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Chapter 214
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The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 215
They had already arranged accommodations through the mayor, similar to what had been prepared for them with several young, beautiful women waiting in hopes of making the investor reluctant to leave.On the way to the lodgings, Stephen sat next to the investor and smiled, "Celestial City has beautiful scenery, and it's very safe too. How long are you planning to stay in Celestial City during your visit?"The investor smiled and said, "The original plan was to stay for three days. If the environment in Celestial City is really good, I might stay a few more days.โ"You won't be disappointed." Stephen smiled. Although Celestial City's scenery was not as good as Aqua City's, because the two cities were not far apart, there were still some calming green mountains dotted throughout its landscape.They quickly escorted the investor to his lodgings where the mayor was already waiting.Seeing the investor get out of the car, the mayor immediately went up to greet him, "Hello, hello, I'm the
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 216
Kenny narrowed his eyes. โHis Highness? And who might that be?โ โSouth Regent.โ Shaken, Kennyโs eyes widened in disbelief. The South Regent's man had become the mayor of Celestial City?! They had infiltrated so deeply?! Kenny gasped heavily. โI thought the South Regent promised Mr. Rivers never to cross the border. Is he going back on his promise?!โ โHe did not,โ said James with a shake of his head. โHis Highness is keen to keep his promise. As long as Ethan Rivers is alive, he will not cross the border. However, Ethan Rivers is no longer here.โ Kenny went silent. Ethan had gone missing for a long time, and the search party that Kenny sent out came back empty-handed.โThis morning, His Highness met Lord Rivers.โ Kenny was shocked. โWhere is Mr. Rivers?!โ โThe capital. He is being imprisoned in the mountains by the Quinns and the Lowes.โ โI see!โ Kenny clenched his fists tightly. Despite Ethanโs significant contributions to Riveria, instead of being recognized and
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 217
โWhat? What happened? Why are they leaving all of a sudden? Celestial City is the financial hub of Riveria. They canโt leave!โ George and Stephen panicked. George said, โGo talk to Richard right away and make the deal happen! Iโll contact the companies and tell them to stay!โ โGot it!โ Stephen moved out right away. Without further ado, George contacted the companies, starting with Kennyโs, and gathered them for a meeting. George looked at the CEOs of the various companies. โIs there any problem that you are facing? Why are all of you leaving the city all of a sudden?โ Someone said, โThatโs because Celestial City is over. Or more precisely, Riveria is over.โ George frowned. โWhere did you hear that? Thatโs groundless rumors! Celestial City is fine! Riveria will prosper!โ Someone chuckled. โIs that so? Then why is Riveriaโs GDP down to 11.4 trillion dollars?โ George was silenced by the question. โDonโt even try to keep us. It wonโt work unless Ethan Rivers comes back.
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 218
They left because of Ethan. In order to make them stay, George must release Ethan, but was that even possible? Ethan knew too much. George would never let him go, let alone the Quinns. โHmph. Their leaving might affect Celestial Cityโs economy a little, but as long as we can get Richardโs investment, we can fill the hole. โOnce they leave, many spots in the city will open up, and other companies will compete fiercely to fill their positions!โ George did a quick calculation. The departure of those companies might not cause significant losses to Celestial City. He could also address the underlying issues in one sweep, which could ultimately benefit the city more than the losses from the companies leaving. โOnce Celestial Cityโs GDP crosses the three-trillion mark, they will regret it! They will then realize that following Ethan is the worst mistake theyโve made in their lives! Without Ethan, Riveria will continue to thrive and prosper!โ George glanced at his watch. โSteph
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 219
As the truck drove off, the bodyguardโs car drove past Stephenโs car. He widened his eyes in shock as he watched the car drive past his own and the truck before disappearing beyond the road. He sweated profusely. It was then he realized that the kidnappers came prepared! They used trucks and a spare car to fool the bodyguards! โWho are you?!โ Stephen asked. His body was trembling as he sensed danger looming. He had a feeling that his life was under threat. โWho we are is not important. The important thing isโฆโ The man in the rear seat chuckled. โWhy donโt we play a game?โ โGame? Is my life a game to you?!โ Stephen was agitated. He was the son of Simon Quinn of Metropolis, not some random John Doe! โDonโt worry. I know who you are and we wonโt hurt you. Donโt you want us arrested?โ A sudden realization struck Stephen. He was behind the wheel with the kidnapper behind him. If the kidnapper did not dare hurt him, he could easily drive the car to the police station and th
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 220
Stephen clenched his teeth and unwillingly stepped on the brake. The car was less than a hundred meters away from the police station. The man in the rear seat chuckled. โIt seems like youโve lost.โ He pulled out a smoke grenade and detonated it in the car. Bang! Smoke billowed inside the car, forcing Stephen to leap out, coughing and gasping for air. The pedestrians were shocked, thinking that the car had caught on fire. Stephen made his way to the back of the car to open the door, but the kidnapper was long gone. โFuck!โ he cursed. He felt defeated and aggrieved. He was less than a hundred meters away from sending the kidnapper to jail, yet he was forced to let the man go. On top of that, he was held up for a full five minutes at the truck, which was more than enough time for the kidnappers to transfer Richard somewhere else. He pulled his phone out to call for help. He ordered his men to seal all the possible routes out of the city and set up roadblocks to inspect t
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 221
Stephen pulled out his phone to call the mayor, James. The call got through immediately. โDo you know what happened?โ James knew exactly what had happened because he had ordered his assistant, Tommy, to abduct Richard. As a matter of fact, Tommy simply carried out his task without understanding its essence. It was the mayor who had told him to meet the factory owner. Then, the South Regentโs men shoved Richard into the trunk without Tommyโs knowledge. The mayor had simply told the assistant to drive out of the city. With that, Richard was whisked out of the city without any hassle. James feigned ignorance and asked, โWhat?โ โYour assistant, Tommyโฆ He kidnapped Richard!โ โWhat?! How? Why would he do something like that? We must go after him right away!โ James said in a shocked tone. When Tommy came back in another car, he had driven straight into the surveillance zone and roadblocks, hence his immediate apprehension. He was still confused when the police took him.
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 222
The South Regent did not plan to explain himself either. He said, โIn three days, I want to see a hundred billion. If thereโs no money, you can take his body back.โ The phone call ended. George fell on the couch, feeling drained and exhausted. The South Regent had joined the fray and was demanding a hundred billion, which was an astronomical figure. On top of that, Celestial City was facing another crisis as wellโthe departure of the major companies. The cityโs GDP would decline with their absence, and following the abduction of Richard, fewer people would want to expand their businesses locally. George originally planned for foreign companies to fill in the positions of those who departed, but the South Regent had taken Richard. If the news got out, no other companies would come and the remaining local companies would be terrified. No one wanted to be abducted by the South Regent! George did not see this coming at all. โWhat should we do now?โ His forehead was glisteni
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The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 920
After everything was settled, the people from HQ went to Ethan again. They apologized to him and begged for his forgiveness.โWeโve dealt with everyone involved in this matter. Are you satisfied with the outcome, Mr. Rivers?โWith that, they lowered their heads to the ground nervously. Their only hope now hinged on Ethanโs 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, โSend someone to help move my stuff down the mountain.โHearing that, everyone was first stunned, and then ecstatic.โOf course!โ 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, โWe respectfully
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 919
The day of Rachel and Georgeโs 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 judgeโs 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 Georgeโs faces paled to the point that they looked like corpses.The viewers in the livestream finally saw the full picture.โSo thatโs it! The Quinns and the Lowes conspired!โโThey deserve to die! How could they frame Ethan like that? Are they even human?โโThe death penalty! They deserve the death penalty!โThey 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 Returnย ย ย Chapter 918
They suppressed their disgust and returned home, only to see their parents and wivesโ panicked expressions.โWhat did you do out there?โโSo many people came today, asking for you by name.โHow 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.โItโs nothing,โ 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.โWhat have you done?โ Their parentsโ 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 Returnย ย ย 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.โHow could this be?โNo one expected this outcome. They thought, โSo what if I insulted him? Are they going to punish me for it? Besides, so many people are insulting him. They canโt possibly punish every single person who did it. At most, Iโll post a public apology and promise that Iโll never do it again.โHowever, 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.โWhy are they going this far? Arenโt they afraid of causing unrest?โOf 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 Returnย ย ย 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!โWhere else would she be?โ 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.โYou really have some nerve." The people from HQ sneered. โYou fooled us all completely.โโYouโve been hiding Ethanโs contributions all this time, havenโt you?โโYou two are nothing but disasters to this country! You deserve to die a thousand times over.โGeorge kept his head down while Rachel sobbed. โI was wrongfully accused!โโShut up! Are you still trying to fool us at a time like this? You were wrongfully accused? By who? Sim
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 915
They brought this on themselves, forcing themselves into a corner with no way out. โAh!โSimon could not take it anymore. He suddenly ran towards the window, trying to end his life. Fortunately, the officials quickly stopped him. โDonโt be reckless! Think about Stephen. Youโre all he has now!โThat sentence made Simon stop. Now, Stephen and Simon were each otherโs 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, โIโd like to file a report on someone.โTo 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. โShit!โ Someone exclaimed. โI heard Rachel bought a flight ticket overseas. Could she have fled?โThe room was filled with dread. If Rachel ra
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 914
Seeing that Stephen was awake, the others rushed to get the doctor. The doctor was astonished as well. Stephenโs sudden awakening was nothing short of a miracle. However, after examining him, the doctorโs expression darkened. Stephen had regained consciousness, but the prognosis was far from hopeful.โHe canโt move,โ the doctor said. โAs of now, heโs paralyzed.โStephen 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. โHe might never be able to leave the bed again.โUpon 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 Returnย ย ย 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 Simonโs 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 Returnย ย ย Chapter 912
Due to Harrisonโs previous incident, the officials reacted quickly by sending Stephen straight to the hospital.After an emergency rescue, Stephenโs life was saved. However, he paid a heavy price. When the doctor walked out of the emergency room, the officials asked, โHow is he?โโThe situation isnโt looking good,โ the doctor said grimly. โHis body is in a bad state, and due to long-term emotional distress, he suffered a brain hemorrhage from the emotional shock.โHeโs still in a coma, and we canโt say for sure when heโll wake up again. It depends on his will to live.โThe officials drew a sharp breath. โDo you mean he might end up in a coma forever?โThe 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 Harrisonโs desperate pleas to Ethan back in his villa. โIโm willing to trade my life fo
