Sure enough, Buffy’s remark only egged hundreds of the Viper’s Den members on. Kaze grinned faintly. “We can talk about any issues in private. It’s not proper of you to threaten me in front of outsiders.” Tsk! Outsiders?Kaze acted like he was Buffy’s husband. Buffy heaved heavily, her cheeks flushed. The Viper’s Den members were livid. Kaze managed to ruin the somber mood. Unable to take it anymore, Serene said icily, “Mr. Gwake is waiting for you inside, Mr. Lee.” “Oh. Just lead the way.” With his hand under his chin, Kaze asked Buffy with a smile, “Are you coming with me? I’m a little intimidated by your dad.” Kaze’s expression of meeting the father-in-law nearly drove Buffy crazy. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath to calm herself down. She said curtly, “I am here because of you. I am worried that my dad will kill you.“I can give you a chance to walk away now since you are still somewhat useful to me.” Seeing that Buffy was trying to get under his skin
“Kaze…” Buffy tipped Kaze the wink, hoping he could do her a favor and put up with her father. Kaze brushed Buffy off and did not even bother to greet Jude. Standing there, he said indifferently, “I guess you must be Mr. Gwake. “Didn’t you send for me? What’s with this expectation from me? “Well, this is certainly a warm welcome. “In that case, I should get going.” Kaze turned on his heel to leave. He was expected to roll the red carpet out for Jude. To be honest, Jude was unworthy. Kaze was the branch leader of the Viper’s Den West State Branch. If they were to go by the rules, Jude should be greeting him on his knees. “Hmph!”Surprised by Kaze’s behavior, Jude let out an angry scoff. Serene narrowed her eyes, her red-manicured hand reaching into her pocket. Jude quickly turned back around and waved at Serene. “Never mind. Kids can be rash. “You must be Kaze. Please sit. Ha. You’re just like me when I was your age.”Serene kept her head down.Buffy let ou
Kaze took the time to sip on his drink before replying indifferently, “I didn’t train under anyone.” He would not tell Jude that his combat experience was built over the war and dead bodies.“Oh, so you’re self-taught?” Jude looked at Kaze skeptically. Since Kaze did not look like he was lying, Jude chuckled. “You must be a genius to dominate Bronze Sparrow through your own efforts.“I guess you can even put Hannah, the most promising fighter of the Viper’s Den West State Branch, to shame.” Jude brought up Hannah. He could be sounding Kaze out or igniting a spark in Kaze to defeat Hannah. Instead of giving his two cents, Kaze simply smiled and took another sip of his drink. Jude put his hands together and grinned. “It’s refreshing that you’re able to hold your ground despite your young age. I heard from my daughter that you carried yourself well among Luis and other socialites at Bronze Sparrow last night. “It takes some type of talent to fight good, but you have qualit
After making his presumptions about Kaze, Jude raised both hands and clapped. A member bearing the Viper’s Den emblem approached with a case. Jude waved his arm. The member carried the case to Kaze and opened it. There were stacks of cash inside. “What’s the meaning of this, Mr. Gwake?” Kaze asked without emotions while sipping his drink. Jude picked up a wad of cash and flipped through with his thumb before uttering with a smile, “There are 10 million Uleania dollars here. Consider it your reward.” “Reward?” Kaze remained unfazed. Jude nodded and adopted a less respectful form of address for Kaze. “You started a fight at Drake Gym and pushed Luis into killing my best fighter, Joel.“This incident has triggered a ripple effect, kid. I can say that this changed things for myself and a few others at the Viper’s Den. Joel was supposed to have a fight with Hannah and Collier in a ring. “I can choose to move past this.“But on one condition. You need to get in the ring
“Kaze, have you ever thought about that? If it works out, even the Lee family who once abandoned you will beg you to go back to them. “Of course, for all that to happen, you must first listen to me and I will have absolute control over you. I tell you to stand, you cannot sit.” Jude looked at Kaze with a strong, determined look. He believed even if Kaze could reject 10 million Uleania dollars, he could not resist the other temptations, especially power. Kaze originally wanted to leave. He did not want to waste time listening to Jude’s unrealistic stories which could only deceive a three-year-old. However, the determined look on Jude’s face gave Kaze a second thought and he sat back down. He wanted to know what gave Jude the confidence. “Mr. Gwake, you don’t look like the deputy chief of the Viper’s Den at all. You look more like a smart businessman who has huge plans for your business.” Kaze no longer took Jude seriously and simply teased him frivolously. “Hmph.” Se
However, Kaze was no ordinary man and there was no way he would fall for Jude’s temptations. “Mr. Gwake, I am not a child. You don’t have to tell me all that.” Kaze stretched his back and lifted the teapot to pour himself a cup of tea. “Firstly, you want me to enter the ring for you. It’s not because you see my potential, but after Joel died, you have no good candidates left. “I simply taught Luis a few moves and he killed Joel. After weighing the circumstances, I am the perfect candidate to replace Joel to enter the ring. “Even if I die, it won’t hurt you at all. I come from Lilyrose and I don’t have any strong background here in Riverbank. I’m at most an abandoned son of the Lee family, so my death doesn’t affect anyone at all. “In fact, you can even use my death as an explanation for Josephine and Abraham Wonfield so that you can still maintain a good relationship with them.” Jude’s expression remained the same when he heard Kaze but his eyes turned cold. Kaze did no
Jude stared at Kaze coldly for a while. His ashen expression then turned into a warm smile. He went back to his seat and sat down. “Kaze, that's just your own assumption, somewhat malicious I must say. But I understand. “This is your first meeting with me and you still don’t know me well, so there might be a little misunderstanding. I’ll forgive you this time, but this time only. Be careful with your words next time. “I regard you highly and I don’t mind what you said, but when your words reach other people, it might cause unwanted misunderstanding toward our relationship.” Jude then picked up the teapot and filled Kaze’s already empty cup with tea. “Do you know why I think so highly of you? It’s because I noticed Buffy’s feelings for you. You have to know that my daughter is a woman with dignity, a lady. She had never been in a scandal with another man for as long as she lived. “Casius might be chasing her aggressively but she kept him at a distance. If I am just trying
Serene and the other Viper’s Den agents looked at Kaze coldly. The Viper’s Den had thirty-six main branches and even more sub-branches under each of them. There were more than a million agents of the organization across the country. No one knew better than them how difficult it was to stand out from so many people. Not only did Kaze reject the olive branch from Jude, but he even despised it. To them, his actions were ungrateful and disrespectful. His repeated disregard for Jude in front of them was also a provocative act that would put his life in danger. Kaze put the teacup down and smiled. “Mr. Gwake, why would I need confidence and nerve to reject your offer? Isn’t that a little bit unreasonable? “Since you mentioned it, for your daughter’s sake, I don’t mind explaining.” Kaze put a finger up. “Firstly, I am the first one who struck Joel but that’s because he insulted Rose, my cousin-in-law. “Luis then beat up Joel and I did give him a tip or two, but it’s also b
No one cared about the thoughts in Collier’s head. Rory looked at Hannah and said heavily, “I wonder what you mean by that, Chief Delmore.” Hannah nodded at Kaze and then said coldly, “Cut the crap. Take your men and leave!” Rory furrowed his brows, his lips still curled. “Chief Delmore, that doesn’t sound right. I am here on legal Execution Hall’s business. Even if you are the chief of the South River Branch, you have no right to stop me. Or is the South River Branch no longer under the West State Viper’s Den jurisdiction?” Hannah did not even flinch when Rory tried to accuse her. She said, “I said, cut the crap. Come on, show me what you got. I’ll let you go first.” Rory’s lips twitched helplessly. He knew Hannah was known for her quick sword stance in the West State Viper’s Den. According to the agents who once went on a mission with her, many experienced fighters and experts could not even see her moves before they were killed on the spot. Now that Hannah had recove
“Swoosh!” The knife hit Collier in the shoulder, pushing him back against the wall. He tried to move his body but when he felt the pain in his shoulder, his face paled. He was shocked that the knife perforated his shoulder and pinned him onto the wall, like how Kaze pinned the Execution Hall’s agent to the wall earlier. Rory did it as payback to Kaze for what he had done earlier. Collier did not want to look bad in front of Kaze. He steeled himself up as he held the knife. With his teeth clenched, he pulled it out from his shoulder, drawing an arch of blood in the air. “Deputy Chief!” It was only then Collier’s men reacted to the situation and drew their weapons. “Hmph!” Collier grunted without looking at his men. “Clank!” The agents from the Execution Hall armed themselves as well and dashed forward. “Thump! Thud! Sheen!” The two groups of agents engaged in a fight with cries and clanks sounding ceaseless. Amid the painful cries, Collier’s men were struck
Once again, Rory looked at Kaze with surprise. “Young Man, I must admit that I’ve underestimated you again.” The deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River Branch was certainly an officer with a higher rank than him. However, Rory was merely surprised, not deterred or scared as if he was not afraid of Kaze who brought Collier into the conflict. Kaze smiled. “You’ve underestimated a whole bunch as well.” Rory grunted heavily and then turned to Collier and his men walking into the lobby. Without even standing up, he curled his lips into a fake smile and said, “Mr. Ettinger, of what do I owe the visit? You and your men are here to see the doctor? Too bad. You are one step late. Scorpion and his men had already thrashed the…” Scorpion simply smiled awkwardly, afraid to make a noise. He could not afford to mess with the deputy chief. ‘I’ll thrash your skull if I can!’—if it was some other time, Collier would certainly argue with Rory and scold him in the face. However, his
“Kaze.” The call got through and Collier’s voice came from the phone. “Herbal Spring. Rory Conroy of the Viper’s Den West State Branch Execution Hall is here.” Kaze then hung up the phone. He was discussing with Collier about the support from the Viper’s Den West State Branch behind Rhys earlier. He just did not expect Rhys to call for help so quickly, seemingly trying to seize the advantage. However, Kaze was not afraid. He put his phone away after the call and sat down on the couch. “How dare you sit in front of the captain?! You’re dead!” An agent held the sword at his waist and wanted to draw the blade. Kaze narrowed his eyes and slid his foot forward. “Clank!” The sword that was tossed in front of him earlier was kicked forward. “Thump!” Before the agent could draw his sword, his hand was perforated by the flying sword. Blood splattered upon impact and the momentum of the sword dragged the agent backward, ultimately pinning his wrist on the wall. Kaze
“Arrogant?” Rory gestured at his men behind him. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, scrutinizing Kaze. “You’re damn right. The Viper’s Den West State Branch Execution Hall is that arrogant. We have the right to be! We also have the right to execute first and ask questions later. Why wouldn’t we be arrogant with it?” The agents of the Viper’s Den West State Branch Execution Hall looked at Kaze as if he was a clown, wondering where the rural bumpkin was from and where did he get the confidence to question them. They found his ignorance laughable. Kaze said, “Even if you have the right, it is for you to execute your official business, not for you to use it on ordinary people.” “Hahaha!” Rory laughed hysterically, cocking his head back as if he heard the funniest joke. “Young Man, I don’t know where you are from but you are stupidly naїve and childish.” As he spoke, he glanced at Scorpion and asked, “Is it him who beat up Rhys?” “Yes! It’s him!” Scorpion glared at Kaze a
“Mr. Road once saved someone important in the Viper’s Den West State Branch. Mr. Road asked Captain Conroy to uphold justice for Rhys after the assault he endured. “You’re blind not to know who Captain Conroy is. You have some nerve to insult him.” Scorpion made a big fuss now that the Viper’s Den West State Branch had his ass covered. Thomas was going down. “What?“The Viper’s Den West State Branch Execution Hall?”Thomas turned pale. Fear washed over the other police officers. The Viper’s Den West State Branch’s reputation was enough to intimidate the police. The Execution Hall was basically the police’s worst nightmare. Even the members of the organization trembled at the mention of the Execution Hall. The Viper’s Den’s Execution Hall and the Tiger’s Cave’s prison gate were places of terror. Those who were unfortunate enough to be taken there rarely walked out alive. Even the rare survivors would not escape in one piece. A deputy chief of the South River S
Thomas glared at the two police officers and waved his arm curtly. “Don’t just stand there. Make the arrest!” He knew how Scorpion and his crew operated.Scorpion was not the type to give up on a fight easily. Thomas was the security captain of the Southgate Police Department. The supposed Captain Conroy would only rank slightly higher than him. Members of the criminal underworld often associate with people on the police force to seek favors in time of need. However, these favors should not be used lightly. It was common knowledge not to enlist the help of someone high up in the command chain right away. It would be a waste of resources. In a typical situation, Thomas might have trouble making the arrest. However, Thomas was taking Kaze’s side, so he had nothing to fear. With that in mind, Thomas said icily, “Captain Conroy? How many more captains are you going to call upon?“Even if you summon someone working for the state, you’re still coming with us.” “You’re ju
All these incidents put together suggested that Kaze was more than he seemed. Thomas focused the most on Kaze and the mayor’s relationship. The power of a local authority outweighed someone from out of state. Though the officials working in the state government were more powerful, they would have no bearing on the locals’ situation. Kent was the mayor of Riverbank, and his decision would change the course of the locals’ fate. Thomas understood his place in the matter. Boris may be badass, but Thomas could get nothing out of him. Thomas had to deal with Boris’ men frequently. These men would give the police gifts during the holidays as payment for turning a blind eye to certain things. He could fall out with Scorpion and his crew, but he could not cross Kaze when Scorpion’s people were clearly at fault. Kent could possibly intervene, and Thomas’ connections would not be able to bail him out.Thomas turned stern and said coldly, “It’s outrageous of you to trash a plac
Scorpion sat sprawled across the couch, his legs crossed. He lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said, “Oh, an old friend. It’s Captain Blunick from the Southgate Police Department.“I’m handling business today. I’d appreciate it if you could look the other way.” The person in charge was Thomas Blunick, security captain of the Southgate Police Department. Thomas frowned and said icily, “Is this your way of handling business, Scorpion? “Don’t you push it.” Scorpion grinned and said without any reservation, “Mr. Road’s son, Rhys, was beaten up by some riff-raff. Mr. Road sent me here for some unfinished business. “You should know that Mr. Road dotes on Rhys, and Rhys now suffers two broken legs. “This is not over until the culprit pays.” Thomas scoffed. “You can’t trash a medical center in broad daylight.” He asked curiously, “Who is Rhys’ attacker?” Even the other police officers were intrigued. To think someone would hurt Boris’ son in Riverbank. It was a death wis