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Chapter 218
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 219
As the truck drove off, the bodyguard’s car drove past Stephen’s car. He widened his eyes in shock as he watched the car drive past his own and the truck before disappearing beyond the road. He sweated profusely. It was then he realized that the kidnappers came prepared! They used trucks and a spare car to fool the bodyguards! “Who are you?!” Stephen asked. His body was trembling as he sensed danger looming. He had a feeling that his life was under threat. “Who we are is not important. The important thing is…” The man in the rear seat chuckled. “Why don’t we play a game?” “Game? Is my life a game to you?!” Stephen was agitated. He was the son of Simon Quinn of Metropolis, not some random John Doe! “Don’t worry. I know who you are and we won’t hurt you. Don’t you want us arrested?” A sudden realization struck Stephen. He was behind the wheel with the kidnapper behind him. If the kidnapper did not dare hurt him, he could easily drive the car to the police station and th
The Guardian's Return Chapter 220
Stephen clenched his teeth and unwillingly stepped on the brake. The car was less than a hundred meters away from the police station. The man in the rear seat chuckled. “It seems like you’ve lost.” He pulled out a smoke grenade and detonated it in the car. Bang! Smoke billowed inside the car, forcing Stephen to leap out, coughing and gasping for air. The pedestrians were shocked, thinking that the car had caught on fire. Stephen made his way to the back of the car to open the door, but the kidnapper was long gone. “Fuck!” he cursed. He felt defeated and aggrieved. He was less than a hundred meters away from sending the kidnapper to jail, yet he was forced to let the man go. On top of that, he was held up for a full five minutes at the truck, which was more than enough time for the kidnappers to transfer Richard somewhere else. He pulled his phone out to call for help. He ordered his men to seal all the possible routes out of the city and set up roadblocks to inspect t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 221
Stephen pulled out his phone to call the mayor, James. The call got through immediately. “Do you know what happened?” James knew exactly what had happened because he had ordered his assistant, Tommy, to abduct Richard. As a matter of fact, Tommy simply carried out his task without understanding its essence. It was the mayor who had told him to meet the factory owner. Then, the South Regent’s men shoved Richard into the trunk without Tommy’s knowledge. The mayor had simply told the assistant to drive out of the city. With that, Richard was whisked out of the city without any hassle. James feigned ignorance and asked, “What?” “Your assistant, Tommy… He kidnapped Richard!” “What?! How? Why would he do something like that? We must go after him right away!” James said in a shocked tone. When Tommy came back in another car, he had driven straight into the surveillance zone and roadblocks, hence his immediate apprehension. He was still confused when the police took him.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 222
The South Regent did not plan to explain himself either. He said, “In three days, I want to see a hundred billion. If there’s no money, you can take his body back.” The phone call ended. George fell on the couch, feeling drained and exhausted. The South Regent had joined the fray and was demanding a hundred billion, which was an astronomical figure. On top of that, Celestial City was facing another crisis as well—the departure of the major companies. The city’s GDP would decline with their absence, and following the abduction of Richard, fewer people would want to expand their businesses locally. George originally planned for foreign companies to fill in the positions of those who departed, but the South Regent had taken Richard. If the news got out, no other companies would come and the remaining local companies would be terrified. No one wanted to be abducted by the South Regent! George did not see this coming at all. “What should we do now?” His forehead was glisteni
The Guardian's Return Chapter 223
“I am not familiar with Riveria from three years ago. I should ask someone who knows better.” Stephen thought of George who had been living in Riveria and should know the truth about the South Regent’s defeat. He went looking for George immediately. “Three years ago, who defeated the South Regent?” The question made George ponder for a moment. “To be honest, I don’t really know. I just know that the South Regent left overnight. I also know that it is related to Ethan.” With the Grand Marshal in power, George never really cared about Riveria back then. After the Grand Marshal passed away, Ethan took over, so he continued his carefree life. He lived happily and peacefully for three years. As for why the South Regent retreated overnight, he only heard rumors about it. Stephen frowned. “Is this also related to Ethan?” Three years ago, Ethan was the one who had brought peace to Riveria. “Could Ethan be the Grand Marshal’s student?” However, Stephen quickly shook his head t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 224
Stephen looked around but did not spot a third person. He ultimately pulled his attention back to Ethan. “Don’t tell me you are the one who brought peace to Riveria three years ago. Hahaha, your tricks won’t work on me anymore. Go find someone else. I’ve already figured out the truth.” Stephen sat down on the opposite couch. “After the Grand Marshal passed away, his student took over his duties and brought peace to Riveria. But he got tired of everything and decided to step down. Then he saw you, an orphan with nothing. He took pity on you and gave you all the credit, allowing you to join the Quinns and have a new identity. Am I right?” He looked at Ethan, hoping to spot shock or other expression, but all he saw was a smile. No shock, no surprise, only a smile meant for idiots. “Your story is much more interesting than life. Too bad it’s fictional. The student that you are looking for and the orphan is the same person—me,” Ethan said. “Impossible!” Stephen refused to be
The Guardian's Return Chapter 225
Samuel was in Metropolis! Three years ago, he got hurt on the battlefield and was forced to retire to recover. “He’s in Metropolis. Why are you looking for him? I’ll meet him instead,” Simon said. Stephen said, “I want to ask him about the student’s location… the student of the Grand Marshal.” Simon immediately understood the assignment. He hung up the phone and went looking for Samuel. In a massive courtyard house, Simon met Samuel who had silver hair and a scrawny figure. Many years of war had taken a toll on his body, leaving him with countless scars and illnesses. He was only in his early 60s but looked twice as old. Samuel was surprised to see Simon. He got up and said, “I didn’t know you were coming. Please forgive me for not welcoming you properly.” “It’s totally fine.” Even Simon dared not ask the man to officially welcome him. Samuel was one of the Grand Marshal’s right-hand men and a general himself. He had three sons, two of whom had died on the battlefield
The Guardian's Return Chapter 226
Stephen could not help but laugh. Meanwhile, Ethan picked up a pen and paper and wrote a letter. The content was simple. He did not ask the South Regent to release the hostage. Instead, it said, “I will no longer intervene with the affairs of Riveria.”He said he would not care about Riveria anymore, and he meant it. He had managed Riveria for three years, turning it from a poor province to one of the richest in the country. He had done more than enough. Whether Riveria prospered or declined in the future had nothing to do with him. It was all in fate’s hands now. Before long, Stephen arrived.“Where is it?” He walked in and slammed his hands on Ethan’s table, saying, “Where’s the letter my senior gave you?”Ethan tossed the letter in front of Stephen. “Hmph.” Stephen held the letter smugly. “You didn’t expect it, huh? Even without your help, we managed to contact that senior. Now that I have the letter from him agreeing to help us, what are your thoughts?“Are you regret
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 880
Thanks to Stephen’s shout out, many tourists came to the town to join the festival. Stephen watched the bustling crowd, lost in thought, when two familiar figures suddenly appeared.Stephen trembled as his eyes widened in disbelief. They were Snow and Lily!He snapped out of his daze and rushed into the crowd. However, when he was standing right where he had seen them, they were gone. He looked around him, but with so many people moving around, he could not look far.“Was it just my imagination?”Stephen calmed himself down. He had been through so much lately that he was starting to hallucinate. How could Snow and Lily be there anyway?Believing he needed some rest, he booked a room and took a nap. When he lay down on the bed, he quickly fell asleep from all the exhaustion.He dreamed about Snow and Lily, as well as Rhys. However, Rhys was surrounded by thick fog that obscured his face.Stephen looked at him and asked, “Did you ever think of giving up?”Rhys said, “There are so
The Guardian's Return Chapter 879
“He’s amazing.” Stephen asked excitedly, “Where is he now? I’d like to meet him.”The mayor took a deep drag of his cigarette and blew it out. “You can’t.”“Huh?” Stephen did not understand.The mayor replied, “He’s dead.”Stephen froze. Rhys, the person hailed as the second Ethan Rivers, was dead? “How could that be?”The mayor gazed at the sky outside the door. “It’s been like this since ancient times. Heroes never live long enough to grow old in this world. He got cancer and passed away not long after Riveria achieved peace. We started this festival to honor him and other heroes.”The mayor’s voice was filled with regret.“He was a good kid. It’s such a shame.”Stephen was lost in a daze. Just moments ago, he was thrilled to hear of Rhys’ past, thinking he was saved. If he could find Rhys, the problems in Riveria would be solved easily. However, Rhys was dead. In fact, he had been gone for several years.Stephen’s so-called hope never existed.“How could this be…” He cou
The Guardian's Return Chapter 878
The mayor looked out at the blue sky, lost in thought.“Since she chose you, I’ll step aside,” Rhys said as he handed his friend the keepsake his childhood sweetheart had once given him when they swore their love.“Besides, given these chaotic times, love isn’t something I can afford to dwell on. I have to live up to the expectations people have of me. I can’t let them down.” He looked at the girl one last time and took a deep breath before saying, “Goodbye.”His family was destroyed at a young age, so Rhys longed for peace more than anyone. He always wanted to be part of the effort to protect Riveria.The year he graduated from university, the Grand Marshal passed away. All of Riveria was in despair, believing that Riveria was doomed. However, Rhys was determined to join Ethan’s forces.In multiple operations, he displayed excellent skills, strategic thinking, and intelligence, allowing Ethan to take notice of him and guide him. In turn, Rhys learned a lot from Ethan.“Study the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 877
The mayor nodded and explained the origin of the festival and its name.“Riveria used to be a chaos-filled land, but many unsung heroes stepped up to make it better. The peace we enjoy today is all thanks to their selfless dedication.“The name Rhys Festival comes from a man named Rhys Estrela. He was once a subordinate of Mr. Rivers, who made great sacrifices for Riveria. There’s a local saying that goes, ‘A single spark can start a prairie fire.’ We always believe that as long as we don’t give up, Riveria will surely thrive.”Those words sent a chill down Stephen’s spine. The mayor mentioned Mr. Rivers, and while others might not know who that was, Stephen knew—it was Ethan! It meant that the festival was related to Ethan. To top it off, the festival was named after Ethan’s subordinate, Rhys Estrela, a name Stephen was unfamiliar with. He had been in Riveria for half a year but had never heard of that name before. He had no idea what Rhys did to leave his name behind like that.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 876
Hearing Stephen’s positive response, the people in Riveria calmed down slightly.“I hope they can recover the money soon.”“I took out a loan on my house to invest. If we don’t get it back, my family is done for.”“Let’s believe in Stephen. No matter what, he was the Grand Marshal’s mentee.”“He did a good job running Riveria before. I’m sure he can do it again.”“Yeah. This is just a minor issue compared to before.”Most people expressed their trust in Stephen. They could tell that he was far more worn out than before. His hair, which had shown signs of turning black again, had faded back to white again. Some people even felt sorry for him.However, there were others who doubted his abilities. The scammers had fled abroad. Would Stephen be able to catch them, and even if they were caught, could the money be recovered? What if the scammers had laundered the money by auctioning off artwork?They voiced their concerns online. Some people agreed, understanding why they were worrie
The Guardian's Return Chapter 875
Stephen looked at the contract. Other than the high price, there were no other problems.However, the high price was a humiliation for both Stephen and the whole of Riveria.He wanted to refuse and even curse them, but he had no leverage against the other party and was completely passive in this situation. If he did not agree, the crops and livestock in Riveria would be finished.Stephen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even though he knew that many people would hate him, he still signed the contract.“Pleasure doing business with you.” The foreigners took the contract and chuckled. With that, they left.The meeting room was silent, Stephen being the only one left. He slumped into his chair, uncertain if he had made the right decision.Half an hour later, his phone rang, snapping him back to reality. He had more work to do.Many people in Riveria had been scammed into buying virtual currency, losing over ten billion. Stephen had to give the people an answer.“How did the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 874
Stephen had no choice but to use a translation device, continuing the discussion while they mocked him.Despite his utmost sincerity and effort, they refused to lower their price at all, confident that they had Stephen cornered.His only option was to take money from the Quinns and pour it into developing the medicine. However, he knew the Quinns well. There was no way they would take out billions at once for something like this, especially when there were other diseases to deal with as well.They were no match for Ethan, but the Quinns were nothing to them, let alone Stephen.“We’ll get to the point.”They spoke in Stephen’s language to make sure that he understood. “You’re not good enough. Only Mr. Rivers can manage Riveria. You can’t even protect the people around you. How do you plan to protect Riveria?”Stephen’s expression soured. He knew that they were telling the truth. He had no way to refute, and being stubborn would only make him look more ridiculous.“I’m not as good
The Guardian's Return Chapter 873
Stephen felt that he could come up with a solution that could save both Riveria and protect the Quinns.However, did such a solution really exist? He was not confident.“I’ll go back to my room first.” Stephen walked away.Back in his room, he sat at his desk, deep in thought.“A perfect solution...”Stephen could not think of one. The more he tried, the more his mind uncontrollably drifted back to the past.“No.” He shook his head. “I need to focus.”However, his mind and body had deteriorated from the multiple tragedies. His hair had turned grey, and he struggled to maintain focus.Stephen sighed and planned to think of a solution later. Now, he needed to address Riveria’s current problems.Crops and livestock were falling ill. He sent people to investigate the cause, but research required massive funding. Replacing the crops and animals with new ones would not be easy either.At that moment, foreign corporations suddenly announced that they had the right medicine to cure t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 872
In the past, George also thought that Riveria would not collapse even without Ethan. With himself and the Quinn family, Stephen could still bring Riveria to new heights.Now, he understood.What the former governor, Liam, and the others said was true: Riveria would fall without Ethan.Neither the Lowes, the Quinns, nor even all the families in Metropolis combined, could manage Riveria.Without Ethan, Riveria was doomed.Stephen lowered his head. If it were in the past, he would have laughed if he had heard such words, thinking it was a joke.How was he inferior to Ethan? Whatever Ethan could do, he could do too, and better at that!Now, he could not laugh.He realized the truth too.The first city’s downfall was a coincidence, the second was due to negligence, and the third was an accident, but what about the fourth? The fifth?He could come up with a thousand excuses, but it would not change the truth.The reality was that he was far inferior to Ethan. Only Ethan could save
