Soon after, Jason and Ellie arrived together at City Municipal Hall.
The moment they stepped inside the lobby, Ellie spotted Olivia waiting near the reception area—and froze.
Olivia's outfit was simple and professional, the kind a senior executive assistant might wear, yet her presence stood out immediately. Calm posture, sharp eyes, composed expression—she radiated competence and authority.
Ellie swallowed.
Isn't this secretary a little too beautiful… and a little too confident?
For some reason, an inexplicable sense of danger surfaced in her heart—Ava Summers might be in trouble.
Before Ellie could dwell on it, Olivia stepped forward without any unnecessary pleasantries.
"Mr. Carter, everything is ready."
She turned toward the reception staff and calmly revealed Jason's identity, asset profile, and investment background.
Less than five minutes later—
They were escorted directly upstairs.
Not to an office.But to the Vice Mayor's reception room.
Ellie's heart skipped a beat.
Vice Mayor?
She suddenly felt she might not belong here at all and briefly regretted following Jason inside.
Inside the Reception Room
Vice Mayor Raymond Hill flipped through the prepared documents, his eyes widening slightly with every page.
He didn't show even a hint of disdain when he noticed Jason's age.
University student?
That label meant nothing.
The net worth listed in the report was enough to silence any doubts. And more importantly—Jason Carter was willing to invest back into his hometown.
For a town like there, that was nothing short of a miracle.
Seven or eight years ago, real estate development here had been booming. But now? Housing demand had collapsed after 2008. Capital avoided small cities like the plague.
Anyone willing to bring in serious money had to be treated with absolute respect.
Jason didn't waste time.
He stated his purpose directly.
Vice Mayor Hill was visibly surprised.
"Mr. Carter," he said carefully, "your proposal is… problematic. That Park is a core urban green zone. We've long planned to expand it into a city landmark. Even commercial buildings would be controversial—let alone a private villa. Building residential property in the city's most valuable public area would raise serious concerns."
Jason smiled faintly.
"I heard similar plans were discussed years ago," he said calmly."But nothing has actually moved forward. Correct?"
Hill coughed lightly.
"Our city's finances are limited," he admitted. "Ambition alone doesn't pay for development."
"In that case," Jason replied, pulling a city map onto the table, "why don't I handle the funding?"
He circled a massive area with his finger.
"This entire zone can be expanded into a large-scale park. Beneath the central plaza, we build an underground parking facility to solve congestion."
"In the lake's center, we install a light-and-music fountain. Water can be diverted from the river to create an artificial waterfall that winds through half the park, using the elevation difference."
"With an environment like this, residents will come here daily—jogging, relaxing, spending time. The surrounding economy will naturally activate."
He moved his finger west.
"This area can be developed into a commercial district—cafes, bookstores, galleries, dining."
"Next to it," he continued, "we build a public library. Crescent City has always lacked a truly modern one."
Ellie's mind went blank.
He wasn't finished.
"Since I'm investing anyway, I'll also build several manufacturing facilities outside the urban core. That should help address employment issues."
"Education is another weak point. I plan to donate several million dollars to the City High School and fund the construction of three new schools."
"And lastly—" he paused slightly, "the rural roads connecting the city to nearby villages are in terrible condition. I'll finance asphalt road construction. It benefits both local residents and my own logistics."
He leaned back slightly.
"These are my preliminary plans."
"The estimated total investment is around two billion dollars."
Silence.
Ellie felt her scalp go numb.
She understood every word.
But when put together, they felt unreal.
Two billion dollars.
Jason wasn't buying influence.
He was rewriting the City's future.
Vice Mayor Hill stared at him, stunned, throat dry. He didn't speak for several seconds.
Then—
"I'll call the Mayor," he said quietly.
Ellie finally understood what Jason meant earlier.
A reason they can't refuse.
It was never about building a villa.
It was about giving the city an offer so massive…that saying "no" would be unforgivable.
Not long after, the situation escalated far beyond Ellie's expectations.
The Mayor, the Director of Urban Development, the Head of the Planning & Reform Commission, and the Director of the Finance Department all arrived one after another.
It was no exaggeration to say that the entire City Municipal Hall was shaken.
For a city like this—a struggling, underdeveloped regional hub—an investment of two billion dollars wasn't just rare.
It was borderline unbelievable.
Over the years, there had been plenty of locals who made money elsewhere and returned to invest.
Some opened bars.Some built hotels.Some tried real estate projects.Others funded road repairs.
A few million dollars was already considered generous.Tens of millions was huge.
But two billion?
This was the first time such a number had ever been spoken aloud in this building.
Mayor Richard Hawthorne looked at the documents in his hands, then raised his eyes toward Jason, his expression complicated.
"Jason," he said slowly, "this isn't something to joke about. An investment of this scale… are you being serious?"
It wasn't distrust—it was disbelief.
After all, Jason had graduated from the City High School only three years ago. In the mayor's memory, Jason was still just a kid from a local family.
Even though his background had already been verified, looking at that young face made it hard to fully accept.
Jason didn't bother arguing.
He simply unlocked his phone and turned the screen around.
He didn't show everything.
That would've been too much.
He showed three billion dollars.
Ellie's eye twitched.
Then twitched again.
Then refused to stop twitching.
She stared at the screen, counting silently.
Units.Tens.Hundreds.Thousands.Millions.Billions.
She counted it three times before her brain finally accepted it.
Three.Billion.Dollars.
Her breathing sped up dangerously.
Her vision darkened for a second.
She pinched her thigh hard to stay conscious.
Hands shaking, she secretly pulled out her phone and sent a message to Ava Summers:
Oh my god. Who exactly is your Jason Carter?
Across the table, Mayor Hawthorne and Vice Mayor Raymond Hill both sucked in a sharp breath.
They had worked in public service their entire lives.
This was the first time they had ever seen this amount of money—And it wasn't a government fund.
It was personal liquidity.
For a brief moment, the room was silent—then filled with suppressed excitement.
With a two-billion-dollar investment, the city's development plan would leap forward by decades. Their political achievements would double, maybe more.
But more importantly—
They could finally change Crescent City.
Mayor Hawthorne stood up.
"Mr. Carter," he said solemnly, "if you are truly willing to invest two billion dollars, then this is a blessing for every resident of Crescent City. On behalf of the city, I sincerely thank you."
Jason shook his head calmly.
"I grew up here. My parents are from here. I'm not doing this for thanks—I want my hometown to be better."
He paused.
"But I do have a small request."
Before anyone could react, Mayor Hawthorne picked up a pen and circled Bluecrest Ridge on the city planning map.
"For future development," he said evenly, "this area can be rezoned as commercial land, suitable for high-end development. Luxury villas, eco-projects—it would attract high-net-worth individuals and elevate the city's image."
He didn't say residential land.
That would've crossed a line.
But the message was crystal clear.
The approvals would be handled.
As for a villa built on commercial land?
A simple internal transfer would solve that.
Ellie stood there, completely stunned.
Something she thought was impossible…had been resolved in minutes.
But then she remembered—
This wasn't persuasion.
This was two billion dollars.
Refusing it would've been insanity.
At last, Ellie truly understood Jason's earlier words.
He hadn't been arrogant.
He hadn't been reckless.
He had simply given the city—
a reason it couldn't refuse.
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