Albert’s eyes burned with rage. “Trivial?” To him, protecting Kaze was not just his duty, it was his priority. If not for Kaze, his instructor who guided him on the battlefield and allowed him to seize all the war achievements, his family’s resources alone would not have been enough to make him the chief commander at such a young age. Yet Master Agar made it sound like something unimportant. Though he knew Master Agar served the madam, which also meant his words reflected the madam’s will. “Is it not?” Master Agar asked righteously. Losing his patience, Albert stepped forward and bellowed, “Go back and tell her…” “Albert!” Finally, Kaze intervened by calling Albert, stopping him. “You can leave now. Go back to the strategic department.” Kaze could tell that the madam that Master Agar referred to had absolute power in the Hiden family. Kaze did not want Albert to oppose the madam because of him, and he did not want Albert’s family to punish him either. “But I…”
Without Albert’s support, what would Kaze do against Magnus, the branch leader of Viper’s Den? Everyone could already picture Kaze’s funeral. Sirius got up from the floor and grinned viciously. “Kaze Lee, you had Albert Hiden on your side before this and you disrespected us all. “What about now? Come on, keep it up! Or else you won’t get the chance anymore!” Sirius resented Kaze to his core. His arm was cut off and his bones were crushed. It was not possible to recover from such an injury. Even though Magnus sent him here to lure Albert into the trap, possibly injuring him severely so that Viper’s Den would have a reason to arrest the chief commander, he agreed in a heartbeat. He was willing to risk being beaten up by Albert so he could take revenge against Kaze. Unfortunately, Albert did not take the bait. Sirius was just kicked to the floor and slapped twice. The hits were not enough for Viper’s Den to arrest him, hence Master Agar’s arrival. Now Albert had been
Magnus’ eyes were burning with anger. He had never hated a person this much. It was not his first time meeting an arrogant young man; Albert was a great example. However, Albert was from a prestigious family, so his background justified his arrogance. What about Kaze? He was a useless guy who took his wife’s family name. Yet Kaze had the nerve to talk to Magnus like they were equals, bluffing without considering the consequences. What a fool! Kaze was unfazed by Magnus’ growls. He clasped his hands behind his back and said, “If you don’t want to reason with words, then skip the chatters. Let’s talk with our fists. Are you going to fight me one-on-one or with your team of vipers?” Kaze started to roll his sleeves. “Uh…” Magnus was left speechless. His words were stuck in his throat. Sirius bellowed, “Branch Leader, do it! Kaze Lee is not just challenging you, he’s challenging the entire Viper’s Den. He disregarded our authority, disregarded the law—even if you ki
“Ugh…” Sirius groaned in pain. He stared at Kaze in fear. As Kaze exerted more strength through his foot, Sirius’ chest started to cave in. His organs felt pressured and his rib cage started to break. He was scared. He finally realized Kaze was ready to kill him on the spot. He expected Kaze to attack him. His provocation was intended to lure Kaze into attacking him, thus giving Magnus a valid reason to strike. Yet he did not want to die. “Branch Leader!” As though a drowning victim, Sirius started screaming for help. His scream for help not only surprised Magnus but also woke the others from their blank state. As the people regained their senses, they were shocked. How could Kaze attack Sirius in front of Magnus? His actions were challenging death itself! Even Magnus was stunned for a moment before he reacted with a grim look. He did not understand why Kaze had the nerve to attack Sirius at this point. Without Albert’s support, Kaze was just some guy with s
Magnus was familiar with the voice, yet even with his status and position, he had only heard it a few times. The voice made a strong impression on him from the first time he heard it; it was seared into his soul. He could never forget the voice. Magnus’ mind went blank all of a sudden. He stiffly looked at Kaze, unable to believe what just happened. How did Kaze get this person’s number? Why would this person answer Kaze’s call? Ignoring Magnus’ inconceivable gaze, Kaze spoke into the phone, “It’s me, Kaze Lee.” “Kaze Lee?” The woman’s voice on the line sounded frosty, somewhat angry. It was as though she did not know who Kaze was and was annoyed by the anonymous phone call. Kaze smiled and explained, “Viper Queen, you must be too busy lately. I just received a huge gift from one of your people.” He was referring to the woman who gave him the Dallas Black Card after winning the auction. “It was you?” The woman paused for a moment before she asked, “I wonder if
Looking at the agents kneeling before Kaze, all the other guests were stunned and left speechless. Magnus, the West State Branch Leader of the Viper’s Den, got down on his knees! This could only mean the woman Kaze called must be the leader of the Viper’s Den—the legendary Viper Queen!How did Kaze get the Viper’s Queen phone number? How could someone as useless as him get to know the Viper Queen? Madam Hacks, Christian, Dakota, Trent, Syed, and the others were mortified. They were in absolute disbelief. They thought Kaze was already a dead person and even thought about how to celebrate Kaze’s death after this. Yet, once again, Kaze made an unbelievable comeback. He contacted the leader of the Viper’s Den. Judging from Magnus’ reaction after he recognized the voice in the phone and how fast he dropped to his knees, it was not difficult to know that the Viper Queen was likened to a god in the organization. Under everyone’s unbelievable gaze, Kaze turned off speaker
Kaze spoke strongly, his voice echoed across the hall. Everyone in the hall, including Magnus on his knees, widened their eyes. They did not hear what the Viper Queen said but they heard Kaze clearly. No one thought Kaze would berate the Viper Queen and diminish the Viper’s Den. He even wanted the Viper’s Den to dissolve itself. If the news got out, all thirty-five branches of the Viper’s Den would view Kaze as the common enemy and they would certainly come after his life. “God of War, what really happened? If it’s really the Viper’s Den's fault, I will make sure you get your explanation,” the Viper Queen asked calmly after a slight pause. Kaze said, “I believe you already knew what happened today. I don’t want to go into details but now, your West State Branch Leader, Magnus Fuller, had his agents surround me and wanted to kill me, before going after my family, and my assets. “I was planning to kill him but since you already knew about this, I called to ask. Does Magnus
Magnus straightened his back immediately. After Kaze pocketed his phone, he threw a slap at the man’s face. Slap! “This is for you abusing your power, disregarding people’s lives.” Slap! “This is for you covering up for your subordinates, distorting the truth.” Slap! Kaze slapped Magnus over and over again on the face. He did not hold back because of the man’s age or position. After a dozen slaps, even Magnus' strong body and sturdy physique could not withstand the impact. His head became dizzy and his body began to shake. He clenched his teeth tightly and his eyes burned with rage. He was slapped by someone younger than him in public and he could not fight back. He had never been insulted like this in his life. Everyone could see that Magnus was on the verge of exploding with rage, but he managed to reel it in. His teeth remained clenched as he endured the hits, allowing Kaze to leave a deeper red on his face. It was all because of that phone call. Regret fil
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
“Kaze, I heard that your wife dumped your ass. Are you pinching pennies now? “You had a fancy car and a beautiful lady by your side just a couple of days ago, and now, you’re riding a bike.“I guess you want to do more than just a valet service.” Draig pulled out more cash to give to Kaze. “You can get my car washed too.“I’ll give you another twenty bucks. The money should be enough for you to get fried chicken or something for lunch.”“Hahaha!”Cyan and her friends laughed out loud. Twenty bucks for a fried chicken. That kind of life seemed far away for these people. Cyan suddenly scowled. “I’m warning you, Kaze. My family will not take pity on you just because your wife kicked you out.“Don’t try to leech off my family.” Cyan thought Kaze was so alpha at Emerald Bull Palace two days ago. The mayor was Kaze’s backing, and Juan was his apprentice. Yet now, Kaze was divorced and kicked out. It meant one thing. If Kaze was indeed badass, Darcy, who knew and love
Sucking up to Cyan, the influencers offered her words of comfort. Though Cyan did not have an invitation, she was close with Draig. The influencers could attend the event through Draig with Cyan’s help. Despite having other thoughts, the influencers knew better than to put Cyan down. A Mercedes G-wagon pulled up by the road. The car door opened, and Draig jumped out. He took off his sunglasses and said with a smile, “Why aren’t you going in, Cyan?” Cyan replied with a grin, “We don’t have an invite, Mr. Tenby. We’re waiting for you to take us in.“Oh, where’s your invite, Mr. Tenby?” She was confused as Draig did not seem to be holding anything. “An invite? It’s just a party for Hannah. You don’t need an invitation card.” Draig smiled confidently. “My name is basically our pass into the place. You can just say that you’re with me.” “Wow! You’re the man, Mr. Tenby.” “Mr. Tenby is so badass. You are total boyfriend material.” The influencers drooled over Draig, a
The influencers dropped their jaws in shock and looked at Cyan enviously. “Oh, my gawd! Marrying the branch leader is your gateway to super fame.” “Is it true, Cyan? Really?” The influencers hounded Cyan. Cyan rolled her eyes at Sweetpea. “Don’t take it from Sweetpea. “The VIPs from the South River State Branch did make a subtle mention. “I’m not sure whether Sponge is the branch leader since I’ve never met him before. “Just keep this between yourselves. Don’t spread the word. I’d be embarrassed if the whole thing was all a misunderstanding. “The branch leader keeps a low profile, and no one has met him in person before. “I doubt he likes to be put in the spotlight, so I’m playing it discreetly too.” Cyan spoke and acted reservedly. However, her smug look revealed her true thoughts. “Haha. Wouldn’t you meet the branch leader today?” “I see why you are so sure to take us to the celebration. We’d never get into a place like this on our own.” The influencers l
It never occurred to Kaze that Cyan and her influencer friends would attend Hannah’s celebration too. Before Cyan said anything, one influencer put her hand over her lips and said with a smile, “Get with the times, Anna. Cyan’s family isn’t just close with the senior members of the Viper’s Den. She’s going to be part of the organization soon.” “Huh?” Stunned, the other influencers asked, “What’s going on? Just tell us, Sweetpea!” Sweetpea was the influencer who just spilled the beans. She was Cyan’s closest friend and biggest ass-kisser. Taking Cyan by the shoulder, Sweetpea said, “Remember Cyan’s number one fan?” “Yeah!”“Sponge has been a fan of Cyan even before she signed with Golden Scale Corporation. Sponge tipped her tens of millions.”“That was how Cyan caught the eye of Golden Scale Corporation, and she became a hit.” The influencers chattered among themselves, all familiar with Sponge. They came from nothing and clawed their way up online.Their beginnings
The next afternoon, Kaze arrived at the parking lot outside Bronze Sparrow. It was packed with fancy cars. Needless to say, the underground garage must be filled with cars too. Hannah’s celebration was held in Bronze Sparrow. Just a few days ago, Siberian infiltrated Bronze Sparrow and abducted Anzu. The incident caused quite a stir in the upper crust of Riverbank. At the same time, the underground powerhouses were eager to get involved. As Miru, the up-and-coming underworld boss, seemed to be all bark and no bite, they wanted to see what she was made of. Bronze Sparrow, a place where troublemakers once ceased to exist, had to deal with incidents daily. Despite Miru getting tough on these troublemakers, business at Bronze Sparrow took a nosedive anyway. Miru was frustrated with the situation. Siberian had been a threat to the Viper’s Den for many years. It was no surprise that Miru’s crew could not defeat him. This time, Siberian’s death at the hands of the Viper’s
Kaze was taken aback. “How did you know?” “How?” June’s lips curled. “It’s all over town by now. Darcy is the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation. Have you any idea how many eyes are on a rich and beautiful girl like her? “Her divorce has caught the attention of men, and they are going to try their luck with her.” It did not take Kaze much to know that the Quint family members had nothing better to do. Agnes had been hoping to marry her daughter up. However, Darcy had the power, money, and connections to be playing with the big leagues herself. Agnes’ expectations for her future son-in-law would only go higher. Despite her lack of brain cells, Agnes would not do something degrading like circulating the news of her daughter’s divorce. “Hey! Why do you seem indifferent about this?” June elbowed Kaze. “How do you think I should react?” Kaze found June baffling. June looked disappointed. “You don’t seem upset that you were dumped.” “Get a life.” Kaze did not hav