“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
The Flying Dragons had just returned from the battlefield and the elite battalion was temporarily assigned under the South River Strategic Department. Each member of the Flying Dragons was a hero, and their arrival made the entire Otter family proud. Hanses stood among his family, reluctant to step up to greet Ryken, the commander, and instead stood behind the crowd as his heart pounded wildly. He had never met Ryken or the other war generals before, and they were his future superiors, so he felt nervous meeting them for the first time. “Hanses, come over here! Why are you standing behind?” Madam Otter waved at Hanses, calling him over. She smiled and said, “General Santigo, this is my grandson, Hanses. He passed the first selection of the Flying Dragons and he was one round shy from becoming an official member. “I would like to know what you think of him. Is there anything that he could improve on?” She might sound like she was asking Ryken to pick on Hanses but she was
Everyone looked at Hanses with jealousy. The family was proud of him. The VIP that Ryken mentioned was someone more powerful than Draco Lang, the chief commander of the Lilyrose Strategic Department. If it was mandatory for Hanses to attend the inspection event, then it would definitely be an advantage for him. Once he joined the Flying Dragons, his future would be bright. The family saw Ryken and the other war generals off and then went back inside the house to start their feast. Hanses became the focus of attention throughout the feast. Agnes and her family moved up a little bit but they lost the limelight again. Kaze did not care about any of those. He had been waiting for the feast to start as his stomach was growling. He gobbled whatever food he could get and did not bother striking up a conversation with others. People saw how fast and messy he ate and assumed he had not been eating well lately. On the other hand, Aegon, Aruto, and Brent were rather quiet becaus
“A car of them? You think the cigarettes and wine from the Battle Dragon Troops are bought from the supermarket?” Hanses sneered, looking at Kaze as if he was a clown. He did not want to waste time on Kaze anymore. He could easily find out the truth when he became an official member of the Flying Dragons. Ryken saw him in person already and came to the Otter family with congratulatory messages, so Hanses should be able to get the answer he wanted. When he was to discover the truth, he would certainly come back for Kaze and humiliate him. “Oh, you said you invited Ryken here?” Kaze asked all of a sudden. Hanses did not expect the random question and was taken aback. On second thought, not even Ryken exposed him, so there was nothing to be afraid of. He confidently smiled and said, “Of course! Everyone saw it, what else could it be?” “Really?” Kaze smirked. For some reason, Hanses felt guilty and nervous when he saw Kaze’s smirk. “Of course! I don’t want to waste my
Hanses was stunned.Kaze’s words about making Ryken send another carload of cigarettes and wine to the Otters still echoed in his ears. Now, the Flying Dragons loaded up a car and delivered it to the Otters? Was this a coincidence, or could Kaze really command Ryken like that?A chill ran through Hanses as his mind raced. His body began to tremble.“What are you standing around for? Move it! The commander’s welcome ceremony is about to start!”A Flying Dragons soldier gave Hanses a swift kick to the backside, snapping him out of his daze.Hanses did not mind. This was just the way superiors and subordinates interacted in the Flying Dragons. Their camaraderie was as strong as ever.Following the Flying Dragons’ soldier, Hanses nervously stepped onto the training grounds at Flying Dragons’ main camp. Hundreds of soldiers had already assembled and stood in formation at the center.Yes, the legendary Flying Dragons only numbered a few hundred. They might consider themselves
Meanwhile, accompanied by Ryken, Kaze strode directly to the command platform.Below the platform, every Flying Dragons soldier stood at attention. Their posture was as sharp as their steel rifles. Their gazes burned with admiration as they fixed on the figure standing on the platform.However, the rookies in Hanses’ formation were either confused or curious. Not everyone knew the identity of the visiting commander today.Seeing Ryken standing respectfully behind that figure, they were dying to know who could command such deference from the Flying Dragons’ leader.Just then, Ryken’s deputy, Elliot, jogged to the front of the platform. Snapping to attention, he saluted crisply and declared, “Reporting to the God of War! All Flying Dragons officers and soldiers who passed the preliminary selection have assembled. Awaiting your orders!”What?God of War?The Flying Dragons would only address that one person as the God of War.It was as if someone had dropped a bomb into the rookie
As Hanses simmered in anxiety and despair, the inspection finally ended.“Goodbye, sir!”“See you soon, sir!”Both the Flying Dragons’ soldiers and the hundred rookies fervently watched as Kaze departed. With Ryken and others, Kaze walked toward the office building. After recovering from her initial shock, Rose bounced happily beside Kaze.Though she had always suspected her brother-in-law was exceptional, she never imagined that he was her idol, the God of War.Back in Lilyrose, everyone had mocked him, accusing him of being a habitual impersonator of the God of War.Who could have guessed? He had not been impersonating anyone. He was the real deal.Meanwhile, Hanses felt as if he had just endured a severe illness, his body utterly drained.“Hanses, the commander wants to see you!” Jonas said, approaching Hanses.Hanses’ body jolted. The color that had just returned to his face drained once again.Ryken wanted to see him?That clearly meant Kaze wanted a word with him.R
In short, with Kaze revealed as the God of War, everything about him suddenly became a strength in Hanses’ eyes.What once seemed like cowardice now appeared to be composure and broad-mindedness. At this moment, Hanses felt immense gratitude toward Kaze.He had assumed this would be his final visit to the Flying Dragons’ base. He expected them to expel him in disgrace. To his surprise, Kaze chose to let bygones be bygones.He even complimented his mental fortitude, acknowledging his potential to join the Flying Dragons.Judging by how Ryken stood motionless at attention nearby, it was clear that even if Kaze decided to promote Hanses to the Flying Dragons’ deputy commander, Ryken would not even dare to object.Kaze sipped his tea leisurely before speaking in a composed tone, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Mental toughness is just one part of the final assessment for joining the Flying Dragons.“Even though you’re related to my mother-in-law, you won’t receive any special treat
Kaze watched as the senior citizens took off. The place was quiet as usual, and many things in the unit were left uncollected. “Mr. Lee, does this arrangement work?” Arthur awaited Kaze’s orders. “It will do for now.” After being out for the day, Kaze had seen some stuff. Business was all about making money, but some lines should not be crossed. As long as things remained within reason, there would not be scrutiny or blame. It was astounding the lengths Jet would go to. “The area will be demolished after a while. I want all of the Frosts’ projects on hold. Don’t approve any of them.” One word from Kaze could shake the very foundation of the Frosts’ business. “Alright. My team is on it. “But the Frosts will ask questions and find out who is behind this.” Arthur looked at Kaze worriedly. “They can’t find anything.” No one would know who Kaze was without his permission. It probably never crossed Jet’s mind that Snow had a powerful friend. Otherwise, he woul
Kaze was confused. Surely, the authorities would not disregard human lives and demolish the place by force. “Well, we tried to relocate them, but they refused our services. If they are still not on board, they will be sent to the retirement home tonight.” That was all Pax knew. The retirement home was just another place for the senior citizens to await death. “Is there nothing else you can do? So you signed the contract without thinking about the consequences? Karma will get back at you.” Pax’s shamelessness shocked Arthur. Pax mentioned that he would put the demolition on hold. It had not been long, and now the rights to the land were handed over. “It’s out of my hands. Jet went to my superiors to seal the deal. We are not allowed to intervene. “We had been figuring out ways to reach reconciliation for these senior citizens, but Jet was determined to make them pay.” It was the best Pax could do. He was just an employee, working to make a living. He did not have a say
“I want to see the person in charge of the demolition project now.” It was not a matter of time before the area was bulldozed, but Kaze hoped to delay it. Generally, it would take a large amount of capital to launch a project. Any delay would cause massive losses. Jet had several projects that had been put on hold, and it was a heavy blow to him. If Jet could not fix things quickly enough, all his money tied to the projects would be gone. He would be forced to ditch some projects to cut his losses. “I’ll get him here right now.” Arthur went out to make phone calls. He believed Kaze did the right thing as the senior citizens had nowhere to turn to. The senior citizens could only survive with some help. “Thank you, young man. Why are you helping us?” The senior citizens were old, but they could tell that Kaze genuinely wanted them to be okay. “I don’t think it’s right to bully you.” Kaze looked at the senior citizens earnestly, feeling sorry for them. Jet lack
“We agreed on relocation because we would get a place to stay. “But these people were unreasonable. We were offered only one-third of what everyone else got.” The senior citizens were going to swallow their losses. They just needed the money to live their last days, and they did not have family, to begin with. Later, the same people had their eyes on their money and tried to put them up at an old folks’ home. The senior citizens refused to relocate and finally chose to protect themselves by contacting the media. These people sure left the senior citizens to die. Kaze was sympathetic to the senior citizens. He went back with them to a unit on the ground floor. The place was bare, with several beds placed together. The senior citizens must be sleeping in the same room. There was little to eat, only some water and dry provisions.The old residents did not have much savings. It was good enough that they had something to eat. “Have a cup of water, boy. We don’t have any
“Are you one of those people from the pier? Are you trying to get us to leave?” A grizzled-haired man looked at Kaze warily. “I was just passing by when I saw you struggling with the buckets. I came to help you.” Kaze explained patiently. He could understand why their guards were up. They must have been lied to many times before. “Are you here to help?” “Yes, I am. My companion has gone to get you some water. He’ll be back soon. There’s no need for you to fetch water,” Kaze said kindly. “We’ll pay you.” The senior citizens exchanged glances before accepting Kaze’s gesture. They could not handle the weight of the heavy buckets. “The building here is about to be demolished. Why are you still living here?” Pretending to be in the dark, Kaze asked. “This is our home. Someone is trying to take this land away.” The grizzled-haired man was upset. “What? I thought no one could demolish the building unless they had the residents’ permission.” “You’re right, but there
“Jet sure is bold to ensure business. Isn’t he afraid of shooting himself in the foot?” Kaze had never met a man like Jet. “He has done a lot to get to the top. His ruthless methods got him a lot of money. A lot of people are happy to support him.” Arthur was impressed with Jet’s tactics. However, his approach was too cruel for his liking. “Let’s head to the residential building.” Kaze just wanted to check out the area. He was happy to help when needed. The flashy, red sports car was eye-catching. However, the flamboyant car was uncommon in these places. Most workers would express their amazement, but they would not ask questions. The car pulled up outside a soon-to-be abandoned building. It looked desolate. The power lines and infrastructure were not visible either. Kaze knew that was one of the Frosts’ methods. Sometimes, nothing, not even demolition, was required. The goal was to get the residents out. All Jet needed to do was cut the water and electricity.
“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.