Chapter 576
Aubree didn’t beat around the bush. She knew the gold mine was on David’s land, and Ethan had already mentioned that David and the village chief had some kind of arrangement. It wasn’t hard to figure out that the village chief probably promised David some perks to keep the gold mine under wraps.
“I’m right; the village chief has already made a deal with Wilson Group from Rithol City. My guess is, they’re letting Wilson Group take the lion’s share of the gold mine, and Wilson Group will be in charge of the mining,” Aubree said.
“It’s got nothing to do with me. Like I said, I’ll just pretend I don’t know anything about the gold mine, and whatever profits you make, there’s no need to give me any,” David replied.
He figured that as long as he didn’t take any profit and kept his head down, it had nothing to do with him, be it good or bad.
Aubree replied, “Mr. Molina, aren’t you being a little too naive? Let’s not even talk about whether the village chief’s family might pull something shady using your name. If you know what’s going on and just keep quiet, that makes you an accomplice. Mining without a permit is illegal. Do you really think you won’t get into any trouble if things go south?”
David’s hand trembled as he took a drag from his cigarette, ash scattering to the floor. He asked, “With the village chief cozying up to someone as powerful as Bryan, do you think you can stop them if they want to do something?”
Aubree smiled in response, “Bryan might want to mine the gold, but it’s not that easy. He’ll ask the village chief to help him secure the project to redevelop Ridgehaven Town so that he can use it as a cover for mining. As long as the rest of you sign this demolition agreement, the project won’t be Wilson Group’s anymore.”
Vincent stepped forward and handed David the prepared demolition agreement. The compensation offered was fair, based on the market rate.
“If I sign this, does that mean you’ll actually get the project?” David asked. His tone wasn’t sarcastic. He knew that even if everyone in the village agreed, without the village chief’s approval, the project still wouldn’t happen.
Aubree nodded, understanding where he was coming from. She explained, “David, like I said, mining without a permit is illegal. Forget all the other shady stuff the village chief has done over the years. Just this gold mine thing alone is enough to get him kicked out as the chief. Once the village chief is out of the picture, nothing else really matters.”
David took another drag from his cigarette as he contemplated.
“Don’t worry,” Aubree reassured. “This agreement comes with a condition that if the village chief is still safe and sound after ten days, the agreement is void.”
Hearing this, David visibly relaxed. He owned a large orchard, and the compensation plus the demolition payout added up to a pretty hefty sum that would be enough for his whole family to leave Ridgehaven Town and Mistmere behind and start a new life in a better city.
“Alright,” David finally agreed, a hint of relief in his voice. ‘It’s time to move on,’ he thought.
With David’s signed agreement in hand, Aubree used the same approach and went around visiting the other families in Ridgehaven Town. To avoid any unnecessary trouble, she didn’t breathe a word about the gold mine to anyone else. She just told them that the village chief’s refusal to approve the demolition wasn’t for their sake at all, and that he was just looking out for himself, trying to raise his own price and cash in on the deal.
At first, most of them didn’t believe the village chief would actually get in trouble. After all, they’d been under his thumb for so long that fear had become ingrained in them, making them too scared to take any action. But when Aubree showed them David’s signed agreement, they started to waver.
If even David signed it, maybe what she’s saying is actually true? one of them thought.
Is the village chief really about to get what he deserves? another wondered.
So the real reason the village chief didn’t want us to agree to the demolition wasn’t to get us more money. It was all for his own benefit! someone else realized.