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Chapter 76
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The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 77
Unable to keep to his feet, Stephen fell back on the sofa with a thud, his face pale. George, standing nearby, was also stunned. The loss of 300 billion dollars was a massive hit to North Hill Cityโs GDP. The GDP started at a trillion dollars, fell to 500 billion dollars, and was reduced to a further 200 billion dollars. The brain drain of locals, the increase of foreign workers, and the eviction of legitimate businesses could only lead to one thing: the city was done for. This time, North Hill City was utterly wrecked. While North Hill City struggled before, six years could have given it new life, but nothing could help North Hill City now. Otherwise, Riveria or the others would have to pour investment into the city to take the foreign workers out, attract businesses and factories, enhance security, keep tabs on inflation, and ensure the well-being of the people. North Hill City would need at least a decade or more to bounce back. Stephen was at a loss, and George found the
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 78
Once the meeting was over, Simon gave Stephen a call. โDonโt worry about North Hill City anymore. The state is giving up on North Hill City.โ Stephen said nothing. That was the second time they had said that nowโNo, it was the third time. North Hill City had faced three crises since its heyday, and Stephen was there when each issue occurred. He had the chance to stop it, yet he had no idea. In fact, he was either the direct or indirect cause of those problems. North Hill Cityโs downfall today was all closely linked to him. Stephen could write an apology letter, play innocent in front of the people, and lie to everybody. However, there was one person he could not fool, and it was himself. North Hill City was destroyed at his hands. โWould he have a way?โ Ethan came to mind since the man raised North Hill Cityโs GDP from 30 million dollars to one trillion dollars in just six months. Even if the record may very well be fake, Stephen was still curious. โI doubt he can do
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 79
Lounging in his villa overlooking Seaside City, Howard Green read an article on Ethan. According to the news, Ethan was free and had acquired a house as a gift. However, Howard had not been able to get in touch with Ethan despite multiple attempts. Howard was worried about Ethanโs safety. After all, he would not be where he was today if it were not for Ethan. โฆ Three years ago, Seaside City was a hotbed of conflict as various entities and organizations vied for power. Howard was the leader of one of the entities, and his organization was one of the best in Seaside City, potentially giving Crestwood a run for its money. However, a traitor in the ranks and Crestwoodโs aggressive approach of usurping other organizations led to Howardโs defeat against Crestwood. Howard could never forget the day of his downfall. It was raining that day, and he met Ethan for the first time. At the time, the mayor of Crestwood and his people were hunting Howard down. Howard, having sustained
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 80
โThatโs right.โ โI canโt let you do that.โ Dennis said, โYou can take anyone away but not him. He and his men are obstacles to the development of Crestwood. He hurt and killed many of our people. How can I face my people if I let him go?โ โTell them that I want to take him,โ Ethan replied.Dennis fell silent. Then, he hissed through clenched teeth, โI still canโt let you, but I can give you a chance. You might be strong enough to be my rival. If you beat me, Iโll let you take him away.โ In the middle of the pouring rain, Ethan stood calm and collected, his expression never wavering as he said, โYouโre not qualified to be my nemesis.โ Dennis clenched his fists at the statement. Unqualified? Ethan sure was cocky. Dennis had a reputation to uphold as a mayor to thousands of town residents. Ethan continued, โBut I can give you three pieces of advice in return for taking him.โDennis was confused. He had no use for advice. โHereโs the first piece of advice,โ Ethan spoke.
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 81
Ethanโs plan was for Howard to restrain all local entities and change Seaside City for the better. The cityโs positive transformation would strike those people that times were changing, and brute force was unnecessary in the pursuit of happiness. Once violence was put aside, they would be ready to address the issues in the city. Three years had passed since, and Ethan felt that the time was right. However, he was put behind bars before Howard could get the instructions for the next step. Without those orders, Seaside City was just one step away from gaining peace, but news arrived that Crestwood was stirring up trouble again. Howard immediately rallied his team to keep Crestwood in check, stopping them from causing havoc in Seaside City. Meanwhile, Stephen received the file on Howard, and his brows furrowed as he read on. Howard used to be the leader of an entity. While he did not have blood on his hands, he had wounded many, and his men had blood on their hands. โHeโs a m
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 82
Howard took the call from his secretary. โWe have a visitor from the state government, sir. His name is Stephen Quinn. He wants to see you.โ Howard frowned. He knew of Stephen, the man who apologized for trusting North Hill City in the hands of the wrong guy. Stephen was also the one who gave back Ethan his freedom, yet Howard could not reach Ethan to this day. โWhy does he want to meet with me?โ Howard headed straight to the office. Upon learning where Stephen was, he stepped into his office and immediately spotted Stephen on his chair with his legs across his desk, acting like he was in charge. Howard entered the office and closed the door behind him before asking, โWhat can I do for you?โ Stephen sized Howard, a lean-looking middle-aged man with a scar on his face, up.โEthan doesnโt seem to have a good eye. He couldโve looked for someone easier on the eye.โ Stephen thought to himself.Then, Stephen took out a file and threw it near Howardโs feet. โTake a look. You
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 83
The people of Seaside City were surprised. โHas Howard killed before? I doubt that happened.โ โYeah. Heโs active at giving. A charitable man canโt be a murderer.โ โThis canโt be true.โ Many were skeptical. In Crestwood, however, Dennis jolted to his feet in thrill at the news. โHas Howard been arrested? Go and find out if itโs real.โ Howard had been keeping Crestwood in line, preventing Dennis from being a menace, and Dennis had had enough. The worst part was the dwindling drive of his men. Some of them had actually settled downโworking regular jobs, getting married, and starting families. Few had even persuaded Dennis to stop raising hell. โWe like our lives now. Isnโt that good enough?โ โYeah, weโve worked hard to get where we are today. Now, we can finally relax and enjoy the fruits of our labor.โโMy family is my priority, and I want to spend more time with them.โDennis knew that was his last shot at making a fortune and getting even. His two right-hand men a
The Guardian's Returnย ย ย Chapter 84
Stephen quickly sought out Howardโs men. โHoward has been arrested, but fear not because you can work for me.โ Stephenโs men barged into the place, guns blazing. The speech bore striking similarities to Dennisโ recent remarks, and Howardโs people quickly came to a decision. Sure enough, their peace was short-lived. Here came another to recruit their services. Even though pleading allegiance to Stephen would get them killed, they could not say no to his face. They would be done for if Stephen had them arrested on the spot. Hence, they expressed their loyalty to Stephen. With Howardโs forces yielding to him, Stephen burst out in laughter. โI win this time. I took the fruits of your labor, Ethan. How are you going to react when you find out?โ Stephen could not wait to fly to Drakthorn Ridge to tell Ethan. However, he still had more things to do in Seaside City. After Stephen left, everybody set out for Crestwood and joined Dennisโ gang. Dennis laughed out loud at the tur
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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
