Chapter 477 A Report On The Gomez Family
Jonathan was sprawling lazily on the couch in the Yaeger residence.
Hayes stood beside him with his hefty frame as he gingerly carried a tray. “Mr. Goldstein, this is red robe tea that was gifted to me. Have a sip.”
Jonathan sighed at his reserved demeanor. “Did you buy this manor?”
“No, no.” He shook his head hastily at Jonathan’s question. “Someone gave it to me without expecting money in return.”
Jonathan glanced around and noted that the manor was more lavish than his mansion. Despite Lumonburg’s remoteness, it was considered generous to give someone such a sizeable property there.
“Being the King of Lumonburg sure has its perks. You got such a large manor without spending a dime, and you live more luxuriously than me.” He chuckled, having grown accustomed to such matters.
Besides Hayes, Zachary and the other Kings of War, too, controlled many lands and soldiers. As such, it would be odder if no one tried to bestow them with lavish gifts.
Hence, Jonathan chose not to intervene as long as they did their job well. Moreover, the gifts were from prominent families, so there was no need for them to feel censurable for accepting the gifts.
Jonathan’s assertion surprised Hayes. The former was strict and abhorred corruption with a passion, so it was only natural that Hayes became wary of his unexpected question after Juliette’s transgression.
“I apologize, Mr. Goldstein. I’ll return the manor to the Gomez family. I declined the gift at first, but they insisted that the manor would be empty anyway—”
“The Gomez family?” Jonathan interrupted him mid-sentence. “Hayes, did the Gomez family gift you this manor?”
“Yes,” he faltered. “Well, it’s not exactly a gift. I’m only staying here temporarily for as long as I want for free.” His voice grew softer as he spoke sheepishly.
However, Jonathan’s attention was caught by the three words “the Gomez family.”
He had come to Lumonburg to learn the truth about Josephine’s assassination. To his surprise, before he could proceed with his investigation, he discovered that Hayes was associated with the Gomez family.
The Gomez family was one of the most prominent families in Lumonburg, which was over a thousand and two hundred kilometers from Jadeborough, and had no business ties with the Smith family.
They had no reason to be associated with each other since they had no conflict of interest either. As such, Jonathan couldn’t figure out why a family thousands of miles away from them would place a bounty on them on the Dark Web.
His suspicion had led him to Lumonburg. Otherwise, with his temperament, he would have ordered Hayes to eradicate the Gomez family and be done with it instead of doing it himself.
This matter isn’t as simple as it seems.
“Are you close with the Gomez family?” He gave Hayes a wary look.
“Not at all.” Hayes quickly explained, “I’ve always abided by your rules and kept to my territory, minding my own business.”
He scratched his head in bewilderment as he continued, “Speaking of which, I do think this matter is peculiar. I assumed the Gomez family wanted to utilize my name to expand their power when one of his men handed me the keys to the manor. However, they’ve never gotten in touch with me since that day. Even when the patriarch of the Gomez family ran into me at a reception, he would be cordial to me but nothing more. Additionally, they have never mentioned the manor to anyone, as though they have forgotten about it. However, it’s making me uncomfortable.”
With a sharp glint in his eyes, Jonathan said, “It’s wise to keep a low profile. According to what you said, the Gomez family is an interesting lot. Did you sweep the manor thoroughly after accepting the keys?”
“I did,” Hayes replied quietly. “I dismissed all the former employees and replaced them with soldiers who have been with me for years or members of their families. The information department even did a meticulous sweep of the manor three times to confirm that there were no surveillance bugs before I moved in.”
“I had no idea you were that punctilious.” Jonathan set his teacup down. “Hand me the information on the Gomez family that I told you to prepare.”
“Yes, sir.” Hayes accepted a laptop from the soldier beside him.
“These are the information I got on the Gomez family, including details of all the family members and their business model—”
Jonathan cut him off with a wave of his hand, and Hayes tactfully took a step back while Jonathan skimmed through the files.
The patriarch, Philip Gomez, was sixty-three years old and one of the family’s founding fathers. He was a self-made man who dominated half of Lumonburg’s retail business in merely three years.
Zane Gomez, the eldest son, was thirty-nine years old. He demonstrated sharp business acumen and possessed a savvy mind when it came to investments. The man was also the chairman of the Lumonburg Chamber of Commerce.
Quinton Gomez, the eldest grandson, was nineteen years old and a top student studying business management. A mild-mannered and jovial person, he was at the helm of two media companies.
This investigative report told Jonathan everything he needed to know about the Gomez family members, their businesses, and the rise and fall of the family.
An ordinary person wouldn’t discern anything amiss in the report. In fact, they might lament in sympathy for the Gomez family’s plight.
However, in Jonathan’s eyes, the report was questionable.
He wasn’t implying that Hayes would be audacious enough to doctor a false report, but the details simply didn’t match.
One of the more obvious discrepancies was the photo of Philip.
Many photos of Philip during interviews were included in the report that detailed the chronological events that happened to the Gomez family over the years.
During the early interviews, Philip appeared haggard and worn, as if he was carrying the weight of his failures.
He might have pushed himself too hard during the period when the Gomez family was expanding their business exponentially.
Shortly after that, mayhem ensued in Lumonburg when Lachlan Campbell, a commander-in-chief, usurped the military forces to enlarge the army. They were aggressively conscripting citizens and plundering from the rich.
The Gomez family decided to cut their losses and flee Lumonburg, abandoning all their businesses.
Two years later, Jonathan created Asura’s Office and launched a counter-insurgency operation to kill Lachlan and conquer hundreds of thousands of his rebel forces.
As Lumonburg lay in ruins, the Gomez family returned and rebuilt the city, monopolizing its business sectors and establishing themselves as the most prominent family.
Philip once again appeared in the limelight after their return. This time, he was fresh-faced and radiant, full of vim and vigor.
That zest for a man in his prime could put any younger man to shame.
