Mayor's Office
Secretary Caleb had just hung up the phone when his expression subtly changed.
The call had come from the Educational and Cultural Affairs.
As for how Jason Carter managed to get a formal recommendation from the federal cultural authorities, the reason was simple—almost absurdly so.
The mayors of multiple City all had personal ties with Jason. High-ranking officials across multiple states had cooperated with him on key projects.
Finding someone from the same administrative circle was trivial.
Even without going through the Department of Culture and Tourism, Jason could have taken half a dozen other routes.
After ending the call with them, Caleb received an electronic résumé.
Because the recommendation carried the personal seal of a senior official from the cultural department, Caleb didn't skim it—he read it line by line.
The moment his eyes landed on the first line, he instinctively straightened in his chair.
His pupils contracted slightly.
Rare earths.
Strategic materials.
Chairman of multiple separation plants?
Then his gaze moved down.
Caleb's breathing unconsciously sped up.
The further he read, the more unreal it felt.
Jason Carter's financial footprint was terrifyingly vast.
Just in Harbor City alone, his investments already reached into the billions. And Starfall Bay was directly tied to the mayor's political achievements.
More importantly—
Wherever Jason went, he invested.
State after state. City after city.
It was as if he were playing a real-life version of Monopoly, placing hotels wherever he pleased.
This résumé was, without exaggeration, the most intimidating one Caleb had ever seen.
So intimidating that billion-dollar enterprises were reduced to single-line mentions—otherwise, the document would have turned into a book.
The space Jason took to acquire a billion-dollar company was less than the space others needed to describe their time as a student council officer.
And the most critical point—
Jason Carter was currently in here.
And he clearly intended to invest here.
Caleb didn't hesitate for even a second.
He stood up, résumé in hand, and went straight to the mayor's office.
—
Mayor was reviewing documents when Caleb entered.
"Mayor," Caleb said, placing the résumé on the desk, his tone unusually solemn, "this requires your immediate attention."
He raised an eyebrow and picked it up.
At first, his expression was calm.
Then—slowly—it changed.
By the time he reached the middle of the document, his eyes were visibly lit with interest.
When he finished reading, he leaned back slightly, exhaling once.
"This…" he said slowly, tapping the résumé with his finger, "is no ordinary investor."
He looked up at Caleb.
"Is this Mr. Carter still here?"
Caleb nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, Mayor. He arrived recently—and based on the signals from the Department of Culture and Tourism, he's very likely planning a local investment."
His lips curved into a faint smile.
"Good," he said. "Very good."
Then, after a brief pause, his tone turned decisive.
"Arrange my schedule."
"I want to meet him—personally."
Caleb hesitated slightly, then asked, "They left his contact number. Should I call him now?"
Rick thought for a moment before shaking his head."To show sincerity, I'll call Mr. Carter personally."
For a city mayor to personally place a call already demonstrated an extremely high level of importance—far beyond what a secretary's call could convey.
And no city-level official, upon seeing that résumé, would think such caution excessive.
In times like these, attracting investment was no easy task. Even mayors frequently found themselves under immense pressure. If major construction projects stalled, political performance would suffer—and poor political performance directly affected career prospects.
The call went through.
Olivia answered first. When she learned that it was the mayor himself on the line, she immediately handed the phone to Jason.
Jason took the call calmly."Hello, Mayor."
Rick laughed warmly."Hello, Mr. Carter. How are you finding it here? The scenery is quite nice, isn't it?"
He began with polite pleasantries, fully expecting Jason to return them and then gradually shift the conversation toward investment.
Instead, Jason answered frankly,"To be honest, the experience wasn't very good."
Rick was momentarily taken aback."Oh? What wasn't good? Please tell me—we'll see what we can improve."
Jason spoke evenly, without emotion.
"Today, while I was visiting…"
He then recounted the entire incident in detail—neither exaggerating nor embellishing anything. He deliberately avoided overemphasizing the film crew or Lewi, acknowledging that their apologies had been sincere and that the matter with them had essentially been resolved.
Instead, he placed the focus squarely on Ash.
Jason never said, 'I want to deal with Ash.'Nor did he use investment as leverage or issue threats.
That kind of blunt, street-level pressure simply wasn't suitable for a conversation with a mayor.
After finishing, Jason let out a quiet sigh.
"I originally planned to invest billions here. But after witnessing this, I hesitated. A disgraced celebrity being allowed special privileges, disrespecting the public, and wantonly damaging public property—this makes me question environment here."
Rick, being a seasoned official, did not panic.
He fell silent for a moment, then replied steadily,"Mr. Carter, this is an isolated incident. Overall, our cultural and social environment is still very good. I hope you won't rush to conclusions. I can arrange for the Secretary from the Department of Tourism to accompany you and show you more of the city."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone firm.
"As for the disgraced celebrity disrespecting the public and damaging cultural relics—we will take this matter very seriously. We'll ensure similar incidents do not occur again."
Jason's voice remained calm, but his words grew heavier.
"A disgraced celebrity enjoying special privileges—if we put it bluntly—goes against the fundamental principles of social equality. Public order is built on fairness and respect for the collective. When someone with a bad reputation can override public rights, that reflects a serious imbalance."
On the other end of the line, Rick exchanged a glance with Caleb.
After years in officialdom, they immediately understood Jason's intent.
The phrasing was severe—very severe.
Jason wasn't speaking abstractly. He was clearly pointing his words at Ash.
Caleb quickly pulled up Ash's file, while Rick skimmed it. His expression gradually hardened as he read.
Ash already had a long list of issues. Targeting him would be completely legal, compliant, and procedurally clean.
More importantly—it could secure a massive investment.
So why not go with the flow?
A small favor, in exchange for the goodwill of a top-tier capital giant, was an easy decision.
Celebrities, no matter how popular, always had to yield in front of policy.
Rick made his decision.
"Contact the Department of Educational and Cultural Affairs," he said decisively. "Have them draft a report to the Federal Broadcasting and Media Administration."
Caleb nodded immediately."Understood. I'll also compile a complete record of Ash's past issues."
As mayor, Rick couldn't directly say he wanted to suppress a celebrity. But if the Department of Culture and Tourism reported that Ash's actions had harmed the City's cultural image—and the mayor merely endorsed the recommendation—that would be entirely appropriate.
At that moment, Ash's celebrity career had effectively reached its end.
And he didn't even know it yet.
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