“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!
In the blink of an eye, several blasts went off between Kaze and Leron, causing dust and shrapnel to scatter in the air. The three bullets exploded before they even hit Kaze. Leron widened his eyes in shock when he saw his bullets were stopped. His pupils shrank and his expression turned heavy. He did not expect Kaze to turn mere chunks of concrete into projectiles that could rival a gun’s bullet, effortlessly countering his attack. On top of that, Kaze escaped his passive stand and stood on equal grounds as Leon.His hand that fired the chunks of concrete was as powerful as a gun! “Why don’t you try my handgun’s power?” Kaze smiled as he continued to flick smaller chunks of concrete. The projectiles tore through the air itself and aimed at Leron. Bang! Bang! Bang! Leron knew the projectiles could rival bullets. He dared not be careless. Given their proximity, he dared not perform any dodging maneuvers for it would expose himself to more of Kaze’s attacks. He quickly
“I’m fine.” Kaze simply waved at Hannah. He pulled his buzzing phone out to have a look and his expression shifted. “You take care of things here. I have to go now.” He then called Conan and said, “I need a car right now.” …Meanwhile, a sapphire blue BMW X7 was sprinting on the freeway, traveling from Lilyrose to Riverbank. In the driver seat was a woman dressed professionally—it was Snow. She was traveling to Riverbank to meet up with Kaze and she was 10 km away from the meeting place. She had a mask on and her eyes on the road, concentrating on her driving. Her grip on the steering wheel was tight and her hands looked slightly stiff. Her unusual movements showed that she was not as calm as she looked. In the passenger seat sat a woman with short hair and a mask. She appeared slightly tanned compared to Snow. It was Dove, who had previously visited Lilyrose with May and learned a harsh lesson from Kaze.Dove was the security captain of the Frost family and May’s m
“Besides, Madam and Snow are being suspected and investigated, and they are in danger. We are the ones who are responsible for their safety! I am telling her these because I want to keep her safe and for her to know what we are doing!” Dove’s bad habit was being bossy. She did not even show respect to Bass, an elder who had been serving the Frost family for decades. “Dove, know your place!” Bass did not shy away from the argument. He bellowed, “Have you forgotten what Madam said to us when we left the house? “She wants us to listen to Snow. Whatever she asks, we do! Why are you asking Snow to listen to you instead? You must have forgotten your position, that’s why you are so bossy! “Madam took you in when you were young, raised you, and sent you abroad to study. She made you the security captain when you came back. “This time, however, you haven’t done anything to contribute to the matter and you are ordering Snow around? What is your intention?” Bass bellowed, his face flu
The crowd fell silent as Kaze’s criticism and blows echoed through the room. Kaze pummeled Aiden’s face at least a dozen times. He only stopped when Aiden’s face swelled up. Tension lingered in the air. Everybody stared in disbelief as Aiden struggled violently against Kaze’s attack. The crowd assumed the roles would have been reversed. By right, Aiden should be the aggressor while Kaze would suffer in silence. Come to think of it, logic did not exist when Kaze was around. Aiden narrowed his eyes at Kaze as humiliation and anger washed over him. He gritted his teeth, his lips quivering, but no words escaped his mouth. Aiden understood that adaptation was crucial for survival. He would only be getting slapped on the face by talking back. Kaze looked at his bloody palm and wiped his hand on Aiden’s suit. The insulting gesture saw the crowd shivering and Aiden shaking with rage. Aiden clenched his fists. Nevertheless, Aiden held himself together. He had come
Sensing no threat, Kaze said with a pretentious smile, “Didn’t you lecture me about being understanding? “You should lead by example. I wanted to see if you could become the bigger person. “As you can see, you want to kill me for hitting you.“You’re one to talk about grace.” Kaze’s sarcastic remark painted Boris’ face red. Boris uttered exasperatedly, “You’re not on my level, kid.” “Oh, I guess your grace and tolerance are only reserved for those higher in the social hierarchy.”Kaze put on a stern look. “I have no idea what level I’m on, but I know you’re just a lapdog to the Krads. “Do you think we were blind to your little setup with Aiden? “You’re one of Riverbank underworld kingpins. It’s embarrassing for someone your age to put on that silly show.” Kaze took a step forward, his eyes fixating on Boris. “Tell me. What level are you on?” “Woah!” The crowd broke out in an uproar. Many on scene were oblivious to Boris’ little show with Aiden. While the secret
Kaze waved his arm like a total badass. Aiden and the others wished they could rip Kaze apart. It was annoying. Kaze got under everybody’s skin. Darcy and Kaze acquired Crown Tower and its surrounding land without spending a dime. More accurately, Aiden paid the price. Darcy was speechless, to say the least. She had no idea that Kaze could be so manipulative. If she were in Aiden’s shoes, she would probably be livid. “Thank you, Mr. Krad. You’re one of the good guys.” Kaze burst out laughing while thanking Aiden. The smug look on Kaze’s face was infuriating, but Aiden could only stand there, seething. “That’s enough, young man.” An old but commanding voice boomed. The crowd was taken aback as Boris, one of the Riverbank underworld kingpins approached. “Don’t push it, young man. You have won, and I suggest you should leave it at that,” Boris said indifferently. Despite his flat tone, Boris was critical of Kaze. “Boris is right. Kaze, you got lucky this
“That’s right. The rules are clear.” Kaze grabbed a rulebook and said with a smile, “You are the highest bidder after me.“I gave Mr. Krad a chance, but he didn’t take it.” Aiden asked, “Is there really such a rule?” “There is, Mr. Krad.” The head of the committee gulped hard and said with a wry smile, “We established a rule for Crown Tower, and it must be sold regardless of the price.” The rule was reserved for Crown Tower. The Seven Star District Council had been trying to sell Crown Tower for a while now, but a suitable buyer had yet to meet the council’s requirements. Hence, the council would accept any bids above ten billion dollars. Since Kaze could not afford his bid, the land would go to Darcy, the second-highest bidder. Her bid was exactly ten billion dollars. The land fell back into Darcy’s hands. However, Kaze and Darcy were independent bidders. Darcy represented Sky Ocean Corporation while Kaze was an individual buyer. It was clear that Darcy and Ka
“You don’t have that kind of money?” Everybody looked at Kaze in shock. He did not have that kind of money. Yet, he bid fifty billion dollars. The head of the organizing committee was stunned for a moment. He quickly chuckled dryly and said, “Please don’t joke around, Mr. Lee.” “Am I? I’m not kidding.” Kaze shrugged. “I don’t have forty billion dollars. My net worth isn’t even worth that much. “I took an advance of ten billion dollars from my Centurion card. It’s only an advance. I still need to pay the money back. “I’ve never taken money out of the Centurion card because I don’t have the funds to pay it back.“All I have is ten billion dollars, and the money was from Mr. Krad.” The crowd was taken aback. Aiden was in disbelief. “Why did you bid, Lee? You went as high as fifty billion dollars. “Don’t be something you’re not!” Joan and the others rolled their eyes. “So I can’t bid when I’m broke?” Kaze said matter-of-factly, “You called me a sucker for biddi
Joan sneered. “Heh. Don’t take us all for idiots. Good luck to you.”“Mr. Lee has put in his bid. Aren’t you going to seal the deal?” Paying Kaze no heed, Aiden looked at the auctioneer. The auctioneer got the hint and shouted excitedly, “50 billion dollars, going once. “50 billion dollars, going twice. “50 billion dollars, going thrice. “Sold to Mr. Lee at 50 billion dollars.” The auctioneer turned to Kaze and said with a smile, “Congratulations, Mr. Lee. The rights to Crown Tower are yours.“I’m also pleased to announce that your 50-billion-dollar bid has set a new record for the highest bid in the history of Four Ocean Auction.“Once again, congratulations to you.” “Clap, clap.” With Aiden taking the lead, the room was filled with thundering applause. Nevertheless, the crowd simply mocked Kaze for his foolish decision. Kaze did not stop at scamming Aiden out of ten billion dollars. He took things far and shot himself in the foot. Before, the crowd was impres
“I think we can all see who the real idiot here is.” As reality sank in, Aiden and the others looked at Kaze as if he was the clown. Kaze outsmarted Aiden with the sale of the Golden Toad. However, Crown Tower and its surrounding land were not worth fifty billion dollars. It was true that the Ryokanians had their sights set on the land and enlisted the Krads’ help to acquire the sale. However, the Ryokanians would not pay more than what the land was worth. Even if Sky Ocean Corporation secured the sale, the Ryokanians had their way to steal the land from the company. As Aiden said, Darcy would not be able to keep the land for long. Crown Tower could not cripple Aiden. Aiden could just drop out of the running since the bid was way past his price point. To think Kaze would play the same strategy twice. Who was Kaze trying to fool? On stage, the auctioneer was taken aback by Kaze’s outrageous bid. She wondered if she heard it right. Moments later, she asked skeptic
Darcy’s eyes burned with rage. “Mr. Krad, I’d rather buy the land and let it rot than let you win.” “Bam!” Aiden stood up, knocking his chair over. He stared at Darcy menacingly. “You’ll be sorry, bitch!”“If you want to make a scene, you’re better off outbidding me.” Darcy taunted. With the gloves off, Darcy was no longer compelled to be civil with Aiden. “10 billion dollars, going once. Are there any other bids?” The auctioneer’s voice trembled. “10 billion dollars, going twice.” She looked at Aiden. Aiden turned ashen, mainly because Darcy pissed him off. Still, he had to stop the auctioneer from hammering the gravel and giving the land to Darcy. Aiden drew the line for thirty-five billion dollars. The competition was far from being over. He decided to go big to crush Darcy all at once. Darcy would have to cover all his losses anyway. With that in mind, Aiden gritted his teeth and said with a menacing smile, “Twenty-five—” “Can you just cut to the chase?
Darcy said indifferently, “Working in business, we want to make sure every penny counts. We can’t be as lavish as you, Mr. Krad.” It sounded like a compliment, but the sarcasm was buried within. She was implying that Aiden was flexing his financial muscles. Aiden grimaced. He did not expect Darcy to snap back at him. After a scoff, Aiden cocked his head back and said menacingly, “Six billion dollars.” Excited by the heated competition, the auctioneer cried, “Six billion dollars, going once. Are there any other bidders? “Six billion dollars, going twice.” Darcy uttered without hesitation, “Six point one billion dollars.” “Seven billion dollars!” Aiden bid on and sneered. “You’ll be sorry for taking me on, Ms. Quint.“I can tell you now that we were only going to spend five billion dollars on the land. “You’ll pay for all the losses.” Dropping his gentleman act, Aiden uttered grimacingly, “If you know any better, you should leave right now. Stop giving me problem