Chapter 1730

Hugh might one day become deputy head of the city's finance bureau, but that was still only a possibility. Even if it happened, the gap between that role and executive vice mayor would be huge. Yet here was such a high-ranking figure, standing at the edge of the crowd. It was utterly baffling. Hugh still wanted to chat more with Keane, but the latter had already walked away. Just then, a middle-aged man who looked to be around fifty spoke up. "Quintis, I called you before the New Year, hoping to catch up, but you were too busy. Now that the holiday's over, I'm visiting some elderly folks in the community, so I thought I'd stop by and see you while I'm here!" Hugh didn't recognize the man, so he could only make an educated guess based on Keane. Keane stood beside a middle-aged official, his expression respectful. It was clear that this official outranked Keane. And yet, at this moment, the middle-aged official himself was deferring to a gray-haired man. What rank could this gray