Kaze insisted on Corax calling Sieg here. He wanted to challenge one of the Geranium Four in person! Almost everyone in the parking lot looked at Kaze in disbelief. They had started to realize Kaze was not just a useless son-in-law of some second-tier family through the confrontation, it was still unbelievable. He was able to deal with Charlotte, sealed the parking lot of Dynasty Hotel, and beat up several rich young guys from Sunrise. He was even able to overpower Corax’s anger with his confident and arrogant presence. It was unusual for someone as useless as him to show such prowess. Everyone was forced to admit that Kaze was more capable than they thought. Yet it was not a sufficient reason for him to challenge Sieg. Sieg was one of the Geranium Four. The title of Geranium Four was not inherited but earned through fierce competition in the city. Only four of the best were selected in the end and given the honorary title. Even Astral would pale in comparison t
Corax explained, “Sieg, this guy is different. He seems powerful in Lilyrose and his wife is the president of Lilyrose Commerce Guild. I overlooked that.” He also explained how Kaze got his men to shut down the exit to the parking lot and break Jalin and his bodyguards. “The president of Lilyrose Commerce Guild? I think I know who he is.” Sieg finally showed a hint of interest following the change of his tone. “Sieg, you know this guy?” Corax was surprised. He did not expect Sieg to know Kaze. If Sieg knew Kaze, then maybe Corax could wholeheartedly accept defeat. However, Sieg’s interest faded at the next moment. He said coldly, “He’s just a vermin. He’s not worth my time. I’ll get someone to support you. Just hold on.” The call ended. At the same time in a quaint courtyard at Lilyrose Riverfront, Sieg met up with Trent. Sieg put his phone down and asked, “Trent, have you heard of someone named Kaze Lee?” He had heard of the name Kaze through Rove’s incident. B
Trent casually told Sieg about the stories he heard about Kaze as a teatime joke. Sieg smiled and commented, “Ignorance is bliss. Maybe that’s why he’s able to stay noisy until now.” Trent got up and said, “Why don’t I do you the favor and head to Dynasty Hotel? If you drag this out, your cousin might really lose a leg or an arm. Kaze Lee is fearless and audacious.” “Of course. Thank you, Trent.” Sieg got up and shook Trent’s hand. When Trent walked out of the courtyard and headed to his car, he received a call. He glanced at the caller ID and answered it. “Haxor, what is it?” Haxor, the third highest-ranking officer in the South River Commerce Institute. He was considered one of the strongest people in that organization, and even in South River State. His son’s name was Cetus Snowpine, the supercar club member who got into a fight with Kaze at Taurus Automobile the other night. “Trent, I have an inspection visit today, and I am in Lilyrose. My son’s car got smashed
“Kaze Lee, you are ballsy enough to talk shit about Mr. Sieg! But Mr. Sieg doesn’t even care about you!” “Yeah! You are a vermin! To him, you are nothing but an insect! How dare you challenge him?” The others started to mock Kaze again. Kaze had overpowered them with his presence and they were worried that Kaze would order his men to smash their cars or limbs, so they remained quiet until now. They finally got a chance to vent their emotions through the insults. Sieg refused to show, which baffled Kaze. Kaze raised an eyebrow and said, “It seems like you are going to lose your arm and leg today, Corax.” “Hmph. You can keep dreaming!” Corax was surprised that Kaze still had the nerve to challenge him. “Look at him, stupid and stubborn!” “I only realize there’s someone so stupid in this world. He must have lost his mind!” Everyone started laughing at Kaze again. It was then a few black Audi R8s drove into the parking lot, carrying both the local and Sunrise City num
Cetus was stunned for a moment before he shouted, “You fuck! You smashed my car at Taurus Automobile, beat me up, and now you don’t remember me?” “I’m sorry. You do look familiar, but I really can’t recall.” Kaze shook his head and explained, “I smashed too many cars that night and beat up a lot of people. I remember a few names, like Lilian, Tank, and… Uh…” Cetus was so furious that he almost exploded in anger if he could. He pointed at Kaze and said coldly, “Kaze Lee, you better listen up. I am Cetus Snowpine. My father is Haxor Snowpine, the third highest-ranking officer at South River Commerce Institute. “I will slap your face off today and you will remember my name for the rest of your life. I will haunt you in your dreams!” Kaze looked at Cetus as if he was a retard. “Then you are going to be disappointed. To be honest, I slapped too many people recently and I don’t think you are one of the top ten either.” His nonchalance upset Cetus even more. He ignored Cetus and
“Kaze Lee, you!” Trent was the first to react and he pointed at Kaze, shouting furiously. The Lyfes of Geranium City was one of the top four families. Their wealth could rival the entire country. Trent wanted to gain their favor but when Kaze made it sound like that, if it got to Sieg’s ears, things might not sound nice. The others then reacted and were angered by Kaze’s bold words as well. Kaze called them peasants! A useless son-in-law of a second-tier family called them peasants! Trent bellowed, “You dare insult the Lyfe family of Geranium? You’ve gotten even worse. If I don’t teach you a lesson today, you might bring the entire city down one day! “I know about others but you are a peasant to me, so kneel before me!” He tried to pressure Kaze again. Kaze smiled disdainfully. “Old geezer, I didn’t slap you at Astral’s place because you are old, yet now you’re still trying to challenge me with your background?” “Y-You bastard!” Trent was deeply shaken, his face
Being a chief of South River Commerce Institute, Haxor’s position was ranked average in the power hierarchy in the entire state, though it was still powerful. He no longer represented only himself as behind the complicated and interconnected network of connections was a massive and profitable organization. With the driving force of profits, he was able to utilize a terrifying amount of resources and money, especially when he decided to oppress a particular individual. He could bring disaster to the Shangrila Group, Sky Ocean Group, and any other companies related to Kaze. His status was the source of his confidence and dignified manner. Haxor knew Kaze would end badly since he had verbally insulted Sieg. Due to that, he was able to threaten Kaze without qualms and concerns for the consequences. Corax was surprised that Haxor wanted to offer Kaze’s and Darcy’s companies to him. A moment of wonder later, he said with a smile, “Mr. Snowpine, this is a huge gift, given that
“Kaze Lee, you are just a useless son-in-law of a second-tier family, that includes your wife! Your foundation in this city is not strong enough. “You might have gotten lucky and become rich with some decent business, but it’s limited to this small city! Your strongest support is the new mayor. “History proves that without a powerful foundation and support, no matter how rich you are, you will be a pie for everyone else. “Even if I take your companies away, with the Lyfes as my support, no one would dare to say a word!” Haxor was overflowing with arrogance. Each word he spewed contained heavy contempt toward Kaze. Haxor was not invincible in Lilyrose and there was indeed someone who could oppose him, but it was not Kaze, or the young mayor. An ultimatum was given. “Kaze Lee, you have two more minutes to think about it. After that, even kneeling and apologizing would do you no good!” Kaze narrowed his eyes. Haxor strongly believed he had won this little confrontation.
The crowd fell silent as Kaze’s criticism and blows echoed through the room. Kaze pummeled Aiden’s face at least a dozen times. He only stopped when Aiden’s face swelled up. Tension lingered in the air. Everybody stared in disbelief as Aiden struggled violently against Kaze’s attack. The crowd assumed the roles would have been reversed. By right, Aiden should be the aggressor while Kaze would suffer in silence. Come to think of it, logic did not exist when Kaze was around. Aiden narrowed his eyes at Kaze as humiliation and anger washed over him. He gritted his teeth, his lips quivering, but no words escaped his mouth. Aiden understood that adaptation was crucial for survival. He would only be getting slapped on the face by talking back. Kaze looked at his bloody palm and wiped his hand on Aiden’s suit. The insulting gesture saw the crowd shivering and Aiden shaking with rage. Aiden clenched his fists. Nevertheless, Aiden held himself together. He had come
Sensing no threat, Kaze said with a pretentious smile, “Didn’t you lecture me about being understanding? “You should lead by example. I wanted to see if you could become the bigger person. “As you can see, you want to kill me for hitting you.“You’re one to talk about grace.” Kaze’s sarcastic remark painted Boris’ face red. Boris uttered exasperatedly, “You’re not on my level, kid.” “Oh, I guess your grace and tolerance are only reserved for those higher in the social hierarchy.”Kaze put on a stern look. “I have no idea what level I’m on, but I know you’re just a lapdog to the Krads. “Do you think we were blind to your little setup with Aiden? “You’re one of Riverbank underworld kingpins. It’s embarrassing for someone your age to put on that silly show.” Kaze took a step forward, his eyes fixating on Boris. “Tell me. What level are you on?” “Woah!” The crowd broke out in an uproar. Many on scene were oblivious to Boris’ little show with Aiden. While the secret
Kaze waved his arm like a total badass. Aiden and the others wished they could rip Kaze apart. It was annoying. Kaze got under everybody’s skin. Darcy and Kaze acquired Crown Tower and its surrounding land without spending a dime. More accurately, Aiden paid the price. Darcy was speechless, to say the least. She had no idea that Kaze could be so manipulative. If she were in Aiden’s shoes, she would probably be livid. “Thank you, Mr. Krad. You’re one of the good guys.” Kaze burst out laughing while thanking Aiden. The smug look on Kaze’s face was infuriating, but Aiden could only stand there, seething. “That’s enough, young man.” An old but commanding voice boomed. The crowd was taken aback as Boris, one of the Riverbank underworld kingpins approached. “Don’t push it, young man. You have won, and I suggest you should leave it at that,” Boris said indifferently. Despite his flat tone, Boris was critical of Kaze. “Boris is right. Kaze, you got lucky this
“That’s right. The rules are clear.” Kaze grabbed a rulebook and said with a smile, “You are the highest bidder after me.“I gave Mr. Krad a chance, but he didn’t take it.” Aiden asked, “Is there really such a rule?” “There is, Mr. Krad.” The head of the committee gulped hard and said with a wry smile, “We established a rule for Crown Tower, and it must be sold regardless of the price.” The rule was reserved for Crown Tower. The Seven Star District Council had been trying to sell Crown Tower for a while now, but a suitable buyer had yet to meet the council’s requirements. Hence, the council would accept any bids above ten billion dollars. Since Kaze could not afford his bid, the land would go to Darcy, the second-highest bidder. Her bid was exactly ten billion dollars. The land fell back into Darcy’s hands. However, Kaze and Darcy were independent bidders. Darcy represented Sky Ocean Corporation while Kaze was an individual buyer. It was clear that Darcy and Ka
“You don’t have that kind of money?” Everybody looked at Kaze in shock. He did not have that kind of money. Yet, he bid fifty billion dollars. The head of the organizing committee was stunned for a moment. He quickly chuckled dryly and said, “Please don’t joke around, Mr. Lee.” “Am I? I’m not kidding.” Kaze shrugged. “I don’t have forty billion dollars. My net worth isn’t even worth that much. “I took an advance of ten billion dollars from my Centurion card. It’s only an advance. I still need to pay the money back. “I’ve never taken money out of the Centurion card because I don’t have the funds to pay it back.“All I have is ten billion dollars, and the money was from Mr. Krad.” The crowd was taken aback. Aiden was in disbelief. “Why did you bid, Lee? You went as high as fifty billion dollars. “Don’t be something you’re not!” Joan and the others rolled their eyes. “So I can’t bid when I’m broke?” Kaze said matter-of-factly, “You called me a sucker for biddi
Joan sneered. “Heh. Don’t take us all for idiots. Good luck to you.”“Mr. Lee has put in his bid. Aren’t you going to seal the deal?” Paying Kaze no heed, Aiden looked at the auctioneer. The auctioneer got the hint and shouted excitedly, “50 billion dollars, going once. “50 billion dollars, going twice. “50 billion dollars, going thrice. “Sold to Mr. Lee at 50 billion dollars.” The auctioneer turned to Kaze and said with a smile, “Congratulations, Mr. Lee. The rights to Crown Tower are yours.“I’m also pleased to announce that your 50-billion-dollar bid has set a new record for the highest bid in the history of Four Ocean Auction.“Once again, congratulations to you.” “Clap, clap.” With Aiden taking the lead, the room was filled with thundering applause. Nevertheless, the crowd simply mocked Kaze for his foolish decision. Kaze did not stop at scamming Aiden out of ten billion dollars. He took things far and shot himself in the foot. Before, the crowd was impres
“I think we can all see who the real idiot here is.” As reality sank in, Aiden and the others looked at Kaze as if he was the clown. Kaze outsmarted Aiden with the sale of the Golden Toad. However, Crown Tower and its surrounding land were not worth fifty billion dollars. It was true that the Ryokanians had their sights set on the land and enlisted the Krads’ help to acquire the sale. However, the Ryokanians would not pay more than what the land was worth. Even if Sky Ocean Corporation secured the sale, the Ryokanians had their way to steal the land from the company. As Aiden said, Darcy would not be able to keep the land for long. Crown Tower could not cripple Aiden. Aiden could just drop out of the running since the bid was way past his price point. To think Kaze would play the same strategy twice. Who was Kaze trying to fool? On stage, the auctioneer was taken aback by Kaze’s outrageous bid. She wondered if she heard it right. Moments later, she asked skeptic
Darcy’s eyes burned with rage. “Mr. Krad, I’d rather buy the land and let it rot than let you win.” “Bam!” Aiden stood up, knocking his chair over. He stared at Darcy menacingly. “You’ll be sorry, bitch!”“If you want to make a scene, you’re better off outbidding me.” Darcy taunted. With the gloves off, Darcy was no longer compelled to be civil with Aiden. “10 billion dollars, going once. Are there any other bids?” The auctioneer’s voice trembled. “10 billion dollars, going twice.” She looked at Aiden. Aiden turned ashen, mainly because Darcy pissed him off. Still, he had to stop the auctioneer from hammering the gravel and giving the land to Darcy. Aiden drew the line for thirty-five billion dollars. The competition was far from being over. He decided to go big to crush Darcy all at once. Darcy would have to cover all his losses anyway. With that in mind, Aiden gritted his teeth and said with a menacing smile, “Twenty-five—” “Can you just cut to the chase?
Darcy said indifferently, “Working in business, we want to make sure every penny counts. We can’t be as lavish as you, Mr. Krad.” It sounded like a compliment, but the sarcasm was buried within. She was implying that Aiden was flexing his financial muscles. Aiden grimaced. He did not expect Darcy to snap back at him. After a scoff, Aiden cocked his head back and said menacingly, “Six billion dollars.” Excited by the heated competition, the auctioneer cried, “Six billion dollars, going once. Are there any other bidders? “Six billion dollars, going twice.” Darcy uttered without hesitation, “Six point one billion dollars.” “Seven billion dollars!” Aiden bid on and sneered. “You’ll be sorry for taking me on, Ms. Quint.“I can tell you now that we were only going to spend five billion dollars on the land. “You’ll pay for all the losses.” Dropping his gentleman act, Aiden uttered grimacingly, “If you know any better, you should leave right now. Stop giving me problem