“Ethan has no talent. Riveria’s success is all thanks to my father!”The manager was stunned. Ethan had no talent? Riveria’s success was all thanks to George? He thought he had heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.Everyone in Riveria knew that George had no concern for the province. It was all Ethan’s efforts. Without Ethan, Riveria would not be a province with a GDP of 15 trillion dollars. Instead, it would be a poverty-stricken place plagued by trouble!If not for the fact that Ethan was George’s future son-in-law, they would not have voted to re-elect George. Even the hotel, which was the largest in Riveria, was founded thanks to Ethan.The manager frowned and said, “That’s not right. We common folks know Ethan well. Ask anyone, and they’ll sing his praises!”George and Stephen’s expressions instantly darkened when they heard everyone would sing Ethan’s praises. That was not the news they wanted to hear, and they needed Ethan’s reputation to be thoroughly destroyed.“S
If Ethan was removed and the South Regent made a move again, would the cities at the borders survive?George and Stephen’s expressions were grim with anger when their plan was exposed.“Nonsense. Ethan is just an orphan with no skills. He even dropped out of high school. What contributions has he made?“On the other hand, Stephen is the son of the Quinns in the capital. Not only did he graduate from the top academy, but he also studied abroad for three years and gained exceptional skills. Ethan is nothing compared to Stephen!”Zane scoffed in disdain. “If he’s so amazing, the GDP of the capital should’ve long surpassed that of Riveria and become the top in the nation, right?”George was instantly silenced, and Stephen’s expression darkened further.“I only have one thing to say. Riveria when it’s managed by Ethan and when not are two completely different places. Ethan will have an easier life if he leaves Riveria, but without him, Riveria will crumble!”George slammed the table
As Liam took a closer look, he gasped in shock. The street was filled with cars, and beside each car stood two to three men in suits, standing tall!All of them were dressed in suits and ties, looking like they were there for a job interview. Liam and his men were so startled that their hands instinctively moved toward their guns.Just then… “Welcome, Lord Rivers!” They all spoke in unison, their voices booming in perfect harmony.Dumbfounded, Liam turned to look at Ethan with his men, wondering if those people were there to greet Ethan.Their eyes widened with disbelief, and they failed to wrap their head around the situation. Who exactly was Ethan to be able to summon so many people in that chaotic place?Ethan, however, merely glanced at them calmly. “The South Regent promised he wouldn’t cross the border. Is he going back on his word?”A young man in a red suit quickly stepped forward, dropping to his knee and lowering his head respectfully. “You’ve misunderstood, Lord Rive
“Whose grave is it?”The man quickly covered Liam’s mouth.“Shh! Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t. All you need to know is that while there’s chaos and bloodshed at the base of the mountain, no one dares to fire a single shot up here.”Liam’s eyes widened as he stared at the grave, finding it terrifying! There could be gunfire and explosions below, yet no one dared to disturb the peace of the place?“Master, it’s been a long time.”Ethan opened the bottle of whiskey and slowly poured it in front of the tombstone.“I came in a hurry this time, so I didn’t bring the good stuff, but I know you never liked drinking anyway.“You told me to look after Riveria for a year, but I did it for three. In those three years, I’ve watched Riveria turn from a chaotic place to a land where people can live in peace.“Your student, I, didn’t let you down. I’ve turned Riveria into the place you always dreamed of. I’ve done all I can, and now that Riveria is thriving, it’s time for me to move on.”
As he drove, he was rattled to see the suited men lining the road. Firstly, he was terrified by the sheer number of men because their presence indicated that the South Regent’s power was far greater than he had imagined. However, what really shocked him was how deferential they all were to Ethan. Even someone as powerful as the South Regent treated Ethan with such respect!He could not help but think, ‘I wonder if the lieutenant governor has spoken to the governor. If the governor is still bent on locking Ethan up, Riveria will be in ruins.’In the evening, Liam took Ethan back to the station. His subordinates approached, looking at him, confused.“Chief, where should we put him?”They glanced at Ethan as they spoke. They could not possibly put someone like him in a regular cell, could they?Liam was also at a loss. The station was not equipped for long-term accommodations, let alone anything with a comfortable bed.Ethan, who had overheard their conversation, said calmly, “Just put m
However, he did not dare to say that out loud.All he did was look at the door and shout, “Leave the door open so Mr. Rivers can come and go as he pleases, got that? Also, get some curtains to cover that iron door. We’ll replace the door soon.“Say, is it me, or is that lightbulb dim? Isn’t it time we upgraded the bathroom? I’ll have a hot water system and a bathtub installed tomorrow!”Liam muttered to himself, loud enough for everyone to hear, as if he was venting his frustrations to someone else. He genuinely felt sorry for Ethan. After everything Ethan had sacrificed, that should not be his fate.Meanwhile, the inmates in the other cells were bewildered, not knowing what was going on. They all pressed their faces against the bars, trying to look outside. Just who could be so important for Liam to make such a big fuss?After ensuring Ethan was settled, Liam left, not wanting to disturb the man further. Once outside, he called the lieutenant governor, Zane, and asked about the situat
“You’ve just taken office, so they'll have their opinions about you and target you at every turn. That is why you have to find a way to publicly take Ethan down.”Stephen put down the toast, thought about it, and realized George was right. Since he had just arrived, his only supporters were George and Rachel.He needed to kick Ethan down to prove his capabilities and show everyone he was far stronger than Ethan! Then, managing Riveria would be much easier. Even achieving a GDP of 20 trillion might not seem so far-fetched.Stephen asked, “Do you have any ideas on how to do that?”George smirked. “Of course. That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about today. Ethan owns several properties in Regal Estates, the most upscale neighborhood in Riveria. That’s where all his mistresses live. “At the right time, invite those close to Ethan and expose him right in front of them. Then…” George trailed off and smiled slyly.Stephen caught on. It was about publicly humiliating Ethan.No
“What?” Liam was shocked by the startling news.“Mr. Rivers, are you joking?” Liam found it hard to believe.Ethan chuckled. “You’ll soon find out if I am.”Then, he finished his breakfast and left.By noon, Stephen’s office was already filled with officials who had previously worked with Ethan. Even the lieutenant governor, Zane, was present. He had his arms crossed, looking visibly angry. Anyone could tell it was best not to provoke him at the moment.When the others saw Zane’s mood, they became curious. “What’s going on?”Noting everyone had arrived, Stephen said, “I know all of you have a good relationship with Ethan Rivers, but I have some news. Ethan has been arrested for embezzlement and bribery.”Except for Zane and Liam, that announcement shocked everyone present.“Ethan embezzled and took bribes?”“That can’t be!”“Is there some kind of mistake?”They had all seen Ethan’s work over the years. He was always hands-on with everything. He was even the first to arriv
“They even drove farmers out to the outskirts to farm!”“Just yesterday, they used excavators to destroy other people’s farmland. They’re despicable.”“I’m from Breeze City. I can testify that it’s all true. They really did send excavators to drive people away.”“Are they a criminal organization?”Following that narrative, many people who did not know the truth believed the accusations and thought that the Fords and the Lanes were truly evil.Some of the more rational ones spoke up, telling the others not to jump to conclusions, but they were immediately attacked by the commenters the Spencers hired.“Why are you defending them? Are you part of their organization?”“This is hilarious. Did you go mad from eating contaminated food?”“How dare you defend these heartless companies? Be careful you don’t get hit by a car one day.”Some even sent private messages, cursing them. The rational people were frightened and quickly deleted their comments, not daring to speak out again.Whe
Rachel asked Theo, “If you manage these two families, will you end up like them?”Clatter!Theo suddenly stood up. “I swear to the heavens, if I ever betray you or do something that harms everyone, I shall be struck by five bolts of lightning!”Rachel nodded in satisfaction, reassured by his conviction. “Sit down.” She still had other problems, such as how to take over the two families. Should she go to them directly?“What’s on your mind, Rachel?” Zara asked.“I’m trying to figure out how to take over the two families,” Rachel said. “Can I just go and demand from them?”After all, she was the daughter of the former governor and one of the administrators of Breeze City. It should be possible to directly ask them to hand over their entire fortune, right?Zoey shook her head. “Of course not.”“Then, what should we do?” Rachel was confused. She had no management experience. In the past, Ethan was the one who handled all the matters in Riveria. She always felt tired just hearing ab
At Zoey’s words, Rachel said excitedly, “Great idea!”She thought about it carefully. If she found someone to replace the Fords and the Lanes, she would get all the benefits without any downsides. Then, she had a new question. Who should she choose to take over the Fords and the Lanes’ fruits of success?Although Rachel had many friends, at this critical moment, she could not think of anyone who would be suitable.Seeing her conflicted expression, Zoey asked, “Are you worried about not knowing who to choose to replace the Fords and the Lanes? I actually have someone in mind.”Rachel immediately asked, “Who?”“Theo Harlow. He’s a friend of mine. He’s a village chief but he’s already young and accomplished. He’s also highly respected in the village.” Zoey shared the story that the Spencers prepared all to arrange for Theo’s rise to power.“Theo Harlow?” Rachel muttered. She had never heard of that name before. “Where is he?”Zoey smiled. “I’ll call him now so you can meet him.”S
After all, Nolan took care of him while he was in Hill City.Stephen started to deceive himself. It was not only because Nolan had completely fooled him but also because he was unwilling to accept that he had been tricked again.“The Spencers must have turned over a new leaf.”Just then, Daniel and Caleb looked at Stephen and asked, “Sir, do you know where Mr. Rivers has gone? He has been missing for some time.”Stephen stiffened and said uneasily, “I don’t know.” He could not tell them that Ethan was currently locked up in Drakthorn Ridge and that he was the one who had locked him up! If he told them, he might not leave the Fords’ residence alive today.‘Well, I’m not completely at fault,’ Stephen thought to himself. ‘I gave him a chance. If he was willing to help me, I would’ve allowed him to occasionally go down the mountain. It’s his own fault for being ungrateful.’Daniel and Caleb frowned and said, “Recently, there’s been a lot of criticism of Mr. Rivers online. Can you hel
Who would dare to challenge the Spencers at the peak of their power?Before any of the families or factions could react, there was another shocking news from the Spencers—they were donating half of their wealth to develop Breeze City.Everyone thought they had misheard. Although Marcus was dead, the Spencers were not angry. Instead, they donated half their assets! It was like a lizard cutting off its own tail to survive.Not long after, several families went into obscurity and also announced that they were donating their assets.At that point, the remaining families and factions felt that something was going on. However, before they could respond, the Spencers and the families that donated their wealth all united to fight against the local criminal organizations.Having donated half of their wealth, the Spencers and the other families were already severely weakened when they fought against the criminal organizations. Although they won in the end, they could never recover.In the
Stephen ate something and went back to his room. He was not planning to rest yet. Instead, he took the opportunity to look into the Ford and the Lane families.The information showed that the Fords and Lanes had their own businesses in Breeze City, and they were also the leading enterprises in the city. When Riveria was still in turmoil, the two families did not add to the chaos and instead worked hard to improve Breeze City.However, back then, the two families were targeted by other families and forces, and they almost faced ruin.Then, one day, the families that had been targeting the Fords and the Lanes all apologized, and the factions quickly disbanded. Not long after that, the Fords and the Lanes started new companies and began to thrive again.Although the information did not go into detail about how they managed to turn things around, Stephen knew what happened.“It must be Ethan,” he muttered to himself. “He must have intervened.”After carefully reading the documents, S
Before Ethan left, he had explicitly told them that food production was of utmost importance. Any issue affecting planting or harvesting had to be resolved as soon as possible.When they heard that the farmland had to be relocated, they quickly sent people to clear the fields. If the land could be cleared and seeds planted within a week, they could still manage a harvest this year. It was critical for the whole of Riveria.Stephen mumbled, “The Ford and the Lane families?” He was not familiar with the families in Breeze City since he had been too focused on the water pollution issues.“Thank you for your assistance.” Stephen smiled.“It’s our duty. Although Mr. Rivers isn’t around anymore, we’ll continue safeguarding Breeze City’s food harvest.”Stephen was shocked. Ethan?“You know Ethan Rivers?”The captain replied, “Mr. Rivers told us to stay here.”Stephen suspected their motives, but when he heard that it was Ethan who had told them to stay, he completely relaxed.After h
“You’re my role model. I’ve always been your fan!”The onlookers continued to praise Rachel, making the smug smile on her face grow.Zoey then said, “Rachel, let me handle these men. They’ve been causing trouble in Breeze City for too long. I’ve always wanted to teach them a lesson.”Rachel nodded. “I’ll wait for you in the car.”“Thanks, Rachel!” Zoey took the men out of Rachel’s sight and then let them go.A few minutes later, she returned to the car, and Rachel asked, “What did you do with them?”“I beat them up and called the cops. They’ll be quaking in their boots the next time they see us.”Rachel grinned. “Good job.”Zoey also smiled. “I heard that Stephen Quinn was coming and was worried since he’s incompetent. Problems arose in every city he went to, but I’m not worried now since you’re also here. You’re much more exceptional than Stephen. If you were in charge of Breeze City, everyone’s future would grow brighter. Breeze City would surely become Riveria’s, no, the nat
The next day, Stephen woke up as soon as dawn broke and saw that it was not even 7 yet, but he could not fall back asleep. Unless he succeeded once, he would never sleep well again.He went downstairs to have breakfast, planning to check on the farmland relocation issue later.When he passed by Rachel’s room, he glanced at the door guiltily. He had acted too impulsively yesterday. “I need to stay calm. I can’t keep acting rashly.”By 8 p.m., Stephen finished his breakfast and left in a hurry. He believed that Heaven rewarded the diligent. As long as he worked hard, he surely would not fail again.Not long after Stephen left, Rachel woke up. She had the breakfast that was prepared earlier discarded and then made a meal for herself.After eating, she went out to meet Zoey for a shopping trip as planned. Zoey was a local and knew more about the events in the city, so Rachel found it convenient to have her as a guide to familiarize herself with Breeze City.Soon after that, Rachel sa