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Chapter 72
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 73
Though North Hill City had seen better days financially, the city funds had not run out completely. Danny had many ways to make bank. Once Stephen got home, he left the follow-up of the nature reserve in Danny’s care. He could have handed the file to Danny in North Hill City, but Danny would have been all over him. Hence, he waited until he was back before assigning the project over. Danny would have to resort to calling for any issues, and Stephen had a choice of hanging up on him. All worries left Stephen the moment he issued the document to Danny as he could finally say goodbye to North Hill City. He even gave Simon a call. “I can guarantee no issue with the guy I picked. He’s honest and kind. I personally tested him, and he’s an all-around great. I’m pleased with him.” While listening to Stephen’s comments on Danny, Simon read Danny’s file. “Okay.” He nodded. “You made the right call on him. The guy doesn’t look smart, but we don’t need wise guys in North Hill City.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 74
Danny took a page out of Brandon’s playbook in making money, even taking things one step further. He could profit from factories expanding to North Hill City by inflating the numbers for the relocation of factories. For example, he could claim a relocation grant of 10 million dollars and pocket the remaining nine million after moving one factory.He could also make money smuggling people in. Since business owners favored foreign workers due to their ultra-low wages, the locals would find fewer job opportunities. Then, considering many wished to leave North Hill City to find opportunities elsewhere, Danny could help them get out of the country for a fee. His plan allowed him to reap financial rewards from four separate sources, and his money pot would only grow. Alongside the money from selling properties, he earned two billion dollars in just a few days. The downside would be the growing influx of foreign workers and a drop in the local population. Due to the foreign worker’s
The Guardian's Return Chapter 75
Stephen observed Ethan, noticing the latter’s improved complexion. In fact, Ethan looked like he was doing better than when he was in prison. How did that happen? Stephen was baffled. Ethan was trapped in the mountain with no one to talk to. Despite having internet access, the residence’s settings had been configured to block all forms of communication. Stephen would not want to be in Ethan’s situation, yet Ethan was having the time of his life. Unbeknownst to Stephen, Ethan was pretty much alone when managing Riveria too. Communication only happened when he assigned work. Now that Ethan lived in a remote villa, work was the least of his problems, and that was a huge weight off his shoulders. He now had time to write his novel. Stephen asked, “Don’t you feel bored living here alone?” Ethan smiled, his book still in hand. “Living here is no different than my life in the city.” Riveria faced a turbulent time under the leadership of Stephen, and Ethan had his ways to keep hi
The Guardian's Return Chapter 76
On his way home, Stephen was struck by a thought. Ethan talked about raising North Hill City’s GDP to a trillion dollars in six months. However, he did not mention the GDP before the increase. What if it was 999 billion dollars? Back at home, Stephen shared his doubts with George. “What was North Hill City’s GDP when Ethan took over? I have no idea. Look into it.” Stephen tasked his team to dig up records. He was curious about Ethan’s contribution to the city’s GDP. The information soon came along, and Stephen opened the file, stunned. “What was the GDP?” Curious, George looked over and also found himself taken aback. They both froze in a shell-shocked position for three whole minutes. It was 30 million dollars. North Hill City’s GDP was worth 30 million dollars when Ethan started running Riveria. The number filled Stephen with dread. If Ethan raised North Hill City’s GDP from 30 million dollars to one trillion dollars in just six months, it meant North Hill City prog
The Guardian's Return Chapter 77
Unable to keep to his feet, Stephen fell back on the sofa with a thud, his face pale. George, standing nearby, was also stunned. The loss of 300 billion dollars was a massive hit to North Hill City’s GDP. The GDP started at a trillion dollars, fell to 500 billion dollars, and was reduced to a further 200 billion dollars. The brain drain of locals, the increase of foreign workers, and the eviction of legitimate businesses could only lead to one thing: the city was done for. This time, North Hill City was utterly wrecked. While North Hill City struggled before, six years could have given it new life, but nothing could help North Hill City now. Otherwise, Riveria or the others would have to pour investment into the city to take the foreign workers out, attract businesses and factories, enhance security, keep tabs on inflation, and ensure the well-being of the people. North Hill City would need at least a decade or more to bounce back. Stephen was at a loss, and George found the
The Guardian's Return Chapter 78
Once the meeting was over, Simon gave Stephen a call. “Don’t worry about North Hill City anymore. The state is giving up on North Hill City.” Stephen said nothing. That was the second time they had said that now—No, it was the third time. North Hill City had faced three crises since its heyday, and Stephen was there when each issue occurred. He had the chance to stop it, yet he had no idea. In fact, he was either the direct or indirect cause of those problems. North Hill City’s downfall today was all closely linked to him. Stephen could write an apology letter, play innocent in front of the people, and lie to everybody. However, there was one person he could not fool, and it was himself. North Hill City was destroyed at his hands. “Would he have a way?” Ethan came to mind since the man raised North Hill City’s GDP from 30 million dollars to one trillion dollars in just six months. Even if the record may very well be fake, Stephen was still curious. “I doubt he can do
The Guardian's Return Chapter 79
Lounging in his villa overlooking Seaside City, Howard Green read an article on Ethan. According to the news, Ethan was free and had acquired a house as a gift. However, Howard had not been able to get in touch with Ethan despite multiple attempts. Howard was worried about Ethan’s safety. After all, he would not be where he was today if it were not for Ethan. … Three years ago, Seaside City was a hotbed of conflict as various entities and organizations vied for power. Howard was the leader of one of the entities, and his organization was one of the best in Seaside City, potentially giving Crestwood a run for its money. However, a traitor in the ranks and Crestwood’s aggressive approach of usurping other organizations led to Howard’s defeat against Crestwood. Howard could never forget the day of his downfall. It was raining that day, and he met Ethan for the first time. At the time, the mayor of Crestwood and his people were hunting Howard down. Howard, having sustained
The Guardian's Return Chapter 80
“That’s right.” “I can’t let you do that.” Dennis said, “You can take anyone away but not him. He and his men are obstacles to the development of Crestwood. He hurt and killed many of our people. How can I face my people if I let him go?” “Tell them that I want to take him,” Ethan replied.Dennis fell silent. Then, he hissed through clenched teeth, “I still can’t let you, but I can give you a chance. You might be strong enough to be my rival. If you beat me, I’ll let you take him away.” In the middle of the pouring rain, Ethan stood calm and collected, his expression never wavering as he said, “You’re not qualified to be my nemesis.” Dennis clenched his fists at the statement. Unqualified? Ethan sure was cocky. Dennis had a reputation to uphold as a mayor to thousands of town residents. Ethan continued, “But I can give you three pieces of advice in return for taking him.”Dennis was confused. He had no use for advice. “Here’s the first piece of advice,” Ethan spoke.
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 920
After everything was settled, the people from HQ went to Ethan again. They apologized to him and begged for his forgiveness.“We’ve dealt with everyone involved in this matter. Are you satisfied with the outcome, Mr. Rivers?”With that, they lowered their heads to the ground nervously. Their only hope now hinged on Ethan’s response.They did not dare to ask for much. All they hoped for was that Ethan would not leave the country.Ethan glanced at them calmly and said, “Send someone to help move my stuff down the mountain.”Hearing that, everyone was first stunned, and then ecstatic.“Of course!” they replied in unison.They understood what Ethan meant. He was staying! Although it was not his complete forgiveness, he was willing to give them another chance.They were all overjoyed. As long as Ethan did not leave, there was plenty of time to slowly make amends.They took out their phones and made arrangements to help Ethan move.After the call ended, they said, “We respectfully
The Guardian's Return Chapter 919
The day of Rachel and George’s trial came.The livestream began at 10 a.m., and hundreds of thousands of viewers joined instantly.Rachel and George slowly walked into the courtroom in handcuffs.Bang! The judge’s gavel fell, and the room went silent.It was not a lawsuit. It was a trial to expose the sins of Rachel and George.The judge read out their crimes one by one, until Rachel and George’s faces paled to the point that they looked like corpses.The viewers in the livestream finally saw the full picture.“So that’s it! The Quinns and the Lowes conspired!”“They deserve to die! How could they frame Ethan like that? Are they even human?”“The death penalty! They deserve the death penalty!”They were all furious.Many people had lost their families as a result of supporting Stephen and scolding Ethan. After watching the livestream, they realized just how deeply they had been wrong.They were accomplices to the Quinns and the Lowes' crimes in framing Ethan!Their current
The Guardian's Return Chapter 918
They suppressed their disgust and returned home, only to see their parents and wives’ panicked expressions.“What did you do out there?”“So many people came today, asking for you by name.”How were they supposed to answer those questions? They could not just say that they had insulted Ethan online.If they did, their parents would beat them to death before anyone else could.“It’s nothing,” they replied stiffly. They had no choice but to hide the truth. After all, they could not say that they had insulted Ethan, or that they had lost their jobs.However, the next second, their parents received text messages. After their parents glanced at their phones, their expressions instantly changed.It was a message from the bank, stating that their child had been listed as a defaulter and urging them to repay the loan immediately.“What have you done?” Their parents’ voices trembled.Seeing that there was no way to hide it anymore, they had no choice but to confess the truth.They los
The Guardian's Return Chapter 917
Seeing that message, they immediately felt as if their world had ended.Because they had insulted Ethan, they lost their jobs, were blacklisted, and could not find work again.“How could this be?”No one expected this outcome. They thought, ‘So what if I insulted him? Are they going to punish me for it? Besides, so many people are insulting him. They can’t possibly punish every single person who did it. At most, I’ll post a public apology and promise that I’ll never do it again.’However, now they were all fired. Everyone who had insulted Ethan had been dismissed from their jobs.It seemed like there were several tens of thousands of people involved! It was hard to imagine just how many people had lost their jobs in real life.“Why are they going this far? Aren’t they afraid of causing unrest?”Of course, HQ had considered that. However, they knew what was more serious.If Ethan went abroad and cooperated with foreign countries, the consequences would not be limited to a few pe
The Guardian's Return Chapter 916
George thought that Rachel had already escaped abroad, so he was not afraid when he arrived.Now, when he saw Rachel there as well, he completely panicked.This was not what he had expected!“Where else would she be?” someone from HQ asked.George looked nervous and stammered, unable to say a word.With Rachel caught and him being brought here, it was clear that HQ already knew the truth. Coupled with his fear of Ethan and his helplessness in the face of reality, he no longer had the strength to make up any excuses.He had resigned himself to fate.“You really have some nerve." The people from HQ sneered. “You fooled us all completely.”“You’ve been hiding Ethan’s contributions all this time, haven’t you?”“You two are nothing but disasters to this country! You deserve to die a thousand times over.”George kept his head down while Rachel sobbed. “I was wrongfully accused!”“Shut up! Are you still trying to fool us at a time like this? You were wrongfully accused? By who? Sim
The Guardian's Return Chapter 915
They brought this on themselves, forcing themselves into a corner with no way out. “Ah!”Simon could not take it anymore. He suddenly ran towards the window, trying to end his life. Fortunately, the officials quickly stopped him. “Don’t be reckless! Think about Stephen. You’re all he has now!”That sentence made Simon stop. Now, Stephen and Simon were each other’s support and burden. Simon slumped on the ground weakly. Right now, they both wanted to die, but neither of them had the courage to follow through. All they could do was live on in pain. After a long silence, Simon said, “I’d like to file a report on someone.”To obtain some kind of reward and survive a little longer, Simon decided to turn in George and Rachel. When the officials heard him, they were stunned. They did not expect Rachel to be involved in framing Ethan. “Shit!” Someone exclaimed. “I heard Rachel bought a flight ticket overseas. Could she have fled?”The room was filled with dread. If Rachel ra
The Guardian's Return Chapter 914
Seeing that Stephen was awake, the others rushed to get the doctor. The doctor was astonished as well. Stephen’s sudden awakening was nothing short of a miracle. However, after examining him, the doctor’s expression darkened. Stephen had regained consciousness, but the prognosis was far from hopeful.“He can’t move,” the doctor said. “As of now, he’s paralyzed.”Stephen could open his eyes, but the rest of his body was unresponsive. He could not move his limbs or his neck and mouth. The only part he could move freely was his eye. Even his breathing was dependent entirely on medical equipment. “He might never be able to leave the bed again.”Upon hearing that, Stephen closed his eyes in despair, tears continuously rolling down his cheeks. He had fought so hard to wake up, only to realize he had missed his final chance to meet Snow and Lily. Worse yet, he also lost the ability to move. From now on, he would be confined to the bed and hooked up to machines just to stay alive.
The Guardian's Return Chapter 913
His father died a miserable death, his son was in a coma, and the Quinn family was shattered, leaving only Simon behind to finally realize all his mistakes. However, it was too late. Harrison could not come back to life, the Quinn family could not be whole again, and Stephen could not recover. Simon would forever be haunted by pain, despair, and regret for the rest of his life. At that moment, in complete darkness, Stephen heard Simon’s voice. He was conscious but failed to open his eyes or speak; he could not move a muscle. He wanted so badly to sit up and tell Simon that it was not solely his fault. They were all wrong, and this was their retribution!Just then, two women walked into the ward. When the officials saw them, their eyes widened in shock. For a second, no one even breathed. They were Snow and Lily!The officials thought they were seeing ghosts. Those women were supposed to be dead. Why were they there? Snow and Lily noticed their shocked gazes and offered them
The Guardian's Return Chapter 912
Due to Harrison’s previous incident, the officials reacted quickly by sending Stephen straight to the hospital.After an emergency rescue, Stephen’s life was saved. However, he paid a heavy price. When the doctor walked out of the emergency room, the officials asked, “How is he?”“The situation isn’t looking good,” the doctor said grimly. “His body is in a bad state, and due to long-term emotional distress, he suffered a brain hemorrhage from the emotional shock.“He’s still in a coma, and we can’t say for sure when he’ll wake up again. It depends on his will to live.”The officials drew a sharp breath. “Do you mean he might end up in a coma forever?”The doctor nodded. No one saw coming that Stephen would fall into a coma, with little chance of ever waking up again. However, it also meant he did not have to die anymore. He would be alive but confined to a bed. Suddenly, they thought of Harrison’s desperate pleas to Ethan back in his villa. “I’m willing to trade my life fo
