Ethan Yin's lips curled up slightly, his eyes filled with a trace of hidden contempt.
He truly couldn't stand the Second Persona.
Just look at that petty attitude.
Where did he get the confidence to even compare himself to the Primary Persona?
If the Second Persona could just admit that he’s not up to it, that he lacks the talent for management, that he’s simply not as good as the Primary Persona, maybe Ethan Yin would actually think a little better of him.
But in the end, it’s just disappointing.
The Second Persona was still so arrogant, delusional, and clueless.
When Ethan Yin heard Miles Gu ask that, he instantly lost all patience and said coldly, “As CEO of Yin Enterprises, it’s my job to oversee all our business. Since you’re not involved in managing the company anymore, then stop asking about it. Whenever you want to come back and help manage, that’s when you can ask about the GF-112 Project.”
After saying that, Ethan Yin raised his hand. “I have to go to a meeting. Are you coming with me or not?”
Miles Gu watched Ethan Yin leave the office, but didn’t follow.
He knew that if he really followed Ethan Yin into the meeting room, he'd just embarrass himself.
He truly didn’t understand a thing about business.
“I won’t give up so easily!” Miles Gu stared at Ethan Yin’s back, his red eyes filled with impatience and stubbornness. “I’ll prove I’m just as good as the Primary Persona!”
Sherry Yuan passed the message to Cherry Miller, who thought for a moment and decided to go back and discuss it with the others.
Cherry Miller immediately went to find the head steward to ask for leave so she could return home for a bit.
She hadn’t even reached the main gate when she saw Nicholas Zhang, the eldest son of the Zhang Family, hurrying in from outside.
“Young Master.” Cherry Miller stood to the side and bowed.
Nicholas Zhang only paused for a moment, didn’t stop, and quickly walked past.
Cherry Miller’s brows furrowed slightly.
Hmm?
Something’s up.
Instead of hurrying home, Cherry Miller decided to wait.
She made an excuse about forgetting something and went back to Nicholas Zhang’s courtyard.
Sure enough, as soon as she returned, she saw Edward Zhang, the eldest son of the Zhang Family, hurrying out of his own courtyard.
The moment Edward Zhang saw his son come back, he anxiously asked, “So? How much of the gold mine collapsed?”
“The west corner collapsed pretty badly. I bet a lot of people got buried.” Nicholas Zhang replied anxiously, “Dad, let’s talk inside.”
“Good.” Edward Zhang lowered his voice, “This is the perfect chance to take down your third uncle! Don’t miss it!”
“I know.” Nicholas Zhang replied quietly, “I’ve already set everything up.”
Only after the two entered the room did Cherry Miller slip out from the corner.
The gold mine collapsed?
People died?
From the sound of it, was this mine accident actually deliberate?
The Zhang Family was willing to risk lives just for power.
Cherry Miller let out a cold laugh and turned to leave.
Back in Liford Village, Cherry Miller shared everything she’d overheard with Yina Yin and Ryan King.
“The Zhang Family’s power struggle has reached a fever pitch,” Cherry Miller said. “They’re so desperate to control the gold mine, they’ll do anything—even kill.”
“If it’s a gold or silver mine, that’s enough reason for them to go crazy,” Yina Yin said, crossing her arms. “I never expected it—an actual gold mine! But where do you think all that ore gets shipped? If they’re refining it right here, it must be noisy. How come nobody in Six Saints Town noticed?”
Ryan King frowned and said, “It’s not that nobody noticed. In the outside world, gold mining and refining have to follow strict national standards. Refining gold creates tons of toxic waste—it pollutes groundwater and kills crops. You can’t hide something that big. And they don’t have any way to treat wastewater, so it’s bound to mess up the environment. Just a few days ago, Emily Lee was complaining to me about a weird smell in the back hills—the grass wouldn’t grow. I didn’t think much of it then. But now it looks like the refining site is probably back there.”
Cherry Miller and Yina Yin perked up instantly. “The back hills of Liford Village?”
Ryan King nodded. “Liford Village backs up against the mountains. That area’s pretty remote—almost nobody goes there. If they picked that spot to refine gold, it makes perfect sense.”
Cherry Miller said, “Let’s have a few people check out the back hills. They definitely haven’t disposed of the refining waste properly—we’ll find some clues.”
Yina Yin crossed her arms. “Even if we find where they’re refining gold, we can’t do much about it for now.”
Cherry Miller smiled. “Let’s just get some leverage first. We’ll settle the score once we’re out in the real world.”
Ryan King said, “Exactly. Their ambition is wild—refining gold in secret here is a goldmine. No taxes, no environmental checks. No wonder they refuse to move.”
Cherry Miller sighed. “There was a cave-in at the gold mine today—it was deliberate. The Zhang brothers are fighting for control of the mine and the right to trade with outsiders, so they staged the accident. The casualties aren’t clear yet.”
Yina Yin and Ryan King both went silent.
“Six Saints Town is full of hidden dangers,” Cherry Miller continued. “First, with no laws, it’s only a matter of time before disaster strikes. Second, destroying the environment will catch up to them. Third, all this reckless mining might ruin the ecosystem for centuries. I’ve checked the plants around here—they’re already in terrible shape. What used to be forest is now farmland. Some places are turning into desert. It won’t be long before most of this land is ruined. But the worst part is the mudslides and cave-ins. Today’s cave-in at the gold mine was a wake-up call. Mountains without vegetation are the most likely to collapse. Liford Village and the other villages are all at the foot of these mountains—if a mudslide hits, it’ll be catastrophic.”
(This chapter isn’t over yet ^.^, please click next page to continue reading!)
“Sadly, even if we tell them, they probably won’t believe us. They’ll just say we’re fearmongering.” Ryan King sighed. “I’ve spent a lot of time farming and drinking with the young guys in the village. You can tell from how they talk and act—they’re narrow-minded and stubborn. Expecting them to restore the ecosystem is impossible.”
“None of them are educated or understand how urgent it is to protect the environment. They won’t listen to anything but whether they’ve planted another acre or harvested a few more bushels.” Yina Yin said, “Short-sighted and hopeless.”
All three of them sighed at the same time.
“Now I’m starting to think the biggest benefit of the GF-112 Project might be preserving the local ecosystem,” Ryan King said. “The natural environment here is so rare, and now it’s ruined. Who managed to get a satellite jammer? What are they really planning? Did they block the whole town just to dig up this gold mine?”
Cherry Miller and Yina Yin stiffened, both exclaiming, “That’s probably it!”
The value of a mountain of gold is just too high!
It’s worth going to all the trouble to get a satellite jammer, just for that kind of money!
“I think we might need to report this,” Cherry Miller said. “In the end, this might be more than just a few companies’ problem—it could become a national issue.”
Yina Yin thought for a moment, arms crossed. “You’re right. We should be ready.”
Cherry Miller made a quick decision. “Let’s try negotiating again—see if we can get them to leave Six Saints Town voluntarily. If that fails, we hand it over to the authorities!”
“Alright, I’ll send the message back,” Ryan King said, knowing this was serious.
In this country, there are things you can do, and things you can’t.