“No?” Several men walked up to the bus. “Last night, he asked you to take him away, but you refused. Nolan Spencer killed him.”Jeremy’s eyes widened at the words.“That can’t be!” He shook his head. How could Nolan have killed someone? He was the mayor. He was a good person!“Why didn’t you save my brother?” The girl stood by the side. “If you had just nodded back then, he could’ve left safely. Was everything he did for Hill City not even worth a nod from you?”In order to take down the Spencer Group, Fabian had infiltrated the company by himself and thought of ways to find information every day. He even saved Jeremy once at the archive. Later, he risked his life to lead Jeremy to Nolan’s house to steal the document.Someone else said, “He told us about you before, saying that he felt that you two were similar. You both wanted Hill City to become better.”Jeremy opened his mouth, but no words came out.Memories of his actions with Fabian flashed in his mind. Finally, the image
More people boarded the bus. They had come to take Fabian back and originally wanted to confront Jeremy, but when they saw Jeremy’s pained expression, they decided to let it go.Their real enemy was Nolan! Both Jeremy and Fabian were simply victims.Everyone got onto the bus, and only Jeremy remained standing by the road. The door closed with a bang.“Fabian, we’re going home!” the girl’s voice shouted from inside.The next second, the others shouted as well. “Fabian, let’s go home!”The bus started and slowly drove away.Jeremy watched it leave, then snapped back to his senses and frantically chased after it, but there was no way he could catch up to a bus. He could only watch as it disappeared.He sat on the roadside in a daze. He had believed Nolan, which caused Fabian’s death. He had betrayed Fabian’s trust!Jeremy took out his phone and called Stephen to tell him about Fabian’s death.Stephen was instantly furious. “You still believe the South Regent?”Jeremy hung up, kn
Ethan sat on the sofa and looked at Jeremy calmly. “What is it?”Jeremy lowered his head and told Ethan everything that happened lately, from Stephen giving him money for his mother’s treatment, the failed surgery, and his working for Stephen to repay him, to being tricked by Nolan and Fabian’s subsequent death.He kept his head bowed, pleading, “I want to expose Nolan’s true colors.”Ethan said, “Then, you should go to Nolan, not me.”“He knows who I am now. I can’t get close to him anymore.” Jeremy knelt before Ethan again. “Please help me. I want to atone and bring Fabian justice.”Ethan asked, “What has that got to do with me? Besides, Fabian’s sister and friends don’t blame you. Why make yourself suffer?”Jeremy did not dare to lift his head. “They don’t blame me, but I can’t forgive myself.”“That’s your problem. It still has nothing to do with me.” Ethan said, “You can leave now. I’m going to take a bath and go to sleep.” He had no interest in their problems. Besides, t
The South Regent showed a pleased expression while Jeremy felt like he was struck by lightning.They both understood what Ethan meant by that. Although he said that it was none of his business, what he meant was that he did not want to care. With just one sentence, he washed his hands of the situation and agreed to the South Regent’s request!“No!” Jeremy quickly shouted. “You can’t agree to this!”The South Regent looked down at him. “Who do you think you are? Do you have the right to speak here?”Jeremy trembled due to the South Regent’s aura, but he mustered up the courage to say, “Don’t act impulsively. I’m very sorry about what happened to Fabian...”“Hah! You still have the nerve to bring up Fabian?” The South Regent interrupted him. “Isn’t snitching your specialty? Go ahead and tell Stephen everything if you dare and guess what he’ll say. Will he say that I’m sinister or will he believe that Nolan is a wolf in sheep’s clothing?”Jeremy was speechless. He knew very well tha
Jeremy paused, not understanding what Ethan meant.“You want to expose Nolan’s true colors, and the South Regent wants to go against the Spencers. In that case, you should work together.“The South Regent will find the foreign forces working with Nolan, and with his help, you’ll join said forces to make deals with Nolan. Then, you can release the transactions online. If you can secretly record the dealings, that’ll be even better.”At those words, both Jeremy and the South Regent instantly understood what Ethan meant. He was telling Jeremy to put his life on the line!Joining the foreign forces to traffic weapons guaranteed death, but since he would be dealing with Nolan, it would be the best evidence against him.The South Regent could not help but gulp, realizing how ruthless the plan was.Thud, thud, thud!Jeremy bowed thrice to Ethan.“Thank you! Thank you!”Ethan said calmly, “If there’s nothing else, then go. I’m going to take a bath and sleep. As for how you two coopera
Under Nolan’s orders, men collecting protection fees began to appear in Hill City. They roamed the streets, demanding money from shopkeepers. They would not say much if the shopkeepers refused, but at night, they would come back to vandalize the stores.The next day, the shopkeepers almost broke down to see their stores wrecked and the losses they incurred. Even when they reported the incidents, the response was always, ‘Just wait’.Nolan had permitted the incidents, so even if the shopkeepers waited forever, they would never see justice.That night, the people collecting protection money came again and further vandalized the stores.When the shopkeepers came back and saw their smashed doors, they burst into tears. This time, most of them obediently paid up when asked for protection fees.There were some who stubbornly refused, but the thugs had power backing them and could afford to play along with the shopkeepers. What awaited the shopkeepers were only two options: pay, or get o
“Got it,” Rory answered.Rory Carter was an efficient subordinate of Nolan’s. Both his parents worked for the Spencer family, and he had basically lived with them since he was born.Thus, he considered the Spencers his own family, and he obeyed Nolan without question. Rory called the forces abroad and requested more goods.The foreign forces said that the goods would arrive tomorrow. After hanging up, the leader told everyone to be prepared.“Newbie.” The leader walked up to Jeremy. “Tag along as well. Watch closely and learn. In the future, you’ll be leading your own group in these transactions as well.”Jeremy was excited. He had joined them a week ago and finally had the chance to take action. He had to seize this chance to record evidence! He would not let Nolan continue to get away with this.Nolan had just put his phone down when it rang again. He looked down and saw that it was Stephen calling.“What does that trash want this time?” By now, Nolan had figured out Stephen’s
Rory was confused. Why was Jeremy here? Did he betray Stephen?After the deal, Jeremy left with his group. Rory took the goods and called Nolan on the way back, telling him that he saw Jeremy.“Hm?” Nolan was first stunned, then started to laugh. “Poor Stephen. I didn’t expect Jeremy to betray him too. I wonder how he’ll react when he finds out.”At that thought, he called Stephen excitedly.“What is it?” Stephen asked.Nolan smiled. “I know where Jeremy is.”“What?” Stephen instantly grew serious. “Where did he go? He ran off with my money. I’ll lock him up when I find him!”“He went abroad,” Nolan said. “He joined one of the foreign forces and is smuggling contraband into Hill City. He’s involved in the problems that Hill City is facing right now.”Stephen was stunned. He never expected this.“That bastard! Ingrate!” Stephen felt like he was going crazy. He had given Jeremy money, but the latter betrayed him and even joined foreign forces to smuggle contraband into Hill City
Stephen could not say a single word.His plan of sacrificing himself to bring Ethan back and to give the Quinn family a sliver of hope of survival was just his delusion.Ethan never said he would return, let alone let the Quinns off.Now, Harrison was dead, and Stephen was about to die too. Who was next? There was no need to guess anymore.Stephen paled and nearly passed out on the spot.The people from HQ quickly said, “Ethan, we have a lot of people here who want to apologize to you.”They quickly brought in the group of online trolls. Soon, dozens of people were lined up in the living room.“Kneel and apologize to Ethan!”Thud, thud, thud! Everyone fell to their knees. They saw Stephen the moment they entered.Stephen was the eldest son of the Quinns, the idol of countless people, and the person they dreamed of becoming. However, he now knelt powerlessly before Ethan, his face aged as if he had witnessed an era passing.As soon as the people from HQ gave the order, they im
At noon, the plane landed, and the wrongdoers were escorted into Riveria.People from HQ were already waiting at the airport. They were filled with anger when they saw the group of people. They hated Stephen and these people. These people did not understand anything, but they ran their mouths online. Now, things had escalated beyond their control. If not for their online slander, things might not have gone this far.“Do you know why you’ve been brought here?”The group hunched their shoulders. At this point, they could more or less guess the reason. However, no one dared to speak.“You publicly insulted a hero online. If you don’t receive his forgiveness today, we’ll punish you according to the laws.”At those words, their hearts sank completely. It really was because they insulted Ethan!Not long ago, they had still been stubborn, thinking that it did not matter that they insulted Ethan. What would Ethan do? Arrest them?Now, they were brought here. Not only were they arrested,
After staying up all night, they sat at their desks the next morning. Their screens were lit up, but there was still no internet.Bang, bang!Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.They jumped like they had stepped barefoot on lava, exclaiming, “Who is it?”There was no answer.Bang, bang!The loud knocking continued.The door shook violently, and they were so scared they nearly wet themselves. They quickly grabbed their phones, only to remember that they could not make calls now.Crash! The doorknob fell off.Then, the door was kicked open, and a fully armed team rushed in.“Don’t move!”“Get on the ground with your hands on your head!”They trembled and crouched on the ground, completely pale.One officer stepped forward and punched the guy in the face, knocking him down. Several other officers pinned him down and cuffed his hands.“What’s going on?” The man who was hit was shocked. “What did I do? What are you doing?”The team said nothing. They just received orders
It was like achieving success in business, owning a house and a car, having a young and beautiful girlfriend deeply in love with you, becoming a legend in your circle of friends, family, and even the whole city, only to be told that you had late-stage cancer and that there were a few days left to live.Shock, confusion, and disbelief surged up at once.Stephen snapped back to reality, his voice trembling. “You’re lying to me, right? You must be lying to me.”No one answered.However, from the look on their faces, Stephen saw the answer he did not want to believe: Harrison was truly dead.He collapsed to the ground with a thud, mumbling, “How could this be...”The Quinns were one of the top families. As a member of the Quinns, Harrison had access to the best medical care, diet, and security. Just half a year ago, his physical examination showed that he was in perfect health. He should have lived a long life. How did he suddenly die?“We don’t know,” they replied honestly. “You sh
Simon called the doctor to ask about the cause of Harrison’s death.The doctor explained it truthfully. Harrison was old, sleep-deprived, and suffered an intense psychological blow that his body could not handle.Upon hearing this, Simon suddenly understood.Harrison had not rested properly for a long time because of the Quinn family, especially the night when Stephen revealed the truth. He did not sleep at all that night. Then, he went to beg Ethan, was rejected, and had a mental breakdown. He simply could not hold on anymore.“We were wrong,” Simon cried. “We were really wrong.”They brought this upon themselves. Because they provoked Ethan, everything that followed was inevitable.If they had not been blinded by greed, Harrison would not have died, Stephen would not be in prison, and the Quinns would not fall.What should he do now? What could he do?Stephen had sacrificed himself to give the Quinns a sliver of hope, but Simon failed to protect the family and Harrison. How w
At the Quinns’ residence, Simon had been pacing back and forth anxiously, racking his brain trying to think of a way to save the Quinn family when a maid came to serve him tea. He reached out for it, but as his mind wandered, his grip faltered. “Clang!”The teacup fell and shattered on the spot. The scalding water getting on his hands and feet made him frown. The Quinns were in a crisis, and being scalded by tea caused his frustration to boil. “Get lost!” he yelled at the maid, telling her to leave. Simon sat down, an uneasy feeling still lingering on his mind. At that moment, his phone rang. He picked it up, and seeing that the call was from the federal government, he answered immediately. “Bad news,” said the person on the other end. “Your father has fainted after coughing up a mouthful of blood. Come to Riveria now!”Simon was stunned. Harrison fainted after coughing up blood? How could it be?Without a second to waste, he boarded a plane to Riveria and arrived at 4 p
It was no longer about whether Ethan would forgive them. Even if Ethan forgave the Quinns, would the other families and factions let them off the hook? Obviously not. Harrison’s face went pale. He understood now that getting Ethan’s forgiveness could not save the Quinn family; only getting Ethan on their side could. However, was that possible? There might still be a chance if all they asked for was forgiveness, but to get Ethan on the Quinns’ side? Putting himself in Ethan’s shoes, Harrison knew it was impossible. The Quinns had worked with the Lowes to frame Ethan, imprison Ethan, and steal his achievements, turning the internet against him. Why would Ethan want to be on the Quinns’ side?If it were him, he could not forgive the Quinns either. When he finally pieced everything together, his body went limp. It was over. Things were much more serious than he thought. The Quinns were truly done for. “It looks like you’ve finally figured it out.” Ethan said, “All this time, y
Harrison was choking up. Before Ethan could speak…“Mr. Harrison, what are you doing here?” A shocked exclamation sounded from the doorway. Harrison immediately whipped his head around to see a few people standing at the door. He knew those people. They were from the federal government, many of them the heads of several prominent families. Instantly, the blood drained from his face because he was kneeling before Ethan. Everyone could see him like that—stripped of his dignity and utterly humiliated. How could the Quinns ever show their faces again?Harrison’s first instinct was to stand up. However, he then remembered what he said to Ethan earlier, that he was willing to do anything for Stephen and the Quinn family. Was he going back out just because he was embarrassed? At that thought, Harrison forced himself to suppress the urge to stand up. Looking at Harrison kneeling before Ethan, those who had just arrived gasped collectively. At that moment, no one was thinking abou
Simon hesitated to speak, knowing it was unlikely for Ethan to forgive them. However, he thought, what if? Stephen’s sincere apology and revealing the truth could have moved Ethan, making forgiveness possible. With that sliver of hope, he did not stop Harrison. Harrison immediately took an overnight flight to Riveria. It was seven in the morning when he landed, and without any rest, he headed straight for Drakthorn Ridge. His assistant could not help but advise, “Mr. Harrison, you’ve not rested all night. Why don’t you take a break before going up the mountain?”Harrison shook his head. “Time will wait for no one.”Ethan was about to leave Riveria, and the Quinns were on the brink of survival. He feared that if he slept, he would miss the final chance of saving the Quinn family. “This is nothing,” Harrison said, “I’ve gone three days without sleep before. Now, hurry up and drive up the mountain!”The assistant, exasperated, could only steer towards Drakthorn Ridge. At nine