Chapter 275: Are You Here as a Lobbyist for the Hughes Family?
Dominic Crawford understood everything Joy Warren was saying all too well.
And it was precisely because he understood that he was so conflicted.
If he were on his own, he would have just turned around and left, not stuck around to listen to Simon Hughes drone on so pretentiously.
But now, he wasn’t alone.
Seeing Dominic Crawford remain silent, Joy Warren grew even more anxious.
"Mr. Crawford."
She got off the sofa and knelt beside Dominic Crawford, gripping his hand tightly.
"Sierra Sullivan and the others were never that good to you, otherwise I wouldn’t have left, and you wouldn’t be here. Now they want to be the good guys, they want to be Saint Mothers, but they’re just dragging us down with them. They don’t care about us at all, so what are you still hesitating for?"
"Do it for me, for your family. Don’t hesitate anymore, don’t be soft-hearted, okay?"
Feeling the warmth from her hand, Dominic Crawford’s heart trembled violently.
After a moment’s hesitation, Dominic Crawford finally spoke slowly. "I want to go home and see them."
"Okay!" Joy Warren agreed at once. "I happen to be free with nothing to do. I’ll go with you!"
...
"The two of them went to the Crawford house together?" A playful expression appeared on Simon Hughes’s face. "Now this is interesting. Well, let them go!"
Claire Vance frowned with a hint of disdain. "Couldn’t you just give him a direct order? Why beat around the bush? It’s just making things more complicated. If you told him what to do, would he dare refuse you?"
You have so many people in your grasp. Are you really afraid Dominic Crawford won’t obey?
Simon Hughes gave Claire Vance a meaningful look. "For the sake of our partnership, I’ll teach you something. If I threaten him directly, he’ll obey, of course, but he’ll definitely hold a grudge. Who knows, if pushed too far, he might decide he has nothing left to lose and bite me back.
But if I do it my way, by discussing things amicably and letting his family and the woman he loves live good lives—secure, comfortable lives, all thanks to him—would he have the heart to let them go back to the days of not having enough to eat or a place to live? Even if he’s unwilling to go against Jayce and Sierra Sullivan, he’ll do it in the end.
People always prioritize their loved ones. Sierra Sullivan and her group can’t possibly compare to his family or the woman he loves, otherwise he wouldn’t be here. The first time he does it, he might feel bad, but as he does it more and more, his mindset will slowly change. All I have to do is treat him and his family even better, and I won’t even need to give orders. He’ll start thinking on my behalf and doing things for me on his own. That’s how you win over their hearts and minds."
Claire Vance listened intently, her brow furrowing deeper and deeper.
After a long while, Claire Vance finally let out a long breath.
"I always thought you were a schemer, but now I realize you’re more than that. You’re a downright manipulative old bastard."
Simon Hughes clutched his chest. "I teach you with such good intentions, and this is how you talk to me? You’ve really hurt my feelings!"
Seeing Simon Hughes act like this, Claire Vance couldn’t help but laugh.
"You really are... something else."
After laughing, Claire Vance eagerly asked another question.
"When will Dominic Crawford make his move? What can he even do? Can he actually handle Sierra Sullivan and her group?"
Simon Hughes sighed. "You still don’t get it! Even if Dominic Crawford does nothing but go and say a few words, I’ll have already achieved my desired effect. It’s about winning hearts and minds, remember? Hearts and minds!"
Claire Vance raised an eyebrow, a thoughtful expression on her face.
-
「Two days later.」
The Little Green Shop hadn’t even opened yet, but a long line had already formed at the entrance.
At first, people weren’t used to waiting in line, and every time the doors opened, it was a chaotic, crowded mess.
But over time, they got used to it.
Seeing the orderly queue, Yvonne Shelby felt a sense of satisfaction.
She greeted people as she walked along the line.
Once the door was open and Jayce had put out the produce, business began as usual.
Sierra Sullivan and Candice Tate arrived a bit later.
As they approached, they ran into many people heading back with bags of vegetables and fruit.
Living in Subterra without any sunlight, people needed vitamins even more.
So even though earning Contribution Points wasn’t easy, people were still willing to cut back elsewhere to ensure they and their families could eat some fresh produce.
In the past, they could only afford a tiny amount, as the prices were simply too high. Even if they wanted more, they just couldn’t afford it.
But now, with The Little Green Shop, they could afford it without having to make huge sacrifices.
When they saw Sierra Sullivan and Candice Tate, these people all smiled and greeted them.
Although Sierra Sullivan didn’t like being a Saint Mother or the feeling of being put on a pedestal, she couldn’t help but smile as she felt the genuine goodwill, joy, and happiness radiating from these people.
’Humans are social creatures, after all.’
’We’re all survivors living in Subterra. If I can help them by just lifting a finger, there’s really no need to be stingy.’
"Sierra Sullivan."
Sierra Sullivan stopped and turned to look. Sure enough, she saw Dominic Crawford.
Sierra was a bit surprised to see Dominic Crawford here at this time. "What are you doing here? Are you here to buy something, too?"
’That can’t be right!’
’Dominic Crawford is with Simon Hughes now, and the Hughes Family has its own Wood Ability Users. He shouldn’t need to come here to buy vegetables and fruit.’
’If he wasn’t here to buy anything, then his reason for appearing here right now was rather intriguing.’
Dominic Crawford walked over, stopping about a meter away from Sierra. He glanced at the long queue before saying, "Business is good."
"It is! Business is great, and everyone is very happy."
A flash of hesitation crossed Dominic Crawford’s eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came when he thought of what he had seen upon returning home two days ago, and of the sight of Joy Warren’s red-rimmed eyes.
"Sierra, business is about earning Contribution Points. We have to adapt to the market, not just act on a whim and disrupt it, don’t you think?
Could you discuss it with Yvonne and the others and raise your prices? They don’t have to be too high, we can negotiate. That way, you guys won’t be so busy and will have less pressure, and other people can do business as usual. It’s better for everyone that way, isn’t it?"
Sierra Sullivan looked at Dominic Crawford with a calm gaze. "So, you’re here as a mouthpiece for the Hughes Family? Did Simon Hughes send you? What are you really thinking? You’ve worked hard to earn Contribution Points yourself. You know how difficult life is for ordinary people in Subterra. Are you really going to make things difficult for them just for the sake of the Hughes Family?"
"I’m making things difficult for them?" Dominic Crawford’s expression soured. "You want me to consider them? I’m an ordinary person, too! When I was trying to look out for them, did they ever consider me? When you were considering them, did you ever consider me?"