True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules

Winnie caught the cameraman’s attention with a curious glance, prompting him to deftly swing his camera in the direction she was looking.

Whoa, did y’all see the way Winnie was looking at that guy? He’s sketchy”

“That must be one of the Mandrake Guardians, right? Don’t ask me how I know.”

1 guess this would be an easy one again, it’s just all so easy for Winnie.

The viewers tuned into her livestream eagerly awaited her revelation.

Even if a few trolls tried to stir trouble in the chat, they were quickly drowned out by a wave of supportive comments.

Candace, always attentive, followed Winnie’s gaze and inquired softly, “Winnie, did you spot something odd? Does he have something on him?”

At that moment, Laird, the Mandrake Guardian, felt a surge of anxiety

The village chief had mentioned that the crew of “Ghostly Guidance included some real–deal experts, but Laird always doubted the authenticity of these shows. Especially when looking at two delicate– looking young women who didn’t seem to have the air of seasoned professionals.

However, when the younger of the two glanced his way, Laird felt an inexplicable

pressure

His anxiety peaked when he heard the other girl ask if he was carrying something strange. Fortunately, Winnie just gave him a quick once–over and announced with confidence, “Relax, there’s nothing on

you. And no sign of the God of Nature either”

Laird’s family initially breathed a sigh of relief at her reassurance, but their feelings were mixed when she mentioned the absence of the God of Nature Living in the shadow of the great mountains, they held a mix of hope and reverence for such entities.

In their village, it was tradition to offer sacrifices to the mountains during festivals as a token of gratitude for nature’s bounty. This ritual was believed to ensure the God of Nature’s continued protection.

When disturbances began in the village, and Mandrake Guardians were inexplicably found at the mountain’s base, some wondered if their offerings had been insufficient.

Despite increasing their tributes, the disturbances continued unabated, leaving the villagers baffled.

“Miss, can you see something we can’t? Do you have any idea what’s going on here?” Laird couldn’t contain his curiosity but felt awkward addressing her as a master due to

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her youth, so he opted for the more familiar term, miss

Candace almost chuckled at the address, but Winnie remained unfazed. Noticing the Laird family’s keen interest, she replied, “I do sense something unusual, but I can’t pinpoint it without further investigation.”

Having just arrived, they knew resolving the mystery wouldn’t happen instantly. Despite some disappointment, the family extended their warm hospitality, welcoming the guests into their home.

They were also impressed by the two girl’s stunning appearances.

The village chief had said it didn’t matter if they couldn’t solve the village’s problems. Good hospitality might lead to their plight being broadcasted, attracting someone with the means to help.

Moreover, the show provided a generous stipend to each family hosting the guests, and for that alone, the Lairds wouldn’t dream of neglecting their visitors.

After lunch at Laird’s house, Winnie casually inquired about the recent village disturbances.

“The village is mostly fine, except for the midnight door–knocking and the crops being ruined overnight. Personal belongings left outside tend to get damaged. Just last year, our second cousin’s new car was scratched up in his yard without any noise heard. And the youngster’s brand–new bike? The mirrors were twisted off.” Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Tate, Laird’s father, recounted the village’s troubles over the past six months while taking deep drags from his cigarette.

“As for our family, Laird was on night watch last month when he somehow woke up at the foot of the mountain. He was lucky it was summer, in winter, he’d have frozen by the roadside. People first thought he sleepwalked, but it happened again the next day, even with a different Mandrake Guardian on watch.

The real issue is in the mountains–the Mandrake roots, not fully grown, were all mysteriously pulled out. We’ve suffered significant losses over the last six months. Anyone in charge of harvesting comes back with some mishap: falls, collisions with trees, or falls ill after descending.

People are saying the God of Nature doesn’t want us disturbing the mountains, but what can we do? We all depend on those mandrakes to make a living.”

After finishing his words, Tate took a hefty drag on his cigarette, appearing to exhale not just smoke but the accumulated frustrations of the past months.

Like the Laird’s, many families in the village faced similar troubles. They could tolerate the pranks and property damage, but after half a year of this, it was taking its toll.

Winnie listened attentively to the old man’s story, offered some comforting words, and

then left with Candace to explore the rest of the village.

“Going by Tate’s story, it sounds like the God of Nature is upset at them,” Candace mused, though the mystic details were lost on her. “But Winnie, you said it’s not the God of Nature, so what is it? If it can wreak havoc both in the village and mountains, could it be dangerous? Can we even handle it?”

Winnie noticed Candace’s anxious expression and said, “I think I’ve got a rough idea of what’s going on, but we’ll have to wait until tonight when the real culprit shows up to know for sure.”

At Winnie’s words, Candace’s heart skipped a beat, and the tension was palpable even among the viewers tuned into their live broadcast.

“Winnie, you’re saying… the real culprit could come tonight?”

Tate had mentioned earlier that the disturbances only happened every now and then.

With so many members of their production crew in town today, wouldn’t any sensible criminal take cover instead of showing up?

“Why would they come? There are so many of us here!” Candace struggled to grasp the logic.

“It’s exactly because there’s a sudden influx of strangers that they’ll be drawn here,” Winnie explained. “They’ll probably guess that the village has brought in outsiders to deal with them. But judging by how they’ve been escalating their antics, they clearly don’t fear what the villagers can do. In fact, to drive the point home about how dangerous they are, they might even make a point of showing themselves.”

So Winnie was convinced they would reveal themselves that very night.

She continued to elaborate, seemingly oblivious to Candace’s quivering lips, which had been noticeable from the moment the conversation started.

But at this moment, Candace wasn’t worried about whether the perpetrator would appear tonight. What really disturbed her was Winnie’s use of the word “they.”

Not it, but they…

My God, could this actually be the work of a gang?