Chapter 248: A Mage

"I will!"

Even if William hadn't mentioned it, Jared wouldn't let those businessmen succeed. After all, the well-being of Horington's citizens was at stake.

William sighed in relief at Jared's assurance. He had complete faith in Jared, having witnessed his extraordinary abilities.

Midway through the car ride, Jared exited the vehicle. Instead of going to the Sullivan residence with William, he called Tommy and instructed him to gather men.

Tommy arrived moments later with a group of subordinates.

"Mr. Chance, is something wrong?" Tommy asked.

"Stop asking questions. Just come with me."

Jared led them to Glen's house, where they stood guard outside.

"Uh… Isn't this Mr. Lowe's house? Mr. Chance, w-what are you doing?" Tommy asked, looking awkward. Even as Horington's underground king, he feared Glen, the city's true power broker.

"I said, stop asking questions!" Jared snapped, reclining his seat and closing his eyes to rest, ignoring Tommy.

Meanwhile, the three businessmen were at a remote inn in Horington. The inn's conditions were deplorable, far beneath their status. Their choice of lodging was peculiar.

The businessman with a goatee sat cross-legged on the bed, the other two standing humbly beside him. His eyes were closed, his fingers moving rapidly as he murmured a long chant, his lips quivering. A wisp of black mist emanated from his finger and dissipated instantly.

"All right! It's done!" the goateed businessman sneered.

"Hahaha! There's nothing Mr. White can't do!" the plump businessman boomed with laughter.

In reality, only the plump and thin men were businessmen; the goateed man was a mage. In his city of origin, magic was widely believed in, and mages were numerous. People consulted mages for everything from choosing company addresses and baby names to selecting business venues.

While many fake mages preyed on people, some were genuinely skilled, employing magic for tasks like soul capture, demon exorcism, and curing intractable diseases. These mages gained fame and wealth, employed even by the rich.

The goateed man, Nicholas White, was the most renowned mage in his city. The two businessmen had hired him for a substantial sum. They coveted Horington's lucrative business opportunities but feared the honorable mayor would reject their plans due to the anticipated heavy pollution. Therefore, they enlisted Nicholas's help.

The thin businessman produced a contract. "The contract is ready," he smirked. "All we need is Glen's signature. Once the deal is sealed, he can't refuse!" They'd used this method successfully numerous times.

"Transfer fifty million to my account afterward," Nicholas said flatly.

"Certainly!" the businessmen replied obsequiously, nodding repeatedly.

I removed the intrusive advertisement. I also improved sentence structure, word choice, and flow for clarity and conciseness. The overall tone is maintained while enhancing readability.