Gareth’s words settled the disciples down. “So you are looking out for the guests, sir. We shouldn’t dampen the party with blood.” “I knew it. Our mentor could crush Kaze easily. He is just nice to let Lee breathe easy a little longer.” “The Lilyrose New City project is our priority in Lilyrose. Getting rid of Kaze can happen any other day.” The disciples, arrogant as ever, flattered Gareth. The guests scowled at the comments. Apart from a handful, most just found out that Gareth’s trip to Lilyrose was to acquire the Lilyrose New City project. It was no secret that the new mayor wanted to rebuild the Old District and develop a new city. Many had their eye on the project. The project was worth tens of billions. Even a small slice of this pie would be highly profitable.It explained why Gareth came all the way to Lilyrose. He was after the project. Some of the guests were upset. They, the local players, aimed to compete for a piece of the action. To their dism
One wrong step could have deadly consequences. The drama was so intense that it was easy to get completely lost in it.Many dared not make their stance known. “No one has met the new mayor before, Mr. Hornberg. He has never made a public appearance.” “He exercised his authority and fired several chiefs the moment he took office. One of them is the deputy mayor’s son, but Lou, the deputy mayor, is loyal to the mayor.” “The mayor intends to take over Lee Investment’s acquired hospitals even if it means making enemies with strong corporations.”“Many commented on the new mayor’s iron fist.” Under Gareth’s menacing gaze, a few succumbed to the pressure and offered the information they had.Nevertheless, they kept things vague and did not give detailed information on the new mayor. Gareth was not pleased. He turned to the heads of the Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars. “I heard that you have emerged as the top three families after the God of War clamped down on the former three
“We, the Logmans, share Bernard’s thoughts.” “Lilyrose isn’t a big city, Mr. Hornberg, but don’t forget that the military is based here. If you think about it, Sunrise City isn’t much threat to Lilyrose.”“So things aren’t as plain or simple as you think, Mr. Hornberg. Just return to Sunrise City before you get yourself killed,” Peter and Jack said. Bernard, Peter, and Jack embodied Lilyrose’s high society. Even they demanded Gareth’s departure from Lilyrose. The others were shocked, to say the least. At first, the Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars did not want to upset Gareth. They had no problem with Gareth securing the local projects. That was in the past now. Kaze had now told Gareth to get back to where he came from. Peter, Bernard, and Jack understood the authority behind Kaze’s words. They no longer feared stepping on Gareth’s toes. Heck, their advice was not to offend Gareth. They were doing him a favor by saving his life. There was bound to be a power strugg
“You are either with me or against me.” Many gasped sharply at Gareth’s ugly statement. They started to make faces too. It had become clear to them that the event tonight was not just a step designed for Kaze. The feast was also a trap set for the most respected individuals in Lilyrose.Gareth demanded that they pick a side to determine whether they were a friend or foe. To Gareth, there was no in-between. If they were not with him, they would be against him. The gray area did not exist. However, not everyone was conflicted. “I support you, Mr. Hornberg.” Trent took a stand without hesitation. “To be frank, I am disheartened by the way the noob mayor runs the city. It’s a mess!“The young man won’t take advice from a retired man like me. Kaze even humiliated me. “I trust that you will contribute greatly to the Lilyrose New City project, Mr. Hornberg. Please get rid of pests like Kaze and build a figure for the city,” Trent said righteously. Gareth’s eyes sp
Gareth was a go-getter with strong connections in Sunrise City.On the contrary, Kaze might hold some sway in the city, but he was just a nobody who took his wife’s last name. He did not have the resources and wealth to compete with Gareth. The odds were in Gareth’s favor. “Haha. Thank you, all.” Gareth grinned and glanced at Bernard’s group before mocking, “You’ve been contemplating for a while now. What are your decisions?” Bernard, Peter, and Jack were firmly on Kaze’s side. However, that could change. Gareth believed that the family heads would be foolish not to make the wise choice, especially after many were in support of Gareth. All eyes fell on Bernard, Peter, and Jack. The Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars were the top-tier families in Lilyrose at present. They profited from the fall of the top three families. Though the reputation of the top three families did not expand past the boundaries of the city, their influence went beyond that. However, the top t
Many grimaced at Jack’s comment. Hudson made the local players pick a team when he came to Lilyrose. The Bowmans, an upper-class family, were the first to take a stand. The head of the Bowman household, Blake, pledged allegiance to Hudson right away and took Johnson’s place as the mayor. Kaze was forced to confess a crime he did not commit. Blake’s son nearly pushed Darcy to jump off a building. As Blake pissed Kaze off, he was only mayor for a day. Since then, the Bowmans plummeted the ranks of social classes and hovered in the bottom tier. With that in mind, some locals started to have a change of heart. They were afraid Kaze might turn the tide and ruin their families too. Still, others sneered at that thought. “Don’t try to scare us with the past, Mr. Joestar. Kaze was driven to desperation to the point of giving Governor Farland gifts. “Governor Farland was enraged and followed the clues to Blake for taking gifts and bribes. Since the Bowmans were the bigger fi
“My request is simple, Mr. Lyfe. Issue a statement of your split with Kaze and his underhanded acts. I expect Kaze to return Rove’s 20% shares, and I want them for myself. “Once you do that, I’ll consider you a friend of mine.” Gareth had his eye on the 20% shares Kaze possessed. However, his goal was to destroy Kaze’s reputation through Hart. There was always a clear rationale behind Gareth’s actions. He was an egotistical man. Gareth wanted the world to understand that getting rid of Kaze was not a predatory move, but a just one.Hart sank under the burden of all the attention. Still, he made a shocking decision. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hornberg. It’s a fact that Mr. Lee saved Rove. No one can change that. “That’s not the only thing. Mr. Lee also saved my family and stopped my daughter from marrying Kingston. “Mr. Lee has always been an honorable man. He never resorts to underhanded tactics. “I can’t betray a friend for glory.” Despite his discolored face, Hart spoke
Guests shuffled out of the Lyfes’ reception area. All that remained were Gareth, his disciples, and the shivering Lyfes. Stress hung the heaviest over their heads. For some reason, Gareth got angry and directed his resentment on the Lyfes. “Come here.” Gareth took a seat at the head of the table and started eating. The spread prepared by the Lyfes was left untouched. “Thump!” Mary Sue, Syed, and the others drew close and kneeled before Gareth. Gareth signaled his student to fill his glass with alcohol before glancing at Mary Sue. He asked indifferently, “Have you figured out what the problem was?” “I have, G-Grandmaster Hornberg. “I shouldn’t have pitted you against Kaze and taken it upon myself to drug Stone into a coma. “It’s all my fault. I deserve to die,” Mary Sue replied tremblingly. She used the time to ponder about the reason behind Gareth’s fury. Mary Sue hung her head low. Gareth scoffed. “You sure are loyal to your master, bitch.” It was clear