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Chapter 288
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 289
The vendor overheard that someone had ordered too much and went over to serve them.“Boss, give us a discount. My boyfriend here is a big shot!”Those words caused the boyfriend to blush.The vendor also laughed.Only Stephen felt as if a knife had been twisted into his heart.“Boss, give us a small discount. My boyfriend is in charge of the whole of Riveria and is a future member of the cabinet!”Snow’s voice seemed to echo in his ears again.Stephen suddenly felt that the food in his hands had lost all flavor.The woman who always believed in him and took pride in him would never be found again.The last time he met her, he did not trust her and even scolded her. In the end, she had still chosen death for his sake.Stephen put down his food and did not wait for the rest of his order to arrive. He stood up, looked up at the night sky, and took a deep breath. “Bill, please.”The vendor was shocked. “Your order isn’t ready yet, sir.”“I don’t want it anymore.”He then walke
The Guardian's Return Chapter 290
Stephen stood frozen in place after hearing everything.No matter how many plans he made, he still failed.Crystal Lake’s pollution was not due to poor rules that he made up or his being deceived. It was because everyone had been left with no choice!Faced with high rent and fewer customers, the businesses had no choice but to cut corners and reduce pollution management.As they cut corners and caused environmental pollution, it drove customers away, leading to fewer and fewer people until no one was left.It was a vicious cycle!Who caused all of this?At its core, it was him!If he had not set the rent so high and used fabricated stories to lure tourists, the food hall would not have ended up in this situation.The food hall was completely ruined! It took less than a month from its opening to the point of having no customers. Billions of dollars went up in smoke just like that.If people were to find out, what would they think of him?How incompetent of him!Thud, thud, t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 291
George thought about it and said, “I think we do. As for how much, we can negotiate with them.”Stephen pondered and felt that George’s idea made sense. “We need to handle the relocation plan ourselves.”He remembered Danny from North Hill City.Back then, a similar situation had happened. He had asked Danny to select the relocation area, only for Danny to embezzle the money and run away. As a result, North Hill City was completely ruined.Stephen asked for a map of Celestial City and studied it with George before finally choosing a location on the outskirts of the city.“Here. Although it’s a bit far from the city center, it’s near the highway and relatively flat.”After careful consideration, Stephen felt that this spot could work and George had no objections.Having chosen the location, they discussed what benefits they could offer the businesses that agreed to stay.Lower taxes? Easier product exportation? Reduced rent?They discussed it for a long time and finally settled
The Guardian's Return Chapter 292
Stephen deeply regretted his decision now.If only he had not abolished the rules Ethan set in place.If only he had not allowed the property prices to soar unchecked.Stephen gulped and asked, “Can we choose another location?”“If it’s not in the city center, then there’s no point talking.”“Are you really the Grand Marshal’s mentee who brought peace to Riveria three years ago? Hmph, it seems you’re not that great at all.”“Just pay us the money.”They did not want to listen to Stephen’s excuses anymore. They did not care about Celestial City or its future. All they cared about was whether they could make money.Celestial City’s economy was now in decline, and many migrant workers were leaving. It would be impossible to attract employees if they were not in the city center.With no reason to stay, the group stood up and left.Even if they could not get back all their money, they still decisively chose to leave without hesitation.Only Stephen and George remained in the meet
The Guardian's Return Chapter 293
At those words, Stephen instantly felt as if his heart had been pierced by a bullet. Whenever he encountered problems, his first instinct was indeed to seek help.George, Ethan, Simon...He always thought that as long as he asked for help, the problems would be easily solved.However, Ethan’s words struck his core like a large bell, waking him up. He could no longer run away from his responsibilities!Stephen paled. His body trembled as he stared at Ethan, his mouth opening and closing several times.In the end, all his words turned into a sigh.“Alas...” He said to George, “Let’s go.”Stephen felt ashamed. He did not have the dignity to stay any longer.He and Ethan were about the same age. However, Ethan was able to manage all of Riveria and control everything.What about him?North Hill City, Seaside City, and Aqua City were ruined in quick succession. Now, Celestial City was also on the brink of collapse.Riveria’s GDP had been 15 trillion dollars and was on track to rea
The Guardian's Return Chapter 294
“Although the Crystal Lake and Azure Cloud Mountain tourism projects failed, there are a few hero villages in Celestial City that could be developed as tourist attractions.“We can restore Crystal Lake and lower the entrance fees to Azure Cloud Mountain, or even offer free admission to certain eligible individuals. By focusing on the hero villages as the key attraction, we can also bring more visitors to Celestial City.”Stephen nodded, satisfied with all the ideas.He even came up with one himself. “I’ve decided to increase the incentives for new companies to settle in Celestial City. We’ll get them to establish their roots here first and gradually address the housing price issue once the city stabilizes.”Simon felt that the plan was faultless. However, it might take a very long time. He asked, “That might take a long time. Are you sure about using these methods?”Stephen thought about it. “It’s just three to five years. I can wait.”He did not want to fail again!At those wor
The Guardian's Return Chapter 295
The thugs nodded in satisfaction.One of them walked up to the man and said, “You’ve made a very wise choice. However, to prevent you from going back on your word, we’ll have to take your child.”The man was shocked. “What?!”The next second, the thug suddenly struck him with the butt of a gun, knocking him to the ground and binding his limbs. Then, the thugs took his child away while he watched.Half an hour later, the man managed to free himself from his restraints. He untied his wife and immediately called the police.When the station received the news, they took it very seriously.Richard’s kidnapping and the attack on Stephen were still unsolved, and now, the culprits were kidnapping the child of a business owner.That was not just lawlessness. It was a blatant provocation!Furthermore, the thugs were armed. Every second they were out there posed a threat to public safety.“We must catch them!”The order was issued.Despite knowing the consequences of their actions, the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 296
Stephen was surprised and immediately had the company investigated.The results showed that the company had been established a month ago and had a registered capital of 30 million dollars! Furthermore, the scale of the company ranked among the top in Celestial City.Stephen was overjoyed.At a time when Celestial City desperately needed people, the arrival of this company was like a lifeline!“We welcome you!” Stephen personally went to meet the owner.Mark Smith was very young and seemed to be under thirty. Stephen was surprised. If this young man had built his business from scratch, he was just as capable as Stephen himself.“What does your company specialize in, Mr. Smith?”“Food production and processing. We also have our own online platform...” Mark described the nature of his business.He toured the city center and selected a building as the company’s office. The annual rent for that building alone was in the billions.Stephen was overjoyed to see this. With such a major
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 820
They discussed the plan together until the evening. When it was time for dinner, Daniel and Caleb also arrived.“Perfect timing!” The South Regent immediately greeted them.Daniel was surprised. “What a coincidence. You're all here too?”“Yep,” the South Regent said. “We came to wish Lord Rivers a Happy New Year and discuss how to deal with Stephen. You should be here for the same thing, aren’t you?”Daniel and Caleb's families had been doing well before, but Stephen's arrival caused them to lose everything. They ended up being despised by everyone and finally had no choice but to leave Breeze City.They both nodded at the South Regent's words. They already had a grudge against Stephen. Just the fact that he imprisoned Ethan was enough for them to hate him, not to mention how he had thrown Breeze City into chaos.He even allowed the people to consume contaminated food, causing widespread illness with some even suffering permanent complications.In their eyes, Stephen was simply
The Guardian's Return Chapter 819
Boom! The men felt like they were struck by lightning. The fog in their brains instantly disappeared.“We can definitely do that!” Jason exclaimed. “Why didn't I think of that?”The South Regent muttered, “Instead of us providing proof, we force him to provide the evidence. However, he has no substantial evidence, so he has to keep making things up until all his lies are exposed. We go from being passive to being active because he has no idea what we're going to question!”They might not be familiar with Stephen and what he had done before, but they knew that he had been tortured by Ethan for many years.They could ask Stephen anything about the battles they fought and everything that Ethan had done for Riveria. There were plenty of things that Stephen and Simon had no idea about.If they tried to prove Stephen was not the one managing Riveria, Simon could just label their evidence as rumors.Instead, if they could make Simon and Stephen come up with lies full of weaknesses, Simo
The Guardian's Return Chapter 818
Jason frowned. Now, just hearing Stephen's name made him angry. Not only did Stephen fail his sister, but he was even starting to slander Ethan.Sensing the atmosphere, Hugo quickly said, “That was in the past. I'm not his psychologist anymore. I came here today to thank Mr. Rivers.”He looked at Ethan and fell to his knees on the ground.“Mr. Rivers.” Hugo lowered his head, saying sincerely, “Please forgive my past recklessness and ignorance. I really didn't know Stephen was hiding so much. I was wrong for helping him...”Now, he deeply regretted three things. The first was disrespecting Ethan in the past. The second was failing to protect Natalie, and the third was saving Stephen.“Hmph.” Jason snorted coldly. He could also tell that Hugo was a victim of Stephen’s. Everyone around Stephen would end up suffering.Ethan looked at him. “It's not too late to make amends. What do you plan to do next?”Hugo paused for a moment, thought about it, and said, “I'll go to the media and e
The Guardian's Return Chapter 817
Hugo waited until Natalie fell asleep before leaving the hospital ward with the South Regent. He said in a low voice, “Please take me to see Mr. Rivers.”From that moment onward, he also addressed Ethan as Mr. Rivers.Ethan did not only save his life but also Natalie’s. He would repay that debt with his life.“Are you sure?” the South Regent asked. “If you take Natalie and her grandfather back to Metropolis now, you can stay out of all of this.”Natalie’s grandfather’s health had also stabilized after treatment.If Hugo wished, he could take them back to Metropolis, where the medical treatments were better. Furthermore, Hugo had worked as a psychologist for many years and even treated Stephen, so he had saved up over a million dollars.If he managed his finances well, he would not become rich, but it was enough for Natalie to grow up safe and healthy and ensure that her grandfather retired peacefully.Hugo did not hesitate. “I’ve made up my mind.”He played a part in how things
The Guardian's Return Chapter 816
“Stephen has always lived in Riveria. He is the Grand Marshal’s sole mentee and the one who brought three years of peace to Riveria. Ethan is a corrupt criminal.”Scrolling further down, there was also an apology video from Stephen. He claimed that the statement was true and expressed regret that he caused an outcry and wasted public resources.Hugo fell completely silent after watching it.How could this be? Others might not know whether Stephen truly was the Grand Marshal’s mentee or not, but he did.Victor had told him about Ethan’s achievements. Even assassins feared Ethan. Stephen had also admitted in front of him who Ethan really was.Only Ethan could save Riveria.In the past, Hugo thought that Stephen was just being misled and used, which was why he wanted to help him.However, now, Stephen insisted that he was the Grand Marshal’s mentee and that he was the one who had managed Riveria in the past.As a psychologist, Hugo could tell from Stephen’s expressions in the vide
The Guardian's Return Chapter 815
The doctors told Hugo what happened.“Back then, you had already lost too much blood. You’re lucky that there was a young man with the same blood type as you when you were brought in, so he gave you a transfusion. Then, our family head sent us to take care of you. If not for our excellent medical skills, you probably wouldn’t have woken up.”Hugo was confused. “Family head? Did Simon send you?”The two doctors suddenly froze, their expressions turning dark.“Watch what you say. Simon didn’t send us. Ugh!”They were so angry that they stopped the examination.Hugo was stunned at the sudden change in their attitude. They were not sent by Simon? Furthermore, why did they react so strongly to the mention of Simon’s name? If not Simon, who else could be the ‘family head’?“Who sent you?” Hugo asked in confusion.“We’re from the Ledger family,” the doctor said coldly. “Who’s Simon? We don’t know him. Don’t lump us in with that filth.”“Huh?” Hugo was still bewildered. “The Ledger fa
The Guardian's Return Chapter 814
Tyler frowned. “What happened?”“It’s about Riveria.” Nolan handed his phone to Tyler. “Simon and Stephen have completely lost all shame. I can’t believe they said something like this.”After reading the news, Tyler’s expression darkened. “Although I know they’re shameless, I still underestimated them.”In the past, they had slandered Ethan and stole his achievements. Now, after being exposed, they fabricated evidence and worked with headquarters to deceive the public.“Tyler, what should we do?” Nolan asked. “I can’t stand by while they slander Mr. Rivers like this.”Tyler said, “Let me think.”To them, Ethan was their savior. Without Ethan, the Spencers would never have made it out of Riveria alive. It was thanks to Ethan stepping in that they had a chance to start over.However, Simon was shamelessly going further to distort the truth and rewrite history. They could not watch this happen. The truth had to be exposed!A moment later, Tyler said in a low voice, “Let’s go to Ri
The Guardian's Return Chapter 813
The netizens had mostly been deceived by the internet trolls.When they saw Simon and headquarters both speaking out, they fully believed that Stephen was innocent and that everything was part of Leo and Ethan’s schemes. Even the few who had firmly believed in Ethan began to doubt themselves.Online, the uproar gradually died down. At that moment, Simon took the next step! He had someone publish the recording of the gala and instructed the trolls to guide the audience in revisiting the highlights.With that, both he and Stephen were completely safe.When people reviewed the gala recording, it also boosted Riveria’s popularity. It was killing multiple birds with one stone!Simon did not rest. Instead, he took the official statement and the trending discussions online and headed to the jail to meet Leo.“Has he confessed yet?” Simon asked the staff.After Leo was imprisoned, he had been questioned who the mastermind behind this was.“No. He keeps saying there’s no mastermind.”S
The Guardian's Return Chapter 812
“Yeah. I’m from Breeze City. If Stephen is driven away by all your insults, what are we supposed to do?”“All this is part of Ethan’s scheme. He’s deliberately trying to frame Stephen!”This was the next phase of their attack. They accused everyone of being too extreme and then created a victim narrative to gain sympathy. Finally, they flipped the story. Stephen was the pure-hearted and selfless one while Ethan was the true villain!While the internet was being flooded with manipulated narratives, Simon was not idle either. He felt that fabricating transaction records and hiring internet trolls alone was not enough. Ne needed more fabricated evidence.Thus, he had several people in Riveria publicly claim that Stephen had been the one managing Riveria all along.Ethan Rivers? Never heard of him!After a day of work, Simon was drenched in sweat. He felt his heart pound as if it might leap out of his throat.After all, he had not rested properly for days because of the gala. Furthe
