Noticing Blackie’s displeasure toward Kaze, the men and women gloated at him. Patrick and Maxine were delighted. Aside from Blackie’s position and status, his towering physique and intimidating aura alone were pressuring enough. Kaze was tall as well but he looked like a child beside the giant. He looked emotionless but others assumed that he was trembling inside. “Kaze, Blackie is asking you a question! Speak!” Maxine said scornfully. Kaze glanced at Blackie and said, “I’ve never heard of the man’s name until today before I stepped into this lounge.” Everyone gasped in shock at his words. No one expected him to be so bold with his words in front of Blackie. Had he lost his mind? Could he not tell that Blackie was displeased that he had never heard of Everett? Anyone with a sane mind would start bowing and apologizing, flattering Blackie by saying good things about Everett. Was he really bold enough to think that he could fight Blackie with that massive, muscula
As he spoke, Blackie went up closer and grabbed a bottle of beer from the table. Usually, the beer bottle looked huge in a normal person’s hand but in his hand, it felt like a little torchlight. “Flick!” With a flick of his thumb, the cap was flung out. “If you finish every bottle of beer here, down to the last drop, you can walk,” Blackie said coldly as he shoved the bottle of beer forward. Rose gasped in shock. She glanced at the long table in front of the booth and saw the row of beer, whiskey, and all kinds of other alcoholic beverages. There were fifty bottles of beer. She knew how good of a drinker Kaze was. He was a lot stronger than the ordinary, but if he had to drink every bottle to the last drop, he might suffer from alcohol poisoning. Patrick, Maxine, and the others were initially disappointed when they thought Blackie was not going to teach Kaze a lesson. Now, they gloated at Kaze happily. If Kaze drank all the beers, he would certainly end up in the
“Hmph!” Blackie was slightly taken aback. As his gaze turned colder, he scoffed. “Interesting. I did not expect defiance in Buckridge Lounge. It seems like you Otters are not afraid of death.” His lips curled into a dangerous grin as he glanced at Maxine, his expression frosty and ruthless. Maxine shivered instantly. Her face paled as she shouted, “Kaze Lee! Blackie is ordering you to drink! Drink them or you will die! “You are the one who disrespects Mr. Techman! You started this! Shouldn’t you deal with the matter? Mr. Techman is merciful enough not to teach you a lesson himself, or else you will be beaten to death, if not crippled for life, before being thrown out of this place!” She was furious as she shouted, eagerly pressuring Kaze to apologize. She was afraid that Blackie might hold her family responsible. Technically speaking, Kaze was part of the Otters despite not being well-received internally, but others might not share the same opinion. “You guys talk it out
“Kaze?!” Surprised, Rose turned around and realized it was Kaze who snatched her bottle. “Don’t you even try. I don’t need a little girl to drink on my behalf just so we can walk out,” Kaze said, and then he tossed the bottle away. “Crash!” The bottle shattered and the beer splashed onto Blackie’s pants. His expression turned dark. Meeting Blackie’s frosty gaze, Kaze said, “I said, I am not drinking and no one can make me. “Blackie, was it? A piece of advice, don’t fall for the distorted facts and pressure someone you don’t even know. It will get you into trouble, and it might even drag your boss into this mess. “And, I said I didn’t know Everett Techman, not because I don’t respect him, it’s because before today, I didn't even know his name at all. “Don’t tell me everyone in Riverbank must know his name. Your boss is from the underworld and if he’s doing illegal stuff, then keep a low profile. You can't expect to profit from illegal dealings and still demand respect an
“Which asshole threw the bottle?!” Blackie scanned around the place to look for the culprit. His anger erupted as he bellowed, “Get the hell out here and kneel before me! Don’t let me find you, or else you won’t even know how you’ll meet your end!” His shouts echoed across the lobby. “Who was it?!” “How dare you do this in front of Blackie?! I am Patrick Weather and this is my party! You’re dead when I catch you!” Patrick and the others were also looking for the culprit. Patrick was infuriated. He booked the place for his party and he saw himself as the master of the event, yet someone threw a bottle at them, splashing beer all over him and his friends. “Hmph. Patrick Weather? Are you from the Weathers? The same family with Casius Weather? Bunch of losers! No wonder you have the balls to tease the woman I brought in.” Just as the atmosphere grew tense, a calm and lazy voice came from behind. Then, a group of men and women, dressed in hip-hop style, swaggered over. A f
“If you don’t give me an explanation, this won’t end well for you! “What’s the matter? Playing dumb?” The young man with the long hair grinned. “You did it but you don’t have the balls to stand up for it? “Who was it?” He glanced at the woman covering her face. The woman stepped up and pointed at Max standing in the crowd. Her expression darkened as she said, “It’s him! He teased me and slapped me twice in the face!” Everyone looked at Max with a strange look. He teased the woman and then slapped her twice? What a jerk! Maxine and Patrick’s expressions turned ashen as embarrassment rose. Max was family, so all they could do was stare at him. “Nonsense! She slapped me first!” Max flushed with emotions. He knew it was embarrassing but he did it already, so his plan was to shift the blame. “You pretended to be drunk and teased her, you should be slapped.” The young man with the long hair looked at Blackie. “So you’re Blackie, Everett Techman’s man and also th
“Smash!” The beer bottle smashed into Blackie’s jaw. With a resounding crack, his jaw split open and he let out an agonizing scream. “You fuck!” Blackie shook his head strongly to keep himself conscious. As rage took over, he extended his arms to seize the long-haired young man once more. An ordinary man would be smashed unconscious by the bottle but Blackie was still standing strong and was able to retaliate. His body was as strong as a beast. However, his towering physique did not overwhelm the long-haired young man. The long-haired young man, who looked rather scrawny, did not move or dodge. Instead, he threw punches forward to counter Blackie’s grab. “Crack!” Another loud crack sounded. Surprisingly, it was Blackie’s hand that was broken. He cried in pain once more. The long-haired young man did not even flinch. He went along with the momentum to grab Blackie’s wrist and then twisted it. “Crack!” Both Blackie’s arms were snapped just like that. The lon
“You piece of shit! How dare you tease the woman I brought here!” Smash! The long-haired young man smashed Max in the head again with another beer bottle. Max collapsed on the floor, twitching uncontrollably as life exited his body. “Patrick, save Max! That guy is beating him to death!” Maxine tugged Patrick’s arm as her face turned pale. She noticed his face was also pale and he did not respond at all. Anxious, she turned to the long-haired young man and shouted, “Stop it! My boyfriend is from the Weather family! One of the Riverbank Seven, Casius Weather, is his cousin! “Even if you are not afraid of Casius, my boyfriend’s other cousin is in charge of Tiger’s Cave office here in Riverbank! Her name is Genesis Weather! “Judging from your looks, I know you are from the upper circle too. Aren’t you afraid of the Tiger’s Cave? And, my boyfriend’s cousin is on her way here now!” She got carried away by the anxiety and spilled the beans, revealing that Genesis was on her
Agnes did not care if Darcy was tired, she just wanted to get this done there and then. Kaze frowned. If he stayed, this nonsense would continue endlessly. He turned around and tapped Sky on the shoulder, saying, “Take Darcy upstairs to rest. I’m not coming back tonight.” Suddenly, Hector came over with the phone in his hand and a panicked expression. “Darcy, your grandaunt is on the phone. She wants you to go to Sky Ocean Corporation now.” “She wants me there?” Darcy and Agnes were both surprised. Darcy frowned but her mother shuddered with fear on her face. “Let me talk to her.” Kaze took the phone off Hector’s hand. The call was still connected, so he said, “Tell that old hag that my wife is not free now. If she wants to see Darcy, tell her to get over here herself.” Phoenix’s voice came from the phone and she did not sound happy. “You little bastard, you…” Kaze hung up the phone without giving her the chance to speak. Agnes was stunned for a few seconds before
“Bullshit! You fulfilled your duties to our family? You’ve been putting us in harm’s way!” Agnes stepped closer with an intimidating gaze and pointed at Kaze’s chest. “Come on, stab me or strangle me, or else you are going to divorce Darcy no matter what!” Kaze scoffed, “You want me to stab you so I can go to jail? Keep dreaming.” Agnes clenched her teeth. She continued threatening him, “Then I’ll go hang myself at the door! I want the whole world to know that my son-in-law made me do it! I don’t believe that after you forced me to kill myself, Darcy would still want to be with you!” Kaze then took some money out of his wallet. “Go get a good rope.” “You shitty…” Agnes was consumed by her anger. “Darcy, are you going to just watch as this bastard takes advantage of me?! I’m your mother, I’ve raised you, I gave birth to you… Are you going to abandon me because of some outsider?!” She started crying in front of them. “Mom, can you stop making a scene?” Darcy was havin
“Let me go. I don’t want to talk to you now,” Darcy said, her tone remaining cold. Kaze decided to be shameless and said, “I am not letting you go. I am going to hug you until the end of time…” “You bastard! How dare you kick me! I’ll beat the shit out of you!” Before Kaze could finish, a sharp and irritating shout echoed across the backyard. Agnes, whom Kaze had kicked to the couch earlier, came with a broom in her hands and her disheveled hair as she strode over to Kaze. Kaze helplessly released Darcy and pulled her away. Darcy looked at the mad woman who was her mother. She then spotted the footprint on her abdomen and glared at Kaze. “You kicked my mother?!” Kaze shrugged and said, “She lost her mind. She slapped Hector and beat up Emiko, forcing her to scrub the floor on her knees. I thought I’d wake her up from the unhealthy fantasy.” “But you kicked her?! She’s my mother! What if you hurt her?” Darcy bellowed. When a woman dislikes you, even breathing could be
However, knowing that Kaze was not able to help her during her most helpless time and with Snow’s matter lingering around, Darcy’s heart clenched with sourness. Whir! A chilly gale turned the already cloudy sky darker. The leaves on the trees swayed along with the wind and a strong sense of loneliness gushed into Darcy’s mind, causing her to shudder. Suddenly, she felt a warm jacket gently draped over her, wrapping around her slender frame. The familiar scent of the jacket told her who it belonged to even without turning around. Kaze appeared beside her and was looking at her with a gentle gaze. “It’s going to rain soon. Let’s go in. You’ll catch a cold if you stay out in the rain,” Kaze said as he tried to bring her inside. Darcy pursed her lips and shook Kaze’s hands off. “Don’t touch me. I don’t need you to take care of me.” Kaze was slightly stunned. He explained, “I’m sorry I’m late. When I got your call, Boris Road’s men caused a scene at Herbal Spring. When it
Slap! Right after Kaze walked away, Agnes slapped Hector’s face. “You useless jerk! Why are you helping him?” Hector covered his face in silence, unwilling to continue the argument. “What are you looking at? Scrub the floor!” Agnes lashed out at Emiko once again. “Who gave you the permission to talk to people during your work? Did I tell you to scrub while standing? You are a servant and you should act like one! Don’t you know I am the one who pays you? “Do your job properly! If you don’t want to continue, just leave! It’s hard to find a unicorn nowadays but there are a ton of people who want this job!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. She had already made up her mind to have Darcy divorce Kaze, but before that, she ought to make him transfer the ownership to her daughter and then find more ways to drain Kaze of his money. When she chased Kaze out of the house back at Lilyrose, he came to Riverbank with their money and even used it to buy a house for someone else. S
“Because of your stupid actions, Darcy was removed as chairwoman. Sky and I were also beaten up by Grandaunt! You caused all this! “You didn’t do shit and you’re back here to poke your nose into our business? You really think you are the owner here? I’m telling you, you are a dog in this house, less than a dog even! You are not in charge!” Kaze stared at Agnes as he took a step back. He said, “I am not trying to cause a mess, but Emiko is hired as our nanny, not a slave you bought. “Why don’t you put yourself into her shoes for a bit and see how you’d feel if you were told to scrub the floor on your knees?” “Mr. Lee, I’m fine,” Emiko said as she looked at Kaze with utmost gratitude. She did not want Kaze to get into an argument with Agnes because of herself. “It’s none of your business!” Agnes rolled her eyes at Emiko before glaring at Kaze, hoping she could tear him apart. “Kaze, you are the one who caused all of this. You must give us an explanation! This house! We start
Sky Ocean Corporation had always been under Darcy’s command and the Quint family of Ridgesouth was not part of it, externally and internally. Other than the executives turning on Darcy, Kaze could not think of a reason that Phoenix was able to remove Darcy from her position in such a short time. “No. The execs are all loyal to Ms. Quint, but Phoenix used the incident of you beating Joan against her as an excuse to remove her, allowing Joan to take her place. “She called all the execs to the hospital, but no one was willing to turn on Ms. Quint. Then there was Shadow, the woman who served her. This woman is powerful and ruthless. The execs who disagreed were all beaten, their arms and legs broken. “Ms. Quint doesn’t want the execs to suffer and ultimately decides to step down. Joan then replaced her…” “She forced Darcy to come down from her position? It does sound like something that old hag would do,” Kaze said coldly. “What should we do now, Kaze?” Riley asked. She knew
“Captain Blunick, was it?” Kaze looked at Thomas with slight confusion. If he had not taken the initiative to speak, Kaze would have forgotten about him. Too many things happened at once and too many people were at the scene. “Just Thomas is okay!” His face was swollen due to the slap and coupled with his curled-up lips that were supposed to resemble a smile, he looked funny. In addition, he was in his 40s. His age somehow became a subject of ridicule to the other South River Branch agents, all looking at him scornfully. “No need to be nervous.” Kaze tapped his shoulders and said, “Herbal Spring’s safety is in your hands now and they are relying on you. The least you can do is prevent something like this from happening again.” He did not look down on Thomas because everyone had their own way of surviving the harsh world. As long as they were friendly and harbored no malicious intentions, he would never judge others based on their looks. Thomas was the security capta
Poking a few needles into Rory’s body and it cost him ten million! Bastard! Rory was deeply aggrieved, but he could not do anything. He should be grateful that Kaze did not choose to kill him. “Go.” Kaze finally allowed them to leave. He then said to Rory as the man was walking out, “I am letting you live because I want you to deliver a message to your master. “If he wants to live a good life, then be a good person. Don’t get himself in trouble just because he wants to repay some debt of gratitude.” Rory was sent on this mission by Marcus because Boris made a request. The man known as the Godfather did not bother to find out who was wrong and simply sent the captain of the Execution Hall to carry out private business. Kaze only said this out of respect for his reputable status in the West State Viper’s Den, and it would be the final piece of advice. With that, his duty of kindness would be fulfilled. After Rory and his men left, everyone back at Herbal Spring breath