Chapter 4

The viewer count in the livestream broke a hundred thousand.

The comment feed was nothing but people cursing me.

"Get out of Westhill, you heartless corporate leech!"

"Bullying local seniors, is that supposed to be impressive? Someone investigate this guy!"

"Never shop at a mall built by a man like this. Total scam operation!"

Leah watched the comments and started crying, indignant on my behalf.

"Mr. Perez, I owe you so much. I can't stand here and watch them drag you like this."

"I'll go beg the old man right now to get the cyberspace office to shut down those rumor accounts."

I raised a hand and settled it on her shoulder.

"It's fine. Don't panic."

I pulled out a tablet.

It was linked to the giant screen that had just gone up at the entrance to the site.

"Since everyone's here, let's lay this out plain and clear."

The screen began playing security footage.

It was exactly the moment Myron and his people blocked the door.

"Mr. Perez, this supermarket only does business because it sits on my family's lucky ground!"

"Triple the rent. And find my son a spot as a vice president while you're at it!"

Myron's ugly little performance, ripping the contract to shreds, was captured in perfect detail too.

The whole crowd went dead silent.

Even the comment feed stalled for a moment.

Homer's face went a sickly gray.

"He still offended people first. Big Mike only did that because he was upset for a second."

"It takes two to fight. You've clearly got problems of your own."

I let out a cold laugh.

"Homer, your talent for smoothing things over is really something else."

I swiped one finger.

Dozens of inspection reports and undercover videos filled the screen.

Every one of them ironclad proof that Whitney's supermarket sold expired food and passed off garbage as decent goods.

In the video, Wayne was directing employees to repackage moldy meat.

To alter the production dates on expired milk.

The older bargain-hunting women in the crowd got a clear look at the screen, and the place erupted.

"You monster! I just bought ribs from him yesterday, and my grandson had diarrhea the second he ate them!"

"No wonder those eggs were all runny yolk. They were rotten!"

The women turned on him in an instant.

"Refunds! You black-hearted old animal!"

Myron shoved his way through the crowd, screaming himself hoarse.

"I've got connections! I've got people in the city watching my back!"

"Let's see if you can even get this land built up! I'll have you gone by tomorrow!"

Right then, three black state sedans pulled quietly to the curb.

Several middle-aged men in black jackets and gold-rimmed glasses climbed out,

and came striding over, ringed by their secretaries.

They walked straight past the crowd and stopped in front of me.

It was Commissioner Finch.

In front of the hundreds of thousands watching the livestream, he gripped my hand tight.

"Mr. Perez, my apologies. I'm sorry they gave you such a scare!"

"How's the ten-billion-dollar Stellar Century commercial center coming along, our key state-backed project?"

He turned and glared at Myron.

"I hear someone's been obstructing a ten-billion-dollar city project? This is lawlessness, plain and simple!"