Daniel Brooks registered his business name just yesterday, only to find out who Sam was relying on. Furious, he slapped him a few times on the neck, and it wasn’t until Sam called his brother to come out and apologize that the matter was settled. He thought it was all over, but when Ethan Taylor asked about it, he assumed Ethan Taylor was still upset. Just then, Daniel Brooks received a call from the county leadership—he’s to go to the county bureau for a meeting tomorrow. The word internally is that he’ll be promoted within a few days, which would make him Michael Bolton’s direct superior. Naturally, he doesn’t take him seriously. If Ethan Taylor wants to deal with him, Daniel Brooks wouldn’t even bat an eye. This young town party secretary is the one Daniel Brooks has staked his future on.

Ethan Taylor, upon hearing what kind of person Michael Bolton was, couldn’t help but sigh. Now even a lowly police officer can stir up trouble outside, which just goes to show how wise the Ministry of Public Security’s later decision to clean up the police force was.

“In that case, I want you to take care of this today. Michael Bolton should know—a woman named Grace King’s younger brother, I don’t know what the case is, but find someone to handle it. Make sure it’s fair and just—don’t wrong him, but don’t let him off easy either. Be thorough, and don’t let Michael Bolton play any tricks.”

After saying this, Ethan Taylor added, “You don’t have any issues with the county bureau matter, right?”

“No problem, don’t worry. I guarantee I’ll handle it beautifully.” It wasn’t often that Ethan Taylor needed a favor from Daniel Brooks, so of course he agreed readily. In a few years, he might not even be able to find such opportunities.

Back at the town government office, the director of the health clinic and nurse Little Clark had already been waiting for Ethan Taylor for over an hour. They’d rushed over early in the morning to apologize. Little Clark was crying like a weeping willow, but Ethan Taylor didn’t make things difficult for them—he comforted Little Clark a bit and offered a few mild words of encouragement to the director.

At noon, the heads of the industrial and commercial office and the tax office invited him to lunch. To be honest, since Ethan Taylor hadn’t gotten into any trouble, with his age and education, his future was limitless. Compared to the nearly retired top official David Harris, it was like night and day—one was the morning sun, the other the setting sun. Everyone knew who they should get close to. What’s more, Ethan Taylor had managed to turn things around even in such dire circumstances. Everyone understood in their hearts that this young man was no ordinary person—he had real skills. All the town’s leaders wanted to build a good relationship with him and make up for past mistakes. Even David Harris’s own nephew, secretary Little Harris, had started to distance himself from his uncle, afraid that after David Harris retired, Ethan Taylor would make things difficult for him.

Chapter 7: Sister Qi Falls from the Sky

A little after five in the afternoon, Ethan Taylor received a call from Daniel Brooks in the county seat. Hearing Daniel Brooks’s hearty laughter over the phone, Ethan Taylor felt relieved—it seemed there was no problem.

“Mr. Taylor, John King, that’s Grace King’s younger brother, there’s really nothing wrong with him. It was just a fight—he’ll be detained for a few days. It was that punk Michael Bolton who deliberately made a big deal out of it. As soon as I mentioned Grace King’s name, he spilled everything. So, what do you want to do with this kid? Should we prosecute him?”

Ethan Taylor knew Daniel Brooks made it sound easy, but getting Michael Bolton to come clean probably took a lot of effort. Plus, Daniel Brooks hadn’t even been promoted yet, and dealing with a police officer before sorting out the bureau’s affairs wouldn’t look good. After thinking it over, he said, “Forget it, don’t blow this up. It’s not good for either of us.”

Daniel Brooks laughed heartily, chatted a bit more, and then suddenly said before hanging up, “Mr. Taylor, I heard Grace King is the owner of that restaurant from yesterday at noon. Heh, Mr. Taylor, do you have your eye on her? I’ve looked into it! She just got married, but her husband died in a car accident a few days later. She has no background issues at all, Mr. Taylor…”

“Cut it out! Don’t talk nonsense.” Ethan Taylor interrupted Daniel Brooks’s rambling and hung up. For party officials, personal conduct is a serious matter. But since Ethan Taylor wasn’t married, Daniel Brooks’s jokes were harmless. If Ethan Taylor were married, Daniel Brooks would never dare joke about such things.

With a helpless sigh, his feet unconsciously carried him south. He crossed the street, wove through the bustling crowd, and arrived once again beside the workers’ club.

There weren’t many customers in the small restaurant. Ethan Taylor sat in his usual spot and ordered a pound of dumplings. He’d barely eaten a few when that familiar sweet fragrance drifted over. Grace King, beaming with joy, sat down across from him and said with a bright smile, “What are you eating today? Big sister’s treating!”

Ethan Taylor swallowed a steaming cabbage dumpling and smiled, “You’re in such a good mood—did something good happen?”