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Chapter 700
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 701
Simon took a deep breath to calm himself down. As someone who had weathered many storms before, this was not his first rodeo, and he knew how to handle this."Call all the heads of departments in. I need everyone for a meeting." He planned to explain to everyone that those were special circumstances and have the heads of departments inform their staff about the delay in salary payment.Simon believed that if he explained the situation with reason and appealed to their emotions, everyone would understand Breeze City's current predicament and appreciate his good intentions. He trusted that with patience and teamwork, everyone would continue working without rushing to demand their salaries. If they just stuck together, the crisis would be over soon enough.Soon, the heads of departments arrived. With Breeze City financially broke, everyone was anxious and looking to Simon for solutions."Payday is coming up. What do we do since we're out of money?""Yes, we won't be able to pay any
The Guardian's Return Chapter 702
Everyone shook their heads.Some wanted to share their opinions, but after hearing what Simon said, they knew it would be pointless. Simon would not have listened regardless.At that moment, they all found themselves missing the previous leader of Riveria. If only he were still here, he would have solved the problems—no, he would have prevented them from happening in the first place.Ever since Stephen came to Riveria, everything had been falling apart."If there are no questions, meeting’s adjourned," Simon said, turning to leave. He still had to think about ways to turn Breeze City's crisis around.The department heads reluctantly left the conference room, each wearing troubled expressions, unsure how to announce the salary delay. However, as that was Simon's order, they had no choice but to follow through.When they announced the delay of salary payments, it caused an immediate uproar. Nobody could believe it."Salaries would be delayed by several months?""What’s the reas
The Guardian's Return Chapter 703
At that moment, a large crowd gathered outside Simon's office. Seeing the imposing and angry mob, security personnel felt nervous, beads of cold sweat rolling down their foreheads."Simon Quinn, pay our salaries on time!""We must get paid this month! No delays!""How are we supposed to survive this month without our salaries?"Everyone shared the same goal: getting Simon to release their paychecks for the month. The news reached Simon quickly, and he was taken aback."Are they protesting at my door? How absurd!"It was just a few months' delay in pay, not like they were not getting paid at all.In the past, when he faced similar issues, people had shown such great dedication and a spirit of sacrifice. No one brought up the subject. Some had even told him, "Don't worry about the money. Let's get through this crisis first."Now, they were protesting at his door demanding timely payment just after the announcement.Simon walked out, his face cold as he looked at the agitated cro
The Guardian's Return Chapter 704
Breeze City was truly broke. Even if they wanted to pay, they could not, unless they took money from the Quinn family. However, that was Simon's personal money. Why should he use his own money to pay the people who did not work directly for him? Besides, if he did that and tried to get it back when the city had money again, people would likely report him and spread rumors.Finally, Simon said, "I hope everyone can be understanding. If you just hold on for a few months, I guarantee every cent of your pay will be paid out."He had not been involved in management for many years. Even when he was younger, he had not actively pursued learning and growth.It was his father, Harrison Quinn, who had arranged for him to hold important positions to build his credentials, just as he was now arranging for Stephen to manage Riveria. They had always taken others' achievements, getting maximum returns for minimal effort, rising to the top in a single bound.Since entering the cabinet, Simon had n
The Guardian's Return Chapter 705
Seeing the reinforcements, the angry mob knew forcing their way in was useless. At best, they would just end up arrested. All they could do now was pursue their interests through proper channels, so they reluctantly made their way home.Back in his office, Simon sat down with a dark expression. A few employees nervously followed him in."Sir, please calm down," an employee said, offering Simon tea.Simon took it and drank it all at once, feeling his displeasure dissipate somewhat."Given Breeze City's current situation, it's understandable that people want their pay." The employee said, "The best solution might be to invite the person who used to manage Riveria back again. Three years ago, Riveria was in chaos until he turned things around. Now Breeze City is heading back to how things were then. Only he can solve these problems."Simon threw his teacup to the floor with a crash.He was already in a foul mood, and those employees just had to bring up the one thing that infuriated
The Guardian's Return Chapter 706
However, Breeze City was now in the spotlight. Every moment, many eyes were watching its every move, especially after the fall of Ethan. The dark currents rumbling under Riveria had resurfaced. Now that Breeze City’s economy was in decline, and Simon could not pay his employees, unemployment skyrocketed. The people previously intimidated by Ethan realized that their time had come!The first to make a move was the South Regent. He had always had his eye on Riveria. He dared not do so back then because he could not act recklessly with Ethan around, but now, seeing Breeze City’s situation, he knew it was time to strike.Setting up a company alone took too long to profit, and he had to share the money with Simon. In that case, selling contraband was much faster!Besides, many people were currently jobless in Breeze City. They had no money, their families were deep in debt, and everyone was desperate to make a living. That desperation pushed many into the illegal trade.With the South
The Guardian's Return Chapter 707
Simon was elated after being praised by the federal government. It was midnight, and he stood on the balcony of his high-rise building while holding a cup of tea, looking down at the brightly-lit Breeze City. “Every light represents the future and hope of Breeze City. In no time, Breeze City will shine even brighter.”Simon thought that under his wise leadership, Breeze City might become Riveria or even the brightest and most dazzling city in the entire country. Meanwhile, under the dim streetlights in Breeze City, many gangs had gathered and engaged in violent brawls. It felt like three years ago, before Riveria managed to achieve peace. The scene was just like three years ago when Riveria had not yet achieved peace. Everyone was fighting for territory and lucrative business channels. It was harder to make money in Breeze City. The stock in their hands grew, but their competitors had multiplied. To earn a living, they had no choice but to fight, to knock down their rivals. Only
The Guardian's Return Chapter 708
“But according to our investigation, they would return after the situation in Breeze City improves. They’re also willing to recruit others from outside the city.”Simon was relatively satisfied with the results. He got his employees to summarize the data before sending it to the federal government himself. The federal government was reassured after reading the report. Although the economy in Breeze City was on the rise, it would be a problem if the population kept declining. Fortunately, the population decline was merely cyclical and not a real issue. The numbers were expected to recover after the holidays. The federal government even held a meeting. “Breeze City was originally on the verge of collapse, but Simon has managed to turn things around. He’s impressive. Did everyone learn something from this experience?”“I think this crisis management is a valuable opportunity for education. I suggest organizing a field study visit!”“Great idea! Based on Stephen’s performance, our
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 817
Hugo waited until Natalie fell asleep before leaving the hospital ward with the South Regent. He said in a low voice, “Please take me to see Mr. Rivers.”From that moment onward, he also addressed Ethan as Mr. Rivers.Ethan did not only save his life but also Natalie’s. He would repay that debt with his life.“Are you sure?” the South Regent asked. “If you take Natalie and her grandfather back to Metropolis now, you can stay out of all of this.”Natalie’s grandfather’s health had also stabilized after treatment.If Hugo wished, he could take them back to Metropolis, where the medical treatments were better. Furthermore, Hugo had worked as a psychologist for many years and even treated Stephen, so he had saved up over a million dollars.If he managed his finances well, he would not become rich, but it was enough for Natalie to grow up safe and healthy and ensure that her grandfather retired peacefully.Hugo did not hesitate. “I’ve made up my mind.”He played a part in how things
The Guardian's Return Chapter 816
“Stephen has always lived in Riveria. He is the Grand Marshal’s sole mentee and the one who brought three years of peace to Riveria. Ethan is a corrupt criminal.”Scrolling further down, there was also an apology video from Stephen. He claimed that the statement was true and expressed regret that he caused an outcry and wasted public resources.Hugo fell completely silent after watching it.How could this be? Others might not know whether Stephen truly was the Grand Marshal’s mentee or not, but he did.Victor had told him about Ethan’s achievements. Even assassins feared Ethan. Stephen had also admitted in front of him who Ethan really was.Only Ethan could save Riveria.In the past, Hugo thought that Stephen was just being misled and used, which was why he wanted to help him.However, now, Stephen insisted that he was the Grand Marshal’s mentee and that he was the one who had managed Riveria in the past.As a psychologist, Hugo could tell from Stephen’s expressions in the vide
The Guardian's Return Chapter 815
The doctors told Hugo what happened.“Back then, you had already lost too much blood. You’re lucky that there was a young man with the same blood type as you when you were brought in, so he gave you a transfusion. Then, our family head sent us to take care of you. If not for our excellent medical skills, you probably wouldn’t have woken up.”Hugo was confused. “Family head? Did Simon send you?”The two doctors suddenly froze, their expressions turning dark.“Watch what you say. Simon didn’t send us. Ugh!”They were so angry that they stopped the examination.Hugo was stunned at the sudden change in their attitude. They were not sent by Simon? Furthermore, why did they react so strongly to the mention of Simon’s name? If not Simon, who else could be the ‘family head’?“Who sent you?” Hugo asked in confusion.“We’re from the Ledger family,” the doctor said coldly. “Who’s Simon? We don’t know him. Don’t lump us in with that filth.”“Huh?” Hugo was still bewildered. “The Ledger fa
The Guardian's Return Chapter 814
Tyler frowned. “What happened?”“It’s about Riveria.” Nolan handed his phone to Tyler. “Simon and Stephen have completely lost all shame. I can’t believe they said something like this.”After reading the news, Tyler’s expression darkened. “Although I know they’re shameless, I still underestimated them.”In the past, they had slandered Ethan and stole his achievements. Now, after being exposed, they fabricated evidence and worked with headquarters to deceive the public.“Tyler, what should we do?” Nolan asked. “I can’t stand by while they slander Mr. Rivers like this.”Tyler said, “Let me think.”To them, Ethan was their savior. Without Ethan, the Spencers would never have made it out of Riveria alive. It was thanks to Ethan stepping in that they had a chance to start over.However, Simon was shamelessly going further to distort the truth and rewrite history. They could not watch this happen. The truth had to be exposed!A moment later, Tyler said in a low voice, “Let’s go to Ri
The Guardian's Return Chapter 813
The netizens had mostly been deceived by the internet trolls.When they saw Simon and headquarters both speaking out, they fully believed that Stephen was innocent and that everything was part of Leo and Ethan’s schemes. Even the few who had firmly believed in Ethan began to doubt themselves.Online, the uproar gradually died down. At that moment, Simon took the next step! He had someone publish the recording of the gala and instructed the trolls to guide the audience in revisiting the highlights.With that, both he and Stephen were completely safe.When people reviewed the gala recording, it also boosted Riveria’s popularity. It was killing multiple birds with one stone!Simon did not rest. Instead, he took the official statement and the trending discussions online and headed to the jail to meet Leo.“Has he confessed yet?” Simon asked the staff.After Leo was imprisoned, he had been questioned who the mastermind behind this was.“No. He keeps saying there’s no mastermind.”S
The Guardian's Return Chapter 812
“Yeah. I’m from Breeze City. If Stephen is driven away by all your insults, what are we supposed to do?”“All this is part of Ethan’s scheme. He’s deliberately trying to frame Stephen!”This was the next phase of their attack. They accused everyone of being too extreme and then created a victim narrative to gain sympathy. Finally, they flipped the story. Stephen was the pure-hearted and selfless one while Ethan was the true villain!While the internet was being flooded with manipulated narratives, Simon was not idle either. He felt that fabricating transaction records and hiring internet trolls alone was not enough. Ne needed more fabricated evidence.Thus, he had several people in Riveria publicly claim that Stephen had been the one managing Riveria all along.Ethan Rivers? Never heard of him!After a day of work, Simon was drenched in sweat. He felt his heart pound as if it might leap out of his throat.After all, he had not rested properly for days because of the gala. Furthe
The Guardian's Return Chapter 811
Simon stayed up all night thinking.The next morning, a little after 6 a.m., he called someone to forge records that Stephen had lived in Riveria before.At the gala, someone had questioned whether Stephen really was the Grand Marshal’s mentee. His response at that time was that Stephen had always lived in Riveria.Now, he had to fabricate those records as soon as possible and release them publicly. Protecting Stephen’s identity as ‘the Grand Marshal’s sole heir’ was extremely important. As long as that narrative was maintained, it would minimize suspicions from others.“But that’s not enough.”Simon continued to take action and hired internet trolls. Since he could not suppress the public’s interest, he personally intervened and made the trolls comment that Stephen was the one in charge of Riveria while Ethan was a corrupt criminal and that Leo was spewing nonsense!As soon as the money was paid, the trolls began their work.“You guys say that Ethan was the one in charge of Riv
The Guardian's Return Chapter 810
However, the event was quickly losing steam! Leo had shifted everyone’s attention away, and people were more curious about Ethan and Stephen’s true identities. The whole internet buzzed with discussions, and many were engaged in fierce arguments. Even if Simon tried to suppress the controversy, it was nearly impossible to stop it. Quite a few people were even starting to leave the event. Many planned to stay in Breeze City for a few days and tour the city, but after experiencing the incident, they no longer trusted Simon. Therefore, they changed their plans and decided to leave the next day!By the time the event ended at 1 a.m., the audience present had dropped to less than half of the original count. When Simon and Stephen took the stage and saw the half-empty seats, they felt dispirited. The celebrities and singers who attended the event could also barely manage a smile. They regretted coming. The scandal surrounding Stephen’s real identity could easily engulf them, and the l
The Guardian's Return Chapter 809
Stephen immediately raised his head and asked, “Where is she?”Simon fell silent. He had no idea where Lily was. Perhaps only Ethan would know her whereabouts, and he did not know how to answer Stephen. Stephen frowned as he waited for a response. “What’s wrong? Didn’t you say she’s alive? Why don’t you tell me where she is?”Simon took a deep breath. “It might not be the best time to tell you now.”He still tried to brush it off. “What do you mean?” Stephen was getting anxious. “Do you want me to get on my knees and beg you? Don’t you know how important she is to me?” Stephen pointed at his gray hair. “I want to see her again so badly.”As Simon lowered his head, looking conflicted, Stephen fell to his knees with a bam. “What are you doing?” Simon exclaimed and quickly pulled him up. At that point, he realized that he could not hide it anymore. He did not want to say that Ethan saved Lily, but only Ethan knew where she was now. Even if he wanted to lie, he could not. W
