The man who got off the car was a forty-something-year-old man with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a sturdy build, about 1.8 meters tall. If it weren't for his expressionless face, he would be a very charming man.
Ethan Wraith let out a silent sigh, thinking that he had to deal with an old stubborn man. He would rather deal with fierce robbers, cunning businessmen, or sly speculators. He didn't want to deal with a straightforward and upright person, which would be too boring and easy to fall into a dead end. Once there was a dispute, it would be hard to find a way out.
Ethan put on his most charming smile and respectfully greeted, "Uncle Gorage, hello."
"Ah, little Ethan, right? And this is my precious daughter Sophia's friend, Sophia Mercer?" The governor, Gorage Hartwell, who Ethan had judged to be an old stubborn man, suddenly broke into a wide smile.
Ethan felt a sense of incongruity. How could this dignified face match such a smile?
"Uncle Gorage, hello," Sophia Mercer also forced a smile, her heart worried about her father's safety.
Gorage Hartwell, who had already learned about their intentions from his daughter, patted Sophia's shoulder and said with a smile, "Don't frown, little girl. You're not pretty when you frown. I heard you and my daughter were both elected as school flowers. If you're not pretty, it would be a pity. Don't worry, I'll help you with your father's case."
"Thank you, Uncle Gorage," Sophia finally smiled from the heart. She thought that since the governor was willing to help, he would definitely be able to rescue her father.
"Ha ha, don't stand outside, let's go in and talk."
Gorage Hartwell quickly washed his face, sat down on the sofa, and turned to Ethan, asking, " Ethan, tell me what's going on."
Ethan briefly explained the situation without adding any of his own speculations or comments. He wasn't clear about Gorage Hartwell's relationship with Mayor Robert Nash, and he didn't want to take the initiative to bring up the topic, which might be inappropriate.
Gorage Hartwell nodded, looking at Ethan with a hint of amusement. "I heard you have some conflicts with Mayor Nash's son?"
"Yes. Thomas Nash and Sophia are classmates, and he's been pursuing Sophia, even forcing her to talk about a romantic relationship. I happened to be at school and stumbled upon the scene, so I argued with him. He told me to wait and see his methods..."
Ethan added some details to the explanation, but didn't mention that Thomas had already committed sexual harassment at school, which would be too much to say.
"Is Sophia's father being detained by the police?" Gorage Hartwell, being a politician, quickly got to the point.
"Yes, the police station. That's what Uncle Mercer's friend said."
"Do you have any suspects?" Gorage Hartwell asked with a smile, finding Ethan to be an interesting guy. The person behind the scenes was about to emerge, but he didn't want to reveal the last layer of the truth, and it seemed he wasn't clear about his relationship with Robert Nash.
"No... Uncle Gorage is a kind and honest person, and his interpersonal relationships are very good, so it shouldn't be a colleague framing him. Sophia is just a student, and she wouldn't offend anyone. It's just that she had a dispute with Mayor Nash's son a few days ago. A big shot like Mayor Nash wouldn't get angry over such a small matter, would he?"
"Ah, you can't guess, and neither can I," Gorage Hartwell sighed, lying on the sofa.
"I think the person who can do something so big must be a big shot – someone in this city who has the motive and ability to do so... maybe just one person?" Ethan carefully probed, trying to test the waters. This was his first meeting with Gorage Hartwell, and he only knew about his conflict with Robert Nash from Sophia, but politics was a complex web, and who could say what was true or false?
Gorage Hartwell seriously looked at Ethan for a while, then burst out laughing. "You're an interesting guy. Come, let's go to my study and talk."
"...,"
"Are you being honest?" Ethan didn't hesitate to agree.
The study was not big, with a few bookshelves. Unlike the usual big shots' studies, where the books were mostly new and only for decoration, the books in Gorage Hartwell's study were mostly old, with many bookmarks, indicating that he had read them.
However, what surprised Ethan was that there was a computer on the desk. He didn't expect Gorage Hartwell to be a modern governor.
Gorage Hartwell seemed to have seen through Ethan's thoughts and smiled, saying, "I rarely use the computer, but my little niece uses it. Sometimes I also use it to look up some information. We old folks can't fall behind the times, right?"
"Ha ha, Uncle Gorage, you're not old. A man at forty-one is like a flower in bloom, and you're in your prime." Ethan quickly shifted his gaze to the bookshelf, where Freud's "The Interpretation of Dreams" was placed. He was a bit embarrassed by his own flattery. Politicians weren't supposed to be interested in spiritual matters, were they?
"Ha ha, you're an interesting guy. If you go into politics, I'll look out for you."
"Look out for me? Why?" Ethan was puzzled. Was he really a once-in-five-hundred-years talent? First, the "Headhunting Company" had found him, and now the governor was looking out for him.
"You're fake, thick-skinned, and don't admit defeat – you've got all three points."
"————, Uncle Gorage is overpraising me. There's still much to learn from my elders." Ethan didn't think there was anything wrong with saying this. A man who could do these three things would at least not be at a disadvantage in society.
"Okay, let's get to the point. I've investigated, and the police arrest was indeed instructed by Robert Nash." Gorage Hartwell's face turned serious.
"What do you plan to do?"
"I can't do anything about it." Gorage Hartwell rubbed his temples and sighed.