Maxine and Patrick planned this ahead to make Agnes and her family look bad. It explained why they jumped the queue when Agnes and Darcy started lining up. If Agnes and Darcy managed to present the gifts before Maxine and Patrick, they would not have been in such a difficult position. As soon as Darcy’s voice subsided, the emcee said loudly, “Next would be Agnes and her family, presenting gifts to… Huh?” The emcee had a look at the card and was surprised. He thought he got the wrong card. “Uh… Agnes and family have a painting valued at three hundred thousand, fifty-year-old ginseng, and a bracelet from St. Aeris Church.” The entire hall fell into an awkward silence. In order to dissolve the awkwardness, the emcee chuckled and said, “It’s not too bad. The gifts are the same as Maxine and Patrick’s but it’s the thought that matters, right?” His words made the air feel even more awkward. Countless pairs of eyes looked at Darcy and her family, mocking and making fun of th
The main issue was that Darcy's family held a weak position within the Otter family, making it inevitable for others to look down on them. Madam Otter could help once or twice but could not help them forever. “Yes, Mother…” Agnes and her family timidly stepped down and went back to their seats. She had the strongest urge to ram herself into the wall to put an end to the embarrassment. She was not only embarrassed, but also felt so ashamed and lost her dignity in front of her family, and she blamed it on Kaze. If Kaze were as capable as Patrick, her family would never be looked down upon. If Kaze was rich, they could just appear and people would swarm to them like bees to flowers. Agnes chose to blame Kaze instead of Maxine and Patrick, who obviously set a trap for them. “Kaze, it’s all because of you! You are a jinx! If not because of what you said out there, Maxine and Patrick won’t come after us like this!” She glared at Kaze with gritted teeth. Darcy frowned. “
People started to laugh, mocking Kaze and flattering Patrick at the same time. As Patrick’s girlfriend, she was happy and proud they were singing Patrick’s praises.By belittling Darcy and her family, she finally got back at Kaze for the slap.Patrick looked delighted as well but he humbly said, “Guys, come on. I believe Kaze has his own difficulties. “But it seems like I misunderstood him. There’s no last gift or whatever…” “No! You did not misunderstand anything, there is a last gift! A big one!” A voice came from a figure standing at the door, surprising everyone. Everyone looked at the door and saw Kaze, who they thought had left, standing there with black plastic bags in his hand. A lit cigarette was hanging in his mouth. His smug look might lead people to think that he was the one who got accepted into Flying Dragons, not Hanses. His frivolous appearance made Master and Madam Otter, who were usually meticulous about manners and politeness, frown. The plastic bag
Maxine scoffed, “You? If there’s something good that Grandmother likes in that stupid bag of yours, I’ll slap myself in front of everyone!” Hanses, the eldest grandson, also said, “Kaze, it’s enough. Let’s just sit down. The feast is starting and everyone is waiting.” He was also displeased by Kaze’s untimely interruption. Everyone was waiting for the feast to start yet Kaze barged in, insisting to present a “big gift”. Suddenly, Aegon said, “Madam Otter, why don’t we have a look at what Mr. Lee got there?” “Yeah. Maybe you will like it?” “I agree.” To everyone’s surprise, the quiet and strict Aruto and Brent suddenly spoke up and suggested checking the gift Kaze prepared. Everyone was taken aback, shocked that they chose to defend Kaze. What happened? Why would the three of them help Kaze? Could it be that they got upset about Kaze delaying the feast by making a scene and decided to let him make a fool of himself? Even Madam Otter was baffled, but she suppresse
“Grandmother, Kaze is a horrible person! He must be doing this because of what you said just now and he hated you for that! That’s why he’s trying to use these cheap cigarettes and wine to fool you! Just throw them away!” “Yeah, just throw them away!” Max and Maxine urged their grandmother to throw the gifts away. Then, Max tried to grab and throw them. “Wait!” Madam Otter bellowed. She then picked up the cigarettes and wine to have a better look. As she carefully examined the packaging and traced the black dragon insignia with her fingers, her expression grew serious. She turned to Aruto and Brent to ask, “General Wake, General Highland, you two are high-ranking military generals. Can you have a look at the cigarettes and wine and tell me where they are from? “As far as I know, the cigarettes and wine are only for soldiers serving in the military but I don’t recognize the black dragon marking.” Madam Otter was an old timer and had seen a fair share of strange and amu
“What?! The cigarettes and wine are from the Battle Dragon Troops?!” Everyone was shocked by Madam Otter’s revelation. She happily said, “General Wake and General Highland literally just confirmed it, how could they be fake? These cigarettes and wine are unlike other military offerings. They rarely leave the military compound and even if you have the money or the connections, you might not get it. “Who would have thought that I could get to taste them today? This is great!” She could barely keep herself together as she was overwhelmed by joy. Everyone else looked at Kaze in disbelief. The son-in-law that even Agnes looked down on got his hands on some special offerings exclusive to the Battle Dragon Troops. Where did he get them? Max and Maxine were flabbergasted. They mocked Kaze earlier and did not hold back at all. Patrick was also in disbelief. He looked at Kaze, his gaze suspicious, wondering how Kaze did it. Madam Otter looked at Kaze properly for the first
On top of that, Madam Otter refused to help Agnes and her family earlier because Kaze had no identity and Patrick was from the Weather family. Now that Kaze gave her the cigarettes and wine from the Battle Dragon Troops, presenting his value, Madam Otter was no longer biased. Moreover, she was displeased with Maxine and Patrick setting up Agnes and her family, so she refused to intervene this time. Slap! Kaze slapped Maxine in the face. “Ever since we came back here, you and your brother, and the others, have been giving us a hard time—previously and now. You really think we are that weak?” “You bastard! How dare you slap my daughter?!” Adam bellowed. Max and the others tried to stop Kaze. Slap! Kaze slapped Maxine once more and said indifferently, “This is what she promised and she is going back on her words. I am just helping her to keep her word. Of course, I’d slap her.” “You!” Adam bellowed with gritted teeth. He glanced at his mother and saw no reaction from h
“What?! General Santigo of the Flying Dragons?!” Master and Madam Otter bolted up from their chairs in shock, and so did the others. Even Aegon and some other government officials, who were close with the family, got up and wore a serious look. Ryken Santigo was not just any general, he was the man who commanded the Flying Dragons, the elite battalion under the Battle Dragon Troops! Even a chief or a captain of the Flying Dragons would be worthy of their utmost attention, let alone the man himself. A quick pause later, excitement took over and everyone had a bright smile on their faces. Max nudged Hanses and asked with a wide smile, “Hanses, you’re freaking awesome! Even the commander of the Flying Dragons is here for you!? “You were acting just now right when you called your captain. His scolding you on the phone was just an act to fool us. Am I right? “You are preparing a big surprise for our grandparents, right?” The other family members looked at Hanses with utmos
Arthur chuckled, his smile carrying a touch of sleaziness. “Oh, I see.” A realization dawned on Kaze. “Are you with quality control?” Several individuals in dark blue suits approached. The men and women carried files and documents. Kaze nodded without a word. “We are just here to announce the results. We shouldn’t be long.” Arthur came forward to engage with them. The group was likely given the heads-up as they had the right number of people. They swaggered into Rising Sun’s building. The general manager straightened up his tie in a fluster and walked out. None of the film productions made the cut yet, and the delay was costing the company money by the day. At this rate, the project would go down under. Eli, the general manager, rushed to the entrance upon learning the news. The review team was there to do one final check. The films would get the green light if the board found that everything was up to par. The head office would stop putting pressure on
Given Kaze’s status, Alfonso knew better than to have him waiting under the hot sun. Of course, he would send his people to be on standby for Kaze’s arrival. Peter only came to the rescue when Kaze was pestered by some street gang. Alfonso’s omission of Kaze’s identity led to this hiccup. Kaze did not care one bit about the incident. Heck, he did not even bring it up. Arthur straightened his back nervously, becoming even more cautious behind the wheel. “You knew, but why didn’t you say anything, Mr. Lee? You didn’t even tell on us.” Arthur could not understand why. However, he had more respect for the man. “I didn’t see a point. You’ll learn what happens when you displease me, so I won’t bother telling you now.” Kaze was mild-mannered as ever. He spoke softly without a hint of anger. All the more Arthur revered him. “Mr. Lee, we didn’t do our jobs right. We didn’t know who you were.“But my duty is to protect you in the dark. “We saw you getting out of the train
“Rising Sun is a media company. Several of their films are about to be released. They are trying to get them approved to air due to some censorship issues.” Arthur took out a document. “Are there any issues with the films? Why aren’t they approved yet?” Kaze asked curiously. Kaze had no idea. “There are some issues. They aren’t fit to be aired. “Typically, there aren’t a lot of restrictions for film productions so long as the themes aren’t sensitive topics. “But these films featured altered history. The company has been asked multiple times to make revisions, but the films still don’t make the cut.” The Viper’s Den’s members were not privy to the information. The Frosts were insignificant. Kaze was after the Frosts. Otherwise, the Viper’s Den would not waste its resources on a mere film production company. Jet’s investment of nearly ten million bucks in Rising Sun caught the Viper’s Den’s attention. The delayed approval of the films would be catastrophic to the in
“It’s quite a bustle even when it’s late at night.” Kaze looked down from above and saw the bright lights. A street in the distance was brightly lit with many people working into the night. “The majority of people would do many things to make a living.” Arthur rarely observed these sights. “Thank you. Keep me in the loop of any progress. I’m curious as to what you’d do.” Kaze did not see a need to get involved with the minor stuff. He delegated the tasks to his people. “If you have time, why don’t you go out and have a bit of fun, Mr. Lee?” Arthur asked. The reason for Kaze’s trip was to deal with Jet. Kaze would get some satisfaction from upsetting Jet. “I don’t want to attract attention.” The last thing Kaze wanted was to blow his cover. From Kaze’s question, Arthur knew that Kaze was interested. “No. We can give you a whole new identity.” Arthur knew what to do. “I’ll leave you to it, but don’t take it too far,” Kaze replied. Still, Kaze was intrigued a
Katie was narrow-minded to spit out the unpleasant things. Her words would never harm Kaze. Kaze took the private elevator back to the penthouse for a rest. He had more important things to do. He needed to keep tabs on the Frosts. Leah’s business was none of Kaze’s concern. Sure, Leah was in a state, being manipulated by her mother and all. However, it was a family matter at the end of the day. Kaze had no rhyme or reason to get involved. Kaze soon put the whole thing behind him. Arthur was already there at the penthouse. As Kaze entered the room, Arthur jolted up from the couch. “Mr. Lee, this is the document you requested. It should have detailed information to give you a clearer idea of the situation.” Arthur put the papers in front of Kaze and grabbed him a bottle of water. Feeling hot from his walk back, Kaze took a sip and held the document up for a look. “I got to give it to the Frosts. They sure work in the shadows.” Kaze grinned. A strong opponent p
“Despite everything I’ve said, you still won’t listen! Kaze is a liar! He befriended you with a motive. Yet, you trust him. He’s a good friend to you? What do you take me for?” Katie could not put up with her daughter’s defiance. Leah must obey her because that was what a good daughter would do. “I see you as my mother. What about you? Am I a daughter to you?” Leah did not want to ask such a distressing question. However, there was no way around it. She was escaping reality. Still, she had to swallow the truth, however cruel. “What are you talking about? I wouldn’t raise you if I didn’t consider you my daughter.” Katie worked hard to keep a level head. The last thing she wanted was the whole thing to blow up into a bigger fight. She had a lot to do for the upcoming party. There was no time to lose in keeping her daughter happy. Besides, Leah was no longer a child. Yet, she was so defiant and rebellious. “Why do you plan on giving me away if I’m supposed to be your d
Katie proudly made the statement, convinced that she had done a lot for her daughter. It was only right for Leah to be grateful and understand her sacrifice. To Katie’s surprise, Leah chuckled. “What else have you done for me? You never showed me any attention. You don’t know what I like. You have no idea what I want.” Leah finally saw her mother as the person she was. This side of Katie was terrifying. “What more do you want? Am I not supposed to work? Should I be spending every waking minute of the day with you?” Katie understood Leah’s needs. However, there was no way she could make it happen. It was not easy for a woman to take hold in the Northborn Group, much less secure a high position there. Katie went through great pains to get where she was today. Alas, Leah could not understand where she was coming from. “I’m not asking you to be with me every day. I’ve tried my best to do everything you asked of me, but you can’t even be there for me during my birthdays.
“Everything I do, I do for you. Get this straight. The guy approached you because of what I could bring to the table.” Katie was pissed by her daughter’s defiance which was becoming worse with age. “I know the kind of person he is. Without Kaze’s help, I wouldn’t have escaped. Where were you then? You’re in no position to say that. “Even if there’s something he’s after, what would he want from me? I have nothing to offer.” Leah did not believe a word Katie said. Clearly, Katie was out to get Kaze. “He’s nothing but a poor kid. Why are you blowing this out of proportion? I’ve clearly stated what needed to be done. Why are you still being stubborn?”Katie believed she had not raised her daughter right. Leah turned out pretty naïve. “I told you. He has no ulterior motive. He doesn’t know who I am. He doesn’t have any other intentions. I approached him, not the other way around.” Leah kicked herself for pulling a reckless stunt. All she did was give Kaze more problems. Kat
Leah hated her mother being unreasonable. “Don’t get the wrong idea. I fed you, I gave you clothes, I put a roof over your head, I gave you life! The least you could do is to listen to me!” Katie did not expect her daughter to go so far as to defy her. Kaze remained silent, knowing that no matter what he said, it would be meaningless to someone unwilling to listen. “Kaze, I’m sorry. It was my fault that you are in this mess. I’m a jinx…” Leah blamed herself for getting Kaze in trouble with her mother. If not because of her, he would never encounter her mother. “Shut it! Why are you apologizing!? He approached you with purpose and you can’t even see that? He’s not worthy of your time!” Katie was livid. She felt her daughter was blinded by emotions, incapable of making the right decision. And to make matters worse, the girl even apologized to Kaze—what nonsense! A poor man without any background was no match for her daughter and her status. He approached the girl becaus