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Chapter 26
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 27
“Would someone like Ethan be involved in corruption?""Why would he?""If a person of his status and prestige so much as mentioned he was short on cash, people would probably line up to give him money?"Stephen felt dizzy listening to those comments."How could this be? How could none of these suitcases be filled with money?"He simply could not believe that what they found were thank-you letters.While he was grappling with his confusion, another official came running from outside, shouting, "We've made a new discovery at one of the other villas."Stephen's eyes immediately lit up, like a drowning man grasping at straws."What discoveries? Did you find money?"The official was taken aback, not expecting such a strong reaction from Stephen, but he replied, "Not money. They're letters from readers and viewers."Stephen was dumbfounded. "Readers? Viewers?"What was all that about? The thank-you letters were already pretty bizarre, but now there were readers and viewers too?T
The Guardian's Return Chapter 28
“After all the sacrifices, the sleepless nights, and the dedication, how could someone like Ethan end up in prison? How is this fair?""Should we take this as a warning sign? Should we start thinking about quitting our jobs and going back to simpler lives?"If Ethan, who had done so much good, could be arrested, they feared an even worse fate if they did not pack up and resign!At that thought, many of the officials could feel their convictions wavering. Living an ordinary life would surely be better than spending the rest of their lives in prison.Having heard those comments, Stephen panicked and shouted, "Shut up, all of you! This is nonsense."Ethan's imprisonment is based on solid evidence."Someone asked quietly, "Then where's the evidence?"Stephen fell silent. He was left exposed and speechless. He realized he had been too hasty. If the investigation had been more thorough, this would not have happened.Suddenly, he remembered something crucial. When they started searc
The Guardian's Return Chapter 29
"Hello?” George was in quite a good mood. The situation had caught the federal government's attention, and there was talk about an investigation. If the situation proved true, not only would Ethan face punishment, but they would also be rewarded.That was perfect. Not only would it boost his presence in the federal government, potentially paving the way for a future cabinet position, but he could also gain nationwide recognition. It was a win-win situation with no downsides!"George, we have a problem!" Stephen was frantic. "A big problem!"The smile vanished from George's face. "What problem?" He was puzzled. Stephen was supposed to be opening the suitcases to check Ethan's embezzled funds, so why was there suddenly bad news?"Did Ethan have an accomplice who burned all the money? Or did someone help Ethan escape?"Stephen said, "It’s neither of those."George breathed a sigh of relief. "Then why panic? As long as we have Ethan, there's nothing to worry about.""There's no
The Guardian's Return Chapter 30
The reporter picked up the letter, initially puzzled about why he was being asked to read it. How could a single letter answer anything? However, as he read the contents, he felt a shock run through his body, and his eyes widened in surprise. "A thank-you letter? And it's addressed to Ethan Rivers?"His gaze shifted to the suitcases and he quickly crouched down to search through them. To his astonishment, he found that every single letter was a thank-you note from someone."No need to keep looking," said a bank employee standing nearby. "There are eighty-seven suitcases here, and each one is filled to the brim with thank-you letters."The reporter froze as realization dawned on him. Ethan Rivers was not a corrupt official! On the contrary, he was a great man who had helped countless people, so much so that thank-you letters filled an entire villa."Ethan owns over a dozen properties in this neighborhood, all filled with suitcases containing these letters."The reporter gulped,
The Guardian's Return Chapter 31
"What do you mean impossible? They've sent over the evidence. Now everyone knows what your son did wrong," the voice on the phone said mockingly.Then, with a click, the call ended abruptly.Simon stood there frozen, unable to process what he just heard. After a while, he hurriedly investigated the matter. When he learned the truth, he nearly fainted from sheer rage.The person his son had arrested was not corrupt. Worse still, the dozen or so properties were all bought with Ethan's own money, and the suitcases piled inside were not filled with anything valuable.Those heartfelt, touching thank-you letters moved many leaders in the federal government."How could someone like this be corrupt?”"Simon, what's going on here?"Faced with those questions, Simon was now panicking. His earlier pride had betrayed him, and he felt miserable. In such a short time, his son's major achievement had turned on its head and was now a major blunder instead.Thinking about how he had been braggi
The Guardian's Return Chapter 32
“Right now, everyone's focused on whether Ethan is corrupt or not. We definitely can't let this discussion continue. We need to divert everyone's attention," George said. "In that case… His reputation!”A spark of inspiration came to George as he figured out a way to turn Ethan’s move to his own benefit.“I got it! We should be targeting his reputation instead!” With that thought, George finally came up with a plan.“It's no longer about whether Ethan is corrupt or not. We need to tarnish Ethan's reputation first. We can say he's got dirty hands, using his local influence to suppress the regional officials.“We'll also say he has connections at the border, earning him large amounts of ill-gotten gains.”Simon considered it for a moment and found the plan feasible. After all, Ethan had been working there for so long. Surely some people disliked him.They could contact those officials and find a few towns that had issues with Ethan to testify. That could serve as proof that Ethan w
The Guardian's Return Chapter 33
Just one suitcase from Ethan had scared Stephen so badly that he was drenched in cold sweat, his shirt soaked through at the back.“But he should be suffering in prison now,” Stephen murmured. “He must be quite miserable at the moment.”Thinking about Ethan's current situation made him feel a little better.Meanwhile, in prison…“Move slower. That mattress is very valuable. Don't let anything happen to it. If Mr. Rivers doesn't sleep comfortably tonight, none of you will sleep!” Liam was directing others as they set up Ethan's “cell.”“Also, install a doorbell by the entrance so Mr. Rivers can call us easily.“Make sure the floor tiles are spotless.”Ethan, standing nearby, was left speechless. He had repeatedly informed Liam that such setups were unnecessary, but Liam insisted on improving his living conditions.Had Ethan not stopped him, Liam would have torn down the cell walls and combined several of them into one large room for him.Ethan said, "I'm now just a prisoner."
The Guardian's Return Chapter 34
The mass resignations further angered George and Stephen, who were already in a foul mood."Why am I dealing with this?" Stephen wondered, confused. He had just taken over, and a bunch of people quitting now was very detrimental to the region's stability.George, angry, felt like flipping the dinner table. He had absolutely no appetite. He could not believe those people had the nerve to use their resignations to pressure him into releasing Ethan. Did they think he could be so easily intimidated?"Good riddance," George said through gritted teeth, his tone icy. "With them gone, we can bring in our own people. Riveria will function just fine without them!" He already had plans to use that opportunity to groom his people, which would help him maintain control and manage Riveria in the future.The next day, news of the mass resignations had spread.In Lytton, a town in North Hill City, Brandon was attending the weekly town council meeting at Lytton's community center. Though not
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 799
The celebrity host took the stage, delivered a welcome speech, and introduced the theme of the gala. The host was quite well-known and starred in several hit dramas. The audience below the stage cheered her name.Three minutes later, Simon stepped onto the stage and gave his New Year’s greetings to everyone following the prepared script.Then, the opening performance began!Five major celebrities participated in the first act, combining singing, dancing, and a dazzling light show with fireworks, leaving the audience in awe.Each of the five celebrities took turns singing a few lines one after another, mesmerizing everyone. When they came together for the chorus, the crowd could not help but applaud.As the song neared its end, even more stars and singers joined hand in hand on stage, singing together and igniting the crowd’s atmosphere.The audience stood up in excitement, some even moved to tears.Meanwhile, the viewers in the livestream took screenshots, recorded videos, and s
The Guardian's Return Chapter 798
Avery said faintly, “If you’re done apologizing, you can leave now. We’re about to have lunch. After lunch, we have things to do. We’re not idle like you. We’re very busy.”Those words hit a nerve. Stephen did not want to be idle either.Now, he had no friends left. Everyone kept their distance from him. It was New Year’s, but the only person he could think of who he could talk to was just Ethan.However, Ethan was not like him. He had a happy family, and there were countless things to do as a couple such as going for walks or visiting family and friends...Stephen let out a heavy sigh.“I see.” His voice was soft. “Sorry for disturbing you.”Then, he turned and left. When he walked out of the villa, the cold mountain breeze cleared his mind a little.Stephen let out another sigh, then took out a bouquet from his car and slowly walked to the summit. He wanted to go to the place where Lily died to give her a bouquet of roses and tell her that he missed her.Not long after he lef
The Guardian's Return Chapter 797
The next day at noon, Stephen gathered enough courage to go back up the mountain.He was scared now.He was scared of seeing Ethan with a happy family while he himself was a lonely, pitiful man. The comparison would make him feel so miserable that he would not even be able to lift his head.At the same time, he was also afraid of missing this perfect opportunity to apologize to Ethan on New Year’s Day.Stephen arrived at the villa again. Holding a gift in hand, he took a deep breath and slowly walked in. He saw Ethan in the living room and quickly greeted, “Ethan, Happy New Year. I brought you a gift. Please accept it.”Ethan looked at him calmly. “There’s still a gala in Breeze City tonight, and you’re an important guest. Do you have time to run around like this?”Stephen smiled wryly and gently placed the gift on the table. “I’m not interested in that gala.”He knew what the purpose of the gala was. It was just to stimulate Breeze City’s economy. However, that was not a long-t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 796
Stephen immediately opened his eyes, but there was no one beside him.“Stephen, I wish you an early happy birthday too!” Lily’s voice rang out from his other side.Stephen turned his head and saw Lily lying beside him, smiling sweetly.Then, he looked toward where Snow’s voice had come from. Snow was also lying beside him, looking at him with gentle eyes.Stephen knew in his heart that it was just an illusion.“Aren’t you making a wish?”“What’s your wish?”Stephen closed his eyes again. At that moment, a thousand thoughts rushed through his mind.Who was he?He was the heir of the Quinns. From the moment he was born, he held a position that countless people envied.However, out of a million possible paths, not one was truly his own.He could not be with his loved ones. He could not achieve success overnight. He was not admired by all or surrounded by family and friends.Stephen thought that at least one of those fates belonged to him and her.However, their final meeting
The Guardian's Return Chapter 795
Stephen would be lighting the first segment, and Simon would light the final one.As the celebrities arrived, the riverside became even more lively. People called out their favorite celebrity’s names or nicknames.Seeing this, Stephen felt emotional. If he had not made mistakes, perhaps these people would be calling his name too.When it was nearly midnight, Simon approached Stephen and said, “It’s about time. Get ready to light the fireworks.”He pulled Stephen over to the spot where the fireworks he was responsible for were, and a staff member handed him a torch.“When the countdown ends, use the torch to ignite the fuse, then run and pass the torch to the next person, who will continue lighting the fireworks.“Good luck,” Simon encouraged him. “You can do it!”Stephen took the torch and sighed inwardly. He felt like this whole thing was meaningless. However, when the countdown began, he started to feel a little nervous.“Ten! Nine!”Stephen instinctively tightened his grip
The Guardian's Return Chapter 794
After Simon’s livestream, everyone felt slightly more reassured about Breeze City’s situation.“If he dares to guarantee this, he must have prepared thoroughly.”“It should be safe to attend the gala, right?”“My favorite celebrity will be there, and right now, Breeze City has 40% off train fares, 20% off flight tickets, and 50% off tour packages. It’s so tempting.”Simon placed all his hopes on this gala. He was willing to pour money into it to ensure its success.The event venue was fully set up three days before the new year. The tickets were completely sold out, and the city’s visitor count was now dozens of times higher than before!Breeze City’s declining economy finally showed signs of rising!Simon’s eyes nearly welled up when he saw the financial reports.Two days before the gala, the celebrities attending the event started arriving and followed Simon’s instructions to interact with fans so that more tourists would be attracted to come and spend.Even some celebrities
The Guardian's Return Chapter 793
During this past week, Simon worked without stopping. He spent most of his rest time either in his office or sleeping in cars or planes.He got less than five hours of rest every day!However, thanks to his efforts, Breeze City improved significantly. Its economy stabilized, goods prices returned to normal, robbery incidents decreased, and dangerous elements were eliminated. Furthermore, seventeen new factories were also established in the city.Everything was moving in a positive direction, but Simon’s lack of rest was just one of the consequences. Every day, the Quinns were spending money. In just a week, another 300 million had been spent.Harrison called him again and told him to spend more cautiously. Although the Quinn family had a lot of money, it was not infinite.Furthermore, most of their wealth was not in liquid cash. The actual funds they could use at any time were only a few tens of billions.The South Regent and Victor observed Simon’s actions and felt slightly amaz
The Guardian's Return Chapter 792
Without Ethan’s support, what had Breeze City become? It was somewhere people struggled to survive.What happened to Stephen? His hair turned white overnight, and he grew depressed like a soulless walking corpse.All of this was the result of their wrong decisions.Simon stared at the scattered documents on the ground and let out a long sigh. He felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. He had hoped to use Ethan’s past methods to turn things around, but in the end, he only ended up harming himself.Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and saw that it was a call from Harrison.As soon as he picked it up, Harrison said, “Something’s happened to Stephen again. He went out with his friends but coughed up blood at a riddle booth. The doctor said his condition is serious.”After a brief pause, he continued, “His will to live is extremely low.”“What?” Simon was stunned. He had sent Stephen back in hopes that his friends could help him recover. However, things had gotten wor
The Guardian's Return Chapter 791
Everyone watched as Simon made a solemn promise. Coupled with his offer of 300 million dollars to restore Breeze City, their anger somewhat subsided.“Maybe Stephen really was framed.”“Should we trust him again?”“At this point, let’s just trust him one last time.”After a brief discussion, they decided to believe Simon once more.Simon sighed in relief and quickly said, “Thank you, everyone!”Although the 300 million dollars and his final guarantee were not a big deal to him, it was still a disgrace to the Quinn family’s reputation.Simon knew that from now on, he had to devote himself to protecting Breeze City and ensure that it would never fall into chaos again. Otherwise, he would have no more excuses, and no one would trust him anymore.Back in his office, he had a subordinate retrieve Breeze City’s development plans and important decision-making documents from the past three years.Back then, Ethan had been in charge of the city. Simon planned to study Ethan’s methods a
