“Noah, were you beaten? Who did it? Who beat you here at the city council’s lounge?” Adam was shocked to see the slap mark on Noah’s face. He knew Noah worked for the Ministry of Health and Welfare and his father was the deputy mayor. The father and son held important positions in government offices, which granted their family fame and status. Yet someone hit Noah in the city council’s lounge. “Him! That fuck!” Noah shouted and pointed at Kaze. He then looked at Adam with a curious gaze. “Adam, are you relatives with this punk here?” He saw how close Adam was with Agnes and Agatha, which made him suspicious. His expression turned bitter. If Adam decided to defend Kaze, then he would be in trouble. Adam was the vice chief of the Ministry of Health and Welfare from Sunrise City and was close with the Lees. If Noah decided to go against him, he might be at a disadvantage. Darcy sharply sensed the reverence Noah had for Adam and she immediately realized what was goi
Noah’s expression put Adam in an embarrassing situation. Harrison verified that Danny was just a con man from Paladia, trying to scam people’s money. Therefore, it was embarrassing for Adam to agree with Noah’s words. “Noah, let’s just forget about Danny. Focus on the current situation first.” He continued, “Kaze and I are relatives but beating you up is a crime and it’s a fact. He did wrong and I won’t defend him because he’s related to me. You have my support to sue him!” Adam spoke righteously, voicing his support to Noah. Noah laughed. “Thank you for your understanding, Adam. You are a righteous man indeed and a role model to us all.” As Noah flattered Adam, Darcy’s and Agnes’ hearts plunged into the abyss. Adam would not help, so how would they deal with Noah's retaliation? Noah alone was troublesome enough and now they had to deal with Noah’s father, the deputy mayor. “Adam, I don’t want to put you in a difficult situation. Please go upstairs first. My father
Kaze agreed with Noah’s words for the first time. He said, “Darcy, why don’t you guys go up first. I’ll deal with this and meet you guys upstairs.” “Hehe, let’s hope you still can go up to them after we are done here,” Noah said coldly. He assumed Kaze was just trying to act cool in front of his wife. Darcy shot a worried glance at Noah and then at Kaze. She knew there was no way she could talk him out of it, so she reluctantly nodded. “Okay. Don’t do anything rash. Just try to apologize and do what you must. “Winnie, you should come up with us as well.” Darcy was also afraid that Noah would give Winnie a hard time. Winnie shook her head. “It’s okay. Kaze got into conflict with Mr. Moor because of me. I must stay here and reason with the deputy mayor when he gets here.” She was prepared for the worst. No matter what she had to do, she must ensure Kaze’s safety. “Okay.” Darcy nodded and then went upstairs with Agnes and the others. She wanted to beg Adam to save
Compared to Lou, Kaze sounded a lot calmer. Since Kaze was showing his back, Lou was not able to see his face at first glance. “You? Who the hell are you?” Lou’s fierce gaze landed on Kaze and he bellowed, “Turn around. Show yourself! I want to have a look at the person who slapped my son!” “Father is indeed fierce for being one of the deputy mayors. I bet Kaze Lee is horrified right now!” Noah was impressed by his father’s fierce and loud voice. Kaze casually and calmly turned around to Lou and said, “I am the chairman of Shangrila Group. What is the matter here, Deputy Mayor Moor?” “Y-You…” The moment he got a clear look at Kaze, Lou’s mind went black as if he was struck by lightning. How could it be Kaze?! Kaze was also the chairman of Shangrila Group? He just had lunch with the young man in the afternoon and even proposed a toast. How could he forget his face? Lou’s mind went blank. He could not wrap his head around the situation. He only recovered his com
Thump! Noah knelt before Kaze, tearing and snorting. “M-Mr. Lee, I am so sorry! Please forgive me…” As he cried and apologized, he had a peek at Kaze’s expression. Noah’s colleagues were also looking at Kaze carefully. At this point, even if they were idiots, they would have figured out that Kaze was more than just the chairman of Shangrila Group. Otherwise, given Lou’s status as deputy mayor of the city, he would never hit his son just because of a few words from Kaze. He even bowed and lowered his tone the moment he saw Kaze. Who exactly was Kaze Lee? “That’s not what I want to hear.” Kaze stood in front of Noah and peered down at him. “Where is Zenny Soup?” Noah was surprised. He quickly shook his head and said, “Mr. Lee, I don’t know. I haven’t seen that bastard for a long time. When his father, Benedict Soup, was taken down, he had gone into hiding. “I only know that he is still in Lilyrose!” Kaze had already forgotten about Benedict if not for Noah mention
“M-Mayor?!” Other than Lou, Noah, and his colleagues, the directors that Caleb brought over were stunned. The young man before their eyes was the new mayor of Lilyrose?! Winnie was stunned as well. Since when did Kaze become the mayor? It was unbelievable but based on Lou’s and Caleb’s reaction, no one dared to doubt Kaze’s identity. “Mayor Lee!” The directors behind Caleb bowed immediately. Despite the shock that stunned them, they had to perform well before the new mayor. Thump! Noah’s colleagues who mocked Kaze earlier fell on their knees immediately. “Mayor! We’re sorry!” Knowing what they had just done to the new mayor, the two of them slapped themselves repeatedly to show their apology. Noah also did the same out of fear. “Mayor, we really have no idea that you are the new mayor!” “Enough!” Kaze bellowed. He disliked seeing men crying like babies. He said coldly, “You people are government officers, look at yourselves!” He then looked at the depa
Slap! Kaze grabbed Zenny and slapped him in the face. Zenny cried in pain. He tried to run but was unable to break free. Pow! Kaze punched him a few times, making him bleed. After one final blow that made the loudest thump, Kaze tossed Zenny on the floor like a pile of meat. Zenny tried to crawl away from Kaze. “Deputy Mayor Leed, Deputy Mayor Moor, directors, I’m Zenny Soup! Benedict Soup’s son! This retard hit me! Help me! Arrest him and put him behind bars!” He crawled toward Lou, Caleb, and the others, requesting help. However, everyone looked at him coldly, saying nothing. Zenny did not understand why they would not help. He then cried at Winnie, “Winnie, I was wrong! I was blinded! I am sorry! Tell him to stop! He’s going to kill me! Winnie, we used to be married, please! Help me!” Winnie looked as cold as ice and was unfazed by Zenny’s plea. She lost all hope for Zenny. She gave him a lot of chances to make it right but he wasted them all and got worse.
Darcy stopped when she heard Tao. Tao’s Segore Pharmaceutical had been in operation for two years and underwent rapid expansion. Surely he was not alone. If Tao could share a dinner table with Adam and the deputy mayor, he must have more resources other than Adam’s support. “What are the terms?” Darcy asked coldly. Tao smiled. He did not mind Darcy’s tone. He believed after tonight, Darcy would be deeply disappointed in Kaze. Therefore, even though he had thoughts for Darcy, he was in no hurry. “Then let’s talk business.” He explained, “I heard you were classmates with the late James White of Shangrila Group. Now that Shangrila is back, they are releasing a new medicine to expand their market influence. “Segore Pharmaceutical is looking to get the distribution rights beyond Lilyrose City. Therefore, I would like Ms. Quint to help arrange a meeting with the current chairman of Shangrila. “If you can help me with this matter, I will do more than just say something nic
“Mr. Tenby, I thought you were speaking out for your friend, but you were just looking for an excuse to ask me out.“Try your luck with another girl. Here is not the place for you to pick up chicks.” The crowd gave Draig strange looks. Draig turned red. He glared at Buffy, tempted to lash out. Fuck. He got played. Buffy hit on him, and he simply responded. She turned things around and made it sound like he was picking her up. Unbothered by Draig’s rage, Buffy smiled charmingly. “Besides, a nice gentleman has invited me for dinner.” The crowd made guesses about who would be having dinner with Buffy. Buffy sauntered toward Kaze and sat next to him. As the crowd watched on in disbelief, Buffy hooked her arm around Kaze’s. Um… It was an eye-bulging moment. Nothing more needed to be said. It was unbelievable. Instead of steering clear, Buffy showed her fondness toward Kaze, a dumped divorcée. Buffy would make herself a laughingstock. Besides, Kaze did no
“Should I defend you instead?” Buffy pointed at Cyan. “I heard you mocking Kaze. You better watch it. “Otherwise, you can kiss your career online goodbye. I don’t care whether you’re with Golden Scale Corporation.” Cyan turned pale. She would not doubt Buffy’s words. Buffy’s father was the former deputy chief. Jude still held influence within the organization. She had access to wealth and resources through control over Gwake Corporation. It would not take much for Buffy to get Cyan canceled. All Buffy needed to do was bribe her way to the higher management of Golden Scale Corporation.Cyan held her tongue. Unable to stand Buffy’s arrogance, Draig stepped forward in disgruntlement. “You must be Ms. Gwake. Even if Cyan was a little harsh about Kaze, she was only looking out for Kaze. You are taking things far by assaulting Cyan.“Cyan is my friend. Shouldn’t you answer to me? “Oh, I should introduce myself.” Draig looked at Buffy and said indifferently, “I am Draig
“I’m telling you, Kaze. We won’t stand by and watch you prey on these socialites,” Cyan uttered indignantly as if she stood on the path of justice. Kaze sighed. “I really want to slap you awake if not for your dad, Cyan. “Draig, you’re something else to dig your own grave in your father’s name.” “Tsk!” “Who do you think you are?” Draig and Cyan turned their noses up at Kaze’s remark. Cyan clamored, “Come on. Show me what you got.“You’re a joke. I exposed you for who you are, and you, in turn, want to slap me? “I’d love to see you try—” A woman stormed into the place and raised her hand. “Smack!” The slap echoed through the silent room, and the crowd stirred. “Buffy?” “She’s the only daughter of Jude, the former deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch. She’s the chairwoman of Gwake Corporation.” “She’s the one rumored to be dating Lee.” Chatters filled the room. The crowd looked at Buffy in shock. Buffy showed up out of nowhere and slappe
Kaze was definitely the only one to show up to Bronze Sparrow on a bicycle. It took guts to do so. Kaze grabbed his carbonated drink from the table and took a sip before turning to Draig. He said indifferently, “I didn’t know there was a rule that a divorcee can’t attend today’s celebration. “Is there a rule that guests can’t attend the party on a bike? “Who makes the rules?” Faced with Kaze’s questioning, Draig and the others were lost for words. The guests exchanged looks. There were no such rules. However, Kaze should know his place. Kaze was asking for a beatdown by crashing a high-profile party when he was just a nobody. Draig nodded furiously. “You never learn, Kaze.”“He’s hopeless now. He’s hit rock bottom, so he’ll stay put no matter what we say.” Cyan gritted her teeth. It was frustrating to deal with someone like Kaze. No one was getting through to him. Without looking at the pair, Kaze said blankly, “Are you done? You can leave if you’re done.”
Since the branch leader would show up, Cyan did not want the branch leader to know that she was associated with Kaze. It would only be damaging to her reputation. While the group sought Kaze out, the latter sat alone in a living room corner, snacking and scrolling on his phone. Kaze was too hungry to care about what anyone else thought of him. His cheeks were full. The rich and powerful furrowed their brows in disdain, keeping their distance from Kaze. For some reason, Cyan saw red. “Kaze!” She angrily yelled and got up in his face, “Why are you eating like you’ve been starving for days? “Why are you stealing food here? “Do you know where you are? You’re an embarrassment!” Cyan’s voice attracted a lot of attention. The crowd gathered and gossiped among themselves about Kaze. Kaze was just chilling on his own, eating, and playing a mobile game. Cyan and her friends came at him out of the blue. He was beyond annoyed. If Cyan was not Lock’s daughter, he would’ve sl
“Mr. Ettinger!” the Viper’s Den members greeted Collier with their heads down. Collier buttoned up his suit and nodded. “Ms. Delmore is still in the office. I came ahead of her to see if there’s anything more to do.” Since Kaze would be attending the celebration, Hannah and Collier wanted to make sure everything was in order. Cyan beamed at the sight of Collier and exclaimed, “Mr. Ettinger!” Recognizing Cyan, Collier greeted her with a smile, “It’s you, Ms. Yemen. Welcome. Why aren’t you heading inside? Are you waiting for someone?” Cyan was delighted by Collier’s warm welcome. She pointed at the head of the Viper’s Den members in charge of gatekeeping. “I want to get in but your people said we can’t enter without an invite. “I guess the other guests who went in didn’t need an invite.” That was the reason why Cyan and Draig seethed in a corner. They realized that no one produced an invitation to get into Bronze Sparrow. In other words, the Viper’s Den members were jus
As the air crackled with deadly intent, Draig’s heart pounded with dread. He was horrified that the Viper’s Den members were just as strong, if not stronger than him. Draig had no idea that these members were Viper’s Den South River State Branch’s key players. They were the elites of the elites in the South River State. “Easy there, gentlemen. Mr. Tenby is from abroad. He doesn’t know the rules of Arcadia. Please cut him some slack.” With Draig caught in a spot, Cyan came to the rescue. Since Cyan was nice about it, the leader of the pack scoffed and waved his arm. His companions quickly put away their weapons. “I don’t care where you came from, but you need to keep to the Arcadian rules since you’re here. You don’t get special favors here.” The leader stared at Draig and said icily, “This should not happen again. Now, get lost!” Draig burned with rage. The people, except for Kaze, had been bending over backward for Draig since his arrival in Arcadia. To think he
The Viper’s Den members yelled at Draig while pulling out their weapons. The air was thick with tension. Draig knew that it was not wise of him to fight during Hannah’s celebration. The Viper’s Den members would not stand by and let the commotion stew. Draig was caught between a rock and a hard place. By throwing the punch, he would be at odds with the Viper’s Den, but he could not turn the other cheek on the matter. “Just forget it, Mr. Tenby. Don’t get into it with a dropped loser. You’re only insulting yourself.” Cyan gave Draig an out. Draig retrieved his arm and scoffed. “Consider yourself lucky, Kaze.” A shadow of regret fleeted across Kaze’s eyes. If Draig were to start a fight, Kaze would have reason to finish him off and get rid of the annoyance. It was a shame that the Viper’s Den members stopped anything from happening. Cyan criticized, “Mr. Tenby is only looking out for you, Kaze. Yet, you stomped on his car key. You went too far. Hurry up and apologiz
“Nevermind. Why are we wasting our time with the likes of him? We don’t belong in the same world anyway.” Draig waved his arm. “Come on. Let’s get inside.” Dumping his car on the side of the road, Draig led Cyan and her friends into Bronze Sparrow. “Huh? How did Kaze get in? Can he get in?” one influencer exclaimed. The crowd watched in shock as Kaze stepped through the door. “Branch Leader!” The members of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch perked up when Kaze showed up. They, Hannah’s trusted aides, knew who Kaze was. Kaze acknowledged the greeting. “Is everybody here?” The head of the pack said in respect, “Many guests have arrived. Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger will be here once they are done with work. Should I inform them to keep you company, sir?” “No, I’ll sit and wait.” Kaze waved his arm and made his way inside. “Hold it right there, Kaze!” Cyan’s angry voice came from behind. “Are you aware of the event at Bronze Sparrow? Do you know who the