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Chapter 782
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 783
Now that the traitor had completed his plan, he was off enjoying a carefree life abroad with the money, while Simon was left to suffer the consequences."Someone's behind this," Simon muttered.Ever since Jeremy was killed, they had remained hidden in the shadows, never once revealing themselves. Even now, Simon had no idea who they were.Even with the full weight of the Quinns’ resources, the past few years had seen Riveria become a chaotic mix of players, making it nearly impossible to uncover any useful leads in a short time. Only one person might know who was pulling the strings—Ethan!After the Grand Marshal died, Ethan took charge, clearing out every threat to Riveria. He had to know who was behind it all."But he'll never tell me." Simon's regret ate at him. "We should've handled him differently. We should’ve bought him off, offered him power, and made a deal to take over properly. Then, we could've used his help when things went south."The more Simon dwelled on it, the m
The Guardian's Return Chapter 784
"Ethan can't return," Simon said firmly. "Don't you know what kind of person he is? Taking bribes, corruption… His crimes are endless. What are you thinking, wanting him back?"Everyone stayed silent.Did Ethan take bribes? Was he corrupt? As people who had witnessed Riveria’s transformation, how could they not know the truth?Far from being corrupt, he had spent his money building roads, schools, and hospitals.Riveria’s 15 trillion dollars in GDP was entirely thanks to Ethan. How could Riveria have endured Simon and Stephen’s reckless squandering without his past efforts?However, seeing Simon's reaction, they knew he would never ask for Ethan's help. Ethan was not coming back, and they were out of options."Don't mention him again," Simon snapped. "Whatever that criminal did before, I'm in charge of Riveria now. I'll make it even better. We won't fall apart without him."His earlier enthusiasm had vanished, stung by another comparison where he fell short of Ethan."That's en
The Guardian's Return Chapter 785
"Stephen, do you know the answers?" his friend asked.Stephen nodded slightly. Under everyone's gaze, he stepped forward and took on the first riddle."What goes up but never comes down? The answer is noon," he said."Impressive, you got it!" the vendor said. "What about the second one?"Everyone looked at Stephen. How did a hundred musicians reduce to ten?"Because only the tenor stayed," Stephen answered slowly.There was a moment of confusion before everyone got it.Once it clicked, they laughed. "Now, that's a proper brain teaser!"Stephen's friends cheered. "That's our Stephen!"Stephen’s answer had never even crossed their minds.The vendor nodded appreciatively. "Quick thinking, young man. Now, the third question… What's vinegar's boiling point?"One of Stephen's friends jumped in. "I know this one! It’s 60 degrees!"The vendor smiled. "Wrong.""What?" Everyone was surprised. They thought vinegar had a low boiling point since performers used it to simulate boiling
The Guardian's Return Chapter 786
Stephen’s friend immediately said, “Do you think Stephen can’t handle a challenge? Bring on whatever questions you have. Stephen will know it!”Stephen felt nothing in particular about answering two more questions. He was not interested in the grand prize anyway. If Lily were still alive, she would have been thrilled, but at the thought of Lily, Stephen’s mood faltered. The vendor said, “The next two questions are pretty tough. Are you ready? Of course, for fairness, you can discuss the answer with your friends.”Stephen’s friends grew serious. They were curious to see how difficult the next two questions were. The surrounding crowd watching the show quieted down as well.The vendor slowly said, “Here’s the first question. How can you make tears flow backward?”The question stunned many. They looked at each other, doubting their ears. “Is this supposed to be difficult?”“Sir, are you serious? We thought it would be a tricky question.”“Yeah, any kid could answer this question
The Guardian's Return Chapter 787
Stephen was showered with praise, yet his heart was filled with bitterness. Those questions made him think of Snow and Lily. Without them, he would not have known the answer. However, it was a painful lesson to learn, and he would rather know nothing at all.The vendor sized Stephen up and asked curiously, “Young man, how do you know the answers to these questions?”His words stabbed Stephen’s heart. The last thing he wanted to recall was that night, but the vendor was forcing him to remember everything. Every time he remembered the night Lily died, the memory would grow clearer. “A friend of mine taught me.” Stephen’s voice was bitter. “A friend who really liked me.”“Your friend sure is a good one.” The vendor smiled. “You must cherish her. Because of her, you won the runner-up prize..”Stephen stayed silent, feeling too suffocated to reply. It was as if someone had punched him right in the gut, and he had to fight the urge to cough up blood.“Okay, here’s the last question. L
The Guardian's Return Chapter 788
The vendor’s face paled in fright. “I just wanted to stump you, not kill you! Just take the prize!”He quickly took down the grand, first, runner-up, and second runner-up prizes, handing all of them to Stephen. However, Stephen’s body convulsed. The memories he had suppressed came flooding back, one more intense than the other. Stephen clutched his chest as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His legs had gone weak. “He pushed himself this far just to answer a few questions?”“What sort of questions are these? They made someone cough up blood.”“This is unreal. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I wouldn’t have believed something like this.”“I’m starting to believe those dramatic effects in TV shows. Perhaps it’s true that someone could die while playing chess!”Stephen’s friends were now panicking. “Stephen, what’s wrong? Stephen!”“Don’t scare us!”“Ambulance! Call the ambulance!”Stephen had been doing well just moments ago. When he left the carousel, he even reveal
The Guardian's Return Chapter 789
“The boiling point of vinegar… Snow told me before she left. As for the tears flowing backward, I understood it when I stood alone on the edge of a cliff after Lily died. As for the negative one-twelfth, it was the question those criminals asked me before detonating the bomb. I got it wrong.”Everyone was stunned, especially Stephen’s friends. When Stephen gave the correct answer, they cheered, but now, they realized that each answer came at an unforgettable and agonizing cost. Snow was missing, Lily was dead, and Hugo had turned against him because of the detonated bomb, only to sacrifice himself in the end for him. They finally understood why Stephen had coughed up blood. “Stephen…”His friends felt a heavy weight in their chests suffocating them. They could not imagine this would become of an arrogant young man like Stephen.Harrison also fell silent for a while. He understood that everything his grandson had experienced was far worse than what he or Simon had in their life
The Guardian's Return Chapter 790
They answered, “We have other business here. There’s a rather special patient we need to attend to. Goodbye.”They did not want to share more with Simon as the special patient they were referring to was Hugo. Hugo was shot in the stomach and sent to the hospital for emergency treatment by the South Regent’s subordinates. Those two doctors received orders to save Hugo, who was recovering well and would be discharged in a few days. Watching the two doctors walk away, Simon frowned. He felt as if they were hiding something from him. At that moment, he was still unaware that Hugo and Natalie had both survived. If he knew, one phone call to Stephen would be enough to improve his condition significantly. Simon took his medicine and left the hospital. Just after he returned to his office, a staff member hurried in. “Bad news. Someone is protesting at the entrance. They’re accusing us of covering up for Stephen!”Simon felt a headache coming. The issue with Stephen’s company producin
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 802
That step was called "forging the heart." The logic was simple: if they could kill someone they loved, what else would they hesitate to do?Yet, even with such brutal training, those assassins failed, and their organizations were eventually destroyed root and branch."If it were me," the South Regent said, "I would ask him: 'Everyone around you, in every city you've been to, has met with misfortune. You had solutions to all these problems, so why did you just stand by and watch it happen?'"He turned to Ethan with a grin. "What do you think of my question, Lord Rivers?""Don't ask such foolish questions during dinner," Ethan replied coolly. "If you want to break him, just have Hugo ask him when he plans to die."The South Regent froze, stunned by the vast difference between his approach and Ethan's. Ethan's question was not just more concise; it was lethal.Hugo was Stephen's greatest weakness. If Hugo were to ask Stephen about his death, the results would be devastating. A blow
The Guardian's Return Chapter 801
Perhaps he would end up coughing up blood and being hospitalized again. Then, all their previous efforts to comfort him would be instantly ruined. On top of it all, those questions would reveal many truths they had desperately tried to conceal.Simon quickly had someone escort the lucky audience member away while ordering others to forge Stephen's spending records. After that, he hurried up on stage himself."I’m sorry. There was a small interruption just now. I know all of you have many questions, so let me explain everything. Stephen is indeed the Grand Marshal's only successor. As for what that person said about the spending records, those were baseless lies. I've gotten someone to retrieve the spending records, which will be published online later.”Simon spoke with conviction. "That person earlier was deliberately trying to sabotage the event."Due to our excellent security measures, they found no way to disrupt the event. And so, they got desperate and started making up lies
The Guardian's Return Chapter 800
The number of viewers in the livestream skyrocketed.Everyone wanted to know if Stephen’s skills really came from the Grand Marshal. Would the Grand Marshal really have trained a student like him?All eyes were on Stephen.Now, it was Stephen’s turn to be silent. He had not expected this question, and he instinctively wanted to lie.However, just as he was about to speak, Ethan’s words from today flashed through his mind.“You don’t even dare to tell the truth. What right do you have to apologize?”Maintaining a lie often meant weaving an even bigger one, over and over, until the truth was inevitably exposed.Should he admit the truth?Stephen hesitated. If he revealed the truth here, everything would end. He would not have to be so exhausted anymore.“What are you waiting for?” Suddenly, Simon’s voice rang in his earpiece, “Hurry up and answer. You are the Grand Marshal’s student. The gala is our only hope. Nothing can go wrong!”Stephen’s heart instantly sank. He wanted to
The Guardian's Return Chapter 799
The celebrity host took the stage, delivered a welcome speech, and introduced the theme of the gala. The host was quite well-known and starred in several hit dramas. The audience below the stage cheered her name.Three minutes later, Simon stepped onto the stage and gave his New Year’s greetings to everyone following the prepared script.Then, the opening performance began!Five major celebrities participated in the first act, combining singing, dancing, and a dazzling light show with fireworks, leaving the audience in awe.Each of the five celebrities took turns singing a few lines one after another, mesmerizing everyone. When they came together for the chorus, the crowd could not help but applaud.As the song neared its end, even more stars and singers joined hand in hand on stage, singing together and igniting the crowd’s atmosphere.The audience stood up in excitement, some even moved to tears.Meanwhile, the viewers in the livestream took screenshots, recorded videos, and s
The Guardian's Return Chapter 798
Avery said faintly, “If you’re done apologizing, you can leave now. We’re about to have lunch. After lunch, we have things to do. We’re not idle like you. We’re very busy.”Those words hit a nerve. Stephen did not want to be idle either.Now, he had no friends left. Everyone kept their distance from him. It was New Year’s, but the only person he could think of who he could talk to was just Ethan.However, Ethan was not like him. He had a happy family, and there were countless things to do as a couple such as going for walks or visiting family and friends...Stephen let out a heavy sigh.“I see.” His voice was soft. “Sorry for disturbing you.”Then, he turned and left. When he walked out of the villa, the cold mountain breeze cleared his mind a little.Stephen let out another sigh, then took out a bouquet from his car and slowly walked to the summit. He wanted to go to the place where Lily died to give her a bouquet of roses and tell her that he missed her.Not long after he lef
The Guardian's Return Chapter 797
The next day at noon, Stephen gathered enough courage to go back up the mountain.He was scared now.He was scared of seeing Ethan with a happy family while he himself was a lonely, pitiful man. The comparison would make him feel so miserable that he would not even be able to lift his head.At the same time, he was also afraid of missing this perfect opportunity to apologize to Ethan on New Year’s Day.Stephen arrived at the villa again. Holding a gift in hand, he took a deep breath and slowly walked in. He saw Ethan in the living room and quickly greeted, “Ethan, Happy New Year. I brought you a gift. Please accept it.”Ethan looked at him calmly. “There’s still a gala in Breeze City tonight, and you’re an important guest. Do you have time to run around like this?”Stephen smiled wryly and gently placed the gift on the table. “I’m not interested in that gala.”He knew what the purpose of the gala was. It was just to stimulate Breeze City’s economy. However, that was not a long-t
The Guardian's Return Chapter 796
Stephen immediately opened his eyes, but there was no one beside him.“Stephen, I wish you an early happy birthday too!” Lily’s voice rang out from his other side.Stephen turned his head and saw Lily lying beside him, smiling sweetly.Then, he looked toward where Snow’s voice had come from. Snow was also lying beside him, looking at him with gentle eyes.Stephen knew in his heart that it was just an illusion.“Aren’t you making a wish?”“What’s your wish?”Stephen closed his eyes again. At that moment, a thousand thoughts rushed through his mind.Who was he?He was the heir of the Quinns. From the moment he was born, he held a position that countless people envied.However, out of a million possible paths, not one was truly his own.He could not be with his loved ones. He could not achieve success overnight. He was not admired by all or surrounded by family and friends.Stephen thought that at least one of those fates belonged to him and her.However, their final meeting
The Guardian's Return Chapter 795
Stephen would be lighting the first segment, and Simon would light the final one.As the celebrities arrived, the riverside became even more lively. People called out their favorite celebrity’s names or nicknames.Seeing this, Stephen felt emotional. If he had not made mistakes, perhaps these people would be calling his name too.When it was nearly midnight, Simon approached Stephen and said, “It’s about time. Get ready to light the fireworks.”He pulled Stephen over to the spot where the fireworks he was responsible for were, and a staff member handed him a torch.“When the countdown ends, use the torch to ignite the fuse, then run and pass the torch to the next person, who will continue lighting the fireworks.“Good luck,” Simon encouraged him. “You can do it!”Stephen took the torch and sighed inwardly. He felt like this whole thing was meaningless. However, when the countdown began, he started to feel a little nervous.“Ten! Nine!”Stephen instinctively tightened his grip
The Guardian's Return Chapter 794
After Simon’s livestream, everyone felt slightly more reassured about Breeze City’s situation.“If he dares to guarantee this, he must have prepared thoroughly.”“It should be safe to attend the gala, right?”“My favorite celebrity will be there, and right now, Breeze City has 40% off train fares, 20% off flight tickets, and 50% off tour packages. It’s so tempting.”Simon placed all his hopes on this gala. He was willing to pour money into it to ensure its success.The event venue was fully set up three days before the new year. The tickets were completely sold out, and the city’s visitor count was now dozens of times higher than before!Breeze City’s declining economy finally showed signs of rising!Simon’s eyes nearly welled up when he saw the financial reports.Two days before the gala, the celebrities attending the event started arriving and followed Simon’s instructions to interact with fans so that more tourists would be attracted to come and spend.Even some celebrities
