Chapter 1

The villagers were beating drums at the entrance of the village on the day I returned. The atmosphere was incredibly lively.

When I left the village ten years ago, the road under my feet had been muddy, while a barren hills stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see. Now, the road was paved with asphalt, smooth and wide. Brand new double-story houses had been built on either side of the road.

Barry Trenton had been a rural entrepreneur. He had done a spectacular job of improving the place.

I brushed my fingers against the investment proposal in my briefcase. I was confident Barry could handle the one-billion-dollar project.

When I got out of the car, the village head, Carlisle Trenton, led a group of villagers to greet me. They were all smiles as they approached me. However, their smiles vanished in an instant the moment they saw it was me.

"Ethan Snyder? Why is it you? Move aside right now. Don't block the road. We're waiting to welcome an important guest!"

I was briefly stunned before I understood what was going on. They were waiting for the CEO of Universal Group. However, they had no idea that the "important guest" they were expecting and the man they looked down on were one and the same.

I swept my gaze across the crowd several times before I revealed my identity, noticing that something was amiss. I had specifically told my assistant to make it clear to the village that I wanted the investment project had to be coordinated directly with Barry.

So, why was he nowhere to be found at that moment?

My heart skipped a beat. I swallowed my words and asked, "Where's Barry? This is such an important occasion. Why isn't he here?"

The crowd grew noticeably quieter. Several villagers subconsciously averted their gazes.

Carlisle's eyes flickered with wariness when he asked, "Why are you looking for him?"

Why was I looking for him?

Ten years ago, my reputation was utterly ruined when I was locked behind bars for a crime that I didn't commit. After I completed my sentence and was released from prison, Barry was the only one who came to pick me up.

When I could no longer stay in the village, he was also the one who emptied his savings in the form of a stack of wrinkled bills.

"Go. Leave this place and make something of yourself. Don't look back!" he exclaimed.

In other words, I wouldn't be where I was today if it wasn't for Barry. Still, something strange was going on in the way the villagers averted their gazes and in Carlisle's cautious attitude.

Suppressing my suspicions, I decided to word my intentions a little differently. "I borrowed some money from Barry when I left the village ten years ago. I've managed to made something of myself, so I came back to pay him back."

Carlisle visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing my words. However, his voice dripped with disdain when he said, "Oh, so you're here to repay your debt. Unfortunately, you won't be able to find him."

Another villager, Franco Trenton, immediately chimed in, "He's right! That bastard, Barry, ran away after stealing the village's funds. We have no idea where the hell he is now."

"He ran away?"

I felt as if I had been struck by lightning and refused to believe their words. "That's impossible! Barry's definitely not that kind of man!"

I grabbed Carlisle by the collar and stared hard into his panicked eyes.