Chapter 78: Planting This Stuff Will Land You in Prison for Life

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Planting This Stuff Will Land You in Prison for Life

Previously, it was simply too safe around the young miss, so they could only act as bouncers at home.

Rian Sinclair lay in her rocking chair. Noticing Aiden Sinclair’s mood, she smiled and said, "You’ll have plenty to keep you busy when we go abroad."

Aiden perked up with excitement. "When are we going abroad, Miss?"

Rian pondered for a moment before answering slowly, "Soon."

Time passed quickly. Soon, the sky turned completely dark. In the heavily vegetated countryside, the fields outside were filled with the CROAK CROAK CROAK of frogs, and the incessant buzzing of midsummer cicadas was enough to make one irritable.

Rian was still awake. She lay in her rocking chair, taking in the noisy symphony of the night.

Footsteps echoed outside her door, lingering for a long time before quickly retreating. A message arrived on her phone. Rian replied to Fiona Sinclair and Aiden, then set the device aside.

Peering at the night sky through the bamboo slats of the window, she found herself feeling a bit more intrigued by what was going to happen tomorrow.

Early the next morning.

Fiona brought breakfast up; Rian didn’t have to go downstairs to eat.

[DING! The current location is a check-in site. Does the host choose to check in now?]

"Check in."

[DING! Check-in successful! Congratulations to the host on acquiring a... company located in Wharton, Meridia.]

Hearing the System’s announcement, Rian was somewhat astonished. "A check-in reward related to a PMC?"

Then, she heard the System’s rather exasperated voice. [Rest assured, host. The System will not act like a movie mafia—fighting for turf or selling illegal goods. The rewards exist within reasonable bounds, complete with dedicated transport routes and channels.]

Rian chuckled. "This is quite something. Such a company couldn’t possibly exist in Veridia."

She pondered who she should send to manage this newly acquired foreign company. After running through her options, she remembered that Donovan Sinclair had recently reported acquiring several companies to merge into the conglomerate.

She then sent a message to Quentin Sinclair, instructing him to take temporary charge of the company in Meridia.

She had initially thought she would have to start from scratch when she went to Meridia, but the System had instantly delivered a trump card. It was quite a generous gift. However, she still needed to arrange a proxy abroad. It couldn’t be one of her own people, as that would easily lead to trouble. After sending her requirements to Quentin, she put the matter out of her mind.

It didn’t rain today. The sun hung high in the sky, and unlike yesterday’s cool breeze, today was filled with a sweltering heat.

"Miss, it’s time to set off," Fiona’s voice called out. Rian checked the time—it was exactly eight o’clock.

They took a car to the foot of the mountain.

Ahead was a muddy path. Because of the heavy rain the previous night, the ground was still wet. Rian took the shoe covers Fiona had prepared, slipped them on, and got ready to head up the mountain.

Old Man Landon walked at the very front, Fiona was second, and Rian was positioned right between Aiden and Ethan Sinclair.

As for the extra addition of Ethan, Old Man Landon didn’t ask too many questions; he just kept reminding them to watch their step.

They stopped halfway up the mountain to rest for a moment. Old Man Landon wiped the sweat from his forehead and pointed at the trail ahead. "The path from here on is easier than the first part. It’s paved with small stones, not as rotten and muddy as the section we just came through."

Following the direction of his finger, Rian could faintly make out a village looming in the distance. It seemed they weren’t far away.

"Boss, if your eyesight is good, you should be able to vaguely see Stonecreek Village. We should get there in about half an hour." Old Man Landon took off his straw hat and fanned himself.

Seeing that the boss and her companions were neither flushed nor out of breath, without a single drop of sweat on them, he couldn’t help but feel a bit dumbfounded. Weren’t rich people supposed to be frail and delicate? How did they seem tougher than him, a man who worked in the fields every day?

Rian remained completely oblivious to Old Man Landon’s bewilderment.

With her maxed-out stamina, this level of exercise was nothing to speak of. As for Aiden and Ethan, they were bodyguards worth hundreds of millions; a hike like this was merely a walk in the park. Fiona was technically a manager, but considering her price, her physical attributes were probably maxed out as well.

After a short rest, they set off again.

"Boss, we’ve reached Stonecreek Village."

Old Man Landon’s voice rang out as Rian looked at the stone tablet engraved with the words "Stonecreek Village."

The village’s layout was simple and straightforward. Surprisingly, there were several five-story Western-style houses, showing absolutely no signs of poverty or backwardness. A few households had two-story brick-and-tile houses, while the rest were standard mud-and-tile dwellings that fit the description.

A few villagers were walking home carrying hoes on their shoulders. Rian noticed that they were all men. She then followed Old Man Landon into the village.

"Boss, wait here for a sec. I’ll go ask which house belongs to the village chief," Old Man Landon said.

Rian nodded, casually leaning against the large tree at the village entrance. In reality, she was secretly observing the surroundings.

Old Man Landon returned quickly and led the way. The village chief and his family were waiting at their door. Seeing them approach, the chief hurried forward. "You must be the boss! We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival!"

Looking at his outstretched hand, Rian silently took a step to the side. The man grabbed empty air, and a fleeting look of malice flashed across his face.

Rian turned to Old Man Landon. "Uncle Landon, you can head back down first. We’ve memorized the route, so we won’t need you to guide us back. We’ll be discussing the village’s situation with the chief from here on out."

Although confused, Old Man Landon still agreed. "Alrighty, Boss. Just have Sinclair give me a call if you need anything."

After sending Old Man Landon off, they followed the chief into the house.

Once they were seated, the village chief poured tea for everyone. "Boss, your presence in Stonecreek Village brings true honor to our humble home!"

Rian yawned, glancing around at the decorations. "But looking at the state of the village, it doesn’t seem like you need funding. I wonder what the actual situation is here."

The village chief wore a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. "Boss, we only have these conditions thanks to the funding from generous people like yourself. However, the internal situation of the village is still very impoverished. Some elderly folks have no children to care for them, and others have congenital illnesses. As the village chief, I have the will but not the means to help them all! That is why I submitted their situations to the foundation."

Rian curled her lips into a smirk. It seemed things were exactly as she had suspected. Such people did exist in the village—in other words, the true locals. Those who lived in these connected Western-style houses were likely outsiders.

The puzzle pieces in her mind gradually fell into place.

"Then take us to see those households."

This was exactly what the village chief had been waiting to hear. He immediately led them out.

Rian casually followed behind. Fiona walked beside her and asked softly, "Miss, do they think all rich people are idiots?"

Rian almost burst out laughing. She surveyed their surroundings and discreetly pointed at the crops planted not far away. "Growing that stuff will get you life in prison."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "They probably think a selfless money-thrower like me is an idiot. They don’t even bother putting on an act."

Fiona thought about how the young miss had tipped over a billion and how the foundation currently held tens of billions in relief funds, unconditionally helping households that passed the review without asking for anything in return. In the eyes of bad people, she definitely fell into the category of "more money than brains."

However, Fiona didn’t voice this thought. She kept her mouth shut and followed behind, not the least bit worried about what was going to happen next.

Aiden alone could take on ten people at once, not to mention there were nine others like him. Fiona herself could easily handle five, so they were actually more afraid that the other party wouldn’t cause trouble.