Chapter 48 Special Affairs Special Handling
Caroline was still talking to Griffin when she spotted Leopold approaching, his lips curled into that signature mischievous smile that always carried a hint of bad-boy charm.
"Caroline!" he called out deliberately loudly.
His voice boomed from behind Griffin, who froze instantly before turning around to find Leopold already standing beside them. His positioning was strategic—right next to Caroline—as he smoothly took her bag from her hand and greeted Griffin with casual confidence.
"Mr. Wallace, it's been a while."
Griffin stood there wide-eyed for half a second, but Caroline didn't let the awkwardness linger.
"I haven't formally introduced you two. This is Leopold, my boyfriend. And this is Griffin, my high school classmate who now works as an assistant director at the Education Department. He wanted to discuss some official business."
Official business?
Did she think he was stupid?
Leopold maintained a perfectly composed expression and graciously invited, "It's cold out here. Why don't we continue this conversation upstairs?"
Caroline knew exactly what he was doing, but she didn't stop him. This was the perfect opportunity to make it clear to Griffin that they could only ever be friendly former classmates.
"Come on up for coffee. We can talk properly there."
With both of them extending the invitation, Griffin couldn't politely refuse.
Caroline set her bag down and was about to head to the kitchen to boil water when Leopold stopped her. "I'll handle it. You two catch up."
Griffin watched Leopold walk straight to the kitchen like he knew exactly where everything was. Clearly a frequent visitor.
Following Caroline to the living room, he had barely sat down for two minutes when Leopold emerged with a fruit platter and placed it on the coffee table. "Coffee's brewing. Help yourselves to some fruit in the meantime."
"Thanks, appreciate it," Griffin replied, visibly uncomfortable, like he was sitting on pins and needles.
Caroline redirected, "So, about what you were saying earlier?"
Griffin nodded. "As I was explaining about Silverleaf Village Elementary—the teaching conditions there are absolutely dismal. The volunteer teachers and their fifteen students are still holding classes in a deteriorating wooden building. The lighting runs on temporary wiring that constantly fails during storms, and the aging electrical system is becoming a serious safety hazard. If I hadn't personally inspected the site, these issues would have gone completely unnoticed."
"Doesn't the village council address this?" Caroline asked.
Griffin sighed, shaking his head. "Silverleaf Village is notoriously impoverished. They have limited usable land, mostly mountainous terrain. Since the environmental protection laws banned logging, villagers survive by foraging for wild products to sell for supplemental income. The per-capita income is minimal, and the village has no funds to renovate the school."
Caroline nodded with understanding. "That does sound like a complex situation."
Griffin's brow furrowed deeply. "The village requested the township's power company install a proper electrical line, but because of the rugged terrain and scattered households, the installation costs are substantial. The power company rejected the application, saying they haven't met the minimum number of households required for service installation, so the matter's been shelved.
I came today to ask if your power company has any policies that might allow for running a dedicated line to the school."
Leopold set two steaming cups of coffee on the table and sat beside Caroline on the sofa.
Caroline shook her head. "From what I know, there's no specific policy for that."
Griffin exhaled heavily. "The volunteer teachers there are all college students from the city. They come in waves and leave just as quickly—some barely last a day because conditions are so harsh. I've submitted an application to rebuild the school, but there's been no response yet.
The children suffer, and the teachers struggle too. Without electricity, even if the school renovation gets approved eventually, we'll face major obstacles."
Caroline remained silent, clearly wanting to help but unable to bypass procedures on her own authority.
"Tomorrow I'll go to the office and—" she paused, pulling out her phone and dialing a number. "Hello, this is Caroline from Seaside City. Yes, that's right. I wanted to ask you something—do you have a moment to talk?"
Caroline walked to the window as she explained the Silverleaf Village situation to whoever was on the other end of the call.
While she was occupied, Leopold refilled Griffin's coffee. "Where exactly is this Silverleaf Village located?"
"It's under Shadow Creek County's jurisdiction," Griffin replied.
"Shadow Creek County?" Leopold considered for a moment. "Isn't that adjacent to Solstice Mountain?"
Griffin nodded. "Yes, they're separated by just one mountain range."
Leopold began calculating possibilities in his mind, but some matters needed time to coordinate. Without absolute certainty, he didn't want to offer false hope.
Griffin hadn't expected help from an outsider anyway, especially for something that offered no financial return.
Both men turned their attention to Caroline as she rejoined them, her disappointed expression telling them everything they needed to know about the call's outcome.
Caroline shook her head at Griffin. "I'm afraid there's nothing I can do right now."
"I'm really sorry to have troubled you with this," Griffin apologized.
Now that she knew about Silverleaf Village's situation, it weighed on her conscience like a boulder.
"Unfortunately, with my current position, my hands are tied," she admitted regretfully.
Hearing the guilt in Caroline's voice, Leopold turned to Griffin. "How much funding can the city allocate for this?"
"Our submitted budget is $600,000," Griffin explained. "The school sits on a hillside, so transportation costs alone are significant. We need to level ground for construction, build classrooms, lay down a playground, purchase desks and chairs, teaching equipment—everything. We've already cut costs to the minimum. We received quotes from three construction companies, and this is the lowest estimate."
Leopold glanced at Caroline, noting her growing concern, then said, "Celestial Waters Hotel has an annual education assistance program. It's nearly year-end, and most of the funding allocations have been finalized, but let me check if we have any remaining spots. Give me five minutes to confirm, and if we do, this problem becomes much easier to solve."
"Is that possible?" Caroline asked hopefully.
Leopold flashed her a confident smile. "Of course."
He called his secretary, Lily, instructing her to immediately contact headquarters to verify available funding. Ten minutes later, Lily confirmed they still had two spots remaining. Caroline and Griffin both sighed with relief, while Griffin repeatedly thanked Leopold.
Leopold maintained his composed expression. "Since we have the funding available, I'll handle the electrical infrastructure issue. If the township's power company can't install new lines, we can run one from the Celestial Waters Hotel on Solstice Mountain to Silverleaf Village Elementary. This shortens the distance and reduces construction time. Celestial Waters Hotel will cover all expenses, lightening the Education Department's burden. However," he added with a pointed shift in tone, "I might need to trouble Ms. Tudor here for some approvals."
Caroline smiled. "That won't be a problem."
"Won't be a problem?" Leopold raised an eyebrow. "I don't recall it being so easy when I needed approvals. Suddenly it's simple when it's for your classmate? This preferential treatment seems questionable."
His words carried a hint of jealousy.
Caroline explained, "The situations are different—context matters. Building a school is a meaningful cause that provides children with better educational environments and more learning opportunities. It helps them truly understand the world beyond their village and offers local children a path to achieve their dreams. Special situations deserve special handling."