Chapter 290 A Map 

It had that feeling of a humble home made elegant by virtue alone. 

Alice nodded. “My mentor and I used to play chess and talk here all the time.” 

She pointed to a large tree nearby and smiled. 

“She’d come up with little games for me, asking tricky questions to test me. 

“But to make sure I didn’t lose too badly, she’d hide the answers in a small hollow under that tree.” 

Talking about it made Alice excited. She jumped up and ran to the tree, bending down to check the hollow. 

The trunk was so thick that it would take two people to wrap their arms around it. It probably had been there for centuries. 

Eric wasn’t particularly into ancient, rustic things. He just admired how such a huge tree could survive up here on a mountain for so long. 

Just like Alice. 

She’d grown up in a small hill town, but she’d never stopped improving herself. 

She was really remarkable. 

“What’s this?” 

After Alice grew older, she and her mentor stopped those games. 

So she hadn’t checked that hollow in years. 

But when she searched it now, she actually found something inside. 

It was a piece of parchment. 

Unrolling it, she realized it was a map. 

Alice and Eric exchanged a glance. A sharp, cold intensity passed through their eyes–not aimed at each other, but at whatever this map represented. 

“What’s your move next, Mr. Eric?” 

Eric had only planned to enjoy the scenery. He hadn’t expected a discovery. 

It genuinely surprised him. 

“Send it to the authorities,” he said. 

Alice calculated the timing. “Then we only have one week left together.” 

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Chapter 290 A Map 

The official review and filing would take about a week. 

Eric tapped the map lightly. “Maybe this is what they’ve been after all along.” 

+20 Free Coins 

Alice let out a cold laugh. “Then we can’t let them get it. But I’d like to know who’s really behind this and what they want.” 

Eric carefully rolled up the parchment and put it away. 

“Let’s look around first.” 

They needed to act like tourists. 

Walking side by side, both of them had their own calculations in mind, so it was unusually quiet. 

After passing a few old “adventure paths” Alice used to explore as a kid, Eric suggested heading back. 

But when they reached the town, news had already spread about an incident–something linked to Dominic. 

Yvette, decisive as ever, had gathered everyone for a meeting. 

When Alice arrived, it was clear that Yvette had already handled the crowd. 

“Whoever finds the person who harmed Mr. Anderson can be the new town leader!” 

The townspeople supported the idea. 

Dominic had been kind and helpful, deeply respected by everyone. 

Now that he’d died tragically, they wanted justice. 

Using this incident, Yvette gained their trust and moved to her real point. 

“I know everyone cares about compensation. Don’t worry–I’ll be more sincere than Mr. Eric!” 

Seeing Alice and the others arrive, Yvette smiled brighter. 

“Some people work closely with authorities, with big–name companies behind them. But ordinary folks like us need real results. 

“Money in hand–that’s what really matters. 

“To show my sincerity, I can pay one percent as a deposit.” 

Alice stayed back, listening. 

“Ms. Martinez says we don’t even need a town leader for this. We can just vote.” 

“Paying first sounds good. I like her plan.” 

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“When do we vote? Let’s just pick Ms. Martinez 

Alice suddenly pushed forward and stopped beside Yvette. 

“Hold up, everyone. 

“I know you all want money. But think carefully–the project has two parts. 

“One is the switchback, the other is turning our town into a hill–town B&B to attract tourists. 

“So the investment should be split as well. 

“I can give deposits for two parts. How does that sound?” 

Yvette’s face darkened. 

She had worked her network to secure approval from the authorities. 

Jasper was useless now. She only needed the townspeople’s votes. 

The officials would come the day after tomorrow to review the votes. 

She had enough funding to handle the early stages. 

Whether the project succeeded later or how it would be done wasn’t her concern. 

She hadn’t expected Alice to show up at the last minute and hijack the deal. 

But then, Yvette remembered what Michael said in his call with Ruby before they arrived. 

Nolan Group looked powerful on the surface, but it had invested in too many projects. In reality, its liquid cash flow wasn’t that strong. 

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