The Lees had betrayed Kaze before. The excruciating agony was cutting. Kaze would be happy putting the Lees through the same pain. For that reason, Kaze did not mind doing Samson a favor. “Your word is my command.” Samson nodded solemnly, got up, then said, “But I need to remind you, Chairman Lee. There is more to the Lees than meets the eye. “The Lees have a member in the military, and the individual seems to be doing well there.” The military held an extremely important place in Arcadia. While the military generally avoided involvement in local matters, the region’s influential families dared not brush off its presence. Having someone who served well in the army would also elevate the family in their social circles. Kaze understood what Samson was talking about. Moreover, no one knew better than Kaze. “Someone in the military, huh? So what?” Kaze commented indifferently. Kaze sounded disinterested, his tone reflecting his disdain. The news Samson brought d
It appeared Samson made the right choice. Kaze’s confidence in every way gave him assurance. Briefly after Samson’s departure, Snow walked into the private lounge from another room. “Samson is two-faced, Mr. Chairman. “He vowed loyalty to you because you could overturn the Lees. I doubt he’d betray the Lees entirely.“Given a chance, he will stab you in the back.” Kaze said nonchalantly, “It doesn’t matter. If he stays out of trouble, we can leave him alone. “Just sort him out if he tries anything.” In any case, Samson’s character did not matter to Kaze. He went along with the plan not to put hope in Samson to retaliate against the Lees. It was just to get under the Lees’ skin. That was all there was to it. …Then, Kaze told Snow to return the five percent shares to Lee Investment. Samson worked fast too. At the authority of Lilyrose’s mayor’s office, the private hospitals were sold off to both local and foreign enterprises at a low price. The businesses a
“We meet again, mayor.” Sirius drew close, staying several feet from Kaze before looking up with a smile. Only, there was nothing friendly in his eyes. His gaze was chilling and venomous. “Yes?” Kaze said indifferently without glancing at the dozen Viper’s Den agents. Sirius was out of the organization when Magnus came to Lilyrose looking for trouble. Now, it appeared Sirius must have found friends to get his position back in the Viper’s Den. Sirius lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then said, “There has been a murder in Lilyrose. The victim is Mr. Kai Well, the head of the Ryokan’s Cherry Capital branch in the South River State.“I was ordered to investigate the case.” Kaze replied callously, “Oh? And what does this have to do with me?“Besides, we aren’t close enough to meet when you’re here in the city on a case.” Sirius chuckled. “Aren’t you too quick to say you’re uninvolved?” “What do you mean?” Kaze kept a straight face. He knew Sirius was here for troubl
The members of the Viper’s Den were all pleased watching Kaze in trouble.Kaze glanced at the gleaming handcuffs on the ground expressionless and stomped his foot.‘Crack.’Kaze crushed the handcuffs beneath his foot followed by a jarring sound of metal breaking.“You dare to obstruct us to perform official duty!”Sirius looked furious, then flashed a murderous intent in his eyes and reached for his gun.Kaze’s gaze turned cold.A confrontation seemed imminent.At this moment, a Toyota Alphard drove up suddenly.Sirius frowned when saw the vehicle and holstered his weapon while approaching the car.“Ms. Hiden!” Sirius bowed slightly, showing utmost respect as he greeted the woman stepping out of the car.It was clear that Sirius feared the woman, with a mix of reverence and caution.The woman was Fanny, Miru’s aunt.At that moment, Agar also stepped out from the other side of the car, positioning himself behind Fanny.“Hmm.”Fanny gave a nonchalant nod and then turned
"Silence!" Fanny snapped.Kaze’s brazen disregard for Jerome infuriated her.In her heart, she believed Jerome and Miru to be a perfect match. As for Kaze, he was nothing but a son-in-law who had married into wealth and who was now meddling in her niece's marital affairs.To Fanny, Kaze was overly presumptuous."Kaze, who are you to speak so sarcastically about Jerome?" she spat. "A word of warning, I know all about your past affairs!“Not only were you chased out by the Lees, but you had to rely on your wife’s wealth to get to where you are today!“I have to hand it to you, though, you really are an expert at riding coattails. Not every gold-digger is as capable as you.“However, no matter how capable you are, in the end, you are still nothing more than a man who married into money.” Fanny’s words were laced with venom as she added, “Your potential was decided by your origins! Regardless of how you struggle, you will never reach Jerome’s heights!” She paused, her words hang
“I think a part of you still loves Miru. You don’t look like the kind who sells their niece for personal gains.” If not for this reason, Kaze would not waste so much time with Fanny. “Hmph! You don’t need to care about my relationship with Miru.” Fanny grunted coldly and continued, “Kaze, I have said many times that you are narrow-minded. You really have no idea what you are doing. “Just the mayor of Lilyrose? You think the mayor of Lilyrose is just a mayor, like when you are in office? Lilyrose is getting an upgrade and the mayor will have the same rank as the vice governor! “This is just the start! Using this as a stepping stone, the mayor might be the regional commander or even the ruler of the entire state! Do you know how many people are fighting for the position? “Aside from my household, all the other competitors have powerful backgrounds. You have no idea how powerful the Fowlers are in the West State. Whoever they support, that person will be the mayor! “If I can
Not to mention the relationship between Kaze and Albert. When Magnus came looking for trouble and Albert got involved to help, he inexplicably became a suspect and had been under investigation ever since Magnus was murdered. Kaze could not ignore Albert’s request. Therefore, he looked at Fanny and said, “Ms. Hiden, I do not allow others to force my friend to do something against her will…” “Enough!” Fanny grew tired of his nonsense and stopped him. “Cut the crap! Just get straight to the point.” Kaze said, “What if I make your husband the mayor of Lilyrose? Would you still force Miru to marry Jerome?” “You? Making Jared mayor of Lilyrose?” Fanny was slightly surprised before she curled her lips and scoffed. “Kaze, I know you are close with the governor, Loid Farland, but do you think just by speaking to him, you can decide who becomes mayor? “Don’t be so naїve. I told you, all the candidates for mayor are backed by powerful families. You think a mere governor has the ri
“Kaze, you were just the acting mayor for some time and all you did was initiate the Lilyrose New City project. “To be honest, if you say the candidates have to take suggestions from Trent Fuller, the other ex-mayor, it would sound more plausible, but it’s impossible. “Like I said, the big families are fighting and if you get involved, you are just going to be cannon fodder.” Fanny lost interest in continuing the conversation. She simply saw him as an ignorant fool. Kaze smiled. He was not concerned about Fanny’s mocks and sneers. A few moments later, he said, “How about we have a bet, Ms. Hiden? “If I can make your husband mayor, then you will stop forcing Miru to marry Jerome and let her make her own decision. Deal?” He had actually seen the candidates’ resumes. Jared, Fanny’s husband, was considered a capable one during his term. He had an ambitious plan and was willing to take calculated risks without jeopardizing other plans or people. He was a decent candidate t
After spending some time with Sasha, Kaze had already treated her like a little sister. He felt bad when he heard her painful groans. After getting permission, he went inside the room. Sasha lay face down on the bed, her bare back exposed. Seven petals of the Nine Phantom Lotus glowed faintly on her skin. Her hair was drenched in sweat, clinging to her face. Her exposed cheek was slick with moisture, deathly pale, revealing agonizing pain. Her back was also covered with thin silver needles of different lengths, almost a dozen of them. As she shuddered due to the pain, the needles flickered with a chilling gleam. Kaze knew at first glance that the needles were an enhanced version of the Ghastly Thirteen Needles. Other than Kaze, June was the only one in Herbal Spring who could perform the technique, not even Dr. Wright, deemed one of the greatest doctors in West State, could do it. Dr. Wright was a medicine specialist, not acupuncture. June was performing the treatment o
“You are really a trouble magnet,” Miru mocked Kaze. A quick sigh later, she added, “But you are right. That man is really a problem. One of his feet is in the grave already and he’s still causing problems. He thinks everyone should respect and obey him. I’ve had it with his attitude a long time ago. “But I can’t make a move on him yet. I just got news that he actually saved some big shot’s life from West State Viper’s Den, and because of that, he got strong support.” When Miru first arrived at Riverbank, she hardly saw any progress. It was after Kaze helped her acquire Bronze Sparrow that her conquest of the underworld accelerated.Now, she had become one of the most influential and powerful kingpins in the underworld of Riverbank, rivaling the big four. Her next target would obviously be the big four kingpins. Everett Techman was a suitable target for a start, but he stepped down when things went south, using Aiden’s situation to make peace with Kaze and stop going after
“The number you have dialed is not available.” On the way back, Kaze made multiple calls to Darcy, but she did not pick up. She was obviously mad at him. “Mr. Lee, what’s the matter?” Snow asked out of concern after seeing the bitterness in his expression. Kaze did not want Snow to feel bad or guilty. “It’s nothing. You should take some rest. I might have forced the poison out of your body, but it’s still hurtful to the body. I’ll take you to Herbal Spring and let Dr. Wright’s disciple check on you.” The only thing he could do now was text Darcy, hoping to explain the situation. He then called Miru. “Kaze Lee, how dare you call me now?!” Miru’s upset voice came through the phone, but she was not exactly furious. “What’s the situation at Bronze Sparrow?” Kaze asked. “A hitman infiltrated the place. Lost a few of my men, many of them injured, and he managed to take that woman away. He even said that he will go after your life next time. “Kaze, you are really a wal
Kaze was Juan’s master?! A few words from Kaze and Juan’s heirloom, The Oracle, was completed? His future generations would worship Kaze as their benefactor?! …The news struck Cyan and Draig like a bolt of lightning, leaving them speechless. Juan intervened and dealt with the Ryokanians, not because of Draig, but because of Kaze! Kaze beat up the security guards and the monks because he was in the position to teach them a lesson, not bragging. The only boastful person around was Draig. It was difficult for the two of them to digest the news. They were stunned and unable to recover their composure for quite some time. Juan ignored the two of them and went up to Kaze with a respectful smile. “Master, it’s not often that you visit Emerald Bull Palace. Why don’t you stay for a bit and have a taste of our famous vegetarian meal? Ms. Frost is also welcome.” “I’ll pass on the meal. I have something else to take care of.” Kaze dismissed Juan with a wave of his hand and th
After a round of applause, the worshippers scattered away. Draig got up from the ground and scoffed. “So this is all a show? Juan came up with this act to dissolve the matter but you’ve practically let Kaze off this time. “Kaze Lee, you should thank Juan for this because he wants to protect the reputation and image of Emerald Bull Palace, or else you will end up terribly…” Before he could finish, Juan slapped him in the face with his whisk. “Smack!” The smack pushed him a few steps back before he fell onto the ground once more. Draig held his face and saw blood on his palm. Infuriated, he shouted, “What is the meaning of this, Juan Kawasky?! Are you trying to start a war with the Tenby family from Uleania? If so, just give me the word!” Cyan was also shocked by Juan’s action. Why did Juan treat Draig this harshly and protect Kaze? Kaze was the one who beat the monks and the security guards, yet Juan did not even hold him responsible. Was it because Kaze remained quiet
“I just found out that my useless nephew and the security guards have been abusing their power, taking advantage of the worshippers here. “But they hid it from me well as I got caught up with my busy work. It’s my fault for not managing Emerald Bull Palace well enough, that’s why this happened. “Given how they conduct things, even if they were not beaten up today, they will be beaten up tomorrow. Worse, if they continue, they will be killed one day. “As the owner of Emerald Bull Palace, I should be expressing my gratitude and not taking revenge.” Right after he gave a righteous speech in front of everyone, Juan bowed at Kaze and then stared at his nephew and his disciples. “Get over here!” “Uncle!” “Master!” The nephew and the other monks came over immediately. Juan bellowed, “Kneel to the person who beat you up.” “Uncle, why…” The nephew widened his eyes in disbelief, unable to accept the order. He was ready to admit his mistake but kneeling before Kaze was out
“Ugh!” The searing pain on Draig’s back felt like a bolt of lightning coursing through his body. It felt as if bones had shattered. He fell onto the ground with a heavy thud. Huh? The crowd was astonished. No one expected Juan to hit Draig. To their surprise, as the son of the grandmaster of Uleania, Draig could not even last one hit from Juan. He collapsed to the ground and could not get up. A single thought appeared in everyone’s mind while looking at him—weak! He was ridiculously weak, to the point that he could not even take one hit! “W-What? How did this happen?” Cyan looked at Draig on the ground with widened eyes filled with disbelief. She felt like her beliefs were crumbling. A moment ago, Draig bragged that he could take responsibility for everything, yet he was struck down by Juan with just one hit. He did not even stand a chance! Reality made his words sound like a joke. “Master Juan, what is the meaning of this?” Draig recovered his composure and
Juan was displeased by Draig’s pretentious manner. All his disciples clenched their fists and teeth, infuriated by Draig’s arrogant words, hoping that they could teach him a lesson. Draig might be physically powerful but they, too, were trained martial artists and they had the advantage of numbers. They were not afraid of him. One word from their master and they would all jump on Draig to rip him apart. Looking at how “responsible” Draig was, stepping up to deal with the matter, Cyan somehow felt bad for him. She looked at Kaze once more, who wore a nonchalant look as if he was not part of the situation. Her eyes at him filled with anger and contempt. She stepped up and humbly said, “Master Juan, I saw what happened. I think I should speak up for Draig. “It’s not Draig, it’s Kaze. The security guards and your disciples, it was all Kaze! Draig claimed that he did it because he was trying to protect me and Snow, but I believe Master Juan is a fair and just person. You shoul
“Master, that guy is being completely disrespectful of you…” The monks and the others knelt before Juan, crying and complaining about what Kaze had done to them. Seeing his disciples kneel in front of the public, speaking in an embarrassing way, Juan’s expression turned ashen. He wished he could slap them off the face of the earth to save himself from the humiliation. However, his reaction looked like anger to the others instead of embarrassment. His reaction made the atmosphere even more stiff and tense. No one dared to interrupt or make a noise, afraid of suffering the master’s wrath. Cyan carefully looked at Draig, hoping that he could step up and mitigate the problem. Otherwise, once Juan flew into a rage, punishing Kaze alone might not solve the problem. After all, the monks made it clear that Cyan and the others were with Kaze, so there was no way they could escape anymore. Draig looked at Kaze who remained calm and confident and Snow who was expressionless. He