“I am Wind Winchester, Mr. Lee. I am a loyal subordinate.“A few members of the Frost family have died, and the evidence is pointing at Ms. Frost’s mother. Hence, we put her under house arrest while we launched an internal investigation. I was sent to Lilyrose to watch over Ms. Frost too. “We are all acting on Jet’s orders. I wouldn’t disrespect Ms. Frost under other circumstances.” “Jet?” Kaze fell into contemplation. “Have you heard of Mr. Frost’s good name too, Mr. Lee?” Overjoyed, Wind said, “He is part of the Riverbank Seven. “Mr. Frost returned to the family to get on top of the family issues. He is currently in power. “He has gained more authority than what he holds in Riverbank.” Kaze stood there without a word while Wind went on. “I have to admit that you’re one of the strongest I’ve met. “But you need to get one thing straight. Strength alone won’t get you anywhere. “It’s all about family connections, wealth, and power. “I’m sure you have heard about Le
“What makes you think I’ll let you take Snow away?” Kaze asked nonchalantly while slapping Wind on the same cheek. “You!” Wind’s eyes widened. The mention of Jet’s name was not enough for Kaze to release Wind. Instead, Kaze refused to back down and even insulted him. Feeling the sharp pain on his skin, Wind gritted his teeth. Dove drew close and said sternly, “Let Mr. Winchester go now, Lee! “Sure, you can fight, but you can do squat since you took your wife’s last name.“Who are you to be rude and attack Mr. Winchester?“If you don’t want to get you and your wife’s family killed, you better get down on your knees and apologize to Mr. Winchester. Let him do his job and take Snow away.“By refusing to do so, no one can save—” Before Dove could finish, Kaze snapped an icy look that made her blood run cold. It struck Dove that Kaze was no doormat. He single-handedly defeated them all, not hesitating to pull the trigger on a dozen men. “I remember you.” Kaze said, “Y
“You’re dead, Lee!” Losing his mind, Wind yelled angrily and pounced on Kaze. He tried to grab a weapon from the pile to shoot Kaze. Not giving him a chance to fight back, Kaze fired another round. The Desert Eagle had the power to blow Wind’s elbow apart. Wind grimaced in pain and tumbled to the ground. Gripped by fear, the remaining minions fell to their knees subserviently. As Wind’s whimpers trailed off, Kaze said aloofly, “If I wanted your life, you would’ve been dead by now.” Wind gathered his thoughts and realized how foolish he was to challenge Kaze. Kaze broke him, and Wind could no longer retaliate against him. Wind struggled to get up and kneeled. “Answer my questions.”Kaze looked at Wind from above, his voice callous. “Don’t try to lie to me. You had your chance. I’m not giving you another pass.” “Yes, of course. Ask away! I will tell you everything.” Wind shuddered. “Save the nonsense.” Kaze kicked Wind and asked, “Did Jet put Mrs. Frost under h
Snow fell into contemplation before uttering, “He’s right, Chairman Lee. My mother belongs to the Clarity family. “But you should know that it isn’t rainbows and butterflies in a family like the Clarities. My mother is not on good terms with my grandfather’s side of the family.“I don’t have a good idea about the history, but I know that she didn’t turn to my grandfather’s family for help when struggling to run the family business after my dad’s passing.” Snow’s father passed ahead of his time. May raised Snow all these years while sorting out family issues. “Don’t kill me, sir! I’m telling the truth!” Reading between the lines, Wind shrieked out of his mind, fearing that he would be Kaze’s next target. “Thud.” The Desert Eagle was flung to Wind. Kaze towered over him and said indifferently, “You get to live another day.“Go back and tell Jet that I expect Mrs. Frost’s safe return in three days. “Failing to do so, I’ll make a trip to the Frosts’.” Wind closed his e
Kaze let out an awkward smile and criticized, “Need I say more? “I am your superior, but your commitment to work allows me to take the back seat. You’re more than a subordinate to me. “I’ll regret it if anything happens to you.” Kaze then changed the subject. “Let’s talk about your family. What’s going on?“I got Venom watching over your mother. How did this happen?” Snow’s eyes flickered with disappointment at Kaze’s avoidance. However, she quickly put away her personal thoughts since her family issues mattered more now. “I’m not sure about what’s going on. I got a general idea when Bass and the others arrived, Chairman Lee.” After much thought, Snow murmured, “Midas King’s revenge stirred unrest in my family. “It helped that Mom went home with Venom. With my grandfather ill, Mom was in control of the family. “But several family members were poisoned days later. They were either core members who ran the family business or the family’s armed resources. The key playe
“Like Aaron, Mom had planned to get rid of Midas King with the Krads’ help.“But you managed to convince her otherwise. “Jet rather force me to marry Aaron to gain power than let my mother be the savior of the family.” Snow made a wry look. “I can understand Jet helping my family in a crisis, but I can’t accept the fact that he’s making me marry Aaron.“I was close with him when we were young. “He’s now a stranger to me. He won’t think twice about sacrificing me.” The betrayal and manipulation of the family were the worst. Snow, strong as she was, felt heartbroken. Kaze reached his hand out and ran his fingers along her smooth hair. He reproached, “Why didn’t you tell me when your family was in trouble? “Mrs. Frost took a risk to contact me. Only then you come here to see me.” Snow, her cheeks blushing, said with a wry smile, “I know you have a lot on your plate here in Riverbank. I didn’t want to bother you with my family issues, Chairman Lee. “Plus, I held out ho
After the call, Kaze gave Darcy a call.Prior to calling, Kaze realized that Darcy had called and texted him several times half an hour ago, saying that she would be arriving with her parents today. With the Quints’ business shifting to Riverbank, Darcy’s family needed to travel in advance to sort the accommodation and other necessities. Kaze was on his way to save Snow, so he did not notice or respond to the calls and messages. “Beep, beep, beep…” The line was busy. Kaze phoned several times, but his calls went unanswered. The only way Kaze could get through Darcy was by text. However, he saw the message from Buffy about a woman calling the house on the hilltop, looking for him. The call ended the moment Buffy picked up. Kaze put down the phone with a wry face. He could guess that Darcy made the call. Darcy must have gotten the wrong idea when she heard Buffy’s voice. “What’s the matter, Chairman Lee?” Snow asked concernedly upon noticing Kaze’s expression. “Not
Kaze laughed out loud. “Don’t be so upset, Mr. Gwake. I admit that I was rash in slapping you. “Buffy is staying with me. “I should have that dinner with you for her sake.” Kaze’s smug remarks got to Jude. “Bring Buffy along!” Jude then hung up on Kaze. Kaze was going to meet the security team sought by Conan, and that had to wait. He went to pick Buffy up at the hilltop villa to meet Jude for dinner. Not long after Kaze was gone, a MacLaren turned up outside the hospital. The car door opened, and out stepped a young, handsome man in a windbreaker. His hair was combed back. The combination of a sports car and a hot guy was a surefire way to attract attention. The young man turned heads right away. Used to the attention, the young man looked up at the hospital with a smile. “Oh, my God. Isn’t that Draig Tenby, the fighting champion of the national championship?” “Wow! It’s really him. He made his debut this year, fighting 108 matches. He’s undefeated, an idol o
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