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
“Just tell me what you need, Arthur. You wouldn’t be calling unless you have received orders.” Philip was surprised to get a call from Arthur. Though they were acquainted, they had only communicated because of work. “We have just left Rising Sun. Don’t approve the films for now.” Arthur was blunt. “I can do that, but can I ask why?” Philip was caught in a dilemma because he had just promised Jet to release the films. Philip needed to know if the orders to delay came from a high power who could cover his ass. “Since you got a call from me, you should know that there are eyes on Jet. “You should know what you can and cannot say. Otherwise, you never know when you’re going to lose your job.” Arthur threatened. Philip was reluctant. He accepted Jet’s payment, and now he had to go back on his word. Nevertheless, Arthur was part of the Viper’s Den, and his status was rather unique. Arthur provided services to confidential individuals. These individuals were elites among t
A balanced, profitable dynamic had been developed among the ports in Butterworth. Jet spotted his chance in the lucrative port business. He covertly took out some money to invest in a dying port. The port was situated in a more remote area. Some businesspeople favored more accessible ports. This drove shippers away from the dying port. Jet snagged the steal and improved the logistics and facilities around the area. The port was up and running again. Business at the port was decent enough. As the Frosts would run their business through the port, the local economy took off too. It was a good thing. However, Jet set his sights on several residential buildings around the area. He needed space to accommodate containers. The land was required to make business at the port more profitable. This triggered a whole new thing. Jet could spend some money to buy the residents out of their homes. However, the residents preferred to stay put in their long-time homes. No a
“I’ll keep the bank cards for now. I’ll talk to our superiors and give you a decision. Since the man said that the cards are meant for us, they won’t be going anywhere.” Knox had no idea who Kaze was, but he knew Arthur was with the Viper’s Den. Arthur must be someone from high places. Eli soon put the little incident behind him. He got a call from Aloysius yesterday and was made aware of Jet’s plans. The films had been put on hold for far too long, and the people above Eli were anxious to get things moving. Though Eli was surprised by the review board’s visit, everything was still in his control. Eli left the matter at that without reporting the incident to the higher-ups. The flashy, red car sped along the road. Arthur kept looking back at Kaze, eager to find out about the next plan. Arthur brought Kaze out today to witness how Eli and his team operated. As it happened, Eli adopted such a shallow ploy. Arthur was not surprised, though. Eli’s methods were common.
Eli dined offhandedly as if he had taken hold of the group. His words were layered with threat. “What? Are you trying to replace us?” Knox asked in disbelief. “I don’t have that power, but the investor does. I heard that he enjoyed dinner with your superiors. I’m sure the project will get the green light in no time. “Even if you didn’t approach me today, my team and I would have invited you out for a get-together.” Eli knew when to back down, easing the tension in the air. It was another type of reconciliation. Eli needed to go through the review board to get the rights to air the films. The carrot-and-stick approach was the best way forward. Kaze was surprised by the sophistication of Eli’s tactics. Still, he believed he had come to the right place. Sure enough, Jet would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Surely, he was bound to leave loose ends. Nevertheless, he probably did not care. Arthur cocked his head back to look at Kaze. Kaze grinned, unbothered
The purpose of the visit was to inform Rising Sun that the films did not make the cut. Since Rising Sun would not make the necessary amendments, the project would come to a halt. “Please, don’t. Since we are all here, we should talk it out.” It took Eli quite some effort to get the group to the hotel. Eli had plans to please the crowd, so he could not let them leave just yet. This went beyond getting the green light for the films. Eli needed to make the group happy. “There is nothing more to talk about. We can’t proceed unless you make the changes.” There was no way around it. Since Rising Sun refused to make the right amendments, and Knox had orders about putting a hold on Rising Sun’s films, that was one less problem for Knox to deal with. Eli could not let the group walk out on him. Hence, he quickly sent people in. Several thinly clad women entered, each holding a small bag. Despite the weightlessness, the bag appeared to be carrying something of substance. “You
For that reason, Rising Sun’s film productions were not cleared to be aired. “I told you the reason. The investor supplied us with the scripts, and we were told to base our productions on the scripts. Our hands are tied.”Eli would have made the amendments if he could. He knew where the problem lay. However, the company had to take the investor’s perspective into consideration. In the end, the films were yet to be approved for release. “I guess you won’t get the permission to air them then.” Knox was surprised that Rising Sun would not budge on the matter. Nevertheless, Knox and his team were not there to give the all-clear or talk some sense into Rising Sun. Knox and his team could care less about what Eli had to say. “We’re serious about getting the approval. “I’m sorry that we aren’t a better host for your visit today. Why don’t we move to the nearby hotel for a talk?” With the review board making an appearance, Eli knew there was still hope. If Eli did not grab
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