Chapter 180
At that point, all Simon could do was silently cheer Stephen on.
“You have to get through this. As long as you do, everything will get better.”
Unbeknownst to Simon, Adam was about to blow up in–frustration back in Aqua City. He had been calling Stephen but had not been able to get through.
Ever since Stephen left, it had been radio silence. However, Aqua City could not afford to do without him right now.
The sports game was starting tomorrow, and with the number of tourists climbing, the streets were getting hard to keep clean. The garbage thrown into the river had also gathered around the stadium, forming small hills. Now, people had to work around the clock to clean out the trash!
Then, complaints about the farm stay and hotels flooded the city hall’s hotline. People complained about it being too expensive, the food being too terrible, and a single meal. costing thousands, which was daylight robbery.
Many tourists were furious, venting their frustration online and warning others not to visit. To make matters worse, the polluted water was causing a rise in hospital visits for cases of food poisoning. Adam was at his wit’s end.
Now, the blocked river was affecting waterway transport, and every second it stayed that way was money lost. They even had to pay hefty compensations to Oliver and the others. The expenditure needed for the city’s security and sanitation were skyrocketing. Although the economy looked good on paper, with farm stays and hotels overcharging, as well as the pollution, it would drive away future tourism. It was like cutting the city’s lifeline.
Adam dialed Stephen’s number over and over but still could not get through. Hence, he tried calling George instead.
When George heard about the problems in Aqua City, he quickly called Stephen as well. However, it was no use. Stephen seemed to have vanished. His phone was unreachable, and no one could find him.
Now, Adam and George both were in a panic. The sports game was about to begin. How could problems arise at such a critical moment
Desperate, George called Simon and filled him in on the problems in Aqua City.
Simon was aware that Aqua City needed Stephen the most right now. However, he could not reach Stephen and had no idea where the man was either. After thinking about it, he realized that only Ethan and Liam knew where Stephen was,
+25 BONUS
Chapter 180
Calling Ethan was out of the question because the Quinns would never go to Ethan for help, so Simon called Liam and found out where Stephen was. Then, he had George find Stephen.
It took them ages to get the address, and by the time George found Stephen, it was already
1a.m.
George rushed to the scene and panicked when he saw Stephen lying motionless on the ground, afraid Stephen might have gotten into an accident.
He quickly ran over, only to realize Stephen’s eyes were open, staring blankly at the sky.
With no clue what had happened, George urged. “Stephen, don’t just lay there. Aqua City needs you now. Let’s go.
However, Stephen remained unmoved as he muttered, “I’m not going anywhere.”
George was stunned. “Are you going to abandon Aqua City?”
Stephen stayed silent.
What George did not know was that Stephen had been crushed repeatedly by a series of blows dealt by Ethan. His confidence had shattered, and he had broken down more than
once.
Currently, he was just like a living corpse that could eat, drink, and speak.
“Get up.”
George pulled Stephen to his feet and guided him to the car while saying, “You can’t mess around right now. After those failures in North Hill City and Seaside City, people are
starting to doubt you. You be in big trouble if Aqua City goes wrong too.”
Stephen remained silent for a long moment before finally whispering, “I don’t care.”
