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Chapter 414
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 415
Stephen's gaze was stern. "Why are you looking for him?"Nolan's question put Stephen on alert. Though he disliked Ethan, he had to admit Ethan was an excellent judge of character. If Ethan had previously targeted Nolan, something was probably wrong with Nolan, and he would need to reassess the man.Sensing Stephen's suspicion and worried that it might be related to Ethan, Nolan quickly spoke in Ethan's favor. "He helped me a lot in the past. I just wanted to thank him in person."Hearing that, Stephen relaxed."There’s no need to look for him," he said. "Ethan Rivers is corrupt and in prison now. He'll be in there for life."Nolan was stunned to hear Ethan was really in prison and locked up for life. Although he had heard such rumors before, hearing it directly from Stephen was a great shock."Is that really true? He didn't seem like someone who would be corrupt."Stephen glanced at him. "I have no reason to lie to you. Enough about that. I brought you here to be mayor to solve
The Guardian's Return Chapter 416
Stephen started clapping. That was an idea that he had never thought of. Although his negligence caused the wildfire, having everyone cover for him to solve the problem was perfect. If he could just do it better, he could even save his own image. “Good idea!” The others got up and applauded the idea as well. “Mayor Nolan is indeed a wise person! He has a lot of good ideas in his pockets!” “We still have so much to learn from him!” “When I head home later, I’ll study his suggested ideas! It’s great!” They flattered Nolan ceaselessly. “Hmph!” Stephen scoffed. “I wanted you guys to think of a solution, but none of you could come up with anything. Now, we have to rely on Nolan.” Nolan smiled. “You’re giving me too much credit. It’s my job, really. I’m just glad I could help. It’s not as amazing as you’re making it sound.” “Alright, we’ll go with these plans for now. Meeting adjourned,” Stephen replied.He strongly believed Nolan’s idea had helped him solve his most urg
The Guardian's Return Chapter 417
Stephen subcontracted the mining rights for the Stone Village quarry, and in the end, the South Regent’s company got the rights. He was reluctant to hand over the rights to the South Regent, the price the South Regent offered was too generous to refuse—it was enough to repair the freeway. With two major issues now off his plate, Stephen felt a weight lift from his shoulders. It was time to tackle the third problem. Stephen got Nolan to craft a powerful, emotionally stirring speech and then selected a sunny day to hold a fundraising event. At the event, he stood before the crowd, delivering the speech he had prepared. Then, he let the media do their part, broadcasting his speech alongside the fundraising information.Julius’ tragedy had moved a lot of people in Hill City, as well as those following the news online. Now, when Stephen told the crowd that restoring peace and preserving the city's natural beauty had always been Julius’ dream, people were deeply touched. In less than
The Guardian's Return Chapter 418
Edward and Tyler were eager to meet Ethan again. For the past three years, they had lived under the shadow of Ethan, haunted by the fear of his return. In every encounter with Ethan, they had lost every single time, and each time, Ethan would mock them, calling them naive, shallow, ignorant, and stupid. “If thinking is the proof of being alive, I have a hard time determining whether you two are even alive. Can’t figure out why you lost? Well, in that case, I suggest you should just ram your head into the wall.” Just recalling what Ethan said to them back then sent chills down Edward’s and Tyler’s spines. Their lives were perfect before Ethan appeared, their lives had been smooth sailing, and every plan had gone exactly how they wanted. However, then Ethan appeared in their lives. “We’ve been waiting for this day for three years, and he has finally fallen! Today will be the day our family rises again!” With that, the two of them took a plane to Riveria immediately. At dawn
The Guardian's Return Chapter 419
Edward took a deep breath and said, “We’ve been caught. What else can we do? Let’s just go in.” Together, they turned around and entered the mansion. When they arrived, they were confident they could finally take revenge on Ethan. They were sure they would have a chance to humiliate him this time, but now, neither of them could manage a smile. They stiffly went up to Ethan and sat opposite him at the table, feeling uneasy as they adjusted their postures. Ethan pushed some bread over to them. “Care for a bite?” Edward did not touch the bread. “Is this going to be our last meal?” Ethan chuckled. “It’s your honor to have me serve you your last meal.” The two of them were silenced knowing it might really be their last meal on earth! Ethan saw the looks on their faces and knew exactly what they were thinking. “Don’t overthink it. I’m no longer in charge of Riveria. Now, I’m just a convict locked up in Drakthorn Ridge.” Edward’s and Tyler’s heads shot up in disbelief.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 420
“No. You guys are wasting your time trying to pull me into this. I could do what you’re asking on my own. Working with you will only result in a loss to me,” Ethan said. Edward was rendered speechless. Ethan’s words stung him. He had always considered himself a man with vision, someone strategic and wise, but there was Ethan, dismissing him so easily. Worse yet, he could not argue back because he knew Ethan was far more capable than himself. “Rather than wasting time on me, why don’t you figure out a way to deal with the South Regent? He has strengthened his foundation in two cities already.” Edward heaved a long sigh. “Sigh. You’re stirring the pot again.” He believed Ethan was subtly hinting at him to deal with the South Regent. However, if they did, both sides would only end up in a bitter struggle with no winners. Edward sighed because he knew he could not do anything to change the situation. They and the South Regent were destined to be enemies, unlikely to be allies,
The Guardian's Return Chapter 421
Tyler said, “With our family’s wealth, we must start from Hill City to make a comeback.” Edward answered, “I know. I’ve been thinking about how we can get more benefits from Hill City.” He then texted Nolan, asking for a list of recent happenings in the city. When they returned to Breeze City, they got an update from Nolan, and Edward went through everything Stephen had done recently. “Subsidies were distributed in layers. By the time they reached the villagers, there wasn’t much left. We might be able to use this to our advantage. “He also subcontracted the mining rights of the quarry to the South Regent. We can’t let him get away with this too easily.” “Then, there’s the fundraiser. There’s a lot of room for us to work with.” In just a few minutes, Edward came up with a plan. “We’ll start with the South Regent first.”He planned to sabotage the quarry as it would not only hurt the South Regent’s profits but also create enough distraction for Edward to move in and imp
The Guardian's Return Chapter 422
With a life lost, the situation had become far more complicated and serious. To make matters worse, most of the workers at the quarry were unhappy with their wages. Nolan seized the chance to tell Stephen that he should take back the mining rights if the South Regent’s company could not settle the problem and compensate the injured and deceased workers.Stephen agreed and immediately went to the quarry manager to deliver the message.The manager was displeased by the decision. The miners who survived wanted around 300 thousand dollars in compensation, and the family of the deceased demanded at least 800 thousand dollars. It was not that the company could not offer it, but it was not worth it. “I’ll have to check with my boss.” The manager then contacted the South Regent to get further instructions.The South Regent was made aware of the incident, and after a quick consideration, he said, “Pay them. Let’s keep things quiet for now. After that, launch an investigation to find ou
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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
