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Chapter 290

Author: Old Pumpkin
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
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  • 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

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 297

    After a round of drinks, Mark received a call. He glanced at the screen and hung up. He smiled and said, “Please continue, gentlemen. I need the restroom.”Two minutes later, another businessman stood up and said he needed to use the restroom as well. He slowly walked toward the gents’ room and was just about to enter.Bam!A young man rushed out and collided with him head-on.The businessman stumbled back and managed to regain his balance. He looked up and was just about to scold the man when he suddenly froze.The person he bumped into was one of the criminals!Although he was dressed in the restaurant staff’s uniform, there was no mistaking his face!The criminal saw the businessman’s reaction and knew that his cover was blown. He pulled down his hat and hurried away.The businessman was just about to take out his phone to call the police when he saw Mark come out of the restroom.Their eyes met, and the air suddenly turned tense.The businessman realized something and ask

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 298

    Then, Mr. Lynch looked at Mark again. “Even if you fool everyone else, you can’t fool me. I’ll be watching you.“I’m in the cement and construction business and have a vendetta against the South Regent. If you make any move, don’t blame me for being rude. After all, anything can be buried in cement before it sets!”He wanted to threaten Mark so that the latter would not make any bold moves. Celestial City could not afford to be further destroyed.Then, he stormed out of the room in a rage.Mr. Holt shouted at his back, “You’re sick!”Only Mark, one of the South Regent’s men, watched Mr. Lynch’s figure and smiled faintly.Mr. Lynch left the restaurant and called for his driver to pick him up.As the car approached, its headlights glared in his eyes, making him feel uneasy. He quickly stepped back.However, the car slowly came to a stop by the curb. The car door opened, and the driver got out to help the still-shaken Mr. Lynch into the car.“Check the car thoroughly before we le

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  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 920

    After everything was settled, the people from HQ went to Ethan again. They apologized to him and begged for his forgiveness.“We’ve dealt with everyone involved in this matter. Are you satisfied with the outcome, Mr. Rivers?”With that, they lowered their heads to the ground nervously. Their only hope now hinged on Ethan’s response.They did not dare to ask for much. All they hoped for was that Ethan would not leave the country.Ethan glanced at them calmly and said, “Send someone to help move my stuff down the mountain.”Hearing that, everyone was first stunned, and then ecstatic.“Of course!” they replied in unison.They understood what Ethan meant. He was staying! Although it was not his complete forgiveness, he was willing to give them another chance.They were all overjoyed. As long as Ethan did not leave, there was plenty of time to slowly make amends.They took out their phones and made arrangements to help Ethan move.After the call ended, they said, “We respectfully

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 919

    The day of Rachel and George’s trial came.The livestream began at 10 a.m., and hundreds of thousands of viewers joined instantly.Rachel and George slowly walked into the courtroom in handcuffs.Bang! The judge’s gavel fell, and the room went silent.It was not a lawsuit. It was a trial to expose the sins of Rachel and George.The judge read out their crimes one by one, until Rachel and George’s faces paled to the point that they looked like corpses.The viewers in the livestream finally saw the full picture.“So that’s it! The Quinns and the Lowes conspired!”“They deserve to die! How could they frame Ethan like that? Are they even human?”“The death penalty! They deserve the death penalty!”They were all furious.Many people had lost their families as a result of supporting Stephen and scolding Ethan. After watching the livestream, they realized just how deeply they had been wrong.They were accomplices to the Quinns and the Lowes' crimes in framing Ethan!Their current

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 918

    They suppressed their disgust and returned home, only to see their parents and wives’ panicked expressions.“What did you do out there?”“So many people came today, asking for you by name.”How were they supposed to answer those questions? They could not just say that they had insulted Ethan online.If they did, their parents would beat them to death before anyone else could.“It’s nothing,” they replied stiffly. They had no choice but to hide the truth. After all, they could not say that they had insulted Ethan, or that they had lost their jobs.However, the next second, their parents received text messages. After their parents glanced at their phones, their expressions instantly changed.It was a message from the bank, stating that their child had been listed as a defaulter and urging them to repay the loan immediately.“What have you done?” Their parents’ voices trembled.Seeing that there was no way to hide it anymore, they had no choice but to confess the truth.They los

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 917

    Seeing that message, they immediately felt as if their world had ended.Because they had insulted Ethan, they lost their jobs, were blacklisted, and could not find work again.“How could this be?”No one expected this outcome. They thought, ‘So what if I insulted him? Are they going to punish me for it? Besides, so many people are insulting him. They can’t possibly punish every single person who did it. At most, I’ll post a public apology and promise that I’ll never do it again.’However, now they were all fired. Everyone who had insulted Ethan had been dismissed from their jobs.It seemed like there were several tens of thousands of people involved! It was hard to imagine just how many people had lost their jobs in real life.“Why are they going this far? Aren’t they afraid of causing unrest?”Of course, HQ had considered that. However, they knew what was more serious.If Ethan went abroad and cooperated with foreign countries, the consequences would not be limited to a few pe

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 916

    George thought that Rachel had already escaped abroad, so he was not afraid when he arrived.Now, when he saw Rachel there as well, he completely panicked.This was not what he had expected!“Where else would she be?” someone from HQ asked.George looked nervous and stammered, unable to say a word.With Rachel caught and him being brought here, it was clear that HQ already knew the truth. Coupled with his fear of Ethan and his helplessness in the face of reality, he no longer had the strength to make up any excuses.He had resigned himself to fate.“You really have some nerve." The people from HQ sneered. “You fooled us all completely.”“You’ve been hiding Ethan’s contributions all this time, haven’t you?”“You two are nothing but disasters to this country! You deserve to die a thousand times over.”George kept his head down while Rachel sobbed. “I was wrongfully accused!”“Shut up! Are you still trying to fool us at a time like this? You were wrongfully accused? By who? Sim

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 915

    They brought this on themselves, forcing themselves into a corner with no way out. “Ah!”Simon could not take it anymore. He suddenly ran towards the window, trying to end his life. Fortunately, the officials quickly stopped him. “Don’t be reckless! Think about Stephen. You’re all he has now!”That sentence made Simon stop. Now, Stephen and Simon were each other’s support and burden. Simon slumped on the ground weakly. Right now, they both wanted to die, but neither of them had the courage to follow through. All they could do was live on in pain. After a long silence, Simon said, “I’d like to file a report on someone.”To obtain some kind of reward and survive a little longer, Simon decided to turn in George and Rachel. When the officials heard him, they were stunned. They did not expect Rachel to be involved in framing Ethan. “Shit!” Someone exclaimed. “I heard Rachel bought a flight ticket overseas. Could she have fled?”The room was filled with dread. If Rachel ra

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 914

    Seeing that Stephen was awake, the others rushed to get the doctor. The doctor was astonished as well. Stephen’s sudden awakening was nothing short of a miracle. However, after examining him, the doctor’s expression darkened. Stephen had regained consciousness, but the prognosis was far from hopeful.“He can’t move,” the doctor said. “As of now, he’s paralyzed.”Stephen could open his eyes, but the rest of his body was unresponsive. He could not move his limbs or his neck and mouth. The only part he could move freely was his eye. Even his breathing was dependent entirely on medical equipment. “He might never be able to leave the bed again.”Upon hearing that, Stephen closed his eyes in despair, tears continuously rolling down his cheeks. He had fought so hard to wake up, only to realize he had missed his final chance to meet Snow and Lily. Worse yet, he also lost the ability to move. From now on, he would be confined to the bed and hooked up to machines just to stay alive.

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 913

    His father died a miserable death, his son was in a coma, and the Quinn family was shattered, leaving only Simon behind to finally realize all his mistakes. However, it was too late. Harrison could not come back to life, the Quinn family could not be whole again, and Stephen could not recover. Simon would forever be haunted by pain, despair, and regret for the rest of his life. At that moment, in complete darkness, Stephen heard Simon’s voice. He was conscious but failed to open his eyes or speak; he could not move a muscle. He wanted so badly to sit up and tell Simon that it was not solely his fault. They were all wrong, and this was their retribution!Just then, two women walked into the ward. When the officials saw them, their eyes widened in shock. For a second, no one even breathed. They were Snow and Lily!The officials thought they were seeing ghosts. Those women were supposed to be dead. Why were they there? Snow and Lily noticed their shocked gazes and offered them

  • The Guardian's Return   Chapter 912

    Due to Harrison’s previous incident, the officials reacted quickly by sending Stephen straight to the hospital.After an emergency rescue, Stephen’s life was saved. However, he paid a heavy price. When the doctor walked out of the emergency room, the officials asked, “How is he?”“The situation isn’t looking good,” the doctor said grimly. “His body is in a bad state, and due to long-term emotional distress, he suffered a brain hemorrhage from the emotional shock.“He’s still in a coma, and we can’t say for sure when he’ll wake up again. It depends on his will to live.”The officials drew a sharp breath. “Do you mean he might end up in a coma forever?”The doctor nodded. No one saw coming that Stephen would fall into a coma, with little chance of ever waking up again. However, it also meant he did not have to die anymore. He would be alive but confined to a bed. Suddenly, they thought of Harrison’s desperate pleas to Ethan back in his villa. “I’m willing to trade my life fo

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