“The deposit to enter the auction is five billion dollars. That should give you a pretty good idea,” Darcy replied. The deposit was typically 10% to 30% of the starting bid. In other words, the starting price for Crown Tower and the adjacent land must be over 10 billion dollars. The final sale price would depend on the bidders. As far as Darcy knew, many eyes were on Crown Tower and the piece of land. The final price could very well be in the twenty or thirty billion dollars. The sale would be meaningless if the price went well over thirty billion dollars. Given the risk and the need for a return on investment, any bid above 30 billion dollars would result in a net loss.Darcy poured her feelings out to Kaze, not at all putting faith in him to solve the cash flow shortage. The two-billion-dollar shares coming from Casius’ company were a nice surprise. These equity shares could not be cashed out for the time being. It never occurred to Darcy to ask Kaze to fork out te
Casius was not just one of the Riverbank Seven. He was the Weathers’ hope to remain one of the elites for years to come. While the Glitters were on a decline due to the family’s incompetent heirs, the Weathers were flourishing. The tragic end of Casius, the heir expected to bring the family to new heights, came as a shock to everyone. It was a shock not only to the Weathers but also to all the mourners. A place to pay respect to Casius was set up. The family, including Johnson, the head of the Weathers, was not in a state to receive the mourners. “Here comes Collier, the deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch.” A high-pitched voice boomed. Several hundred people piped down. If Casius had not died, the city’s highlight would be the Viper’s Den South River State Branch fight in Drake Gym. Shockingly, the winners turned out to be Hannah and Collier. Jude, a long-standing deputy chief, was a total wipeout. Not only did Jude lose out on getting the pr
It was Casius’ head. Collier presented Casius’ head at his funeral. There was no telling whether the gesture was an insult or a respect to the Weathers. At least, Casius was able to be put to rest as a whole. He could rest in peace now. Despite knowing that Collier did not mean well, Johnson, the head of the household, fought back his rage and accepted the box. He said, “Open Casius’ coffin and stitch his head back on.” The household staff held the box and carried out the order. Johnson looked back at Collier with a complicated look before taking a deep breath. He uttered, “May I know who killed my son?” “What? Are you planning to avenge him?” Collier scoffed and said curtly, “Your son was in over his head to get involved in the South River State Branch’s internal affairs. He was killed because of it. “Ms. Delmore has a message for you. You and your family better watch your step. “Otherwise, your family will suffer the same fate as Casius.” Collier walked away f
The call connected moments later. Upon learning that Kaze was at the hospital, Snow said apologetically, “I’m sorry, Chairman Lee. I’m in Emerald Bull Palace. “I have a new friend, Ms. Yemen. She’s with Golden Scale Corporation. Her plan today is to make a reel in Emerald Bull Palace. She insisted that I came along.“I couldn’t refuse. I thought a change of scenery would help, so I accepted her invite.” Kaze raised a brow. “Ms. Yemen? Is she Golden Scale Corporation's signed influencer?” The last name and association with the company gave Kaze everything he needed to know about the person. “That’s right. Her name is Cyan. She works for Golden Scale Corporation as an influencer. She went viral lately for her sweet looks.“I’ve been bored lately, so I’ve been looking into this new live streaming sales thing. A friend then introduced me to Ms. Yemen. “Are you coming, Chairman Lee? Emerald Bull Palace is a nice place to walk around.” Snow asked in anticipation. Kaze was hes
Kaze enjoyed the live stream with intrigue for a moment. It would be nice if Cyan stayed chilled and relaxed. He generously gifted Cyan ten virtual stars to show his support.The screen lit up with a dazzling display of animations. “Thank you for your stars, Sponge.” The generous cash tip took Cyan’s attention away from calligraphy, and she beamed. “Sponge has always been my number one supporter. He is always busy with his business to be online, but when he does, he supports me with his generous gifts. “Thank you, Sponge!” Cyan was a major influencer now. Kaze could remember Cyan jumping with joy when he first sent her a virtual star. She would readily do whatever Kaze asked of her, even if it meant performing a sexy dance. Now, Cyan could remain unfazed when rewarded ten virtual stars. At least, Cyan could carry herself in a more graceful manner. Her loud and boisterous behavior would come off tacky. Cyan got up and dragged Snow over to say hello to Sponge. She j
“Mr. Aiden Krad, what brings you to Riverbank?”“You are one of Westeros’ ten best young entrepreneurs. You run a multi-billion-dollar business before hitting 30. Could you share some insights into the investment opportunities you’re exploring in Riverbank?” “Mr. Krad, rumors have it that you’re single. Do you have plans to settle down?” The press was all over the towering man, bombarding him with questions. “Aiden Krad?” Kaze raised a brow. Judging by the name, Aiden must be Aaron’s brother. When Midas King called for a hit on the Hidens, the Hidens turned to the Krads for help. The Krads would only interfere if Snow married Aaron. Due to Kaze’s involvement, Venom escorted May back home. Aaron and Snow’s date ended without any further developments. Later, Aaron was transferred to the South River Strategic Department as commander. Unlike Albert who had a distinguished military record to back him up, Aaron lacked the credibility to command the respect of his subordina
With that in mind, Natalie could care less about Kaze. She said peevishly, “You sure have an attitude for a nobody. Can’t you wait for me by the road? I had to make a U-turn just to get into the hospital.“Don’t you know how expensive the parking at St. Mary’s is? It’s 50 bucks just to stop for a bit. “You don’t look like you can afford St. Mary’s anyway. Jesus.“Don’t just stand there. Get in! “I don’t get why Ms. Frost has a friend like you. You don’t even own a car. I can’t believe I had to drive all the way here for you.” Natalie mumbled disgruntledly, her disdain for Kaze showing. She even powdered her nose before making the drive. Kaze did not look like he was made of money. Natalie had encountered many members of the rich and powerful while working for Cyan. Nothing about Kaze caught her eye. As Kaze opened the door to the front passenger seat, Natalie sulked and uttered, “Be gentle with the seat. It’s made of genuine leather. You can’t afford to pay for the
“Emerald Bull Palace? Oh, got.” Kaze raised a brow and nodded. The area of his apprentice, Juan’s territory. Juan often organized retreats there with his disciples. His persona as a spiritual retreat leader was a deliberate deception.There was nothing meditative about Juan. Juan was greedy, lustful, and shameless. Kaze had a good understanding of Juan’s character during those few days at the hillside villa. Juan had been too busy studying the Oracle to bother Kaze back then. “Ha! You must have known about the place through reels. It’s a must-visit place for influencers. “I doubt you can afford the food in the tourist spot. “But you’re in luck today. Ms. Yemen dug deep into her connections to reserve some great vegan food for Ms. Frost. “Ms. Frost doesn’t seem like the kind to be associated with you.” Natalie went on while driving. She took out all the frustrations she had experienced with Cyan on Kaze.Natalie did not mind hurting Kaze’s feelings since he
Phoenix instinctively moved the phone away from her ears and was stunned for a few seconds before her expression turned ashen. “Kaze Lee broke Shadow’s arm? Crippled both of you? You piece of trash! You can’t even take care of them? What gives you the idea that you still have the right to call me?” She shouted back at the phone, and her voice echoed across the entire ward. “Uh…” Dark had expected punishment of scolding and even abandonment by her master whom she had served for decades, yet she did not expect it to be this quick. “Smash!” Phoenix smashed the phone on the floor. She remained standing and upset. There was a fierce and resentful aura around her as she clenched her fists. Her frosty gaze could send chills down one’s spine. Even Joan’s face paled and her body trembled. She dared not even talk to Phoenix. “Dark, that useless hag! Kaze Lee, that piece of shit! Darcy and her goddamned family! They are all useless! They all should die!” Her anger erupted like
“Madam Quint, it’s going to be alright now. Madam Dark and Shadow are on their way to the Quints and they will surely bring Darcy back.” At Riverbank Prime Hospital, Joan was consoling Phoenix, who was sulky after the incident. Joan wore a face unmistakable of schadenfreude. She was jealous of Darcy from the moment they both met. Darcy, a girl from a distant Quint family from the small city of Lilyrose, had no right to be in the same position as her, the daughter of a well-known and powerful family in Riverbank. Yet Darcy was better than her in every aspect. Darcy was more beautiful, more capable, and was the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation that was worth billions. She became the branch head of the Quints at a young age, where the other family members had to listen to her. Jealousy had blinded Joan to the point that she believed everything that Darcy owned, except for her stupid useless husband, should be hers. She wanted to snatch everything from Darcy. It explaine
“Aaargh! Kaze Lee, I will kill you!” Suddenly, Shadow shouted and dashed toward Kaze. She thought her mother was caught off guard by Kaze’s slaps and got slightly disoriented, hence unable to fight back. Yet she quickly realized that Kaze could kill her mother with slaps. Therefore, without a doubt, as soon as she engaged Kaze, she, too, was sent flying by the furious slaps, crashing into the wall behind her like her mother. Kaze said, “You hurt the executives of Sky Ocean Corporation and broke their arms and legs. Now I’m breaking one of your arms, rendering you useless. Consider it revenge.” Another one was crushed! Looking at Shadow’s broken arm, the other followers turned pale. “You little bastard! I’ll kill you and your family…” Dark slowly regained her composure and began shouting again. She had roamed unchallenged for years, yet now, not only had she been defeated, but she was also crippled. Her daughter also suffered the same fate. To the merciless Phoenix
“You little shit! You’ve done it this time!” Dark shrieked like a witch as blood spewed from her mouth. Resentment quickly consumed her. She tried to channel her energy to counter Kaze’s slap but the slaps were quicker than her response. As soon as she gathered up enough energy to react, the slap on her face would disperse it. “Slap!” Kaze slapped her once more. “Yeah, I’ve done it. So what?” Pain, resentment, grievance, madness, and all kinds of negative emotions drowned Dark from within, yet she could do nothing about them except being slapped relentlessly by Kaze. She was unable to fight back at all. Agnes gasped in shock. The relentless slaps brought back memories of the slap that Kaze had given her. Instinctively, she clutched her face and suddenly felt grateful because Kaze had obviously held back then. Otherwise, she would have ended up like Dark—her face swollen and blood gushing from her mouth. “That’s enough, Kaze! For our sake, stop it!” Afraid that Kaz
“Madam Dark, please don’t mind him! Everyone knows Kaze is not that bright and he speaks without thinking! We can't even hold him back at times!” Agnes turned on Kaze almost immediately. Kaze was not surprised by Agnes’ “betrayal”. She would not be Agnes if she did not sell Kaze out. Seeing the reverence in Agnes' eyes, Dark's expression twisted further with sheer contempt and scorn. Given his position, Kaze was nothing but a fool to challenge her. She looked at Kaze condescendingly and said coldly, “Young Man, break your own arm and step aside and I won’t hold you responsible for what you just said. Or else, I will take both your hands for the irresponsible words that you—” Before she could finish, Kaze’s expression darkened and he bellowed, “Get out of my face!” “What?!” Dark cried sharply, “Who do you think you are?! How dare you say that in my face! Do you know what you are saying? If I don’t break you today, you won’t know how to respect your elders!” She raise
Agnes nodded repeatedly and anxiously. “Darcy is right! Don’t you mess around here, you’re going to ruin the Quints’ reputation!” She still believed that Phoenix needed their help and would not sever all ties at once. This must be just an intimidation tactic. “Slap!” Dark stepped up and slapped Agnes in the face. “Ruin the family’s reputation? Look in the mirror and see who you really are! You think you are in the position to say that in my face? “I’m warning you. Even if I killed all of you here, it wouldn’t affect the Quints’ reputation at all. Don’t waste my time, I have limited patience. I am just here to break one of Darcy’s legs!” She then pointed at Darcy. “You know what we can do. If you don’t want your family to suffer, get over here and receive your punishment!” Agnes covered her face in resentment but she dared not defy Dark anymore. Dark was not just Phoenix’s loyal servant. Dark and her daughter, Shadow, were martial arts experts. If the two of them lost
The other three experts of the Quints scoffed as they stared at Darcy. Darcy might be more beautiful than them but she would have to lose one of her legs. A beautiful cripple would be an interesting scene for them to enjoy. “What?! One of Darcy’s legs?!” Hector and Agnes were shocked by Dark’s words. Sky stepped up to express his dissatisfaction, saying, “What did Darcy do wrong? Why are you people punishing her? “Even if Darcy did something wrong, breaking one of her legs is too much! Are you people savages? How can you set up such an inhuman punishment in the family—” “Slap!” Before he could finish, Dark darted forward and slapped Sky in the face. “Ignorant boy! Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? Are you deaf? I have already announced Darcy Quint’s punishment! Do you not understand English? “Savage? Who are you calling savage? As the branch head of the Quints, Darcy colluded with outsiders to harm the head of the family. Breaking one of her legs i
The group of five strode into the living room. Looking at Dark, who exuded the same ominous aura as her daughter, Shadow, Agnes, who had been advising Kaze on how to negotiate with Phoenix, shuddered and shrank back in fear. The anger on her face was quickly replaced by a timid and flattering smile. “Madam Dark? What brings you here? Welcome to our humble abode!” Dark served Phoenix, so every member of the Quints in the South River State showed her the same respect as the elder of the family. After showing a flattering smile at Dark, Agnes turned around to her husband with furrowed brows and bellowed, “Hector, what are you doing there? Go prepare tea for our guests! “Madam Dark basically grew up with Madam Quint, they are as close as sisters! If we don’t serve her properly, we might not be able to make a stand in Riverbank anymore!” She then turned back to Dark and said respectfully, “Madam Dark, ladies, this way, please. Have a seat and we’ll prepare the best tea we have
“You’re finally getting brighter,” Hector said with a soft sigh. When Darcy became the branch head of the Quints, Agnes was the happiest because she thought the family had hit the jackpot. She foolishly thought her family’s status would surge, which fueled her arrogance along the way. Now, after what had happened, she finally woke up and saw the truth. “What else do you know other than mocking me in my face?” Agnes glared at her husband. Hector said helplessly, “I just want you to see things clearer and if your demands are too much, Madam Phoenix might not agree to them. She might even forfeit the negotiation. “After all, Sky Ocean Corporation belongs to Darcy and it’s her blood and sweat, not Madam Quint’s. So, even if the company goes bankrupt, she has nothing to lose.” Agnes pondered for a moment and realized her husband’s words made sense. Fear caught up to her immediately. She quickly said, “Kaze, then let’s not make so many demands. Let’s just appoint Darcy as the