“What are you talking about? Are you cursing me??” Tao’s expression turned grim. Kaze ruined his chance of getting a billion-dollar investment from Hudson Investment Firm. Now, Kaze cursed him when he tried to get the distribution rights from Shangrila Group. Together with the previous grudges, they fueled Tao’s anger. “I’m not cursing you. I’m just stating a fact.” Kaze scoffed and wanted to walk away. He did not want to waste time on Tao. “Stop right there! Explain yourself!” Tao shouted, stopping Kaze. Adam saw how fierce Kaze could fight last night and he was afraid that Tao might get hurt. He quickly said, “Tao, enough. Don’t waste your time on useless trash. If cursing works, your company would have been bankrupted a hundred times. “Don’t stoop to his level, widen your vision. He and you are not from the same world.” He did not hold back in insulting Kaze. Or rather, he was venting his grievance at Kaze over helping Tao. “Uncle Adam, you’re right. I do not
“No! No! Of course not!” Lou shook his head vehemently. Not only Shangrila Group, but every other entity or business that was related to Kaze including Darcy’s companies must be protected. Otherwise, if anything went wrong, he and his son would be the primary suspects. Everyone was shocked by the unusual attitude Lou and Noah showed. Baffled, Adam asked, “Lou, what does Kaze have to do with Shangrila?” “Mr. Lee is the chairman of Shangrila,” Lou said after a careful glance at Kaze. What?! Kaze was the chairman of Shangrila Group? Adam’s expression froze. Kaze could have become the CEO of Hudson Investment Firm through nepotism, but was he also the chairman of Shangrila Group? Adam felt embarrassed for what he said to Kaze earlier. Tao was also stunned on the spot. He tried his best not to break down in tears. It seemed like whatever companies he wanted to work with belonged to Kaze. “Kaze, since when are you the chairman of Shangrila? What about Jesse Whit
Agnes could not stop praising Kaze from the moment she found out that he was the chairman of Shangrila Group. “New mayor? Stop dreaming. I heard from Nelson that the new mayor might also be a young man and he might be a chief commander, or even a regional commander. It’s not something Kaze can become,” Agatha said, trying to diminish her sister’s confidence. “Hmph. We’ll see about that,” Agnes said with an annoyed grunt. “Mayor Lee, the city council is holding a city-wide press conference to commemorate distinctive media outlets, do you have the time to attend?” Caleb asked Kaze. It was one of the bigger events in recent days, so he had to ask Kaze for instructions. Usually, trivial matters did not need to go through Kaze. “I’ll check my schedule. If I have the time, I’ll attend. What else?” Kaze said. “There’s also the matter about your new secretary.” Caleb explained, “What requirements do you have for a secretary? We dared not decide on our own.” Johnson’s secretary
At that very moment, Sherry decided to fight for the position. However, she knew it was made possible by Moses. Even though she wanted the position, she could not voice it.She maintained her coquettish voice and said, “Daddy, you want me to do it again? That’s the mayor, not the men I used to sleep with. Are you really going to send me away just like that?” Even though Sherry was Moses’ sugar baby, Moses would send her to entertain other men for his own benefit and it was not the first time. “Sherry, I’m doing this for your own good and I want you to have a bright future. I will use all my resources to get a chance for you to show yourself in front of the mayor. You have to come up with something to capture the mayor’s attention. “If you have any ideas at all, just talk to me,” said Moses. Both of them were hypocrites, sleeping with each other for their sexual and selfish gains. Moses knew Sherry was a greedy and ambitious woman and his TV station could not cage her for
A wealthy family must be resourceful; it was not just about the money. Having only money without corresponding foundations and resources would be dangerous as others could devour the family with ease. Alex suggested this because he wanted the Otter family to take Agnes and Darcy’s family seriously. After all, Kaze and Darcy were barely thirty years old, yet they had achieved so much. They would certainly have a bright future. “Because of Kaze, Darcy’s family is being pressured by the Lee family, but if they can overcome this, no one can stop them in the future. “Giving them a helping hand at their worst is always better than congratulating them when they succeed. We can start preparing, and once Darcy and her family rise to power, the Otter family will benefit from it,” Alex said. He was not biased toward Darcy and her family; he was simply considering the best path for the Otters. Caster leaned back on his chair with his eyes closed as he listened and pondered his son’s
“Yeah, I did it yesterday.” Kaze nodded. Had Darcy not mentioned, he would have forgotten all about it. Agnes smiled brightly and said, “Kaze, you are going to be on TV? Why didn’t you tell me? “Sky, turn on the TV! Kaze is on TV!” Agnes nudged Sky, who was eating, to turn on the TV. The interview segment during the financial primetime always had a high viewership rating. Following the familiar introduction of the segment, Sherry the news anchor appeared on the screen. “Good evening. Today’s interview guest is a young yet successful man. A person who has achieved many great things in different fields.” As a professional news anchor, Sherry was good at her job. She spoke fluently and started the segment in a clear and captivating manner. She continued, “We would like to welcome a young entrepreneur in Lilyrose. He hasn’t hit thirty yet he is already the CEO of a billion-dollar investment firm. “Please welcome the new CEO of Hudson Investment Firm, Kaze Lee!” Follow
The interview became a question-and-answer segment. Everyone in Horizon Mirror was shocked and speechless as the interview progressed. “This is the end of our interview. I believe it’s clear what kind of person Kaze Lee is. He is a disgusting and filthy liar. “We also have a witness here with us who can verify everything Kaze Lee said, so the audience doesn’t question the authenticity of the interview. Please, Mr. Zenny Soup, what do you have to say about Kaze Lee?” Sherry spoke righteously in front of the camera as she cued Zenny. The scene switched to Zenny immediately, showing his miserable and injured state. “Shangrila Group was originally James and Winnie’s company. Winnie is also my wife, yet Kaze Lee had an affair with her to get the company and ruined our marriage. “Winnie is trying to divorce me and take everything I have. I went to reason with them but Kaze Lee beat me up. This is unfair! Kaze Lee is a monster! A cancer to society!” Zenny pretended to be the v
Agnes was still skeptical. “Darcy, you trust him? What if it’s real? We saw him and Winnie together at the city council lounge yesterday and he was holding her. They looked intimate.” Now that she recalled what happened, Agnes realized what was going on. She strongly believed Kaze was having an affair with Winnie and she felt bad for her daughter. “Mom, Winnie was drunk. Kaze was just being nice.” Darcy trusted Kaze without a doubt. “And, I believe Kaze because that news anchor, Sherry Zauer, got into a huge argument with us at Nobel Hotel two days ago.” A hint of disgust appeared on Darcy’s face. She said, “Given her character, it’s not surprising that he would try to get back at us in such a filthy way.” Darcy was disgusted by Sherry’s attitude and personality, therefore she believed Kaze from the very start. Despite her clarity about the incident, she was still worried. “But now we have a big problem at hand. The TV station is influential, especially the financial ne
Kaze narrowed his eyes at the woman and drew close. “You’re a member of the South River Quints. Should you stand by your leader instead of stirring the pot and causing the scene? “Does family even mean anything to you? “Are you defying the family? “Who are you to disrespect Madam Quint and the family?” The woman staggered back with each question, her face draining of color.“I… You…” Flustered, she glared at Kaze. Still, she was at a loss in the face of Kaze’s questioning. “I assure you, Madam Quint. My daughter, Joan, doesn’t mean any disrespect.” A grizzled-haired middle-aged man with glasses came forward with an ashen face. “She was just trying to defend your honor, Madam Quint. She’s upset because someone disrespected you and arrived late.” This person was manipulative. While sticking up for his daughter, he also took the opportunity to belittle Darcy. “Doesn’t mean any disrespect?” Kaze snapped back, “Madam Quint hasn’t said a thing, but a nobody came out
It appeared Kaze and Darcy were not the only ones who got their hands on the special pass straight to the hangar. Five groups stood in close proximity, yet a clear divide was evident between them.Interestingly, that was as many branches as the Quints had in Ridgesouth.The smallest cluster belonged to Hector, Agnes, and Sky. They kept their heads down, hiding their distress. It looked like they were insulted. As Darcy and Kaze got out of the car, all eyes turned to them, and many sneered. “Can you even drive, Kaze? Look at the time! Are you expecting Madam Quint to wait for you? You have the nerve to show your face when you’re already late!” Agnes tore into Kaze. She threw Kaze under the bus in hopes of deflecting Phoenix’s anger from Darcy. Having seen through Agnes, Kaze did not make a fuss and explained, “Sorry, when we received word, Madam Quint’s plane was touching down in half an hour. “What? Are you blaming us for informing you late?” A tall and pretty woman
With Sasha putting the blame on herself, Kaze shook his head. He was not pointing fingers. “You can accept the pay from Herbal Spring.” Kaze said, “You’re not living at Herbal Spring for free. Your aunt is paying for you. Once you get into college, you can make more money to repay her.”“Really?” Sasha was skeptical. Besides boarding and lodging at Herbal Spring, Sasha was also taking medicine for her health. After working there for a while, Sasha had a general idea of things. Sasha’s medicine was expensive, and the medical bill was beyond the budget of most families. Kaze said, “You can ask Darcy if you don’t believe me. Your aunt even asked me if she had paid enough money when I was heading out this morning.” Despite knowing it was a lie, Darcy nodded. “Sasha, Kaze is right. Don’t feel burdened.” Sasha was naïve and gullible. Darcy’s statement gave Sasha the push. Since Kaze and Darcy were rich, Sasha assumed that her aunt must earn a lot. Her aunt could afford
Everett understood that Kaze would make a big deal out of the Golden Road at tomorrow’s auction. Of course, it was none of Everett’s business. He had no qualms about turning his back on Aiden. As one of the four underworld kingpins, Everett would give the Krads their due respect, but he did not owe Aiden anything. Aiden was an individual. He did not represent the Krads as a whole. “So that’s decided.” Kaze then said, “That reminds me. Have your people pick out a nice bracelet. I’m looking at the five-hundred-thousand-dollar range.”“Oh, consider it a gift from me. Just inform Marilyn.” Everett was quick to offer a gift. Kaze did not appreciate the gesture though. Everett was a cunning man. His generosity may seem like an olive branch. However, Kaze knew that given the chance, Everett would make him pay. Everett would never have the chance though. Kaze would fight back, and the consequences could be fatal. “Mr. Lee, Ms. Quint, are you happy with this bracelet
“I reckon that the stone might be important to someone within the Krads.“Aiden volunteered to take care of the business in Riverbank and go up against your wife. He’s not just here to suck up to his chief commander brother but to prove to the Krads that he’s better than the rest of the competition.“If he can gain that somebody’s favor, this can be bigger than his achievements in business.” Everett adopted the requirement analysis. Though Everett had no idea why the Golden Toad was important to the Krads, he understood Aiden’s needs. By grasping an individual’s core requirement, he was able to deduce something that was closer to the truth. “Has Aiden lost his head?” Kaze uttered in confusion, “He could’ve just gotten the thing from you at a better rate. Why is he getting to buy it from an auction?” Everett mentioned that the Golden Toad was worth tens of millions of dollars, but no more than a hundred million dollars. Aiden could have made a private deal with Everett.
“You can take a closer look at our mall’s prized possession.” Marilyn was adorned in a golden ray, giving off an almost saintly vibe. Kaze brought Darcy and Sasha forward for a good look. Encased within the vacuum-sealed glass display was an emerald gemstone the size of a fist.The gemstone was crafted in the shape of a toad, and it was remarkably lifelike. The jewel displayed no visible imperfection to the naked eye. Kaze, Darcy, and Sasha could not tell what was special about the gemstone other than its shape and purity. “What’s the story about this crown jewel?” Kaze asked. Marilyn shook her head. She was unsure why the gemstone was considered a prized possession. Darcy grabbed Sasha’s arm and asked with concern, “What’s the matter, Sasha? Are you unwell?” “I-I feel a burning sensation on my back.” Sasha looked at Kaze in agony. She knew that Kaze had a better understanding of her well-being. Kaze approached Sasha from behind and gently pulled down her back coll
“I’d like to hear from you, Kaze.” Everett was interested in knowing what Kaze was after. Kaze glanced around the mall, and a thought came to him. “You know what. You have quite a nice antique collection in Marlboro, Gem City. How about that in exchange for your son’s life?” Everett felt his heart sinking. Even with Duncan’s life at stake, he could not stop the fury from building. “You’re asking for too much, Lee!” Gem City? Gem City was worth ten billion dollars at the very least. Kaze had the audacity to ask for Marlboro. “Mr. Techman, please mind your attitude.” Kaze said indifferently, “You panicked when I talked about Marlboro. I guess your son’s life doesn’t compare to Gem City. “I didn’t think you’d choose assets over family, Mr. Techman.”Everett ignored Kaze’s taunting. Once his head cooled down, Everett figured that Kaze raised the stakes just to stay in the bargaining game. That was why Kaze rejected his first two proposals. Everett believed that Kaze w
Everett was skeptical that Kaze would kill Duncan in broad daylight. As an underworld kingpin, Everett understood that Kaze had ways to make Duncan pay. After much contemplation, Everett said, “Here’s the thing, Kaze. I’ll pay you 20 million dollars for the trouble today and yesterday.” “20 million dollars? Are you kidding me, Mr. Techman?” Kaze glanced at Darcy before walking a short distance away with the phone in hand. He said emotionlessly, “Since you’re helping Aiden to go against me, you should know that he wants my wife out of the competition. He established some billion-dollar barrier to stop her.“You might not be aware but Jiro Sakamoto, a Ryokanian of the Refined Blade, died yesterday, and Reiko of the same organization gave me a villa worth hundreds of millions of dollars right away. “If you think that your son’s life is worth 20 million dollars, I can pay you that money and kill him.” Everett was lost for words. He quickly picked up on the message Kaze had s
“What do you want?” The call quickly connected, and Everett’s annoyed voice came on. Everett never had the patience for his airhead of a son. Due to Duncan’s recent involvement with Kaze, Everett was humiliated, and he still had not let things go. Duncan looked at Kaze, and the latter took the phone and said indifferently, “How are you, Mr. Techman?” “Who are you? Wait, Kaze?” On the other end of the line, Everett was flustered. However, his experience dealing with challenges anchored him down, and he said curtly, “Why do you have Duncan’s phone, Kaze?” “You should ask your son what he did.” Kaze took the phone away from his ear and gestured for Duncan to talk. “Dad, this is on me…” Duncan sobbingly recounted the whole thing. “Bastard!” Everett blew up. “Why did you get involved? Didn’t you learn your lesson?” Everett came down hard on Duncan. However, Kaze frustratedly interrupted them. “That’s enough, Mr. Techman. Don’t play dumb.“I don’t care if you kne