Chapter 556
Posted on July 24, 2025 ยท 1 mins read
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Chapter 556

That evening, the top floor of the hotel booked by the Wilson Group was visited by an unexpected guest.

Alvin came alone, knocking on Carmenโ€™s door as he asked, โ€œWanna have a chat?โ€

When Carmen opened the door and saw his face, her eyes were full of disbelief. She gasped, โ€œAlvin?โ€

Alvinโ€™s face was blank, but the slight furrow of his brow made it clear he didnโ€™t like the way Carmen addressed him. He shifted half a step to the side and said, โ€œAubree is working with Uncle Bowen. Whether itโ€™s you, Bryan, or me, none of us stands to gain much by going up against those two. Besidesโ€ฆโ€

He paused before continuing. โ€œYou have to fight not just the outsiders, but Bryan too. So, what do you say about teaming up?โ€

Carmen gripped the doorknob a little tighter before agreeing, โ€œCome on in.โ€

She poured Alvin a glass of water.

Knowing he was here to talk about teaming up, Carmen couldnโ€™t help but feel a little flutter of excitement inside. โ€˜He couldโ€™ve gone to Bryan, and wouldnโ€™t that have made it easier for him to deal with Aubree? But he came to me instead. Did that mean I actually meant something to Alvin?โ€™ she wondered.

She clasped her hands together and flashed what she thought was her most perfect smile at Alvin and replied, โ€œOf course, Iโ€™d never say no to teaming up with you.

โ€œMy teamโ€™s already crunched the numbers for this project. Acquiring the land will cost us approximately $66 million, and afterward, weโ€™ll require a substantial amount of manpower and resources for cleanup, rebuilding the foundation, and establishing artificial drainage.

โ€œWe could keep some of the fruit trees as a special feature. The ones in the village now are nothing special, but later on, we could bring in some rare fruit saplings to really draw people in. Once the resort is finished and openโ€ฆโ€

Carmen excitedly explained her renovation plan to Alvin. This was a plan she and the team her uncle assigned had spent ages discussing and revising before finally settling on this version. When she handed it over for her dad to review, he even gave her a couple of compliments.

Carmen was sure Alvin would see her plan in a whole new light.

Alvin was genuinely surprised, as he hadnโ€™t expected a conglomerate like the Wilson Group to actually pursue a resort project. He interrupted Carmen right away, โ€œYou guys are planning to build a resort?โ€

Carmen blinked in surprise as she asked, โ€œIsnโ€™t that what everyone else is planning?โ€

Most companies would have agreed that building a resort was the obvious choice when they wanted to pursue a high-end project.

โ€œThatโ€™s stupid,โ€ Alvin said flatly. โ€œDid none of you even think about the location or the surroundings?โ€

He pondered, โ€˜Due to its location, Mistmere was not fully accessible to the public. Indeed, there were plans to transform the entire area into a special economic zone, but who could say for sure what would happen in the future?

โ€œEven if that day ever comes, who knows how many years itโ€™ll take? Building a resort out in the middle of nowhere like this? Who in their right mind would come all the way out here unless they were some rich idiot with money to burn?

โ€˜So whatโ€™s the point? Is it because you canโ€™t get this fruit anywhere else, or because itโ€™s some so-called untouched paradise that hasnโ€™t been spoiled by modern technology?

โ€˜You canโ€™t even use the bathroom without being swamped by insects.โ€™

Alvinโ€™s real game was making Carmen his ally. Partnering with the Wilson Group was hands down the fastest and easiest way for him to take on Aubree and Bowen right now. And by working with Carmen specifically, he figured he could skim off even more of the profits for himself.

As for whatever cut the Wilson Group took, he could just dump all the blame on Uncle Bowen and let the shareholders give him a headache instead.

โ€œA farm stay or a theme park would be better than building a resort,โ€ Alvin said.

Alvin didnโ€™t plan to lecture Carmen any further. The truth was, Ridgehaven Town was aiming to become an economic zone, and the best way to boost the local economy was to build schools there.

Heโ€™d heard some buzz that a few universities were planning to set up campuses in the area.


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