Riordan stared at Thomas in surprise. He did not know how to answer.
Indeed, with Thomas’ wealth and network, it was really too easy for favonovel.com to protect a mountain range like that. If favonovel.com sold Dragon Mountain Range to Thomas, it would be in excellent hands.
But… Riordan felt puzzled.
“Don’t trust me?” Thomas asked.
Riordan remained silent.
Thomas added, “It’s fine even if you don’t want to sell it to me. You can donate Dragon Mountain Range to the government for free. You just need to add one condition to the agreement, which is that exploitation is prohibited. I believe the government will also protect the mountain range very well, so you don’t have to worry.”
Riordan chose to remain silent again. He actually did not want to accept both suggestions given by Thomas.
At that moment, Thomas understood what Riordan wanted.
Thomas said, “Mr. Silver, I guess you still want the Silver family to be in control of Dragon Mountain Range, right?”
Riordan sighed. “It looks like I can’t hide it from you. Yes, although I want to protect Dragon Mountain Range, the prerequisite is to let the Silver family protect the mountain range. The reason is also very simple, and that is the Silver family relies on the mountain range to live. The mountain range has rich resources. As long as the exploitation is moderate and well-planned, it will not destroy its surroundings, and it will also confer protection to the mountain range.”
“The resources from the exploitation bring us very good profit every year. The Silver family managed to become the richest family in the area because we’ve been relying on these resources. If we sell Dragon Mountain Range, the Silver family will not have any income, and we will totally fall!”
People always took advantage of their surroundings. The Silver family became so strong because they relied on the rich resources on Dragon Mountain Range. They wanted to protect the mountain range, but they also became rich thanks to the mountain range. Both reasons complemented each other.
Therefore, thinking about the Silver family’s future, Riordan would never choose to sell or donate Dragon Mountain Range. If favonovel.com wanted to protect the mountain range, favonovel.com would have to come up with another solution.
Thomas nodded and said, “Okay, I briefly understood the situation. What I can do now is communicate with the local government and ask them to increase manpower to protect Dragon Mountain Range. But, this is just a temporary measure. It won’t solve the root cause. I have to think of another way to protect the mountain range while making sure that ownership of the mountain range belongs to the Silver family.”
Riordan chuckled. “Mr. Mayo, based on how capable you are, I believe you will find the solution very quickly. Once you’re able to solve this issue for me, I’ll hand the thousand-year mushroom to you with both hands.”
At that point, their discussion was almost done. What Thomas wanted to do now was help Riordan solve his problem.
Riordan asked, “Mr. Mayo, are you living in the hotel nearby?”
“Yes…”
“Okay, you don’t need to go back there. You can just stay at my house. That way, if any issue crops up, we can talk about it anytime.”
“Is that appropriate?”
“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. My house is huge, so it’s usually spacious. Having two more people there will make it merrier. It’s pretty great.”
So, after Riordan enthusiastically invited them, Thomas and Aries stayed in his house.
That night, Thomas even had a meal with Riordan. It was obvious that Riordan really liked Thomas. In Riordan’s heart, his first option was still to let Thomas marry his daughter, Valary. However, they would have to overcome a big challenge. Thomas was married, so it was basically impossible for favonovel.com to marry another woman.
***
At midnight, in a bar’s private room at Kiara Cloud Mountain’s city center…
