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Chapter 62
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 63
The previously swayed businesspeople and investors remained steadfast. “We can talk once North Hill City is peaceful again.” They then turned on their heels to leave. It was now or never if they wanted to get out of there. Thrown in a panic, Stephen grabbed one businessman and said, “Can’t you give me a little more time?” The businessman stopped and gave him a callous look. “You’re not Ethan, though. If Ethan were here today, we would stay even without the perks.“That’s all we have to say. We have a plane to catch.” The businessman shook Stephen’s arm off, leaving Stephen standing there at a loss. Ethan’s name was mentioned yet again, and Stephen could not understand why the public had so much faith in him. Despite Stephen’s humble pleading, the business owners were determined to leave. “How am I any worse than Ethan?” The chaos in North Hill City quickly emerged online, and the public expressed their confusion. “What’s with the sudden mayhem in North Hill City?”
The Guardian's Return Chapter 64
The shame cut through them like a knife. Their hands were stained with blood, not of their enemies, but of a hero who worked silently for the betterment of the people. “Argh!” They let out a loud cry. The public destroyed and deleted their vile creations manically. However, their attempts were futile. The videos and comments were etched into their minds, playing in loops of the harm they did to Ethan. “Shawn, Eric, and Brandon gave us nothing but trouble. Why did we idolize the criminals?” “Ethan shielded us from harm, but we were the ones who hurt him.” “How are we different from devils?” The online community started deleting their vile comments, but reading back their comments stung their eyes with shame.They had said the meanest things about Ethan, and the hurt was reflected in them now. Every word they wrote was like a dagger, stabbing them repeatedly. The pleasure they felt when penning their thoughts, only came back to bite. Those who claimed the most absurd thing
The Guardian's Return Chapter 65
Liam sat in a room by himself, staring blankly at the sky outside the window. Liam’s preferential treatment of Ethan sparked a formal complaint, prompting an investigation. Hence, he was suspended from all duties, the outcome pending. Still, Liam did not think he had done anything wrong. “Click.” The door to the room opened. Liam kept his head down, knowing the grilling had begun. Ethan was now public enemy number one, and his support of Ethan would only mark him the target of public outrage. He was done for. “I’m sorry, Liam.” A voice boomed. Dumbstruck, Liam thought his ears were deceiving him. He turned to the door and saw a group with their heads hung down, puzzled as to what was going on.“You were right to defend Ethan.”“We were wrong about everything.”Their apologies took Liam off guard, but he quickly caught on. He was saved—saved by Ethan. Liam was quickly removed from confinement, and his job was reinstated. On the way back to the precinct, he scrolled on
The Guardian's Return Chapter 66
Stephen could not bring himself to leave home either as the public condemned him and demanded answers. The public even suspected he was in on it with Brandon’s party. Hence, instead of Ethan, Stephen was now the subject of mocking videos. Before, Stephen would burst out laughing at those videos. However, all he had left now was tears, and Brandon, Ethan, and the others were the cause of his misery. “I know you miss me, but don’t miss me too much. I’m having a blast now. I doubt I’d go back.” With the 10 billion dollars he snagged, Brandon was living the high life. As beautiful women attended to him, he held a fine red wine in hand while his armed bodyguards stood on guard. Stephen, too, knew that Brandon would never return. It was far-fetched to think Stephen could catch Brandon. “Why did you lie to me?” Stephen asked dejectedly. Brandon replied with a smile, “That’s an easy question. You’re gullible.” The truth cut through Stephen like a knife, and it hurt worse than b
The Guardian's Return Chapter 67
Another commented, “We want this to be over too, but there’s nothing we can do. We can only hope for the whole thing to go away on its own.” The public’s attention would surely dwindle in a few days. “No.” Simon refused without hesitation. There was no way Stephen could suffer a few more days in misery. “Do you have a better idea?” Faced with the question, Simon fell silent for a moment. Then, he replied, “There’s only one thing left to do. Make Shawn, Eric, and Brandon’s crimes public and put arrest warrants out for them. As for Ethan… He was wrongly accused in all of this, but he’s not entirely without blame. Stephen, on the other hand…” Simon looked at everybody and said, “Like us, he was fooled by how sneaky Shawn and his friends were. Besides, Ethan should hold some responsibility. He knew what those people were like but said nothing anyway. It’s outrageous of him to mislead us and put the city at risk. “Stephen isn’t the main culprit. Most of the blame is on Shawn
The Guardian's Return Chapter 68
“I can see why he feels that way, considering the accusations against him.”Simon sought help from experts to write an apology letter. It was a deep dive into the subject matter with each word carefully selected to leave the public pondering its underlying meaning. The brief letter shirked Stephen of any responsibility except his judgment on hiring, pinning most fault on Shawn, Eric, and Brandon. Ethan was also partly to be blamed, and Stephen was just the gullible party who knew nothing. Though fooled, Stephen only acted out in the public’s best interest, so the public had to keep their thoughts to themselves. “He’s committed to our well-being.”“The faults lie on Shawn, Eric, and Brandon. They didn’t just have Stephen fooled, but us too.” “Ethan should share a part of the blame too. He knew what was going on but said nothing anyway.” Simon hired trolls to sway public opinion. Those internet trolls downplayed Stephen’s mistake, making him innocent. Simon had also gotten
The Guardian's Return Chapter 69
That afternoon, Stephen could breathe easy at home. “The worst has passed.” He was scared out of his wits upon learning the city’s state of affairs. Luckily, he had Simon’s help and narrowly managed to weather the crisis. Still, there was a lot to reflect on. Most importantly, Stephen may be out of the woods but North Hill City was not. It would take at least another two weeks before the turmoil could settle.The dwindling number of businesses in North Hill City had resulted in a severe job shortage. If left unchecked, it could cause a massive population decline. Another issue was with the nature reserve. With the reserve mistakenly turned into a development area, Lytton wrecked and destroyed the habitat, leading to a drop in wildlife. It was a massive loss to the city and the world. The city’s water supply had also been contaminated, and it would take two weeks to improve the water quality. The area had to be reclaimed before more damage was done. However, then came anot
The Guardian's Return Chapter 70
Stephen frowned. “Would the people accept the houses, though?” George replied without care, “Well, they get a house, don’t they? It’s not our problem whether they accept it or not. If they have a problem with it, they can take it up with the new mayor.” Stephen finally caught on. All they needed to do was slap some houses together to get the public off their backs, and the new mayor could handle the backlash after. “That’s a good idea.” Stephen looked at George and said, “It seems I have a lot of things to learn.” George squeezed a smile. He had picked up the relocation idea from Ethan, who had submitted several reports in the past, and George acquired the proposal from glancing through the papers back then. There was a follow-up plan too. However, George did not bother to read through the paperwork, so he could not remember much. The only thing he recalled was the public’s complete satisfaction after the execution of the plan, and Ethan resolved the issue flawlessly. Georg
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 882
Stephen spun around anxiously, glancing and trying to find the figure of the two women in the crowd. The South Regent and Victor could not help but laugh at the side. “Stop teasing him,” Victor said. Stephen looked at them. “What do you mean?”The South Regent tried to hold back his laughter. “I tricked you. You didn’t run in the wrong direction. We took the boat here.”Stephen glanced at the river and, true enough, saw a small boat. He was in such a rush that he did not notice it. “Where are they?” Stephen could no longer care whether he was tricked. Right now, nothing was more important than finding Snow and Lily. “They left. Duh.” The South Regent said, “The festival is almost over, so they left. Although you didn’t run the wrong way, you were too late.”Stephen yelled, “Impossible!”“It’s true. They left,” Victor added. “Nonsense!” Stephen stood on his tiptoes and scanned his surroundings. “Snow! Lily! Where are you?”Victor shook his head. “Did you really think
The Guardian's Return Chapter 881
The two people he thought about day and night and felt the most guilt for were on the opposite side of the river. The day he lost Snow, he searched desperately through the abandoned village, overwhelmed with agony. The day he lost Lily, his hair turned grey overnight, and he stood on top of the cliff on Drakthorn Ridge, the thought of jumping down crossing his mind several times. Later, when he stole Ethan’s achievements and gained the hope of joining the cabinet, he thought he had another chance to find them. That was until Riviera plunged into chaos again, and his chance disappeared. He thought he would never be able to find them for the rest of his life, yet now, there they were across the river. They were so close to him—only twenty meters away!Stephen trembled as he watched them gently raise their sparklers with bright smiles lighting up their faces. When he returned to his senses, he dashed past Ethan and rushed to the riverbank, waving his hands frantically. “I’m here!
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
