Chapter 250
+25 BONUS
Those three cities had stained his record. Unless he could manage Riveria and restore order in those cities, it would remain a black mark on his name.
Clenching his jaw, Stephen said, “Everyone has failed before. It’s just three failures. So what? Just wait. I’ll make those three cities better than ever!”
He then turned to George and said, “Let’s go.”
Together, the two left the mountain.
Along the way, George was filled with worry.
“We haven’t thought of a solution. Celestial City is running out of time.”
Stephen said in a low voice, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. We’ll find it as long as we keep trying. I refuse to believe that everything went smoothly for him either. If we stay calm, we’ll come up with a better solution than him!”
George stared at Stephen for a while, surprised.
Stephen was confused. “What’s that look for? Is there something on my
face?”
George shook his head and sighed. “You’ve matured a lot. In the past, you used to be impulsive and couldn’t handle setbacks.”
Stephen thought of his past self–acting on assumptions, easily swayed by one–sided opinions, and quick to lose his cool–and smiled knowingly.
“If I don’t improve, I won’t be able to lead Riveria. I want to prove to this world and Ethan that Riveria won’t fall apart without him. I’m more than capable of running Riveria!”
George stared at him with wide eyes. At that moment, he saw Stephen in a new light. It was as if he was glowing with confidence, and that confidence was so contagious that it filled George with hope for the future.
Without Ethan, Riveria would become even better, and by teaming up with Stephen, they were no weaker than Ethan!
When the two returned to Celestial City, Stephen called James, wanting to know the current situation in Celestial City.
Celestial City’s GDP was declining, but it had yet to hit the point of losing half its value, which was the worst–case scenario. It meant there was still time!
Knowing what Stephen was worried about, James said, “I have an idea that might solve the city’s problems.”
Stephen immediately perked up.
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Chapter 250
+25 BONUS
“What is it?”
James replied, “I think Celestial City’s economic structure is too single–focused.
That statement instinctively made Stephen uneasy as he recalled the failure of Aqua City. He also thought Aqua City’s economy was too one–sided, so he introduced the industrial industry, only for it to make life miserable for the people.
“What are you planning to do?” Stephen asked with a frown.
“I want to diversify Celestial City’s economy.”
James continued, “Celestial City might not have as much natural beauty as Aqua City, but in this region, we still have some impressive attractions on a national level. We can develop our tourism industry.”
Stephen nodded. He had studied the map of Celestial City before. The city had a mountain called Azure Cloud Mountain, a popular tourist attraction in the region.
Still, instead of agreeing immediately, he said, “Tell me more about your plan.”
James began explaining, “There’s a popular scenic spot known as Azure Cloud Mountain in Celestial City, and at the foot of the mountain is a lake called Crystal Lake. Mountains and lakes are great resources for tourism.”
Stephen nodded. “You want to develop the tourism around Azure Cloud Mountain and Crystal Lake?”
“Yes.”
James continued, “Aqua City used to be a tourism city, but after their industry collapsed, tourism is no longer viable. If we develop tourism here, it’ll attract those visitors instead.
That way,
it’ll strengthen Celestial City’s economic structure while mitigating Aqua City’s
losses.”
The mention of Aqua City pained Stephen.
He deeply regretted it. If he had been more cautious and thorough with his research, Aqua City would not end up in ruins.
