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Chapter 331
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 332
George sneered, refusing to believe what Julius was saying.“I’d suggest you save your energy. Leave your excuses for when you get in prison!”Julius gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew he could not be arrested. He was the only one keeping watch on Nico now, and if he were to be locked up, Nico would be on the loose. When that time came, the orchards and farms would not be the only ones affected!“I can’t go with you,” Julius stated firmly. He could not get caught now that Nico had set his sights on Hill City. He must protect Hill City!Protecting Hill City meant protecting Stephen as well. If anything happened to Hill City, Stephen’s life would be over. “You don’t have a say in that.”George’s expression was cold. He could not back down because Julius worked for the South Regent and was trying to help the South Regent to destroy Hill City, just like all that had happened in the previous few cities. He must protect Hill City, and most importantly, he had to protect Ste
The Guardian's Return Chapter 333
At that moment, he realized that everything Tommy said was true, and Julius was right. Something was going on with Nico!He had been deceived. Nico was not a good guy, and Stone Village was not some hero village. Julius was not a villain either. In fact, he had been investigating the truth the entire time. Yet, they thought Nico was on their side and even awarded Stone Village the title of a hero village while treating Julius as the bad guy and having George lead a team to arrest him!He was totally fooled!“Shit. Nico wanted to use George to get rid of Julius. I must stop him.”Stephen quickly took out his phone and called George, who was fighting with a bloody nose in the factory. He had dropped his phone nearby, so he did not notice Stephen’s call coming through. The only thought in his mind now was to arrest Julius to protect Hill City and Stephen!Seeing that the call was not picked up, Stephen panicked. “Come with me!”He wanted to go to the factory to stop them, hoping
The Guardian's Return Chapter 334
Nico turned around and aimed his gun at George. “Calm down.” George tensed up in fear and subconsciously took a step back. “I’m calm.” Nico was about to pull the trigger when Tommy’s voice suddenly rang out at the door. “Dad, stop!”Startled, Nico turned to see Stephen and Tommy standing at the door. In shock, he immediately grabbed Julius, who was by his feet, and pressed the gun against his head. Seeing that he had a hostage, Stephen gulped and said, “Nico, calm down. Put Julius down.”Nico asked, “Why are you here?”Stephen and Tommy’s arrival was outside of his expectations. “Dad, put down the gun. This place is already surrounded,” Tommy replied.Stephen had brought the police, and George had also called them before coming over, so they were all waiting outside.“You betrayed me?” Nico glared at Tommy, enraged. “You’re my son. How could you betray me?”Tommy choked up, “I’m not betraying you. I just don’t want you to make any more mistakes.”He slowly walked tow
The Guardian's Return Chapter 335
Nico suddenly realized something. He thought that with Ethan imprisoned in Drakthorn Ridge, he was finally safe and could take his revenge on Hill City and Ethan. However, the truth was that he had never escaped Ethan’s grasp. “You will repeat your brother’s path.” Ethan’s words echoed in his ears.At that time, he thought he would be killed by his family, Tommy, like what happened to his brother, but now, he finally understood what Ethan meant. It turned out he would kill his own family again, and this time, it was his son. “Why? Why?”Nico looked down at Tommy’s lifeless body, tears streaming down his face. “Is this karma? Is it because I have blood on my hands? Is it all the crimes I’ve committed that caused my family’s suffering? Could this all be my doing?”His expression turned cold, and he gritted his teeth. “Ethan, you really want to stop me, huh? Do you really want to force me into a corner? Are you not going to let me go?”Stephen heard the aggressive tone in Ni
The Guardian's Return Chapter 336
Just then, Julius struggled, forcing himself to stand up. He knew he could not let Nico escape.With his last breath, he managed to pick up the gun lying on the ground. Although he stumbled around, his eyes were locked onto Nico’s back.He, the mayor of Hill City, had witnessed Hill City’s most difficult times many years ago. Back then, he had vowed never to let the city return to its old days. Yet now, Nico was destroying the city and about to escape while he himself was at death’s door.How could he let the criminal escape?Failing to recognize Nico’s plot was already a lapse in his duty. If he allowed Nico to escape, how could he face the citizens of Hill City and answer to the heroes who had sacrificed themselves for the city?Julius aimed the gun at Nico, his hands trembling. However, he gritted his teeth and ran toward Nico.Meanwhile, Nico walked out the door with his hands raised, looking at the people surrounding him with guns, and sneered disdainfully.So what if they
The Guardian's Return Chapter 337
Stephen sat frozen in place. What Julius said to him about not getting deceived again hit him hard. On his journey of managing Riveria, he had been deceived in every city and tricked by mayors three times.Stephen trembled, his face pale. What did he have to do to know whether someone was tricking him? What was real, and what was fake?“Dad, I can’t tell. I really can’t tell!” He broke down.Stephen believed he had been trying and doing well, having grown from his many mistakes. Yet now, he realized that although he had grown, his enemies were still stronger. Being a Quinn did not mean that people would heed his every word.How many lives had been lost because he was deceived?This time, it even led to the death of the mayor, Julius, who cared for Hill City so deeply and wanted to help him manage the city.Stephen held Julius’ body and felt hopeless for the second time. The first time was when he scolded Snow and then heard news of her death.He started to doubt himself. Could h
The Guardian's Return Chapter 338
Simon felt numb after understanding what had happened.He thought Stephen’s silence meant everything was progressing smoothly in Hill City, but now, it was clear that something big had been brewing behind the scenes. Even he found it difficult to handle the situation.In a hospital in Hill City, Stephen and George watched as a white sheet was draped over Julius.His parents wept beside him, so devastated they almost fainted; a woman lay sobbing over Julius’ body, and a four- or five-year-old girl stood to the side, her wide eyes looking around in confusion.Stephen remained silent. George, on the other hand, was bandaged all over, all minor injuries from his struggle with Julius. However, he did not feel the pain at all.His eyes reddened as he turned away from the scene in front of him. If not for him, Julius would not be dead, and his parents and wife would not be grieving.Julius’ child, a girl, who had no idea what was happening, walked over to Stephen and George. She asked
The Guardian's Return Chapter 339
“I know.” Nico smiled wryly. “Because we’re the same. I want to kill Ethan, and you want to kill me. We’re not so different, after all.”Stephen instantly fell silent. He understood that the shock from Nico killing his son with his own hands had left the man devastated. George gritted his teeth, stating, “You brought this upon yourself. None of this would’ve happened if you had just lived normally after being released from prison.”Nico fell silent. If he had let go of his grudge after his release, he would not have lost everything.“So, he had a plan all along.”If he had followed Ethan’s plan, Tommy would have finished college, started a family, and be taken away from Stone Village for a fresh start in Hill City. However, because Nico chose revenge instead, he ended up killing his son with his own hands, sealing his fate.“I regret it,” Nico said weakly as he looked down at the white sheets. “I finally understand what Ethan was trying to do for me. I’d like to apologize to him
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 880
Thanks to Stephen’s shout out, many tourists came to the town to join the festival. Stephen watched the bustling crowd, lost in thought, when two familiar figures suddenly appeared.Stephen trembled as his eyes widened in disbelief. They were Snow and Lily!He snapped out of his daze and rushed into the crowd. However, when he was standing right where he had seen them, they were gone. He looked around him, but with so many people moving around, he could not look far.“Was it just my imagination?”Stephen calmed himself down. He had been through so much lately that he was starting to hallucinate. How could Snow and Lily be there anyway?Believing he needed some rest, he booked a room and took a nap. When he lay down on the bed, he quickly fell asleep from all the exhaustion.He dreamed about Snow and Lily, as well as Rhys. However, Rhys was surrounded by thick fog that obscured his face.Stephen looked at him and asked, “Did you ever think of giving up?”Rhys said, “There are so
The Guardian's Return Chapter 879
“He’s amazing.” Stephen asked excitedly, “Where is he now? I’d like to meet him.”The mayor took a deep drag of his cigarette and blew it out. “You can’t.”“Huh?” Stephen did not understand.The mayor replied, “He’s dead.”Stephen froze. Rhys, the person hailed as the second Ethan Rivers, was dead? “How could that be?”The mayor gazed at the sky outside the door. “It’s been like this since ancient times. Heroes never live long enough to grow old in this world. He got cancer and passed away not long after Riveria achieved peace. We started this festival to honor him and other heroes.”The mayor’s voice was filled with regret.“He was a good kid. It’s such a shame.”Stephen was lost in a daze. Just moments ago, he was thrilled to hear of Rhys’ past, thinking he was saved. If he could find Rhys, the problems in Riveria would be solved easily. However, Rhys was dead. In fact, he had been gone for several years.Stephen’s so-called hope never existed.“How could this be…” He cou
The Guardian's Return Chapter 878
The mayor looked out at the blue sky, lost in thought.“Since she chose you, I’ll step aside,” Rhys said as he handed his friend the keepsake his childhood sweetheart had once given him when they swore their love.“Besides, given these chaotic times, love isn’t something I can afford to dwell on. I have to live up to the expectations people have of me. I can’t let them down.” He looked at the girl one last time and took a deep breath before saying, “Goodbye.”His family was destroyed at a young age, so Rhys longed for peace more than anyone. He always wanted to be part of the effort to protect Riveria.The year he graduated from university, the Grand Marshal passed away. All of Riveria was in despair, believing that Riveria was doomed. However, Rhys was determined to join Ethan’s forces.In multiple operations, he displayed excellent skills, strategic thinking, and intelligence, allowing Ethan to take notice of him and guide him. In turn, Rhys learned a lot from Ethan.“Study the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 877
The mayor nodded and explained the origin of the festival and its name.“Riveria used to be a chaos-filled land, but many unsung heroes stepped up to make it better. The peace we enjoy today is all thanks to their selfless dedication.“The name Rhys Festival comes from a man named Rhys Estrela. He was once a subordinate of Mr. Rivers, who made great sacrifices for Riveria. There’s a local saying that goes, ‘A single spark can start a prairie fire.’ We always believe that as long as we don’t give up, Riveria will surely thrive.”Those words sent a chill down Stephen’s spine. The mayor mentioned Mr. Rivers, and while others might not know who that was, Stephen knew—it was Ethan! It meant that the festival was related to Ethan. To top it off, the festival was named after Ethan’s subordinate, Rhys Estrela, a name Stephen was unfamiliar with. He had been in Riveria for half a year but had never heard of that name before. He had no idea what Rhys did to leave his name behind like that.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 876
Hearing Stephen’s positive response, the people in Riveria calmed down slightly.“I hope they can recover the money soon.”“I took out a loan on my house to invest. If we don’t get it back, my family is done for.”“Let’s believe in Stephen. No matter what, he was the Grand Marshal’s mentee.”“He did a good job running Riveria before. I’m sure he can do it again.”“Yeah. This is just a minor issue compared to before.”Most people expressed their trust in Stephen. They could tell that he was far more worn out than before. His hair, which had shown signs of turning black again, had faded back to white again. Some people even felt sorry for him.However, there were others who doubted his abilities. The scammers had fled abroad. Would Stephen be able to catch them, and even if they were caught, could the money be recovered? What if the scammers had laundered the money by auctioning off artwork?They voiced their concerns online. Some people agreed, understanding why they were worrie
The Guardian's Return Chapter 875
Stephen looked at the contract. Other than the high price, there were no other problems.However, the high price was a humiliation for both Stephen and the whole of Riveria.He wanted to refuse and even curse them, but he had no leverage against the other party and was completely passive in this situation. If he did not agree, the crops and livestock in Riveria would be finished.Stephen closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even though he knew that many people would hate him, he still signed the contract.“Pleasure doing business with you.” The foreigners took the contract and chuckled. With that, they left.The meeting room was silent, Stephen being the only one left. He slumped into his chair, uncertain if he had made the right decision.Half an hour later, his phone rang, snapping him back to reality. He had more work to do.Many people in Riveria had been scammed into buying virtual currency, losing over ten billion. Stephen had to give the people an answer.“How did the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 874
Stephen had no choice but to use a translation device, continuing the discussion while they mocked him.Despite his utmost sincerity and effort, they refused to lower their price at all, confident that they had Stephen cornered.His only option was to take money from the Quinns and pour it into developing the medicine. However, he knew the Quinns well. There was no way they would take out billions at once for something like this, especially when there were other diseases to deal with as well.They were no match for Ethan, but the Quinns were nothing to them, let alone Stephen.“We’ll get to the point.”They spoke in Stephen’s language to make sure that he understood. “You’re not good enough. Only Mr. Rivers can manage Riveria. You can’t even protect the people around you. How do you plan to protect Riveria?”Stephen’s expression soured. He knew that they were telling the truth. He had no way to refute, and being stubborn would only make him look more ridiculous.“I’m not as good
The Guardian's Return Chapter 873
Stephen felt that he could come up with a solution that could save both Riveria and protect the Quinns.However, did such a solution really exist? He was not confident.“I’ll go back to my room first.” Stephen walked away.Back in his room, he sat at his desk, deep in thought.“A perfect solution...”Stephen could not think of one. The more he tried, the more his mind uncontrollably drifted back to the past.“No.” He shook his head. “I need to focus.”However, his mind and body had deteriorated from the multiple tragedies. His hair had turned grey, and he struggled to maintain focus.Stephen sighed and planned to think of a solution later. Now, he needed to address Riveria’s current problems.Crops and livestock were falling ill. He sent people to investigate the cause, but research required massive funding. Replacing the crops and animals with new ones would not be easy either.At that moment, foreign corporations suddenly announced that they had the right medicine to cure t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 872
In the past, George also thought that Riveria would not collapse even without Ethan. With himself and the Quinn family, Stephen could still bring Riveria to new heights.Now, he understood.What the former governor, Liam, and the others said was true: Riveria would fall without Ethan.Neither the Lowes, the Quinns, nor even all the families in Metropolis combined, could manage Riveria.Without Ethan, Riveria was doomed.Stephen lowered his head. If it were in the past, he would have laughed if he had heard such words, thinking it was a joke.How was he inferior to Ethan? Whatever Ethan could do, he could do too, and better at that!Now, he could not laugh.He realized the truth too.The first city’s downfall was a coincidence, the second was due to negligence, and the third was an accident, but what about the fourth? The fifth?He could come up with a thousand excuses, but it would not change the truth.The reality was that he was far inferior to Ethan. Only Ethan could save
