Casius simply smiled it off and was not overly concerned. “Don’t worry, Aunt Faith. I like Buffy a lot and I am doing the best for her. I believe she will understand.” He then raised his hand without looking around. Further away, a young woman in uniform came over by request. She bowed and said, “Master.” “Veron, tell them to bring Buffy back safely, and only her,” Casius said to his assistant casually. With just a short sentence, he literally handed a verdict on Kaze’s fate. “Yes, sir.” Veron nodded and then returned to her original spot to make a call. “Aunt Faith, have some tea too.” Casius took the role of the host and started pouring tea for Faith. “Judging from your confident look, I know I got the right guy. Casius, only an elite like you deserves to marry our daughter.” Faith felt relieved and started to flatter Casius. Casius smiled casually. On the other hand, Veron could not get through to the first number she dialed, which surprised her. She quic
Casius looked surprised when he heard the update from Veron but he managed to keep calm. A quick thought later, he said, “Aunt Faith, it seems like Buffy is prepared to elope with this guy. She never wanted to marry me from the start.” Faith immediately knew what he was referring to. Casius must have assumed that Buffy expected a pursuit and decided to resist, which explained why all his men drowned in the dam. Faith went blank for a moment before she clenched her teeth and said, “That fool! She used our family’s influence to defy my arrangements?! Who does she think she is?” She, too, believed Casius’ assumption. Buffy must have foreseen this and arranged for her men to fight back, which explained why Casius’ men were defeated. At least it was more acceptable than Kaze beating up and killing Casius’ men single-handedly. Both Faith and Casius tended to believe Buffy was the one who resisted, not Kaze. “Casius, I’ll call her father immediately. I can’t control her now,
Veron said, “Sir, Kaze Lee then said if you don’t want to die, keep your hands away from the Viper's Den affair…” “Keep my hands away from the Viper’s Den’s affair? Is that what he said?” Casius asked. “Yes, sir!” Veron answered as she lowered her head. The atmosphere in the car felt intense and pressuring. A while later, Casius chuckled. “Interesting. Kaze’s first message makes me feel like he’s just a clown; his second message makes me realize he’s not that simple.” Kaze was anything but simple. As an outsider, Casius had long harbored a plan to infiltrate the Viper’s Den South River Branch and ultimately take it over. To keep his plan inconspicuous, he even had to come up with another plan to achieve his goal. Marrying Buffy and helping Jude to become the deputy chief were parts of his grand plan, and he eventually would take over. He was confident that not more than a handful of people knew his true goal. Yet a rube from a small city saw through him easily. Ho
“You lured Casius out?” Hannah was struck with sudden realization and her admiration for Kaze grew. As expected of the man the Viper Queen made the branch leader and was tasked to cleanse the Viper’s Den. With just a few words, he was able to lure the mastermind behind Jude out to the front and force him to enter the fray. To Hannah, Jude was not much of a competition. After all, manpower and resources were limited and no matter how ambitious Jude was, he was just the deputy chief of the South River Branch, which was the same position as Hannah. The people that he could use and the allies that he could gather were all laid out on the table. However, Casius was different because he had been hiding in the dark, supporting Jude to seize the position of chief. He was one of the Riverbank Seven. Aside from being rich and resourceful, he was also connected to the prominent figures in Westeros. With his support, Jude became so powerful that even Collier and Hannah felt press
The South River was an important waterway for transportation, and traffic was always heavy. The Four Ocean Commerce Guild who crossed paths with Kaze before relied on monopolizing the South River and Butterworth's waterway transport to become a titan in the industry. If there were people who rose to prominence relying on waterway transportation, then there would be people living the life of a pirate, robbing cargo ships that passed through a certain checkpoint on the sea. Leron was a captain who reigned the waters of the South River and the pirates who worked under him were ferocious and ruthless. Their gang was notorious in the waters and on shore. Hannah continued, “Kaze, I also heard that Casius had sent Leron after you, so you better be careful. Do you need me to arrange for bodyguards to keep you safe?” Kaze looked surprised. “It’s just a pirate, what’s the big deal?” Hannah knew her own strength. Leron was a target that even she had to be cautious of, so Kaze’s words
Bang! A deafening blast went off, followed by a burst of smoke that concealed Leron from sight. The MPV that Hannah and her men arrived in was instantly covered with countless black holes. The tires were also punctured, causing one side of the car to sink. The two agents, who had turned to open the door and exposed their backs, suddenly groaned in pain as they were slammed against the car by a powerful force, sliding down onto the ground. Both were riddled with numerous bleeding holes in their backs from gunfire. Hannah and the others were shocked to see that their colleagues had been shot. The human body was no match for a shotgun. Leron must have anticipated that they would use the car as a cover or even as an escape route, so he aimed at the vehicle first instead of targeting the individuals directly. “Take cover!” Kaze quickly grabbed one of the fallen agents in front of him and tossed him behind the damaged car. His words were not just meant for the fallen ag
“So you are Leron, a.k.a the Hydro Dragon?” Kaze did not mind Leron reloading his shotgun and simply stared at him while standing still in an open area. “You know me?” Leron raised his brows, speaking in a rather hoarse voice. “It seemed like you were not a rube whom Mr. Weather claimed you to be.” He did not expect Kaze to know his name at the first meeting. Knowing his name indicated that Kaze was already well aware of his background and capabilities yet was not hung up on it. If Kaze were not at least this capable, Casius would not have sent him. Staring at Kaze further away with narrowed eyes, Leron asked, “So my brothers died at your hands?” “You meant those two idiots who fell into South Hill Dam?” Kaze smirked. “That’s not my fault. They were the ones who couldn’t drive properly, thinking they were Dom Toretto, but this ain’t Fast and Furious, and they don’t get to live past the sixth movie.” While he was distracting Leron, Hannah and the other two agents h
Leron did not stop dashing even after he pulled the trigger. Bang! He slightly tilted his shotgun and fired another shot. Another barrage of shotgun pellets followed swiftly, like a swarm of hornets, flying through the air rapidly and aiming at Kaze’s left. Kaze’s front and sides were all locked by the shotgun pellets, and the only way left for him was to retreat backward. Yet no human was faster than bullets. In fact, Kaze’s back was also shut off, leaving him nowhere to escape or dodge. Leron’s ability to wield the shotgun with such precision and skill was a testament to his terrifying capabilities. Kaze knew he was in danger and facing a shotgun with just his fists and body was foolish, like hitting a stone with an egg. As though he realized Kaze was caught between a rock and a hard place, Leron smirked and said, “Kaze Lee, I’ll make sure you die absolutely!” As Leon spoke, Kaze moved. He tiptoed and jumped high into the sky, reaching almost two meters. Bang!
The hostages were locked up in the containers. Some of them were elites in their own field while some were ordinary people with average income, yet all of them got into trouble when they boarded the plane. Most of them could not accept their fate. Yet they dared not defy or resist the mercenaries. When things started to calm down, they broke down in tears, weeping in silence as resentment consumed them. Kaze sat down at a clean corner that allowed him to look outside the window. The window was dirty but at least he could see outside. The space inside the container was filled with people sitting closely, offering comfort to one another. They were aware they were just temporarily safe in this container. No one knew what the mercenaries would do to them at the next moment. “My parents must be worried. I said I would call them when I land but now I can’t even get in touch,” Barney muttered as he sat beside Kaze. He too looked outside the window, his feelings mixed. He watc
Kaze thought of what he had overheard in the toilet. If he told the hostages about that, they would probably panic. “It’s nothing. They are just going to separate us into different rooms or containers. They said the buses would be disposed of,” he said. He did not want to reveal too much because it would cause panic. Once the hostages knew their lives were on the line, things might spiral out of control. The mercenaries could kill a few of them to make an example, and none of the hostages would dare to cause problems anymore. Kaze kept it a secret because he wanted to protect the people. “That’s it?” “Is there anything else? How many men are there? What is their plan? Who are they looking for?” “We want to know because we want to survive. This isn't our problem—we just got caught up in it.” The hostages looked at Kaze, their eyes filled with worry. They felt aggrieved because they should not be caught in such a huge problem. “I don’t know either.” No matter how m
“There’s a room there. Get in.” The mercenary pointed his gun at the mother and son, which led them to look at Kaze nervously, seemingly asking for help. “What do you want?” The mother was nervous. She clutched her son’s hand tightly, nearly making him cry, but she reacted quickly enough to cover her son’s mouth to prevent him from doing so. “All women must go into that room. You go in now,” the mercenary explained. He did not want the woman to get the wrong idea. “You people won’t hurt me, right?” the mother asked, worried that she might be ravaged. “We are not into MILF,” said the other mercenary who was escorting Kaze, indirectly assuring the mother. Kaze shot a glance at the mother and nodded at her. “They told us they were going to separate us, so there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, worried that the mother and son would not cooperate. The mother then carried her son and followed the other mercenary into the room. It was called a room but it was actually ju
“Can you make him stop? If the man comes back, we’ll be done for,” someone said. The kid’s crying made everyone anxious. “What can I do? He’s crying because he’s scared. I can’t just stop him.” The mother was afraid as well, and she did not want her son to be taken advantage of. “Calm down. Just don’t alert the men and we’ll be fine,” Miguel said, hoping to ease the situation. “I’ll fight him if he comes in. I believe I can make it,” someone said. Those with an impulsive nature grew restless from being kept on the bus for too long, feeling like livestock being kept in cages. “Shut it. They are coming,” Barney said after a glance outside the window. The other passengers fell silent, sat back down, lowered their heads, and tried their best not to look out the window. The mother quickly hugged her son and covered his mouth to prevent him from crying. Kaze felt peace and quiet once more, even the air felt smoother. He knew the passengers were merely ordinary people and
Unfortunately, Leah knew she would not get an answer out of Snow since she was refusing to help. Everything seemed to have changed following her mother’s disappearance. She tried to stay for answers but when security came in, she could not resist them anymore. It was the first time she was escorted out by security guards and it impacted her. She used to be the daughter of the CEO of Northborn Group—everyone respected her. She used to enjoy a privileged status. No matter where she went, she was the star of the event. Yet when her mother disappeared, everything changed. She wanted to look for Kaze but she had just lost the chance. Snow turned her down and gazed at her with contempt and irritation. Leah could not accept the changes but some things felt like they were destined to change. She was forced to leave the branch office but then had no idea where else to go. She felt abandoned by the world. Before this, she could still hope for Kaze’s help, but now she had no
Leah went to her mother’s company but did not find her anywhere. Joey was busy working in the CEO’s office. Leah went over and asked, “Joey, where’s my mother? I can’t reach her.” She wanted to know what happened to her mother. “I don’t know about your mother either. We went out together earlier in the day but I don’t know where she went. I can’t get in touch with her.” Joey was so busy that she could not even free herself from the desk to explain to the girl. “Where did she go? How am I supposed to find her?” Leah panicked. If even Joey did not know where her mother went, then something must have happened. A bad feeling rose from her heart. Things just got serious. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask someone else?” Joey did not have time to deal with the girl. Leah was unfamiliar with Joey’s coldness. Joey had always treated her with kindness and flattery, so the sudden coldness caught her off guard. She felt like something had changed. “Who should I be looking f
“No! My daughter is still in the hospital!” Katie refused to accept her punishment. She started to regret her decision but it was too late. “Now only you think about your daughter? I guess you are not that foolish, but have you thought about her when you betrayed Chairman Lee? “Don’t worry. Leah knew Chairman Lee personally and we won’t hurt her, but she might not live a good life anymore,” Snow said coldly. She did not want to put the girl in a difficult situation but her life as a princess would come to an end. “You can’t do that!” Katie could not believe Snow would do that. “I bet you never thought of the consequences when you leaked the information. Too bad. You’ve lost.” Snow revealed the truth because she wanted Katie to suffer for the decision she made. Katie would now regret every decision she made because she knew she had jeopardized her daughter’s life. She would feel like a fool. She devoted her life to climbing higher to gain more power but she ignored the
“I went to a bar to have a drink and I bumped into an informant of the Viper’s Den.” Katie looked helpless as she explained as if everything that had happened was planned out for her, pushing her to the edge step by step. It was a lively night at the bar. The atmosphere was pleasant and most of the guests were having a good time. Katie was a single woman. She needed care and love at times. She was alone when she visited the bar. She started off by ordering some drinks at the counter, waiting for a chance to meet a man who shared the same ideals. A drink or two later, maybe she could get herself a company for the night. As a grown-up woman, she had her desires. It was a way to release her stress. Katie entered the bar in a casual outfit but it did not diminish her elegant demeanor. When she sat down at the counter, a few young men approached her but she was not interested in immature boys. She continued drinking. She looked at the dance floor occasionally, searching for a
“Who do you think will believe you?” Arthur frowned. There were too many coincidences that it felt like a giant setup. “I’ve explained what I need to. Don’t interrogate me like I’m a criminal. I am the CEO of the Northborn Group.” Katie left them speechless. She had said the necessary and it was up to them whether they wanted to believe it or not. They did not have the evidence to charge her anyway. “You really think we can’t hold you responsible?” Snow was not really looking for a definite answer. The moment she suspected Katie, whether or not she was truly the traitor, Snow already had the right to hold her accountable. It was necessary to make things clear and it was to find out who Katie leaked Kaze’s information to. “It has come down to this. No matter how you deny it, it’s useless. We already know what you have done and you can’t escape. Even if you don’t want to confess, we can continue the investigation, and we’ll eventually find out the truth. “If you come clean