethan had come back to haunt him, and it was a slap in his face.Stephen could feel his face stinging with embarrassment, and his expression was ashen. He had to take a deep breath to force himself to calm down. “Hmph. It’s been half a month, and you’re still as sharp-tongued as ever.” “I’m just stating the truth.” Ethan then asked, “So are you going to publicly criticize yourself? Or are you planning to hide this woman away in some mansion like a dirty secret?” “That’s none of your business!” Stephen could not answer the questions because the answers were not in his favor. “No matter what you say, it won’t change the outcome. You will die here alone!” He had always wanted to crush Ethan mentally, hoping to regain some ground. However, Ethan simply smiled. “Do you really think you can have two women around you for all your life? You’re incapable, but you want everything. However, you won’t get anything, just like the woman beside you.”

    Last Updated : 2024-10-09

Latest chapter

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 654

    Stephen couldn't believe what he just heard. He asked in disbelief, "Dad, what did you just say?"Simon spoke gravely, "Lily Ford is dead. She poisoned herself.”Clatter.Stephen’s phone fell to the floor. At that moment, he felt all his strength drain away.Just a short while ago, Lily had called him, wanting to see him one last time. Now the next news he heard of her was that she had taken her own life!"No! It's impossible! She wouldn't do something so foolish. You're lying, you're all lying!" He clutched his head, his whole body shaking."What's wrong?" Rachel was startled by Stephen's reaction and quickly got up to ask.Stephen came to his senses. Ignoring Rachel, he quickly picked up his phone. "Where is she? Where is she now?"Simon answered, "In the capital. She seems to have been on Drakthorn Ridge."Whoosh.Stephen immediately got out of bed, hastily put on his clothes, and rushed out of the room."Where are you going?" Rachel shouted. However, she got no response.

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 653

    Lily smiled and reached out her hand, gently stroking Jason's face. "It's nice here, but there's somewhere else I want to go now."Jason grabbed her hand. "Lily, don't go. I promise you won't have to marry Sebastian. I won't agree with anyone! Please don't go. Stay with me, please!"Lily smiled brightly at these words. She still thought Stephen was speaking to her.The bodyguards nearby were also getting teary-eyed.Lily held Jason's hand. "When you're old, will you dream of me? I won't wait for you. By then, I'll surely be reborn into a good family. But if I have the chance, I'll definitely come find you. When that time comes, make sure you manage Riveria well and become a well-known figure, so I can find you more easily."It's getting a bit cold. Stephen, hold me tight... I'm a little scared."Only then did Jason realize she was mistaking him for Stephen, but he still held her tightly. He sobbed, "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. I’m here!"Lily's gaze seemed to look past him

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 652

    Meanwhile…Rachel had pulled Stephen into their room.Unable to find any trace of Lily at the foot of the mountain, Jason felt that something was amiss. After asking around, he learned that no one was seen driving down. At this point, alarm bells started ringing in his head.He quickly led his men up to the summit where he found Lily."Lily!" Seeing her standing at the cliff's edge, his heart lurched, and he cried out, "Calm down! Get away from there!"Lily turned to look at him, her face already streaked with tears. She had wanted to see Stephen one last time but was unable to. Instead, it was Jason, her brother who wanted to drag her back, who found her."We can talk about the marriage. Just come here first.” Jason inched forward carefully. "Come to me. I'll make things right."Lily shook her head, knowing these were just lies to trick her. Once they got her back to the Fords, these words would mean nothing."Brother, don't lie to me," she responded. "I know that you’re only

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 651

    Jason could not understand the conversation between Lily and Ethan, but he had not forgotten why he came here. He said to Lily, "Come back with me right now. Everyone's been looking for you since you ran away. Go home and apologize to Mom and Dad, and don't run off like this again. You're getting married in just over a month. Stay home and learn how to be a proper wife."Hearing this, Lily's heart grew heavier. She became more convinced that her gut feeling was correct."I'm not going," Lily said."Stop being ridiculous!" Jason grabbed her arm. "You're coming back with us right now. If the Katz family finds out you're running around like this, it won't be good for any of us. The Fords raised you for all these years. It's time for you to repay them."Lily's last hope died. She finally understood why the Fords were forcing her to marry into the Katz family—they had never seen her as a person. Just like in Cora and Scott's story, both she and Cora were merely bargaining chips for thei

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 650

    Jason’s eyes widened. “Who wiped them out?”“Ethan Rivers! This name keeps coming up.”Jason froze, taken aback. The bodyguards around him and Lily also looked terrified because the man named Ethan Rivers was right before their eyes! Just moments ago, Jason had arrogantly demanded that Ethan apologize to them.The bodyguards could not help but stumble backward.Jason’s mind raced. Those powerful forces were not much weaker than his family, yet Ethan had wiped them all out.What did that mean? It meant it would be no problem for Ethan to wipe out the entire Ford family!“You should understand now,” said Ethan, “that in my eyes, your family and all other families have no dignity or honor to speak of.”Jason turned paled, and his body trembled uncontrollably. “Who exactly are you?”He never knew that such a terrifying figure existed in Riveria.Suddenly, he understood why Stephen had changed so drastically after coming to Riveria. The place was far more terrifying than the powe

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 649

    "You're alone with him in his house. Just the two of you, a man and a woman. Aren't you worried about what people will say? And don't forget your place—you’re still the Katzes’ future daughter-in-law!"Lily lowered her head in despair. Only Ethan remained seated, his expression calm as he looked at Jason.“I can assure you that I don’t find Lily attractive. I can also assure you that the Katzes would not dare to say anything even if they found out she spent the night here. Also, a family that sells off their own daughter has no dignity to speak of.”Jason frowned. “Is that your justification? Do you think you can avoid apologizing with that and simply brush the matter aside?”“No,” said Ethan. “I have just one answer. Your family has a vast intelligence network and access to the largest database. Find out who caused the chaos in Riveria three years ago.”Jason did not understand what Ethan was up to. However, he was curious, especially since Stephen had encountered a series of set

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 648

    “Mr. Rivers.” Lily lowered her head.Ethan looked at her calmly.“I was reckless and irrational yesterday. Please forgive me, Mr. Rivers.”Then, she bowed toward him.In the span of a day, she had experienced Stephen leaving her and her own family locking her up, demanding that she cut ties with Stephen. She had thought things through and came to a realization that the only person in the world who could help her now was the person in front of her—Ethan Rivers. She also understood that she could not walk away unscathed.Her visit today had two purposes. The first was to apologize to Ethan sincerely and earn Ethan’s forgiveness. As for the second...Lily raised her head and looked at Ethan. “I have an unreasonable request. I can’t let him go. Please help me move on from him, Mr. Rivers.”She knew she had to marry Sebastian, so she wanted to move on from Stephen. That way, it would be better for both her and Stephen.Ethan said calmly, “You should go to a psychologist or neurolo

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 647

    Everyone was surprised. In the past, Stephen would always find excuses to avoid responsibility, but now, he was openly admitting to his mistakes.“He’s actually facing all the issues head-on.”“This doesn’t seem like Stephen’s usual style. Is this a PR tactic?”“Who cares what it is? Just criticize him as usual. None of the previous problems have been solved yet.”“That’s true. He still deserves to be criticized!”“A rotten apple will always be rotten. No matter how nice his words sound tonight, he’ll go back to his old tricks tomorrow.”The public was only slightly surprised at his behavior, but they had no doubt as to what he would do in the future—he would continue to destroy the city’s peace.Stephen was prepared for that reaction.“I’ve made too many mistakes in the past. It’s impossible for everyone to believe in me immediately. However, as long as I keep working hard, they’ll slowly change their opinions of me.”After getting everything off his chest, he felt lighter, l

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 646

    “You sure like joking around, Dad,” Rachel responded, trying not to show how much she actually cared about the situation.Then, she added, “It’ll happen naturally.”Simon did not expose her either and simply said, “Do as you please.”He stood and left. He still had a lot to handle, such as the companies leaving in droves and the problems with the development zone.After he was gone, Rachel immediately stood up and went upstairs to look for Stephen. She wanted to take action immediately.When she walked into the room, she saw Stephen sitting at his desk, reading through some documents.“Stop reading that.” Rachel stepped forward and tried to drag him to bed.However, Stephen was not in the mood. His mind was a chaotic mess, consumed by the proposals in front of him and the haunting image of Lily breaking into tears when he left her.“Don’t bother me.” Stephen pushed Rachel away.Rachel was stunned. Stephen had always cared deeply for her. Since their marriage, she had not even

DMCA.com Protection Status