Chapter 110
“Riveria’s GDP has dropped from its previous 15 trillion to 13.2 trillion.”
More than a million people had lost their jobs, countless businesses had gone bankrupt, public welfare in cities had taken a hit, and people were losing their homes.
“If Riveria’s GDP continues to pluminet, we will lose the title of the most developed province and stray further away from our target of 20 trillion!”
Simon was rendered speechless. He knew Riveria was in a mess because of Stephen.
He and George had conspired to frame Ethan, intending to claim the fruits of success. Ethan had planted long ago. By stealing all the credit and hard work from Ethan, he aimed to get a position in the cabinet and ensure his name would go down in history.
Yet now, instead of reaching 20 trillion, they should be relieved it had not plummeted faster than it already had.
“Is Stephen really up to this? Should we replace him?” someone asked, looking at Simon.
“No! This is not entirely his fault,” Simon argued. “Our enemy is just too cunning. Howard deceived all of us, including Stephen.”
Everyone was once again silenced. Their enemies were cunning, one worse than the other. No one could predict what their enemies had prepared for them.
“You’re right. It’s not entirely Stephen’s fault.”
Many agreed with Simon. In fact, they were not trying to defend Stephen but simply trying to find an excuse for themselves. If they blamed Stephen, they would also have to face the consequences of their own mistakes.
“Let’s just put Stephen aside first.
“We must focus on dealing with Seaside City’s problems.”
“We must stabilize the city and get it back on its feet. Let’s not focus on raising the GDP. Let’s just focus on keeping it from falling any further.”
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
They decided to allocate funds to encourage some businesses to move into Seaside City, hoping to boost the economy a little. Along with that, they planned to introduce a new entrepreneurship fund to encourage people to start their own businesses.
Not only would it create job opportunities and prevent people from leaving, but it could also attract more investments. Although it might not immediately bring Seaside City back from the dead, it could at least stop the city from rotting.
+25 BONUS
Chapter 110
“If we’re saving Seaside City, we must do something about North Hill City as well.”
“Give North Hill City the same fund allocations.”
The decision to help two cities at once hurt their pockets. In order to help the two cities recover, regain order, and encourage people to start their own businesses, it would cost them at least a few hundred billion.
They had originally chosen Shawn and Howard, hoping that they could boost the cities‘ economies. Now, both cities had collapsed financially, and they had to fork out a few hundred billion to clean the mess. It was a huge loss.
Despite their pain, they pushed forward, discussing the necessary details. Before long, the meeting ended. Then, Simon gave Stephen a call.
“The meeting is over. Seaside City is done for.”
Even though Stephen had expected the news, hearing it still hit him hard.
It was his fault that Seaside City was in ruins, and if the truth ever got out, he would be condemned forever.
“Don’t worry. It’s not entirely your fault. Our enemies are just too cunning. Howard Green is a despicable man.
“What you need to do now is gather some support and make an appearance in Seaside City. I’ll have a speech ready for you that’ll inspire people. All you have to do is read it. That way, your image will improve.”
Stephen nodded repeatedly.
Seaside City’s economy was ruined beyond repair, so all Stephen could do was distance. himself and protect his own reputation. As for its recovery, he would come back to the city once Riveria’s overall GDP reached 20 trillion. Maybe then he would be in a position to help.
When the call ended, Stephen felt a little more at ease knowing that the office decided not to hold him responsible.
Just then, his phone rang again.
