Simon went silent. He realized they were threatening him. He originally planned to shut down the factories for as long as possible, at least six months. His goal was to get Oliver and the other businessmen to beg him for mercy. Yet now, Oliver was using the people against him. Simon knew he could not shut down the factories for too long. “I will give you an answer soon. While the investigation is going on, just wait patiently,” he explained. “Don’t worry. We have the patience,” Oliver said with a grin. He and his friends had been waiting for three years, and dealing with Ethan back then had honed their patience. Then, a few men came in through the door. One of them announced, “We are from the water company. Is the water of Aqua City still safe? The quality has dropped below drinking standards. If you cannot provide a solution, we will leave Aqua City for another place.” Simon felt a headache coming.The environmental destruction of Aqua City was huge, and it affected m
The route they were planning to take was different from that of Shawn and Brandon. People like Shawn wanted to flee because they had committed a crime. If they did not run, bullets would be waiting for them. Oliver, on the other hand, was doing legitimate business. The labor force there was cheap, and the location was close to the borders, so there was a market for the products. How could they possibly let go of a primary location like Aqua City? As for what would become of the environment in Aqua City, that was not their concern at all. Besides, if the environment deteriorates, it would be harder to farm fish, and the people could only choose to work in factories instead, which would only benefit them!Simon suddenly lifted his head and looked at those people in shock. He understood now that they were wrong about them from the start. He thought Oliver and his group would leave after making some money. However, it seemed they planned to settle there and continue destroying Aqu
Simon nodded beside him. Fortunately, the situation in Aqua City had not developed to the worst yet. “Aqua City’s economy can bounce back as long as we follow the plan and develop steadily/”Seeing no major issues in Aqua City, Simon planned to return to the capital.Before he left, he warned Stephen again, “As long as you get Aqua City in shape, nobody would dare to point fingers at you, even if you have four or five women by your side. Got it?”Stephen nodded vigorously. “I got it.”Simon patted his shoulder. “This is your comeback. Don’t let such minor setbacks knock you down again.“You’re a Quinn. You need to prove to the world and Ethan that you’re the best!”Fired up, Stephen shouted, “Yes!”“Okay, I’ll get going now.” With that, Simon returned to the capital. He was confident that Stephen could handle the rest alone. Stephen then arranged for a large team to clean up the streets, first restoring Aqua City’s appearance. Next, he hired an expert to assess the water q
Firstly, many people had been fish farming—some even spent their whole lives doing it. Once the fishing industry was abandoned, many people would lose their source of income, leading to widespread unemployment, which would be bad for the economy and stability of Aqua City. Secondly, due to the booming tourism, there were countless hotels, inns, and farm stays in Aqua City. Not long ago, they had just spent millions on relocating towns, building tourism areas, and developing agritourism. Now, all of that would be scrapped. The money would be wasted just like that, and people were going to have strong opinions about it!Most importantly, Aqua City did not have many factories either. Hence, they did not have enough jobs for all the newly unemployed or ensure everyone could make a living. It was no exaggeration to say that once they announced that decision, the people who took out loans to start fish farms, farm stays, and tourism projects would go bankrupt!Stephen asked, “Do you ha
Everyone surrounded the building where Stephen and Adam were located. “Give us an explanation!” Their voices boomed in unison, so loud that the staff inside the building trembled with fear. They had never seen anything like that. Stephen sneaked a glance through the window and felt a chill run down his spine. “What are they trying to do?”Adam held the latest report he just received and said, “They’re fishermen, hotel owners, staff, and townspeople who built the agritourism farm stays. You cut off their source of income, so they have come for an explanation.”Stephen’s eyes widened. “Just because of that? Isn’t it just a change in career?”Adam, still looking at the report, continued, “Many of them took up massive loans. Once we focus on industrial development, they will not be able to repay their debts.”Their debts were in the millions! Even if they worked a nine-to-five, earning three to five thousand a month, they could not repay their debt their whole life. Besides,
Hearing that, the people finally felt relieved. “Alright, let’s disperse.”“Go grab some food. When there’s progress, I’ll inform all of you.”The crowd gradually dispersed. Adam returned to Stephen, smiling. “It’s settled. I plan to drag this out. When they don’t get paid for too long, they’ll stop thinking about it.”Stephen nodded in satisfaction. “You did well this time. Good job!”Adam chuckled. “Not at all. It’s thanks to your guidance.”“Hahaha!” Stephen laughed smugly. Although Adam promised to compensate the people, the reality was that fishing was no longer feasible and the hotels and farm stays had lost their customers.The people, especially those with debts, were becoming increasingly anxious. Debts amounting to millions weighed down on them like a mountain, crushing them. The next day, someone could not wait any longer and rushed in to ask about the progress. A staff member replied, “The investigation is ongoing. Please wait a little longer.”By noon, ano
Inside the building, Stephen was trembling with fear. The crowd today was even larger than before, and this time, it was not just a protest—eight people had died!Everyone in Aqua City wanted an explanation. They wanted justice. “Get the hell out!”“We did nothing to you. Why did you come here to hurt us?”“You murderer! You killed an entire family. May your family suffer just like ours!”The staff had closed the door. They huddled in the corners, pale and shaking, unsure of what to do. Soon, the security guards arrived, trying to stop the crowd from being reckless and doing something foolish. However, this time was different. Previously, the people might have shown some courtesy, but today, people had died, and who knew who might be next tomorrow? From the crowd, someone shouted the security guard’s name, “If you don’t get out of here now, you’re no longer my son!”Most security guards were locals, so they were caught in a difficult position. “Why do we even care abou
“Kill us if you dare!”“We owe a few hundred thousand in debt. Do you think we’re afraid of dying?”“If you protect that asshole today, he might destroy your entire family tomorrow! Believe it or not!”With a loud crash, the front door splintered under the impact.Stephen panicked, but he knew he could not hide anymore. If he were caught, those people might really beat him to death. At that moment, Stephen realized his mistake! Dragging things out and avoiding confrontation would only make matters worse. The real enemy wasn’t from outside; it was the locals of Aqua City!“I’ll pay!” he stammered as he stepped out. “I’m willing to pay.”As soon as Stephen emerged, the crowd grew more agitated, especially those related to the ones who had committed suicide. Their eyes reddened, and they wanted nothing more than to kill Stephen on the spot. “Everyone, please calm down!” shouted a middle-aged man. He was one of the towns’ mayors and had led the group to confront Stephen. His vo