Chapter 542
Mistmere was considered a province, but honestly, it wasn’t even as developed as the outskirts of Rithol City. As soon as the plane touched down, Vincent couldn’t help but sigh, “It’s hard to believe that they managed to build an airport here.”
There was only one flight from Rithol City to Mistmere. Once they disembarked, they arrived right in the city center. However, if no one had mentioned it, one would think they were in some backwater county under a second-tier city.
“I really didn’t expect there’d still be a place this undeveloped,” Vincent clicked his tongue in disbelief.
Bowen loaded their luggage into the car that had been arranged to pick them up. “Mistmere was already included in the development plans a couple of years ago. The idea was to start the renovation from the rural towns, but the people here are pretty tough, and Ridgehaven Town is the most notorious. The village chief just tries to keep the peace, the villagers refuse to cooperate, and there are some residents who absolutely won’t move no matter what. Since Ridgehaven Town can’t be touched, somehow word got out that if you keep dragging things out, the government will raise the compensation for relocation. Now, all the other villages are following their example, and that’s why everything’s been stalled.”
“So, it looks like Ridgehaven Town is the most crucial piece of the puzzle,” Aubree said as she pondered, “But the compensation money definitely isn’t the real reason."
Bowen explained, “Exactly. If we can sort out Ridgehaven Town, the rest of the villages will fall in line sooner or later. According to the latest plan, we need to get things done in Ridgehaven Town first, fix it up, and let everyone else see the benefits. Afterwards, convincing the others will be a lot easier.”
Aubree suddenly fixed her gaze on Bowen and commented, “Looks like you’ve been doing your homework.”
Bowen let out a chuckle in response, “Just because I’ve let Alvin take charge lately doesn’t mean I’m not keeping an eye on things. I know he’s been making some moves behind the scenes, and the Mistmere project is the biggest one. Young people need to get their hands dirty and face a few setbacks. This will be a good learning opportunity for him.”
The three of them got into the car, and Vincent asked, “Ms. Miller, are we heading straight to Ridgehaven Town now?”
“No, let’s find a clothing store first,” Aubree replied.
Two hours later, three eye-catching figures stepped out of a clothing store that was tucked away in an old alley. The handsome one was Bowen, the pretty one was Aubree, and the other guy–well, that was Vincent. All three were rocking floral shirts and silk pants, and they looked like they just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
The shop owner was grinning from ear to ear. She always said her clothes looked great, but seeing how good-looking these three were in them - now that was real proof!
“Sweetheart, you walk out in that outfit and you’ll be the best-looking girl in all of Mistmere and the surrounding towns. And this young man is seriously handsome too! I’ve been here for years and never seen a pair as good-looking as you two. Honestly, you could give TV stars a run for their money,” the shop owner gushed.
Vincent couldn’t help but straighten his back with pride as he agreed, “Honestly, even those celebrities can’t compare to our boss.”
The shop owner’s grin got even wider as she asked, “I can tell you folks are here for business. You’re not from around here, are you?”
Aubree nodded in response, “We heard the fruit grown here in Mistmere is really great, so our boss came over to check it out.”
Mistmere might be underdeveloped, but its fruits were famous for being especially tasty. It was pretty common to see fruit vendors coming by to buy up the local produce, so Aubree’s explanation didn’t surprise anyone.
The shop owner beamed with pride, “Then you’ve come to the right place! The fruit here in Mistmere is top-notch!” As she spoke, she gave them a proud thumbs-up.
After chatting for a bit longer, Aubree finally led the two of them out. They switched to a plain, unremarkable car, with Vincent behind the wheel. He asked, “Ms. Miller, aren’t we supposed to be here to talk about the relocation compensation? Why are we dressed up like this, anyway?”
Aubree explained. “The Ridgehaven Town project has been dragging on for ages and still hasn’t been settled. Clearly, money isn’t the real issue. We need to get inside the village and see what’s actually going on. By now, I’m sure plenty of bosses have come here to talk about relocation, but nothing’s ever changed."