Once Stephen was taken away, he instructed his subordinates to speed up.Stephen’s arrival meant that the news of Seaside City’s unrest had spread, so they did not have much time left. They had to act quickly and make money fast!Half a day later, Stephen was found in a pile of garbage on the side of the road by a passerby.When the mayor heard of it, he was horrified. He rushed to the hospital to see Stephen.As soon as he walked into the ward, he saw Stephen sitting on the hospital bed, his eyes hollow and devoid of any light.The mayor’s heart sank. How could Stephen have gone to Crestwood and returned alone, looking like that?“Sir?” The mayor stepped forward and asked, “Are you okay?”Stephen slowly came to his senses. The truth had been such a large blow that he still had not fully recovered from it yet.The mayor spoke again, “There’s something I need to report. Due to the situation in North Hill City, not many can come as reinforcements. We might not be able to stabiliz
“You know I was wrongfully accused, but instead of immediately revealing the truth, you want me to solve the problem first and then reduce the charges against me?”Howard laughed. “What a great plan. You’re just going to lock me up again after I solve the problem, aren’t you?”Stephen fell silent. He had thought about giving up on seeking Howard, but Howard was the only one who could go against Crestwood now.As such, he asked, “What will it take for you to come back?”“I’m not going back.” Howard’s response was firm.“You’ve loved Seaside City for years. Can you bear to sit by and watch it fall apart?” Stephen began to appeal to Howard’s emotions.“Think of your family and friends living in Seaside City. They’re suffering right now!”“Heh.” Howard chuckled disdainfully. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I sent them out of Seaside City long ago.”Stephen was stunned. He had not expected Howard to act so swiftly and decisively. Howard probably knew that Seaside City would be in
Now that Howard was here, Stephen could not contain his excitement. He immediately handed Howard back the company and underground forces that had once belonged to him.Stephen continued, “If you start working for me, I can clear your name from these charges.”For Stephen, clearing Howard’s name was not a difficult task. Plus, Howard was wrongfully accused from the start. He was never guilty of murder, a fact even the mayor of Crestwood, Dennis, had personally admitted. If even the enemy acknowledged it, how could it be false?Howard nodded slightly, a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth, though Stephen did not notice.When Ethan told him to leave Riveria, he had thought of a plan. If he left with nothing but the clothes on his back, he would surely be miserable in the future.He had to reclaim everything he once owned and more!“Thank you, sir.” Howard said, “I’ll go to Seaside City now and assess the situation.”Although Stephen had returned his company and forces,
“It’s settled, then!”Everyone unanimously approved of Simon’s plan. While the plan could not solve all the problems, it could resolve most of them, and that was enough.Half a day later, news that Howard had always been protecting Seaside City spread.“Howard was arrested and charged with various crimes, but it was all part of a plan to lure out the lurking threat in Seaside City. In fact, he’s always been defending Seaside City’s peace.”The moment the news broke, the internet exploded! No one had expected that to be the truth. Not only was Howard not a criminal, but he had been protecting Seaside City. In fact, he was willing to lure out the evil forces in the city to secure its peace even at the cost of his own reputation.“I didn’t expect the plan to be like that. Howard is truly incredible. I’m going to cry.”“I owe Howard an apology!”“He put himself on the line and defied all odds. Howard’s sacrifice is immense. I’m literally in tears.”“I feel so ashamed thinking bac
He did not even bother when it came to forces like Crestwood. As long as he took down a few small gangs, he could proceed with the next part of his plan.Although Stephen had given him some guns, ammunition, and a decent amount of money, it was not enough. He needed to swindle even more weapons and money from Stephen. Once he had everything he needed, he would take all the money and weapons, flee Riveria, and head overseas! After that, he would not have to worry about Seaside City again and could live a peaceful life abroad for the rest of his days.The next day, thanks to Howard, things were indeed starting to settle down in Seaside City.Stephen saw that and nodded in satisfaction.“Howard is doing a good job. It seems it wasn’t Ethan who brought peace to Seaside City, but rather him relying on Howard to maintain it. The real capable one is Howard. If we can hold out for another day, the main reinforcements will arrive tomorrow, and everything will be resolved.”Stephen finall
“Ethan Rivers, we’ve received a report accusing you of multiple crimes, including embezzlement and bribery. Please come with us.”At Villa 88, Grand Tomson in Riveria, two uniformed officers stood before Ethan, their eyes fixed coldly on him.“Do you have the wrong person?” Ethan frowned.He was the future son-in-law of the governor, currently managing the entire province on the governor’s behalf. Over the past three years, he had worked tirelessly to increase the GDP of Riveria by fivefold.Thanks to him, Riveria was transformed from a poor backwater into a developed province with a GDP of 15 trillion dollars!“There’s no mistake.” A cold voice suddenly sounded from the front.Ethan was stunned to see the speaker. It was a beautiful woman, who was the governor’s daughter and his fiancee, Rachel Lowe.Rachel approached slowly, her gaze indifferent as she looked at Ethan. “I was the one who made the report. They’re here to arrest you.”When he heard her and saw the look in her e
“Besides, the Quinns from the capital will have a marriage alliance with us. Once Stephen Quinn comes to Riveria, he’ll easily raise the GDP to 20 trillion within a year!”Rachel walked over to the table and continued with a smile, “The Lowes’ affairs are none of your concern. You should worry about yourself now.”She smiled faintly. “After all, you’ll be spending the rest of your life behind bars.”One of the officers then took out a pair of silver handcuffs.Ethan knew that the Lowes must have planned it thoroughly. There was no chance they would let him walk away today, but he did not plan on walking away anyway. He was feeling a bit tired, after all. Over the past three years, he had constantly worked to attract investors, protect the environment, and maintain the delicate balance with the various forces. Now, he finally had some time to rest.Ethan looked at them calmly and said, “I’ll walk out myself.”The two officers frowned and moved forward to handcuff him. However, w
Ethan did not bother looking at them again and pulled out his phone instead. “Whether you call him or not makes no difference to me, but… whether I’m the one who calls him or you would make a significant difference for you.”The two officers gasped in shock. Just the comment he made carried more weight than the chef chewing them out for three hours straight!Seeing that Ethan was about to dial the chief’s number, they shouted in unison, “We’ll call him right away!”They then turned and bolted to find the chief, not daring to waste any time.A minute later, the police chief, Liam Yates, came rushing over. He felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Ethan sitting in the lobby.“Why is he here? He’s usually holed up in that villa. The last time he went out, he went to Crestwood alone and came out unharmed a few hours later. The entire town saw him off! Since then, Crestwood has been quiet and engaging in legitimate business!”The people in Crestwood were notorious for being tough