Chapter 971

Gerard challenged Quintis with righteous authority, his tone unyielding. Beside him, a middle-aged man quickly stepped in to echo his stance.

"Mr. Cadwallader is right, Mr. Lycan. You have nothing to fear if you've done nothing wrong, even if someone comes knocking on your door. I'm sure you understand that. If your conscience is clear, then I assume you wouldn't object to Mr. Cadwallader sending the authorities to investigate, would you?"

That was Richard Trevell, head of the Trevell family-one of the four great families of Tarthy City. He was also Peter and Allen's father. It was obvious that he was on Gerard's side.

Quintis responded with a composed smile, "You're welcome anytime."

Richard replied with a fake smile, "That's great! For a moment, I thought your influence had grown so great that you could challenge Mr. Cadwallader's authority. Of course, this is just a standard investigation, so there's nothing for you to be overly concerned about.

"I'm sure you agree that Mr. Cadwallader is a man of integrity. He won't wrong the innocent, but he certainly won't let the guilty slip away either."

Quintis said nothing more. He simply shot Richard a look of cold disdain.

Gerard, clearly pleased with Richard's support, gave a slight nod of approval.

The onlookers, however, understood perfectly well what lay beneath the surface of this confrontation. The tension between Gerard and Quintis almost certainly stemmed from a complex web of competing interests.

The reason for Richard's open hostility toward Quintis was clear as day. The Trevell Group, which he led, had long been in fierce competition with the Sandalwood Group across numerous industries.

But the Sandalwood Group was a corporate giant. Taking it down was no easy feat.

Worse still, Quintis' sharp mind and meticulous planning had repeatedly left the Trevell Group with no room to maneuver. Richard had tried more than once to strike a blow against the Sandalwood Group, only to come up empty-handed every time.

But now, the opportunity he'd been waiting for seemed finally within reach.

Gerard's rise to leadership in Tarthy City was almost a certainty. Once he became mayor, he would likely put pressure on Sandalwood Group This would give the Trevell Group a long-awaited opportunity to rise in its place.

Given the longstanding rivalry, Richard decided to seize the

moment to openly oppose Quintis

offering his allegiance to Gerard as a

show of loyalty. When the ume

came, he could then rely on Gerard's power to help defeat the

им

Sandalwood Group.

Gerard nodded and said, "Mr. Lycan, we truly appreciate your cooperation and

sense of duty. I look forward to working together in the future."

Though Gerard had not officially assumed office, his words carried the weight and confidence of someone already in charge. Despite their dissatisfaction no one dareg challenge him. After all, everyone knew he was the leading candidate for the position.

With nothing left to say, the two sides soon drifted apart and kept to their own circle. Jack sat quietly in the corner, sipping his tea and watching the situation unfold. Just then, a surprised voice rang out from nearby. "It's you?"

Jack turned and realized it was his old acquaintance, Peter Trevell.

The two had clashed overseas in the past, and later, Peter had even gone out of his way to cause trouble for Jack at Alnewgo University. Although Jack had dealt with the situation, the grudge had long since been formed.

Jack glared at Peter menacingly. Peter's expression also soured the moment he recognized Jack.

Peter scoffed. "So, you're from the Lycan family? But your last name's Holland. What are you, some illegitimate—"

Before he could finish, Jack slapped him on the face.

"How dare you hit me?"

Jack smirked and replied, "You've got a filthy mouth. Keep talking nonsense, and I won't hesitate to kill you."

He had already been irritated watching Peter's father openly confront Quintis earlier. Thus, he decided to vent his anger on Peter now.