His daughter was the wife of the Greensands leader, a man who wielded absolute power throughout Greensands. With his daughter’s connection, David swaggered around Jefferson Village as if he owned the place.
“Ha ha ha!” David burst into a fierce yet insecure laughter. He looked at Chris Shelby with a smug face and said, “Chris Shelby, did you hear that? My daughter is the wife of the Greensands leader. Chris Shelby, I know you are a big shot on the East Coast, but what of it?”
“This is Jefferson Village, far from the emperor’s reach. I am the mayor here, and this is my territory. What I say goes!” Observing David’s arrogant demeanor, a cold expression surfaced on Chris Shelby’s face.
“Is that so?” Chris Shelby sneered, “David, don’t boast just because your daughter is the Greensands leader’s wife. Even if your son were the Greensands leader, he couldn’t save you! You’ve burned down villagers’ houses without cause, mined coal privately, caused environmental pollution in Jefferson Village, and stuffed the mine’s money into your own pockets. You’re oblivious to your impending doom, still standing here boasting. Ridiculous!” Hearing this, David’s complexion drastically changed. Every word from Chris Shelby was true.
Back when Peter Jefferson was still alive, with his prestige and power in Jefferson Village, David never dared to be so bold. But after Peter Jefferson’s death, David became the mayor of Jefferson Village and started acting recklessly. The village’s coal mine was a juicy piece of meat to him. Now, it was impossible for him to spit it out.
With this thought, David, infuriated, blurted out, “Chris Shelby, you are not a villager here, why the meddling? Let me tell you, push me too far, and it’ll be mutual destruction!”
At that moment, many villagers gathered around. They had long suffered under David’s tyrannical rule but dared not speak out. If Chris Shelby was here, they all hoped he could help them deal with David.
Chris Shelby looked around with a mocking smile, “Mutual destruction? David, no offense, but you’re hardly qualified for that!” After speaking, Chris Shelby glanced at the surrounding villagers and loudly declared, “Greetings, people of Jefferson Village, I am Chris Shelby! Today, besides mourning Peter, my main purpose here is to help you remove the cancer that is David and bring peace to the lives of Jefferson Village’s villagers.”
“Mr. Shelby, our savior!” “Mr. Shelby, we, the people of Jefferson Village, thank you!” “Mr. Shelby, please help us eliminate this cancer, David!”
Hearing Chris Shelby’s words, all the villagers of Jefferson Village shouted excitedly. Seeing this, David’s face turned extremely ugly.
David hadn’t expected Chris Shelby to have such high prestige in Jefferson Village. Just a few words had turned the villagers against him. How could he continue to sit securely as the mayor?
Thinking this, David, red with rage, shouted, “Chris Shelby, you’re talking nonsense! As the mayor of Jefferson Village, I order you to get out of Jefferson Village. We don’t welcome you here!”
“Pfft!” Chris Shelby scoffed, “Thinking you can drive me out of Jefferson Village? I doubt you can manage that. You might be the mayor, but you don’t represent all the villagers! David, the person who should be leaving Jefferson Village is you!”
“Yes, David, get out of Jefferson Village!” “David, we’ve had enough of you, get out!” “David, what are you even good for? If Peter were still alive, you’d be nothing!”
The villagers of Jefferson Village were also filled with righteous indignation, hurling non-stop insults at David. David’s gaze towards Chris Shelby was murderous. He knew that if Chris Shelby continued to stay in Jefferson Village, his own days would be difficult. This man could not be allowed to stay! If he could just get rid of Chris Shelby, then the simple villagers of Jefferson Village would pose no threat to him. But Chris Shelby was different! Chris Shelby had a significant and impressive status. If he interfered too much, it could spell the end for David! The only solution was to kill Chris Shelby. But Chris Shelby was powerful, not easily killed. Planning Chris Shelby’s demise would require careful consideration.
With these thoughts, David forced a smile and said, “Ha! Mr. Shelby, I think you misunderstand. I came here today with no ill intentions; I merely came to ask for your daughter’s hand for my son.” He then turned to Stewart and said, “Stewart, I wanted your daughter to marry my son, but since you are unwilling, let’s forget about this matter.”
Seeing Chris Shelby suddenly appear, David lost the mood to propose for his son. “Dad!” Evan called out anxiously. For Evan, his affection for Marie was genuine. Marie was known as the most beautiful girl in Jefferson Village, the village belle. Evan had been smitten with Marie for a long time, and now his father was giving up so easily, which was hard for him to accept. David glared fiercely at Evan and said, “Shut up, we’ll talk at home!” Hearing this, Evan immediately fell silent.
Subsequently, David, accompanied by Evan and others, left the scene. After they had gone, Harold Jefferson couldn’t help but ask Chris Shelby curiously, “Mr. Shelby, why didn’t you take care of David just now?” Harold Jefferson knew that Chris Shelby was none other than the revered King of the East Coast. For someone of Chris Shelby’s stature, dealing with a David should have been simple.
Chris Shelby replied with a light smile, “There’s no rush. It’s not yet time to deal with David!” Chris Shelby regarded David as a minor figure, one he could extinguish with a breath. However, David, only a village head, dared to mine covertly, suggesting he had powerful backers. Likely, it was the so-called leader of Greensands supporting him. Given this, Chris Shelby preferred to bide his time and draw out everyone behind David, then eliminate them all at once.
Harold Jefferson scratched his head, puzzled by Chris Shelby’s explanation. Marie tugged at his sleeve and said, “Mr. Shelby must have his reasons; you need to think more, understand?” Harold Jefferson sighed in frustration; thinking was more challenging for him than facing death itself.
At noon, Chris Shelby called Esther to update her on the situation in Jefferson Village. During the call, he told Esther that he might need to stay in Jefferson Village a bit longer to deal with David. Esther expressed her understanding and instructed Chris Shelby to eradicate such a harmful figure like David, to ensure peaceful days for the villagers of Jefferson Village. After the call, Marie approached.