Kaze went up to the young man and asked, “Rex? I’m Kaze, Mr. Yemen’s student…” Rex pulled his attention back from a girl and had a good look at Kaze. When he saw the casual clothes and the sack of luggage, looking like a country man’s first visit to the big city, disdain and contempt immediately appeared on his face. “Where have you been? You kept me waiting, you know that? Is this your first time on the train?” Rex was Ryna’s nephew. A few years ago, when Lock’s business started to profit, they needed a driver, so Rex filled the spot. After driving Lock around for a few years, Rex got the opportunity to meet some wealthy people, so he too, assumed the identity of one. He completely forgot that he was once from the countryside. Even after he moved to the city, he still had the same personality. He looked down on people who dressed poorly. Early in the morning, he received a call from Lock and asked him to pick up someone from the train station. If Lock had high regard
The Mercedes drove off the train station but Kaze did not ask Rex where they were going. He was not afraid that Rex would play tricks on him. People like Rex looked down on those beneath them but feared anyone with greater power. All Kaze needed to do was intimidate him with force and he would stay put. After the kick and slap, Rex already knew that he should not mess with Kaze, or else he would be getting a lesson that he would not forget for the rest of his life. The Mercedes continued to drive across the main avenue of Riverbank. Skyscrapers flew by outside the window. Even though the city was incomparable to Westeros, the capital of the West State, it was still the main financial hub. Its influence reached every corner of the West State, plus a couple of other states as well. It was the heart of the entire state. Someone used to say that Westeros represented the past glory of the West State and Riverbank represented the bright future. Whoever took control of Riv
Kaze knew Magnus alone had 30% shares in Golden Scale Corporation. The other three branch leaders of the West State Viper’s Den, such as Jacob, Malova’s husband, who died in Kaze’s hands, had 10%. In addition, as the branch chief of the South River Branch, Newell also received 20% of the company shares due to its special position in the West State. The remaining percentages of the shares were public assets owned by the Viper’s Den. With the Viper’s Den’s authority and resources, the profits from businesses were mostly shared among prominent figures, which explained why people wanted to join the organization. Now that Magnus, Newell, and his son, Brad, had died in Kaze’s hands, the assets and shares of the company that they had left became a prize for the others to compete. To seize the shares, the entire West State Viper’s Den was in chaos, and the organization had devolved into a dog-eat-dog situation. The competition even involved the outside world, which caused a mess
“This way, Sir.” The waiter led Kaze to Lock’s reserved VIP room. To keep the confidentiality of the guests, all guests who dined in Bourbon were hosted in independent VIP rooms. “Huh? That young man…” The manager of the branch saw Kaze’s figure and furrowed his brows curiously. A moment of hesitation later, he dialed a number on his phone. “Hello, Mr. Queen, I’m Roger, the manager of Bourbon Riverbank Branch. I remember you once told us that if we see Mr. Kaze Lee, we should serve him with our best. I think I just spotted him in my branch…” …Knock, knock. With the sack of medicine in his hand, Kaze followed the waiter to the VIP room and waited for the waiter to knock on the door. “I think Wesley and Cyan are here! Do you know that Wesley’s uncle, Jude, is the vice branch chief of Viper’s Den South River Branch? He’s also likely to become the new branch chief! “Wesley is trying to date Cyan and I like the young man a lot.” Through the door, Kaze heard the voice o
Ryna’s eyes had a brazen contempt and it could not escape Kaze’s eyes. He said, “Mr. Yemen asked your driver to bring me here. He said I can join you guys for a meal before going back to your place.” “What is Lock thinking, asking you to come here? Doesn’t he know this is an important occasion?” Ryna grumbled out of frustration. She then dragged Kaze away to a secluded corner and whispered, “Kaze, this meeting is important to our family. The guests are all wealthy and powerful, you shouldn’t be here.” At the same time, she opened her purse and took some cash out, probably around 2,000 dollars. She shoved the money into Kaze’s hands and said, “Take these and go find something to fill your stomach. If you don’t know the way, I’ll ask Rex to drive you around. You can meet up with Lock at home later.” She obviously took Kaze as a freeloader. Kaze frowned and gave the money back. “Thank you, Mrs. Yemen. I am not here to beg.” “Look at you, what are you talking about?” Ryna
When Ryna saw her husband shove the bank card into Kaze’s hand, her expression turned cloudy. Kaze was no longer a kid yet Lock had to take care of him. He was not just facing a decline in his career. He was broke, bankrupt, and he was obviously here to seek help from Lock. “Mr. Yemen, you should take this back. I have money. If there is one day that I really go broke, I will ask for your help then,” Kaze joked and gave the card back. Why would he want the money? “Alright.” Lock noticed the bitter look on his wife’s face and he simply assumed Kaze wanted to save face, so he did not delve into the topic. “Come on, let’s go in.” He then invited Kaze into the room. “You are just in time. I told you yesterday that I will be having some guests over and they are all seniors in the business world, plus their children. I’ll introduce you to them. “You have to know some friends and secure some connections if you want to expand here in Riverbank.” Not only did Lock offer to s
“Besides, I don’t judge a person’s background, only his personality. I will never take Wesley Gwake to be my son-in-law!” Lock then put his hand on Kaze’s shoulder. “I think Kaze is a decent young man. He’s capable with the right attitude and basically grew up with Cyan, they are childhood friends! “I remember Cyan asked to marry him back then!” Kaze awkwardly smiled and shook his head in silence when he heard Lock. Cyan used to be attached to him and did say something about marrying him when they grew up, but they were just a child’s words and not to be taken seriously. However, lock did get something right—the new branch chief of Viper’s Den South River Branch had yet to be decided. As a matter of fact, in order to select the new branch chief, Kaze, the branch leader, would have to give his approval, similar to when he had to choose the new mayor for Lilyrose. “Kaze, come in with me. Ryna is getting out of control. Just ignore her.” Lock brought Kaze into the room.
There were many capable people out there but how many of them could become the chairman of a star company? Ryna looked at Kaze differently, as if he suddenly became her future son-in-law. The enthusiasm in her eyes was obvious. Suddenly, one of the younger ones said, “But I heard he was abdicated and kicked out of Perfect World Group. A new chairwoman, Snow Frost, has taken over, which used to be his assistant. She’s a beauty.” “I also heard that Kaze here is a live-in son-in-law and all he does at home is labor work. After being booted out of the company, his mother-in-law wanted him to divorce his wife…” The young boy was barely twenty years old, yet he gossiped like a paparazzi. The news of Kaze being abdicated and kicked out of Perfect World Group spread across Lilyrose like wildfire. As for Agnes asking him to divorce Darcy, it was pure speculation and slander. Agnes was unhappy with Kaze but Darcy was a woman with independent thinking and she knew the truth as well.
The sneers and gloating looks made Darcy’s family’s hearts sink. Hector got a call half an hour ago and learned that Phoenix had walked free after Kaze called the cops on her. Phoenix wanted Darcy’s family to come to the hospital. Hector thought that Phoenix had fallen ill. Without another word, Hector took Agnes to the hospital. Darcy and Sky had to make time out of their work and school to be there for Phoenix too. The family forgot to bring Kaze along by choice. There was no telling whether Phoenix was ill or angry with Kaze. The last thing they would do was bring Kaze along to make things worse. Outside the ward, Darcy’s family learned through the chatter that Joan, instead of Phoenix, was admitted. Joan’s hospital admission seemed to garner a lot of attention from Phoenix. Oblivious to the situation, Darcy’s family was in a daze. “Has Hector’s family arrived? Tell them to get in here!” Before Darcy’s family could get to the bottom of the matter, Phoenix’s a
Besides, the execution hall enforced the law within the Viper’s Den, putting the division in a superior position within the Viper’s Den West State Branch. The division had the power to decide whether the Viper’s Den member would live or die. The leader of the execution hall, Robin, would oversee the South River State Branch’s new branch chief and branch deputy. Hannah and Collier could not afford to let their guard down. They braced themselves to meet the man. “Marcus? Robin?” Kaze said indifferently, “I keep note of these names. The South River State Branch can’t do anything to the pair, but I am the branch leader.” “You have the power to stop them!” Collier said. Yet, Collier remained hesitant. It was true that Kaze was the Viper’s Den West State Branch leader. The Nether Viper Sword proved it. However, Kaze never officially took office. In other words, the position of the branch leader remained vacant. Collier could not understand Kaze’s delay in declaring his
Conan could sense the calm before the storm over the phone. He stopped joking around and said solemnly, “Of course.” It did not take Conan and Collier long to get to Kaze. Collier took out a stack of Rhys’ photos and said, “I know this guy. He’s Rhys Road, the only son of Boris, Riverbank’s underground kingpin. “His father bankrolled him to start a business in entertainment. He doesn’t get involved in the company operations, but he loves scouting talents to trick women. He’s worse than the man I was.” At least, Collier was aware of the type of man he used to be. Still, Kaze was not amused. Collier kept it strictly business and said somberly, “He often hangs around schools and around the mall to scout beautiful women. He has slept with many women, promising them the world.“He would be forceful with those who didn’t fall for his scheme. He would isolate them or drag them to somewhere secluded and take compromising videos of them. “Dozens of women fell victim to him over t
Joan shuddered and backed away. She said with a dreadful look, “What do you want, Kaze?” “Smack!” Kaze slapped Joan before removing his jacket to shield Sasha’s bruises. He picked her up and walked out of the store. It was not over yet. Rhys and Joan would pay heavily for what they had done. However, Sasha had gone through a lot today, so Kaze needed to take her away. Sasha needed the hospital now. As Kaze whisked Sasha away, Joan held her cheek and shouted furiously, “You’re a bastard, Kaze! How dare you hit me and my boyfriend! I’m telling on you!” Joan sure did not know when to stop. She got close to Kaze and spread her arms, preventing him from leaving. “Crack!” Keeping a blank face, Kaze fractured her arm and flung her aside. He even stomped on her scowling face. As Joan shrieked, Kaze carried Sasha out of there. The scared crowd parted to give way to Kaze and Sasha. Kaze brought Sasha into the car. “Kaze…” Sasha was placed in the front passenger sea
The helpless and despair look on Sasha’s face tugged on the crowd’s heartstrings. However, Rhys and Joan would not stop roughing her out. They were likely rich and powerful. No one had the guts to step forward and stop them. As the crowd built, Joan got a bit heavy-handed. She gritted her teeth and yelled, “Strip her! Take the dress off her!“Shame her, and she will think twice before hitting on someone else’s man.” Joan got a kick out of destroying something so beautiful. “Sasha…” Kaze elbowed through the crowd after his phone call and saw Sasha lying on the ground in despair. He grimaced hard. It never occurred to him that Sasha would endure such humiliation in the span of a phone call. A group of men and women abused her in broad daylight. The crowd watched on, some even criticizing as if things were not bad enough. Kaze was enraged. “Stop!” His angry voice silenced the crowd. Joan was stunned. She released her grip on Sasha’s hair and cocked her head ba
Sasha looked like a princess in the gown, and Joan’s jealousy drove her to start something. Caught in the act by his girlfriend, Rhys felt anxious. Since Joan put the blame on Sasha, Rhys said happily, “You’re right, Joan. The bitch seduced me. She wants to be a star through me. “She even talked about signing a contract with me at a hotel. She invited me to do whatever I wanted. “I know I can be a playboy, but since dating you, I have been saving myself for you. The bitch doesn’t fool me. “When she wouldn’t leave me alone, I got angry and attacked her.” Rhys turned the whole thing against Sasha. “You’re lying!“That’s not true!” Sasha wailed in fury. She would rather take a beating than be labeled the slut who stole someone’s boyfriend. “How dare you talk smack!” Livid, Joan pushed Sasha to the ground and stomped her heels on Sasha. Sasha cried out in pain. “You go, Joan!” “How dare she steal your boyfriend. We should take off her clothes and ruin her.” “Th
Joan, a Quint member in Riverbank, walked in the front. She glared at Rhys and yelled, “Bastard! Didn’t you say that you were in Westeros attending some film festival? Why are you still in Riverbank?” Rhys looked at his girlfriend, who put him on a tight leash lately, and said awkwardly, “Well, the film festival is over. I arrived home early. I just got back.” He and Joan had been dating for six months. They were not serious, though. There were a lot more women for Rhys to explore in the world. He did not want to be held down by a ball and chain. However, his father, Boris, felt that it was time for Rhys to get married and have kids. Since Joan came from a prestigious family, Rhys got together with her. Joan had always been the one to act submissive in his presence. She would turn a blind eye to his romantic pursuits and even cover for him. Rhys understood well that Joan would be marrying up. However, Joan had been getting full of herself lately. It was not her fi
“Do you know who Mr. Road is? His father is Boris Road, one of Riverbank’s four underground kingpins. “If you don’t want trouble, you better delete the video now!” The group turned white and deleted the video. They might not understand the threat that came with Great Road Group. However, Boris, one of Riverbank’s four underground kingpins, had been a menace for twenty years. No one would want to get on his bad side. Many shook their heads and sighed. No one could save Sasha now. It was a shame that the innocent and pretty girl ran into Rhys today. They knew what would happen to Sasha at the hands of Rhys. No one dared to speak up against Rhys’ indecent behavior in broad daylight. “Sasha is your name? It’s beautiful. You can use it as your stage name.” Rhys did not care what others thought about him. As Sasha shivered in fear, Rhys stood proud at his decision to slap the sales representative. He gave Sasha’s cheek a squeeze and said with a lewd smile, “Trust me. Get
“I’m sorry, mister, but I’m not interested in becoming a star.” Sasha backed away and said firmly but politely, “I’m waiting for a friend. Please leave me alone.” While talking, she looked outside for Kaze. Rhys was surprised that Sasha would turn him down without hesitation. He said with a grimace, “You’re not interested? What are you interested in? “Why are you saying no to money?” Sasha was scared as the guy would not leave her alone. She replied, “I just want to finish school. Now isn’t the time to think about money.” She took out her phone to call Kaze. “Aren’t you rude?” Rhys commented with a fake smile. He snatched Sasha’s phone, and the latter panicked and uttered in fright, “G-Give that back!” “I offered you a shortcut in life, and you should’ve taken it.” Rhys released his grip, and the phone dropped to the floor. “Crack!” He stomped on the phone and said grimacingly, “Don’t act like you’re above all, gold digger. What’s a poor college girl doing at