âI wonât disturb you any longer,â Victor said and quickly left. After leaving the villa, he reported the outcome to the Hugheses, giving them a sense of relief.âDonât go looking for him again unless you have to.âThe 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.âGot it.â 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, Victorâs good looks, height, and figure were no inferior to Stephen's, suddenly making him feel pressured.However, he forced a smile and said, âLong time no see.âVictor also smiled. âItâs been four or five years.ââTime really flies.â Stephen was running out of things to say.Victor could tell that Stephen was awkward and chuckled. âLetâs go. Iâm feeling a
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 publicâs dissatisfaction while also cooperating with other cities to obtain a large amount of cheap grain to calm the publicâs 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 Victorâs 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
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. âSpeak up for you? You didnât do anything. Why should I help you?âStephen was stunned and widened his eyes. âI did! I brought in grain from other cities.ââIs that so?â Victor chuckled. âWhen? I didnât see anything or get any paperwork.âStephen was instantly speechless. He wanted to explain but did not know where to begin.Victor continued, âYou donât show initiative, but you have your life figured out for you. Despite having the ability to do good, youâd rather not do anything at all. When you see others accomplish something, you shamelessly try to
Although Victor knew the truth, he had no qualms about distorting it. He painted Stephen as an idle and useless person who tried to claim credit for othersâ hard work.Naturally, Victor did not say that he leaked the information. He said that a janitor overheard the news when she was cleaning and even recorded the conversation.When Stephen came to confront him, he would simply fire the janitor.As soon as the news was released, with the help of the netizens, it immediately attracted the attention of many people on the internet.âIs Stephen a dog? How could he try to steal credit?ââI canât believe it. He really is useless. Heâs been doing nothing all this time, but now that Victor is helping, heâs trying to claim credit.ââI want to beat him up. How could the Grand Marshalâs mentee be someone like him?ââStephen isnât that different from that trash, Ethan. With people like them around, itâs no wonder Riveria fell.ââVictor, please save Riveria. Youâre our final hope!âStephen
âVictor just arrived, but he already came up with solutions.ââThereâs no comparison at all. Theyâre both young masters from Metropolis. How could they be so different? Was Stephen only focused on the pleasures of life?ââStephen is a disgrace to all the young masters in Metropolis. Fortunately, Victor came and turned things around.âStephen also saw Victorâs announcement. After reading it, he looked at the other news online, then silently returned to his room and closed the door. He did not come out for a long time.Stephen fell into self-doubt. He never thought of these solutions. The issues that were incredibly tricky to him were resolved so easily by Victor as if it were just a daily occurrence.People had always called him a giant among men, and fortune tellers said that he would achieve great things, but when he thought about everything he was going through now, he felt like all of that was just flattery.At that moment, Edward and Tyler also saw the news and frowned.âHeâ
Many investors were tricked without even realizing it.Throughout the process, as the managers of the company, the Spencers did not receive a single dime.Edward and Tyler knew that Victor was no longer even pretending. He was openly signaling that they were just pawns he could discard at any time. They felt deeply resentful.The Spencers had experienced countless setbacks over the years, especially three years ago with Marcusâs death and the decline of the family. However, they managed to get through it.Now, Victor was forcing them into a desperate situation. Once Victor abandoned the Spencers, it would be completely over for them.âWe canât let that happen,â Edward muttered.Tyler asked, âWhat can we do?âThey could not think of any solutions.âIf only Marcus were still alive...â Tyler could only think of Marcus. Marcus was the genius of the Spencers. His talent and skill far surpassed even Edward. However, Marcus had already died as part of Ethanâs plan.âAlas.â Edward sig
Edward and Tyler could not help but feel envious. While they were standing outside under the sun, Ethan was inside, napping comfortably. The difference was immense.The two looked at the jug and the cups on the table but did not dare to drink. They had once challenged Ethan, but now, they did not even dare to breathe loudly in front of him. Even if their throats were burning from thirst, they did not dare to pour themselves water without Ethanâs permission.âGet yourself some water if youâre thirsty,â Ethan said calmly.Only then did Tyler pour a glass of water. He first pushed it in front of Ethan, then gave the second cup to his father and the third for himself.After drinking the cool mountain spring water, they both felt rejuvenated. They both drank three cups each before finally feeling completely revived.âFrom how you look, I already know why youâre here.â Ethanâs voice made Edward and Tyler freeze in their tracks. They nervously looked at Ethan.âWhat is your answer, Mr.
Edward and Tyler sized up the South Regent. The Spencers and the South Regent had always been enemies. They even fought with each other at Hill City. Why was the South Regent inviting them to dinner so enthusiastically now?Edward asked with a serious face, âAre you here just to mock us?âThe South Regent laughed. âOf course not.â Although part of the reason he approached them was indeed to mock them, he also had other motives.âI know the predicament youâre in now. I came to you because I want to work with you,â the South Regent said. âI plan to get involved in Breeze City.âEdward instantly understood. The South Regent wanted to take advantage of the chaos to enter Breeze City, set roots there, and continuously extract benefits from it.It was just like what he had done in Hill City and Celestial City!If the South Regent succeeded, his power would grow even stronger, and a large amount of Riveriaâs money would flow out of the borders. This was not good news for anyone living i
Thanks to Stephenâs 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.âWas it just my imagination?âStephen 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, âDid you ever think of giving up?âRhys said, âThere are so
âHeâs amazing.â Stephen asked excitedly, âWhere is he now? Iâd like to meet him.âThe mayor took a deep drag of his cigarette and blew it out. âYou canât.ââHuh?â Stephen did not understand.The mayor replied, âHeâs dead.âStephen froze. Rhys, the person hailed as the second Ethan Rivers, was dead? âHow could that be?âThe mayor gazed at the sky outside the door. âItâs 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.âThe mayorâs voice was filled with regret.âHe was a good kid. Itâs such a shame.âStephen was lost in a daze. Just moments ago, he was thrilled to hear of Rhysâ 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.Stephenâs so-called hope never existed.âHow could this beâŠâ He cou
The mayor looked out at the blue sky, lost in thought.âSince she chose you, Iâll step aside,â Rhys said as he handed his friend the keepsake his childhood sweetheart had once given him when they swore their love.âBesides, given these chaotic times, love isnât something I can afford to dwell on. I have to live up to the expectations people have of me. I canât let them down.â He looked at the girl one last time and took a deep breath before saying, âGoodbye.âHis 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 Ethanâs 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.âStudy the
The mayor nodded and explained the origin of the festival and its name.âRiveria 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.âThe name Rhys Festival comes from a man named Rhys Estrela. He was once a subordinate of Mr. Rivers, who made great sacrifices for Riveria. Thereâs a local saying that goes, âA single spark can start a prairie fire.â We always believe that as long as we donât give up, Riveria will surely thrive.âThose words sent a chill down Stephenâs spine. The mayor mentioned Mr. Rivers, and while others might not know who that was, Stephen knewâit was Ethan! It meant that the festival was related to Ethan. To top it off, the festival was named after Ethanâs 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.
Hearing Stephenâs positive response, the people in Riveria calmed down slightly.âI hope they can recover the money soon.ââI took out a loan on my house to invest. If we donât get it back, my family is done for.ââLetâs believe in Stephen. No matter what, he was the Grand Marshalâs mentee.ââHe did a good job running Riveria before. Iâm sure he can do it again.ââYeah. This is just a minor issue compared to before.âMost 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
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.âPleasure doing business with you.â 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.âHow did the
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.âWeâll get to the point.âThey spoke in Stephenâs language to make sure that he understood. âYouâre not good enough. Only Mr. Rivers can manage Riveria. You canât even protect the people around you. How do you plan to protect Riveria?âStephenâs 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.âIâm not as good
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.âIâll go back to my room first.â Stephen walked away.Back in his room, he sat at his desk, deep in thought.âA perfect solution...âStephen could not think of one. The more he tried, the more his mind uncontrollably drifted back to the past.âNo.â He shook his head. âI need to focus.âHowever, 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 Riveriaâs 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
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 cityâs 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