Charles went to visit his mother, but his mother was asleep after taking the medication. He sighed. Not wanting to disturb his mother, he left the hospital to go back to work. If he skipped work for even one day, he might not get his full salary at the end of the month. As such, he got into the car and went to pick Stephen up. When he saw Stephen, he felt a mix of feelings. They arrived at the office soon after, and Stephen called a meeting, asking everyone whether they had thought of a way to increase the benefits. Everyone shook their heads, including Nolan. Hill City’s economy was no longer thriving, and things were getting increasingly expensive. The people’s salaries, however, were getting lower or stagnant. With the people lacking the money to survive, why would they care about the benefits? Stephen sighed. The matter was more complicated than he had expected. Not even the experienced Nolan had a suggestion. “I’ll give us more time to think of a solution. Let’s end the
Charles went to the hospital to take care of the medical bills and then talk to his father. He believed even without Ethan, he and his family could live a good life. “Ethan committed a crime and was jailed for it. If you want me to take him as our savior, I can’t do it. Besides, I have the money. I have 500 thousand dollars.” Xavier was astonished by the astronomical amount. He looked at Charles, but there was no happiness or excitement in the man’s eyes. As a father, he knew exactly what happened. “You took bribes.” Charles’ expression froze, but he forced a smile and said, “What? No. I’m not that kind of person. I will never bow down to money.” He was slightly stunned when the words escaped his mouth. They felt familiar. It was what Ethan had told him last night, and in less than twenty-four hours, he had done the complete opposite. It was a slap in his face.Nevertheless, he feigned a calm look and said, “The money is clean.” Xavier looked at him but said nothing. He si
Ganter and Austin witnessed the chaos that unfolded in Hill City over the past two weeks. The hospitals were overloaded, and more patients were being admitted. Even they, a psychologist, were asked to help. Ganter shook his head helplessly. He was a doctor in psychology, so there was nothing he could do for those people. All he could do was watch them leave, disheartened and desperate. When he went out on the street, he noticed the people walking around were fewer than before. Every day, he could hear robberies happening and gunshots in the air. The street where his clinic was located used to be a bustling area with merchants selling their goods, but they were all gone. His clinic was the only establishment left in the street. Austin looked worried. “Ganter, we should also think about leaving. Hill City is not safe anymore.” News of robberies, shootings, and outbreaks of sickness were so frequent that the growing fear among the people was palpable. Even Austin was scared too.
A while later, Charles, who was enjoying his spa and massage with several other business owners, got a call from the hospital that his parents had discharged themselves. The delight on his face disappeared. Why would his parents leave the hospital? He quickly called his father but could not get through. The same happened with his mother. Anxious, Charles called the hospital, demanding an explanation. How could the hospital release his parents without informing him first? The nurse explained, “They said there were not enough beds in the hospital because of the current situation and believed other people needed the treatment more than them, so they insisted on leaving. We tried to convince them to stay, but they were adamant.” Charles was stunned. Not enough beds in the hospital? What kind of excuse was that? He had the money to pay for their medical bills! He had more than a million at hand, and if he kept working hard, the money he was making would be enough to last him a l
Was Ethan more important than their own son? Stephen said, “I understand. Please get up. Ethan Rivers has been accused of bribery, and it puts me in a tough spot.” Xavier argued, “He’s not capable of that! He has been fixing roads, as well as repairing hospitals and schools. He even used his own money to send other people’s children to school! Why would he take bribes?” Riveria used to be in chaos, and education was scarce. The adults in the family would rather keep their children at home to work than send them to school for education. Ethan then used his personal money to send every child to school, paying the families a stipend of 500 dollars a month. The children could also enjoy free lunches at schools, which drastically improved both attendance rates and nutrition levels in the region.Stephen said with gritted teeth, “It’s bribery! I don’t need you to tell me what he did!” He dared not look them in the eyes, so he quickly called security to send them off. After they
“No!” Charles’ face paled. He pulled his phone out to call for help, but then his mother, Jessica, said, “You don’t need to call for help.” She had been fighting her illness for years and should have died a long time ago. It was Ethan’s subsidy and health insurance that helped her to stay alive, and after what happened, she believed she was the reason her son became twisted. She felt guilty, not just toward Ethan, but also toward her husband and their son. Years of pain and the burden she placed on her family had worn her down. She could not go on any longer. Maybe, just maybe, her death could help Charles find his way back.“I know what’s going on with my body,” she said, her voice strained and labored. “Son, I’ve hurt you enough. I’m so sorry. I will no longer be your burden. If you can, turn yourself in. You’re on your own now. We will always love you.” Charles teared up, his body shaking. He did not understand. He had worked so hard and taken so many risks, all to make s
“Ethan Rivers, we’ve received a report accusing you of multiple crimes, including embezzlement and bribery. Please come with us.”At Villa 88, Grand Tomson in Riveria, two uniformed officers stood before Ethan, their eyes fixed coldly on him.“Do you have the wrong person?” Ethan frowned.He was the future son-in-law of the governor, currently managing the entire province on the governor’s behalf. Over the past three years, he had worked tirelessly to increase the GDP of Riveria by fivefold.Thanks to him, Riveria was transformed from a poor backwater into a developed province with a GDP of 15 trillion dollars!“There’s no mistake.” A cold voice suddenly sounded from the front.Ethan was stunned to see the speaker. It was a beautiful woman, who was the governor’s daughter and his fiancee, Rachel Lowe.Rachel approached slowly, her gaze indifferent as she looked at Ethan. “I was the one who made the report. They’re here to arrest you.”When he heard her and saw the look in her e
“Besides, the Quinns from the capital will have a marriage alliance with us. Once Stephen Quinn comes to Riveria, he’ll easily raise the GDP to 20 trillion within a year!”Rachel walked over to the table and continued with a smile, “The Lowes’ affairs are none of your concern. You should worry about yourself now.”She smiled faintly. “After all, you’ll be spending the rest of your life behind bars.”One of the officers then took out a pair of silver handcuffs.Ethan knew that the Lowes must have planned it thoroughly. There was no chance they would let him walk away today, but he did not plan on walking away anyway. He was feeling a bit tired, after all. Over the past three years, he had constantly worked to attract investors, protect the environment, and maintain the delicate balance with the various forces. Now, he finally had some time to rest.Ethan looked at them calmly and said, “I’ll walk out myself.”The two officers frowned and moved forward to handcuff him. However, w
“No!” Charles’ face paled. He pulled his phone out to call for help, but then his mother, Jessica, said, “You don’t need to call for help.” She had been fighting her illness for years and should have died a long time ago. It was Ethan’s subsidy and health insurance that helped her to stay alive, and after what happened, she believed she was the reason her son became twisted. She felt guilty, not just toward Ethan, but also toward her husband and their son. Years of pain and the burden she placed on her family had worn her down. She could not go on any longer. Maybe, just maybe, her death could help Charles find his way back.“I know what’s going on with my body,” she said, her voice strained and labored. “Son, I’ve hurt you enough. I’m so sorry. I will no longer be your burden. If you can, turn yourself in. You’re on your own now. We will always love you.” Charles teared up, his body shaking. He did not understand. He had worked so hard and taken so many risks, all to make s
Was Ethan more important than their own son? Stephen said, “I understand. Please get up. Ethan Rivers has been accused of bribery, and it puts me in a tough spot.” Xavier argued, “He’s not capable of that! He has been fixing roads, as well as repairing hospitals and schools. He even used his own money to send other people’s children to school! Why would he take bribes?” Riveria used to be in chaos, and education was scarce. The adults in the family would rather keep their children at home to work than send them to school for education. Ethan then used his personal money to send every child to school, paying the families a stipend of 500 dollars a month. The children could also enjoy free lunches at schools, which drastically improved both attendance rates and nutrition levels in the region.Stephen said with gritted teeth, “It’s bribery! I don’t need you to tell me what he did!” He dared not look them in the eyes, so he quickly called security to send them off. After they
A while later, Charles, who was enjoying his spa and massage with several other business owners, got a call from the hospital that his parents had discharged themselves. The delight on his face disappeared. Why would his parents leave the hospital? He quickly called his father but could not get through. The same happened with his mother. Anxious, Charles called the hospital, demanding an explanation. How could the hospital release his parents without informing him first? The nurse explained, “They said there were not enough beds in the hospital because of the current situation and believed other people needed the treatment more than them, so they insisted on leaving. We tried to convince them to stay, but they were adamant.” Charles was stunned. Not enough beds in the hospital? What kind of excuse was that? He had the money to pay for their medical bills! He had more than a million at hand, and if he kept working hard, the money he was making would be enough to last him a l
Ganter and Austin witnessed the chaos that unfolded in Hill City over the past two weeks. The hospitals were overloaded, and more patients were being admitted. Even they, a psychologist, were asked to help. Ganter shook his head helplessly. He was a doctor in psychology, so there was nothing he could do for those people. All he could do was watch them leave, disheartened and desperate. When he went out on the street, he noticed the people walking around were fewer than before. Every day, he could hear robberies happening and gunshots in the air. The street where his clinic was located used to be a bustling area with merchants selling their goods, but they were all gone. His clinic was the only establishment left in the street. Austin looked worried. “Ganter, we should also think about leaving. Hill City is not safe anymore.” News of robberies, shootings, and outbreaks of sickness were so frequent that the growing fear among the people was palpable. Even Austin was scared too.
Charles went to the hospital to take care of the medical bills and then talk to his father. He believed even without Ethan, he and his family could live a good life. “Ethan committed a crime and was jailed for it. If you want me to take him as our savior, I can’t do it. Besides, I have the money. I have 500 thousand dollars.” Xavier was astonished by the astronomical amount. He looked at Charles, but there was no happiness or excitement in the man’s eyes. As a father, he knew exactly what happened. “You took bribes.” Charles’ expression froze, but he forced a smile and said, “What? No. I’m not that kind of person. I will never bow down to money.” He was slightly stunned when the words escaped his mouth. They felt familiar. It was what Ethan had told him last night, and in less than twenty-four hours, he had done the complete opposite. It was a slap in his face.Nevertheless, he feigned a calm look and said, “The money is clean.” Xavier looked at him but said nothing. He si
Charles went to visit his mother, but his mother was asleep after taking the medication. He sighed. Not wanting to disturb his mother, he left the hospital to go back to work. If he skipped work for even one day, he might not get his full salary at the end of the month. As such, he got into the car and went to pick Stephen up. When he saw Stephen, he felt a mix of feelings. They arrived at the office soon after, and Stephen called a meeting, asking everyone whether they had thought of a way to increase the benefits. Everyone shook their heads, including Nolan. Hill City’s economy was no longer thriving, and things were getting increasingly expensive. The people’s salaries, however, were getting lower or stagnant. With the people lacking the money to survive, why would they care about the benefits? Stephen sighed. The matter was more complicated than he had expected. Not even the experienced Nolan had a suggestion. “I’ll give us more time to think of a solution. Let’s end the
After the doctor came out, he informed Charles about Xavier’s condition and mentioned that the medical bill would cost 30 thousand dollars. Charles went to the reception to make the necessary payment. As his mother was also in the same hospital, he dared not tell her about his father and Ethan when he visited her. With Ethan jailed, the medication subsidy discontinued, and the health insurance expired, the monthly medical expenses reverted to costing tens of thousands of dollars.Charles talked to his mother for a while before leaving. “My salary is only 8000 dollars per month. How am I going to do this?” He felt lost. Suddenly, his phone rang. Looking at the screen and seeing an unregistered number, he answered it. “Hello, we’re from the loan company…” Charles hung up immediately. For some reason, the loan company had caught wind of his situation and reached out to make him an offer. He sighed, baffled by how quickly they had obtained such accurate information. His father
As the only mentee, Ethan took over governing Riveria after the Grand Marshal passed.First, he tackled the issue between Riveria and the land beyond the borders, calming all the conflicts. After that, he entered the Lowes and used George’s identity to continue governing the state. Since George never really did his job, Ethan took full control, which led to his hair growing white at a young age. However, now that he had stepped down, it only took him half a year of rest at Drakthorn Ridge to regain his health. Charles looked at Ethan blankly, not knowing how to react. He was rude a moment ago, calling Ethan a criminal and threatening to serve justice. Now, Ethan turned out to be his family’s savior. He tried to speak but lacked the courage to do so. Ethan said, “Let’s leave the past behind for now. I’m here today to tell you that I’ve been imprisoned, so everything under my name will be forced to cease operation, including the institute. The health insurance plan and the medic
Justin pulled out a bank card and handed it to Ethan with both hands. “There’s one 100 thousand dollars here.” Ethan nodded and said, “Give him the card.” Justin turned around and gave Charles the card with one hand. Charles was confused. Why would the director of the Security Bureau give him 100 thousand dollars? “Are you bribing me? Is that what you can do, Ethan Rivers?” He laughed. “I’m telling you, money is not almighty! I won’t take this! I won’t take whatever you have to offer, and I will not bow to money! And most importantly, I will not bow to you! “You are a criminal! So is the director of the Security Bureau! The hammer of justice will be waiting for you!” He tapped Justin’ hand away, sending the card flying. “This is my answer! I will never compromise!” Charles looked at Ethan scornfully. Ethan glanced at the card on the floor. “The money inside the card was originally yours.” “Huh?” Charles was surprised. “What do you mean?” Then, a middle-aged man stro