Stephen analyzed the situation carefully.He worked until 2 a.m. when exhaustion finally forced him to stop. However, he still had not fully grasped the true purpose behind Ethan's plans.He was also clueless about the tree species to be replaced and the tea to be introduced. Hence, he decided to visit Hill City in person to investigate the situation. Perhaps, by asking the locals, he could find answers to questions he did not understand.The next day, Stephen woke up at noon.He asked George, "Do you want to come to Hill City with me?"George thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. He believed he had to boost Hill City's economy to rid himself of his "mistakes". If the criticism continued, he would not be able to show his face in Riveria anymore.With that, the two flew to Hill City. Even from the air, they could see Hill City's stunning surroundings. Majestic mountains seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see, with several peaks piercing the clouds. The view was br
"Let's do some research first," George answered. "Let's find out if people support the changing species of the primary crop. If they do, what species do they want to change to? If they don't, what are their reasons?"Stephen's eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "That’s a great plan!"By researching and understanding everyone's opinions first, there would be no mistakes!At that thought, Stephen instructed, "Let's get people working on this right away. Also, let's find out what kind of tea plant people would support introducing.”After their successive failures, both Stephen and George had become much more cautious.Julius looked at the two, somewhat surprised. The sentiment online had pegged those two as useless, seeing as they always caused more harm than good.Truth be told, when he first heard that the notorious duo was coming, he panicked. He thought about the tragedies that befell North Hill City, Seaside City, Aqua City, and Celestial City, concerned that they were about to repea
Julius and George arrived at the first village. It was a rather large village, with over seven thousand residents, so acquiring it would require significant money. Fortunately, Julius already had a plan.Based on the freeway plan, he identified the houses that needed to be relocated and then found the village chief to explain the purpose of their visit. The village chief was initially reluctant when he learned that the freeway would pass through his village. However, Julius managed to convince him by explaining the many benefits of the road construction."With the freeway, it'll be more convenient for you to head into the city. Plus, it'll be easier to transport your village's pigs and eucalyptus trees.”The village chief was convinced, and with his help, Julius acquired the houses that needed to be relocated at 7000 dollars per square meter. Those villagers could later build houses in other parts of the village or move to the city.George watched Julius from the side, somewhat sur
Julius and George finally understood what was going on. The village was engaged in stone quarrying, and the reason for their large population was due to the influx of workers coming here to work.Nico then asked, "Whose decision was it to build this road? Was it Ethan Rivers?"Julius shook his head. "No, it wasn’t Ethan. He's been missing for some time now. It was Stephen Quinn’s decision."Hearing that, Nico was momentarily stunned before his heart raced with excitement. From that sentence alone, he picked up two major pieces of information. First, Ethan Rivers was still missing; second, Stephen Quinn had arrived! It meant he could finally put his plans into motion!Many years ago, his older brother, Lars had made a fortune through pillaging, over-mining, and reckless deforestation. However, since they knew the nearby forests like the back of his hand, no one could catch him. That was until Ethan Rivers showed up three years ago.…Three years ago, they had received news a few
Nico followed the address Ethan had given him and easily found Lars."Lars…” Nico hesitated.At first, Lars was shocked to see Nico, but then a resigned smile played on his lips. "I thought Ethan Rivers would come for me himself, but I guess I'm still not worthy of him. You're here to convince me to leave the mountain, aren't you?"Nico lowered his head and said, "I had no choice.”"I can see it on your face, but while you had no choice, I still do." Lars stood up, looking at Nico solemnly as he said, "Ethan sent you to capture me because he wants me alive, but I won't let him have that satisfaction. I still have the right to choose death!"Nico shook in disbelief. "Lars, what are you saying?"Lars let out a bitter laugh. "I've killed and plundered. My hands are covered in blood. There’s no road left for me but death. I'm dead either way, so I might as well make it easier."Kill me, Nico. I'm a criminal. If you bring my body down the mountain, you’ll at least get the credit fo
Then, the village chief, Hendrick, arrived. When he entered the room and saw Nico, his brows furrowed. Due to the incident three years ago, the village held a huge grudge against Nico and his family. Initially, they wanted to exile Nico and his family, but after Lars died and Nico was imprisoned, their parents fell ill before passing away soon after. Nico’s wife left as well. After Nico was released, he lived with his son, Tommy. The villagers took pity on him and allowed him and his son to continue living in Stone Village. Hendrick then looked at the mayor, Julius, and George, and said, “Gentlemen, a word?” Julius noticed the disgust in Hendrick’s eyes when he saw Nico, and it baffled him. Nico was welcoming and easy-going, so why would people hate him? After leaving Nico’s house, Julius asked, “Hendrick, I saw you frowning at Nico. What did he do?” Hendrick sighed and said, “You might not know about this, but Nico’s brother, Lars, is a criminal. He has killed, raided, and
Nico contacted the villagers who were ordered to move and found out that they were only offered 7 grand per square meter. He then tricked them by saying, “The other villages were offered 10 grand per square meter, and you guys only got 7? The village chief must have pocketed the difference.” Many villagers trusted him and started to direct their grudges at Hendrick. Someone questioned Hendrick in person but received a scolding instead. From that point, the villagers’ grudge towards Hendrick was amplified. Hendrick found out that Nico started it, so he confronted the man. “Don’t speak nonsense and accuse me! The mayor offered 7 grand per square meter! I am not pocketing the difference!” Convinced otherwise, Nico scoffed. “Stop lying.” Hendrick got carried away by his anger and punched Nico in the face. However, Nico did not fight back. After Hendrick left, he modified the details and told the villagers that Hendrick beat him up because he saw through the latter’s wicked sche
The next day, while the villagers still had no idea what happened, Hendrick’s family could not locate him. Hendrick had never gone missing for an entire day without turning on his phone. Another day went by and Hendrick was still missing. The family quickly called the police, afraid that something bad might have happened to him. As the police got involved, the villagers realized that Hendrick had gone missing. Since Nico was the one helping them make money and Hendrick had been a roadblock, the villagers were upset and not overly fond of him. When they found out Hendrick had gone missing, they believed it was good news. The police investigated almost every villager in the village, and everyone cooperated. “Does the village chief have any enemies?” “No.” “Has the village chief gotten involved in any conflict lately?” “No.” “Where does the village chief usually hang out?” “I don’t know.” The police were not able to get any useful information despite questioning half