“Kaze, are we really going to attend the drinking party? Is there going to be a trap? Why not let me make some calls first.” Buffy picked up her phone, looking worried. She had many friends in Riveria and if Naix said there would be many influential figures there, then some of her friends might be there too. A while later, Buffy put her phone down. “I’ve asked some of my friends who got invited. It seems like it’s a legit drinking party, not a trap for us. “I’ve also asked around about this Kiefer Heartano. He’s the youngest son of the head of the family and he has an older brother named Khan. “He’s capable and he has been contributing to the family business in Geranium. He lived a high-profile life and is known to be impatient.“He just arrived at Riverbank yesterday and found out what happened to St. Mary’s. That’s why he is hosting the drinking party to build connections with the folks in the upper circle…” “An impatient person?” Kaze pondered for a moment and then sa
Naix was not in the mood to argue with Kaze because, to him, Kaze was already a dead man. He knew Kiefer back in Geranium City, where they used to hang out and drink. In addition to his excessive flattery, Kiefer had already viewed him as a good friend. On top of that, Naix also knew that Kiefer was the favorite child in the Heartano family and his parents always gave him what he wanted. If he could just make Kiefer happy, then getting the rights to St. Mary Hospital would be a piece of cake. It was the reason Naix was overflowing with confidence. The only thing he needed to think about was how to make Kiefer happy. He used to do the same to earn favors but always felt something was missing. Kiefer was a cautious man. He would not act before seeing what he would gain. He always remained ambiguous, so he never fully agreed to give Naix the rights to the hospital. However, Naix came up with an idea that he believed could work. With that, he had another glance at Buffy a
Back at Bronze Sparrow, Kaze beat Buffy in a game of cards, which got him a night with her. The news spread like wildfire in the circle and sparked a heated debate. It was no secret that Casius saw Buffy as his future playtoy. Anyone who had the nerve to go after her would end up dead. It was said that Buffy’s parents already agreed for them to get married. Just when everyone expected things to end badly for Kaze, a few days later, they saw Buffy and Kaze together, attending a party hosted by Kiefer. Were they making a statement to Casius, telling him that his little plaything was no more? The young men and women surrounded Kaze, scrutinizing him. They wanted to know what was so special with the bumpkin that Buffy fell for him. However, no matter how they looked, they found nothing stellar about him; he was just another man. Maybe he was brave and meticulous, two aspects men could use to win most women’s hearts. However, Buffy was not just any ordinary woman and she
Hearing Buffy said she wanted to date Kaze but the circumstances could not allow it, Rayes automatically thought she did not want to hurt Kaze. He was jealous while feeling happy inwardly—jealous because Buffy had never expressed romantic intentions for a man verbally and happy because, with Casius in the picture, Kaze was destined to be a loser. Despite this, Rayes was forced to take Kaze seriously. He scrutinized Kaze, wondering what made the bumpkin so attractive that Buffy would fall for him. “It has nothing to do with Casius. Who I date is none of his business and he has no right to interfere.” Buffy’s tone was cold when she talked about Casius. She then looked at Kaze again and said with slight regret, “It’s because Kaze is married and his wife is an amazing woman. They love each other.” “Ooooh.” The crowd gasped in realization. Buffy could not date Kaze because he was a married man! Kaze widened his eyes at Buffy, gesturing and signaling her to stop messing aroun
Some things were not meant to be compared. If a man could marry a woman like Darcy, the man must be successful in some way. No wonder Buffy made a statement in front of her friends that she wanted to date Kaze. Listening to the comment, she had mixed feelings. She actually did not want to mention Darcy but neither did she want others to look down on Kaze, so she revealed his marriage. “Hoho, it seems like you’re really close with your friend, Buffy.” While everyone was looking at Kaze with newfound respect, wondering how they could make his acquaintance, Rayes, whose expression darkened, scoffed. Buffy was taken aback. “What do you mean, Rayes?” Rayes explained, “My family business, the Shure Group, used to work with the Sky Ocean Corporation in Lilyrose. I knew Darcy Quint from back then. “My father even introduced me to her and he was impressed by how capable she was. He said if she’s still single, he would support me in chasing her, making her the daughter-in-law o
Kaze knew what Buffy was trying to achieve, so he quickly intervened and stopped her. He knew Buffy had developed feelings for him but like she said, he was a married man; he could no longer provide for other women. If so, he should stay away and not hurt the poor lady. “Buffy, it seems like you are attending this party with Kaze for a reason, right?” Rayes was delighted and he asked Buffy. If Buffy was not here to brag about her new boyfriend, then she must be here with Kaze for another reason. It had been a while since Buffy attended any social gatherings, and now that she suddenly showed up with Kaze, there must be something she wanted to achieve. Buffy was displeased by Rayes’ arrogant attitude but he had been her friend for many years. She patiently said, “Yeah. Gwake Corporation is seeking to work with St. Mary Hospital. Kiefer is holding the party here, so I came, hoping to meet him later to talk about a potential deal.” Everyone was struck with realization.
“Rayes, Kaze is here with me. Of course, I have to bring him with me,” Buffy said with a hint of displeasure. Rayes pursed his lips. “I don’t want to sound like I’m nagging. I know you want to bring him out so he can meet people but you have to depend on the occasion. “Look at him! How can you bring him to an important party like this? While you are here to ask Kiefer for a favor? Come on.” “What’s wrong with him…” Buffy was agitated. Just as she wanted to argue, Kaze put down his plate of food and said with a smile, “It’s okay. I’m done anyway. It’s better to work on a full stomach, right?” Rayes cast a disdainful glance at Kaze. Seeing Buffy’s determination to bring Kaze along, he didn’t dare risk angering her. Reluctantly, he nodded and said, “Fine, he can come, but he’d better keep his mouth shut and just watch. Got it?” After giving Kaze a warning, Rayes brought them to a room behind the banquet hall. “We are here to see Kiefer.” Rayes seemed to be quite chummy wit
“Naix, if being shameless is what it takes to be the vice president, then you will be the most suitable candidate,” Buffy said, her tone upset. She was upset by Naix’s shamelessness. Naix said he could get the rights to St. Mary Hospital at the meeting and used it to threaten her and the executives. Yet now he shamelessly said Tiffany was the most likely recipient, and he expected Buffy and Kaze to take it from her. Naix was not bothered by the criticism. He smiled and said, “Ms. Gwake, you don’t need to tell me all that. Even if you mocked my parents or my ancestors, I won’t lose anything. “And you, Kaze Lee, if you have the nerve, go snatch the chance away from the Blue family, make sure you get the rights. “Tiffany went to Geranium City for this and now Kiefer is there. Why don’t you consider selling ass as well? If one isn’t enough, make it two. As long as you can get the rights, I’ll crawl out of the company without complaining. “If you can’t, I will be the one watch
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.