Chapter 1187: Rebirth of Margrave

Among those welcoming them were familiar faces like Paul Herbo and his family—once rescued by Jack and the team, now Paul was serving as Margrave’s Chief Financial Officer. Also present was Chief Stevenson’s wife, holding their baby, whom Jack remembered was a distant cousin of the Herbos.

But aside from these familiar figures, a crowd of new faces had gathered—some were long-time locals, others recent arrivals who had integrated into Margrave due to the growing number of job opportunities in recent years.

These newcomers included Americans from other states, Latin Americans—regardless of how they had originally arrived, now all with official identities—and even a few distinctly Asian faces that Jack immediately recognized as his fellow countrymen from Seris, hailing from a state-owned agricultural machinery group in Lu Province.

Due to the sheer number of attendees, what followed was a rather long round of introductions.

While the details of the past weren’t always suitable for public conversation—and many present had never even heard of the now-defunct Kliner family—most people there were well aware of one key fact: the visiting group, although arriving under the official banner of the FBI, were in truth shareholders of "Shangri-La," the group that had financially underpinned the entire Margrave revival.

Back when the Kliner family collapsed and the IRS came to divvy up the pieces, their vast operations in Georgia were quickly swallowed up by rival powers. At the time, Chris and Jack’s trading company was still called “JK,” a rather unimpressive name, specializing in helping Roscoe import electric trike parts from Seris.

Despite Margrave being the Kliner family’s former stronghold, the town had been nothing more than a hollow front—a large pasture used to conceal a counterfeiting operation and a few foundational service industries to keep daily life running. Machine shops, gas stations, convenience stores—these barebones essentials barely kept cash flowing, let alone generated profit.

Back then, Margrave had a population of under 2,000. No resources, no labor force—aside from decent highway access, the town had nothing going for it.

Jack’s idea of setting up a parts-processing center came at just the right time. The town, stripped bare and in survival mode, needed rebirth. And their newly elected mayor—Roscoe—“just happened” to bring in Chris’s investment.

Of course, a key helping hand came from the IRS, which provided some logistical “flexibility” in settling the port issue. From there, the rebadged electric trike business breathed new life into Margrave. Today, with an annual output of 100,000 units, it might not sound like much, but it meant over $200 million in yearly revenue—a big deal.

Perhaps it was the hardship following the Kliner downfall that etched deep memories into the townspeople. Combined with Roscoe’s natural political talent, the local contract manufacturing industry didn’t just stabilize—it evolved. They began reengineering the "three-wheelers" to suit local needs.

Backed by Seris’s robust industrial system and an eagerness to cater to Western clients, the once-simple trikes were transformed.

Now featuring automotive-grade paint jobs, enclosed cabins, and options reminiscent of real car dealerships—upgraded battery packs, power windows, dual climate control, infotainment systems, hydraulic lifts, and enclosed cargo spaces—the humble trike had become something unrecognizable.

Part of the windfall Jack made during his trip to South Korea had been funneled into Margrave’s “industrial upgrade,” and the “JK” Trading Company became a subsidiary of Shangri-La.

Soon, the ships sailing from Seris to Savannah Port carried more than just trike parts—they began importing a variety of electric scooter components. Compared to the geopolitical chess played between air forces, this collaboration between Margrave and the Lu Province state-run company was the epitome of “you handle the PowerPoint, I handle the product.”

With generous funding on one side and an unbeatable supply chain on the other, there was nothing they couldn’t achieve.

One container after another—officially filled with agricultural machinery parts—traveled across the Pacific, arrived in Margrave, and were assembled and rebadged into sleek Vespa-style scooters. These were then shipped back out, eventually appearing on the streets of France, Italy, and other European nations.

In just a few short years, the town’s population had grown from under 2,000 to over 5,000. The police department had more than doubled in size.

Chief Stevenson now commanded over 20 officers, and even had two detectives under him—quite the leap from where he started.

After wrapping up the case in Dallas, the fugitive task force had spent a few days traveling around Texas—it was, after all, Hannah’s home state. Naturally, they made a trip to Austin.

After visiting her “small” 500-acre family farm, and then learning she also owned a neighboring 3,000-acre ranch, the team—Jeje included—gained a whole new understanding of this petite “trust-fund baby.”

Just as the team was about to board a return flight, Jack received a call from Chris. He asked Jack to represent him at a Margrave town celebration—and, while there, help Roscoe deal with a “minor issue.”

As Jack’s close friends, everyone on the task force now held a bit of "Shangri-La" stock. While their individual investments were small—collectively under 1%—it was enough to provide a steady, lucrative return, a kind of lifetime meal ticket.

It wouldn’t yet let Clay swap his Staten Island house for a Long Island mansion, but it certainly improved their finances across the board.

Only Hannah and Jeje knew that Jack was the real power behind the company. The others didn’t know the full story, but they could sense that Jack’s relationship with Chris—Shangri-La’s supposed boss—was anything but ordinary.

So Jubal decided to bend the rules a bit. He rerouted their Bombardier jet to Atlanta.

Officially, of course, it was all about work—because Margrave PD had already submitted a formal request to the FBI for assistance. The fugitive task force had simply arrived in response to local law enforcement’s plea.

After receiving a warm hometown welcome and tasting the local cuisine, the FBI agents were invited to the newly renovated town police department to discuss the “minor issue” Margrave had recently encountered.