Chapter 539

"It's Robert Jones," the guard captain said. "I figured it would be someone from the Jones family." Chandler laughed. Chandler and Cyrus went to the door to greet the new mayor, ready to make introductions. A black Audi A8 with a Centuria plate slowly approached, followed by a dozen escort cars, making quite an entrance. Typically, the mayoral transition took three months, but this time, Chandler was being asked to leave immediately. This implied that the new mayor was from a prominent political family, already familiar with Jorsproburgh and ready to take charge quickly. From the trailing cars, 20 armed guards emerged first, forming a circle around the Audi before the driver stepped out to open the door for Robert. Robert was several years younger than Chandler, appearing to be in his early 40s. He came out with his recently married wife, who was young and beautiful. She was the former actress, Megan Sykes, also Jessie's aunt. She retired from acting after marrying Robert. Robert, holding Megan's hand, laughed heartily and greeted Chandler from a distance. "Mr. Hudson, you're still here! I was worried I'd miss the chance to see you off." Chandler shook his hand and smiled, replying, "I've been waiting for you. I know the job doesn't require a handover, but it's only polite to introduce you to your new house." "Mr. Hudson, you're too kind. I must say, you're so lucky to have been promoted to prefectural governor. My father advised me to learn from you." Robert was adept at diplomatic small talk, contrasting sharply with Chandler's straightforward manner. He glanced at Cyrus and then fixed his gaze on Zoey. "Is this your friend? Why don't you introduce us?" "Indeed, this is my friend, Cyrus Johnson. He's the chairman of the Jorsproburgh Medical Association," Chandler introduced. Robert clearly knew of Cyrus and quickly reached out for a handshake, saying, "I've heard much about you, Mr. Johnson. Your name carries weight in Centuria." "Oh? What do they say about me?" Cyrus asked with a smile. "They say you've risen from humble beginnings. No, that's not the right phrase. You're like a phoenix rising from the ashes, commanding respect in Jorsproburgh," Robert replied, his face beaming with a smile that thinly veiled his mockery. Robert had arrived in Jorsproburgh as the new mayor. He needed to establish a rapport with the local powers. Testing Cyrus' character was his first step. Cyrus smiled and replied, "I'm not sure I deserve such praise. I'm just a healer. But yes, I came from humble beginnings. I was quite a mess in the past, after all." "It's not easy to change, I suppose." Chandler sensed that the conversation was heading toward a tense point, so he interjected, "Mr. Johnson, why don't you head back for now? I need to catch up with Mr. Jones on some work." "Of course. I have patients waiting," Cyrus replied with a smile. Zoey let out a silent sigh of relief. She had sensed the tension between Cyrus and Robert but couldn't find the opportunity to steer Cyrus away. After they left, Robert and Chandler went to the study. They lit up cigars and started talking. As colleagues, they were quite familiar with each other. Robert had once been Chandler's deputy. "Robert, I need to be candid with you. Cyrus is a dear friend to the Hudson family. If you're here to target him, you won't just fail, but it'll also cost our friendship," Chandler warned bluntly, making it clear that any harm to Cyrus would lead to a fallout between them. Robert sighed. "We're often caught in circumstances beyond our control. Please understand my position, Mr. Hudson. Let's just see how things unfold." Chandler was now certain that Robert's assignment in Jorsproburgh was meant to target Cyrus. Before leaving, he quickly updated Cyrus on the situation, giving him a rough overview of the Jones family's power and their connection to the Sykes family. Cyrus replied, "Wishing you a safe journey, Mr. Hudson. Stay in touch, and don't worry about Robert." Chandler thought Cyrus was taking it too lightly.