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Chapter 585
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 586
He wanted to object to it, but no words came out of his mouth. Stephen’s track record was clear—he had failed too many times. Unless he could succeed once, there was little hope. The meeting concluded, and it was decided that Victor would head to Breeze City to help clean up the mess there. “Dad?” Stephen’s voice snapped Simon out of his thoughts. Simon said, “The decision has been made. Tomorrow, Victor will head over to help you manage Breeze City’s issues.”“Victor?” Stephen frowned, remembering the name. “Is he from the Hughes family?”“Yes.” Simon nodded, “He’s from the Hughes family. He furthered his studies abroad three years ago and returned half a year ago. You really need to step it up. The federal government has little confidence in you. Victor is also here to compete with you. If you fail again, you might be forced to return to the capital.”Stephen fell silent. Although he had expected that day to come, he did not expect it to happen so soon. Would he really have
The Guardian's Return Chapter 587
Edward and Tyler were stunned. Even the Hugheses knew about Ethan and saw Ethan as an enemy? “We don’t understand what you mean,” Edward spoke. He did not understand why the Hugheses would see Ethan as an enemy. Could it be that they wanted to take control of Riveria like the Quinns? Victor’s eyes held a trace of nostalgia. “It’s not something I need to hide anymore. Four years ago, we were already in Riveria.”When he said that, both Edward and Tyler appeared shocked. They even seemed terrified. That single sentence carried an enormous amount of information.The Hugheses came to Riveria four years ago, at a time when the region was far from peaceful, chaotic, and full of dangerous characters. Afterward, the Hugheses disappeared without a trace. Now, connecting that with what Victor had just said about Ethan being an enemy, a terrifying thought emerged in their minds. The Hugheses had also tried to seize Riveria back then but was driven out by Ethan. Now that Ethan had fall
The Guardian's Return Chapter 588
Besides, the Hugheses had defeated Rhys. It was something no one had imagined possible. “Good. You’re smart.” Victor smiled slightly, got up, and left. He had not arrived in Riveria ahead of schedule to pay a visit to the Spencers; he had another person to meet—Ethan.The Hugheses had never crossed paths with Ethan directly. Rhys had always been in their way, until he perished alongside them, forcing them out of Riveria. Even then, they had not had the chance to face Ethan head-on. He had spent three years studying abroad, honing his skills and becoming stronger and more experienced. Moreover, the Hugheses were not less powerful than the Quinns. They had plenty of talented people at their disposal, and whether they were dealing with Rhys or Ethan, it was supposed to be an easy victory. It was a pity that Rhys was now dead and Ethan was imprisoned. They no longer had the chance to confront Ethan, and Victor found it disappointing. He wanted to see Ethan kneeling on the ground,
The Guardian's Return Chapter 589
“One more thing.” Ethan calmly said, “Rhys did not die at your hands.”Victor was stunned. “How is that possible?” Although they did not witness Rhys’ death, they had heard the news of Rhys passing in the hospital a month after they left Riveria. They were confident their plan to break him had worked, pushing him over the edge.Ethan took out a paper from his book and handed it to Victor. Reading it, Victor was dumbfounded. It was a medical diagnosis, stating that Rhys had died of cancer, not from their schemes!While Victor stood there in shock, Ethan continued, “You thought Rhys died because he couldn’t handle the blow you dealt him, but he never told you, and you never bothered to dig into his past. “He lost his family when he was eight, and his childhood sweetheart gave up on him when he was seventeen, choosing his best friend instead. After college, he worked alongside me and was always dedicated to Riveria’s affairs. Saving Riveria was the only thing on his mind every da
The Guardian's Return Chapter 590
They had always thought that they had the power to hurt Ethan, but in the end, they could not even handle Ethan’s subordinate. Worse, the group of them were so terrified of Rhys that they treated him as the second coming of Ethan and scrambled to find a way to get rid of him. When Rhys eventually passed away, he left with no regrets. He did not even consider them worthy of his attention. The Hugheses looked like clowns now. Just as Victor was still in a daze, still reeling from the emotional blow, the Hugheses informed him to keep his mouth shut, forbidding him from revealing the truth.They had always prided themselves on having the power to defeat Ethan’s subordinate, which gained them substantial financial and manpower support. If the truth came to light, and everyone knew that Rhys had died without a care about the Hugheses, they would be greatly humiliated. Not only would they become the laughingstock of others, but the financial and manpower support they had received could
The Guardian's Return Chapter 591
“I won’t disturb you any longer,” Victor said and quickly left. After leaving the villa, he reported the outcome to the Hugheses, giving them a sense of relief.“Don’t go looking for him again unless you have to.”The Hugheses were also afraid that Ethan would reveal even more shocking news. The fact that Rhys Estrela had died of illness and left no regrets was enough to ruin their reputation.“Got it.” Victor also did not want to see Ethan again.The next day, he boarded a plane to Breeze City. When he landed at 10 a.m., Stephen came to greet him.Upon meeting, Stephen could not help but size Victor up. Dressed in a suit, Victor’s good looks, height, and figure were no inferior to Stephen's, suddenly making him feel pressured.However, he forced a smile and said, “Long time no see.”Victor also smiled. “It’s been four or five years.”“Time really flies.” Stephen was running out of things to say.Victor could tell that Stephen was awkward and chuckled. “Let’s go. I’m feeling a
The Guardian's Return Chapter 592
Victor glanced at the news online and had someone gather information on which celebrity was receiving the most criticism and why.Soon, he received news that a wealthy man had nearly bought up all the reserve grain and sold them, causing public outrage.Victor immediately approached the man for a partnership. He issued the man a small fine to release some of the public’s dissatisfaction while also cooperating with other cities to obtain a large amount of cheap grain to calm the public’s anger. Then, he also gave the rich man some benefits.That way, the rich man reaped benefits, Victor gained recognition, and the public would be fooled into thinking that the rich man had been punished and that they would soon get healthy, safe food. They would become grateful to Victor.After negotiations, the rich man agreed to Victor’s suggestions.The grain from other cities was also about to arrive. Stephen had fought for a large portion of it, while the rest was prepared in advance by the Hug
The Guardian's Return Chapter 593
Stephen could not swallow his anger. Being criticized in the past was one thing, but he had truly worked hard to help this time. How could they still scold him?He decided to find Victor and ask him to clarify the truth that Stephen had indeed procured grain from other cities.Victor was staying just next door, so Stephen quickly found him and stated his request, hoping that Victor would speak up for him.Victor narrowed his eyes. “Speak up for you? You didn’t do anything. Why should I help you?”Stephen was stunned and widened his eyes. “I did! I brought in grain from other cities.”“Is that so?” Victor chuckled. “When? I didn’t see anything or get any paperwork.”Stephen was instantly speechless. He wanted to explain but did not know where to begin.Victor continued, “You don’t show initiative, but you have your life figured out for you. Despite having the ability to do good, you’d rather not do anything at all. When you see others accomplish something, you shamelessly try to
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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
