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Chapter 843
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The Guardian's Return Chapter 844
Stephen would surely lead Riveria to new heights, and the Quinns would become Metropolis’s most powerful and influential family. Building a good relationship with Stephen would only bring benefits.When Simon heard that Stephen’s friends were calling for him, he went home alone.Stephen met with his friends from the various families of Metropolis and smiled. “Why are you all here?”The group surrounded him, showering him with praise.“Steph, you’re amazing. I didn’t know how incredible you are.”“Yeah, no wonder you could answer those riddles so easily.”“You’re my idol now. I admire you so much!”“Steph, did the Grand Marshal give you any advice? Tell us, too!”Stephen felt incredibly pleased with himself, being the center of attention and receiving endless praise.“It’s all in the past. It’s nothing worth mentioning. Since you’re all here today, let me treat you guys to a meal.”Victor was included in the group. He wanted to laugh when he saw how arrogant Stephen was, but h
The Guardian's Return Chapter 845
‘Jason probably doesn’t know that Lily is still alive. That’s why he hates me.’ Stephen thought, ‘If I bring Lily back, Jason would surely thank me.’He imagined the scene of himself holding Lily’s hand and returning her to her family.He was undoubtedly a hero, having contributed significantly to Riveria. Furthermore, he was the heir of the Quinn family and the Grand Marshal’s only successor. With those titles and achievements, bringing the supposedly dead Lily back would make her entire family kneel before him.Even Jason, who had dared to insult him before, would have to lower his head and show him respect.After saying goodbye to everyone, Stephen left.The group sighed as they watched him leave.“Stephen is on a whole different level than us.”“Yeah. We need to learn from him.”“Stephen is amazing. He’s undoubtedly the best among the younger generation.”On his way home, some passersby recognized Stephen’s car and waved at him. “Stephen, thanks for everything you’ve done
The Guardian's Return Chapter 846
“Even after Riveria achieved peace, he never allowed himself to relax. He worked hard to improve the economy and finally made Riveria the top province in the country. Today, let us all thank him for his contributions. Without Stephen, Riveria would not be where it is today!”The applause was deafening. “Let’s welcome Stephen to the stage!”Under everyone’s expectant gazes, Stephen slowly walked to the stage and took the microphone to give a speech he had prepared beforehand. “Thank you for all your support and admiration. Everything I did was nothing extraordinary. It is my responsibility and duty, not something to boast about. Besides, I still have much room for improvement. I hope you will all keep me accountable so that I can continue to improve.”The audience clapped excitedly. The viewers on the livestream nodded in admiration as they listened to his speech, sending out countless supportive comments.Meanwhile, the federal government in the capital watched Stephen’s speech
The Guardian's Return Chapter 847
“This is Hugo, and he’s a good friend of mine. To save me, he almost got killed.”Everyone immediately understood who Hugo was—Hugo was another hero!Stephen glanced at Hugo. “You showing up today feels like a gift. Now that you’re fine, the weight on my chest has finally lifted. From now on, I won’t let any harm come to you!”Hugo merely smiled coldly. He would have been moved if that had been in the past, but now, he knew what type of person Stephen was. Did any of those achievements have anything to do with Stephen?Hugo held the microphone and spoke slowly, “Before that, can you answer two of my questions?”Stephen was stunned, his brain unable to process why Hugo would suddenly ask that. “My first question,” Hugo said as he recalled what Ethan had said to him. “When did Riveria’s GDP hit the 15 trillion dollars mark?”The moment Stephen heard the question, he understood that Hugo was not on his side. Like Daniel, Caleb, and the South Regent, Hugo was there to expose his
The Guardian's Return Chapter 848
Cold sweat dripped down Stephen’s face. His eyes scanned the surroundings nervously, but he could not bring himself to look at Hugo. He and Simon made many preparations for the commendation ceremony. Any posts questioning him online were swiftly dealt with without any reasoning just to prevent momentum from building. At the venue, Daniel, Caleb, and the South Regent would be arrested on sight, giving them no room to cause trouble. Yet, even the most careful plans could fail, and Hugo was the one who showed up.That man, who had once done Stephen a great favor by saving him, did not need to post his questions online. He could come straight to Stephen without anyone stopping him because everyone assumed he was on Stephen’s side. Yet, Hugo was the one who asked the last two questions! Everything was going according to Ethan’s plan. “Answer me!” Hugo questioned loudly. “You’re Riveria’s leader and the Grand Marshal’s mentee. Don’t you know when Riveria’s GDP hit 15 trillion dollar
The Guardian's Return Chapter 849
At that moment, it was not just Stephen panicking. Simon was also losing his composure. He did not know much about Riveria or the Grand Marshal, and now he was learning that the Grand Marshal had a granddaughter. Simon’s mind was buzzing loudly and completely blank. What should he do now? He turned his head around and saw the audience looking at them. The dark camera lenses not far away were also focused on them. “Turn them off!” He shouted in fear, “Stop filming! Cut the livestream! Cut the livestream now!”Seeing how panicked he looked, everyone’s hearts sank. The more panicked Simon was, the clearer it became that there was something wrong with Stephen’s identity. Stephen could not even answer such basic questions, and now, with both their reactions, the crowd fell silent. Those in the federal government also frowned. “Let’s go!” Simon did not dare to stay any longer. He quickly grabbed Stephen and ran down the stage. It was not just about answering the questions anymo
The Guardian's Return Chapter 850
The federal government officials stared in shock at what was happening in the livestream. They could not believe the commendation ceremony had turned into a complete disaster. “What is going on?” someone questioned. What was the situation with Hugo? What was the truth? “I happen to have something here.” Someone from the Hughes family pulled out a document. “I’ve extracted Stephen’s expenses in Riveria and found something interesting. While running Riveria, he spent money daily in Metropolis and visited nightclubs several times a week. I don’t know how he did it.”He threw the document on the table with a bang.The others quickly took a look. As they read the spending records, their expressions darkened. Stephen had spending records in both Metropolis and Riveria at the same time. How could one person live in two places at once? That could only mean one thing—he had fabricated one of the records. Proving it would not be difficult as well. They were in the capital, and with a
The Guardian's Return Chapter 851
Before Harrison could come up with a solution, headquarters sent people to question him.Harrison could not tell them the truth, but he found an opportunity to secretly inform Simon that headquarters was starting to investigate Stephen.Simon became even more anxious. Headquarters was taking this seriously now.“No, I can’t think of a way.”Simon gritted his teeth. “The only thing I can do now is divert everyone’s attention. I can’t let people keep focusing on Stephen.”By shifting the public’s attention, he could buy more time for Stephen and also cool down the situation.“But... What should I do?”What kind of sensational event would be big enough to completely shift everyone’s focus?He thought about it carefully.Just then, a staff brought him news that many of the owners who originally planned to set up their companies in Breeze City had suddenly withdrawn.Simon had a headache. The problems kept coming as if they would never end.“Wait!” A thought suddenly flashed in h
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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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 873
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.“I’ll go back to my room first.” Stephen walked away.Back in his room, he sat at his desk, deep in thought.“A perfect solution...”Stephen could not think of one. The more he tried, the more his mind uncontrollably drifted back to the past.“No.” He shook his head. “I need to focus.”However, 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 Riveria’s 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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 872
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 city’s 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
The Guardian's Return Chapter 871
A large number of people from Riveria poured into their cities. It was already difficult to find a job, but now that a bunch of outsiders were coming to compete for positions, employment was even harder.Furthermore, after arriving in a foreign place, many of those outsiders strayed and turned to robbery and theft. Some even slept on the streets, occupying public facilities and disrupting everyone’s daily lives.People from the surrounding cities of Riveria found it unbearable. They began cursing Riverians on the internet.Meanwhile, in Riveria, people had endured enough grievances in their daily lives. Their living conditions were far from satisfactory, and they held in a lot of frustration.Now, people were scolding them online, calling them beggars and telling them to go back to Riveria and wait for their death.How could they tolerate that?They immediately retaliated online. The arguments escalated, growing more intense by the day.Eventually, people from Riveria even trave
The Guardian's Return Chapter 870
Many crops had fallen sick in Riveria. The corrupted grains in Breeze City and destroyed fertile land had already dealt a huge blow to Riveria. Now, with more crops falling ill on a large scale, grain production had decreased, and fruit yields had dropped drastically. There was a problem with the livestock as well. An unknown disease spread and the affected livestock would basically end up dead, with no way to treat them and unfit for consumption. To everyone in Riveria, it was a huge blow. Prices of all food items began to rise, especially fresh vegetables and fruits. Their prices were comparable to meat. Even a single raw egg was 5 dollars, and boiled eggs for breakfast cost 7 dollars each. After hearing about it, Stephen tried to control the price, but it would cost money. Several cities in Riveria had been ruined under his management. He did not have any money left. He would not have needed to outsource infrastructure projects to other companies and corporates if he had mon
