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
“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
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
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
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
The South Regent was frozen with fear, and his legs turned to jelly. The mistakes Ethan pointed out were things he did not even consider. His face was drenched in cold sweat. At that moment, he was utterly convinced of his defeat!… The memory of it still sent chills down the South Regent’s back. He quickly grabbed Richard and rushed to the foot of Sky Peak. Half a day later, the South Regent finally met with Stephen. “Release the hostage!” Stephen said. The South Regent’s voice was low. “Let me see the letter first. I will only release the hostage after confirming it’s from him.”“Fine!”Fearless, Stephen handed the letter to the South Regent. After all, it was a letter that Samuel had begged the Grand Marshal’s mentee to write. Why would the mentee betray him?The South Regent took the letter and read the one sentence on the envelope: To the South Regent. He knew that handwriting all too well. It was unmistakably Ethan’s!The South Regent’s ears rang. Could it be tha
“There’s only one letter, and it’s in your hands.”“Bullshit!” Stephen could not take it anymore. “We’re trying to rescue someone! How could you give me a fake letter at this crucial moment? “Are you trying to get us killed? I know you’re angry with us, but I didn’t think you’d be so despicable and evil. Not only are you trying to kill me and Richard, but you also want to destroy Celestial City and Riveria! “You’ve betrayed the Grand Marshal’s mentee’s trust! It’s ridiculous. How could you even think of doing this?” Stephen’s fury only grew as he demanded answers. Ethan listened quietly, waiting for Stephen to finish before asking, “Do you have anything else to add?”“How can you be so calm now? You’re worse than scum!”Ethan said calmly, “Of course, I’m calm. That’s because I am the mentee you’re talking about.”“Ha! Yeah, right. You? You’re nothing but a fraud! I’ll give you one last chance. Give me the letter!”Stephen was boiling with rage. Richard was kidnapped under hi
“He’s lawless. Why is he still around?”“He should be executed!”“He must be executed!”The outrage spread like wildfire across the Internet. The news was so shocking that, within a day, the entire nation knew about it. Tens of thousands were criticizing Ethan online, except in Riveria. Some within Riveria knew Ethan was truly the Grand Marshal’s mentee, so they went online to defend him. However, it did not take long before they were reported and attacked, with their accounts even banned. Now, the whole Internet believed Ethan was impersonating the Grand Marshal’s mentee!“He’s intentionally sabotaging Riveria.”“A person like that deserves to die!”The rumors spread quickly, reaching those overseas, including Shawn, Brandon, Dennis, and Howard. They found it strange, though. Was Ethan not the Grand Marshal’s mentee? Even Liam’s account was banned, and at that moment, he felt bad for Ethan. Ethan really was the Grand Marshal’s mentee. The man had always been dedicated to R