Some local residents of Lilyrose seized the opportunity to curry favor with Mason, hoping to establish a solid relationship upon his appointment as mayor. It was their chance to ensure success in the coming years. “Mayor Quint.” “Welcome to Lilyrose. The city will only get better under your leadership.” “We have faith in you to govern the city, Mayor Quint.” The crowd greeted Mason. They acted like Mason already got the job. These people flattered Mason in the presence of Kaze, the former mayor. The reality was that Kaze was already yesterday’s news. “Hello, everybody.” Mason responded with a smile, carrying himself humbly and discreetly. No one could fault his kind manners. Passing through the crowd, Mason made his way to the Quints. The group behind Mason behaved cockily. Jackson, whose head and arm were patched up, was among the people. He looked at Kaze grimly. “Uncle Mason, I am Darcy.” Darcy, the head of the household, went up to introduce herself.
“From this day on, Darcy, Hector, Agnes, and the other 123 members are accepted back into the family. “We should always love and care for each other. “It is against our code to harm those of our own blood.” After recording the names in the booklet, the old man rose to his feet, read out the family names, and talked about the family rules. At that point, the ceremony was over. Hector and Agnes beamed. Now that they were part of the Ridgesouth Quints, no one would walk all over them. “Uncle Mason, everybody, if you could take a seat.” Darcy breathed relief and invited the guests to sit as the feast would begin. “Hang on.” Mason waved his arm. The group had been a bundle of nerves for hours. Just when they were able to loosen up, Mason’s stern face put them back on edge. Surprised, Darcy asked, “What’s the matter, Uncle Mason?” “Is someone missing from the registry?” Mason took the registry from the old man and flipped through it. “Oh?” The Quints paused an
Kaze frowned but did not make a move. He was not as naїve as Darcy and his in-laws. Not to mention that he was reluctant to be listed in the Quint family’s Golden Family Registry, when Mason mentioned it, Kaze sensed conspiracy. At first, Kaze thought Mason sided with him because of the upcoming mayoral appointment and it was to return the favor at a later date. However, when he saw the frostiness in Mason’s eyes when he looked at him, Kaze realized it was not as he thought it would be. When Mason voiced out his suggestion, Kaze knew his suspicion was right. “However, the Ridgesouth Quints have a rule. The live-in son-in-law must change his last name to be listed in the Golden Family Registry. For example, Kaze Lee’s name must be changed to Kaze Quint. “Once the name is listed, he or she will be a Quint forever, alive or dead. When the time demands it, a Quint family member must be prepared to sacrifice for the family’s greater good. “What do you say, Kaze?” Mason said
“No matter where you are, be it in Lilyrose or anywhere in the South River State, or even the whole Arcadia, you can tell others that you are my godson and I will protect you!” Kaze never showed courtesy to people who sought trouble with him. His words silenced the entire house. Guests who came for the event widened their eyes in disbelief and almost forgot to breathe. Even the local Lilyroseans looked at Kaze in shock. They expected Kaze to reject the name change since he was known to be a tough guy, a stubborn person who spoke louder with his fists. He had crossed paths with many powerful and prominent figures up until now. From the top three families to the Vinlands, Magnus, the Viper’s Den West State Branch’s leader, and Gunter, the Glowmoss Powells, he bowed to no one. Everyone laughed at him and called him useless trash just because he married into his wife’s family but he was tougher than anyone else. Therefore, such an expectation was completely reasonable. Ho
It was just that things had taken an unexpected turn. Mason thought of Kaze rejecting but not in this humiliating way. He was aggrieved. It felt like a debate where one party was carefully choosing their words not to use vulgarities to maintain composure, while the other side bluntly resorted to outright hostility and said ‘fuck you’ in the face. Mason was the one trying to maintain composure while Kaze was the one who said ‘fuck you’ in his face. Thus Mason’s face flushed with emotions. “Kaze Lee, how dare you!” Jackson was also furious and aggrieved. If his father became Kaze’s godson, then it would make him Kaze’s god-grandson! He stepped up, pointed at Kaze, and shouted, “Know your place! My father is the head and the face of the Ridgesouth Quints, he represents us all! “You are just a live-in son-in-law of one of our tiny branch families. Who gave you the confidence and the audacity to challenge and insult my father like that?” Kaze looked at him and said indif
Jackson understood his father’s intention of getting revenge and it excited him. “Hehe, family rule?” Suddenly, Kaze scoffed. In the next moment, he moved swiftly and appeared in front of Jackson. With his hand extended, he seized Jackson’s throat, lifting him up like a little pet. “Kaze, what are you doing? Let go of my son!” Jackson was shocked and infuriated. Crack. Unfazed, Kaze moved his hand toward Jackson's uninjured arm. With a sudden exertion of strength, he snapped it cleanly. “Aaaargh!” The pain made Jackson cry like a little girl as his body shook violently. Both his arms were broken. Kaze tossed him aside like a ragdoll and then looked at Mason. With an indifferent smile, he said, “Is this what you called family rule?” “Aaah! Dad, it hurts so much…” Jackson twisted and twirled on the floor. His excruciating cry echoed across the living hall. His painful cry was the only noise in the quiet house. Everyone was stunned by the jaw-dropping scene,
Darcy was deeply concerned but it had come down to the worst situation and her only option was to side with Kaze. Kaze did not care about the people’s criticism. He smiled at Mason as if he was enjoying the anger on Mason’s face. “Yeah, I just broke your son’s arm, again. What can you do? You represent the Ridgesouth Quints and that gives you the right to run roughshod over me? I just hit back to teach your son a little lesson and you are that pissed off?” Mason almost passed out when Kaze referred to breaking Jackson’s arm as a ‘little lesson’. His eyes bulged and widened. He bellowed, “Kaze, you are asking for it! You really think there’s a place for you in our family after what you’ve done?” “I don’t care if your family has no place for me. I’ll make it straight for you. This is Lilyrose and even if your entire family is here, they will have to kneel before me with no complaints,” Kaze said scornfully. “Besides, you are just one man, Mason Quint, and you are not even may
Mason had made up his mind. To fully expand and take control of Lilyrose, he had to suppress Kaze, or else he would be held back and could not get anything done. It was no longer a personal affair. His future, career, and ideals were on the line. With this thought in mind, Mason calmed himself down. He scanned the room coldly before he looked at Kaze again. “Kaze, I believe two days later, Rove, a subsidiary under Perfect World Group, is going to be publicly listed, am I right? “Let me make it clear for you. The Ridgesouth Quints are issuing a total ban on Perfect World Group and also Kaze Lee, you, as an individual. “On the day of listing, anyone who stands with you stands against us, the Quints, and we will go after them one by one!” The crowd grew tumultuous listening to Mason’s announcement. Rove was a prized goose that laid golden eggs. Everyone knew that Rove was the market's favorite, and if they successfully went public, their stock price would skyrocket. Ye