Reuben shuddered in fear by the never-before-seen terrifying look on Mitchell’s face. Mitchell cocked his head and took a deep breath before uttering gravely, “Thank you for being lenient, Mr. Lee, but can you do me another favor? “I wish to save Reuben’s leg, but we are happy to increase the compensation for Ms. Frost.“I’ll make sure to set the bastard straight too. I promise that he won’t show his face to you again.” Despite Kaze’s promise not to personally hurt Reuben which would lead to permanent injuries, it would take forever to bounce back. In a cutthroat environment like the Tiger’s Cave, Reuben would be out of the game if he took the time off. Though Reuben was not the top talent within the family, he was one of the best. Hence, Mitchell had to bail him out as best as he could. If there was no point in saving Reuben, Mitchell would have given up a long time ago. After intimidating his nephew, Mitchell turned his head back around to Kaze. “If you could be so k
As Kaze placed the phone against his ear, Mitchell felt a knot in his stomach. The assistant governor of the South River State lost composure and said frantically, “Don’t, Mr. Lee! Don’t make the phone call. I might have gotten the wrong idea.” Mitchell picked up on something. When Kaze addressed Neegan by his first name, Mitchell could assume that Kaze was trying to act like a tough man. However, Kaze claimed that he was going to get Neegan involved now. He seemed to be bossing Neegan around. Kaze was playing with fire by making such a huge claim even without Neegan present. Hence, Mitchell made a bold assumption. Kaze could possibly be associated with the lordship. Other than that, Mitchell simply could not figure out how Kaze could run the governor’s life. Given his age, Kaze did not seem like he had accomplished much in life. Yet, he gave orders to the governor like a superior would to a subordinate. Kaze even wanted to ask Neegan if he had got way ahead of
“Ahhhh!”Soon, Reuben’s agonized screams boomed from outside the ward. “I have broken Reuben’s leg, Mr. Lee.” Moments later, Mitchell opened the door, covered in sweat. It would take more than a blow for a regular person to fracture a bone. Mitchell attempted several times, together with the help of his strong driver, to get the job done. In other words, Reuben suffered quite a bit. Not concerned about Mitchell lying to him, Kaze nodded and said indifferently, “Ten million dollars a slap. I expect nothing less.” Seeing that Mitchell had been a good sport, Kaze did not increase the rate in return. It was a classic carrot-and-stick approach. Kaze made sure not to take things far. He was assertive enough to stop any act of retaliation while being taken seriously. Mitchell dragged his wailing nephew away, putting an end to the Tiger’s Cave incident for the time being. In the ward, Kaze cocked his head and asked Buffy, “What brings you here?”“I heard from a member tha
Darcy called to ask Kaze about the assassination this afternoon. The incident was no secret. The Viper’s Den and the Tiger’s Cave caught wind of the matter right away, and Darcy had the resources and connections to find out soon enough. Darcy sounded worried on the phone. Kaze and Darcy may not see eye to eye when it came to Buffy, but the feelings between them remained strong. Upon learning that Kaze was nearly killed, Darcy called him to make sure he was safe. “I’m fine, babe, and not a hair out of place.” Kaze said with a smile, “If you don’t believe me, you can head back to Riverbank now, and I’ll clean myself up, ready for your inspection.” “Get out of here!” Darcy whined while feeling assured. Since Kaze was in the mood for jokes, it was safe to assume that Kaze was unharmed. Not taking her response to heart, Kaze asked concernedly, “How is the progress of acquiring the shares coming along, babe?”“I won’t say that it’s smooth sailing.” The mention of the s
After the call, Kaze returned to the ward where Buffy and Snow were deep in conversation. “Uh. You’re getting along well.” Kaze made a strange look.Though he did not pick up on the tension between these two women, the hostility was given. It did not take long for Snow and Buffy to act chummy. “Can’t I hit it off with Snow?” Buffy rolled her eyes at Kaze. Reality sank in for Snow and Buffy. They were not enemies. There was no need for them to take shots at each other. Darcy was the biggest obstacle in their path anyway. Kaze nodded. “I’m happy that you get along well. You should keep in touch.” It was hard to guess what was going through women’s minds. Kaze would not bother to understand Snow and Buffy’s change of attitude when he came back from a phone call. Buffy asked peevishly, “Don’t you always talk for hours on the phone with your wife? Why did the call end so quickly?” “We had serious matters to talk about.” Kaze had no idea what he did to upset Buff
It was clear that Cyan was reluctant to invite Kaze to her family event. However, she could not talk Lock out of it anyway, so she gave in. Hence, Cyan saw Kaze as Snow’s plus-one. He was not worth her time to make another call. Soon, Kaze got a call from Lock. “My family is having a celebration, Kaze. Come over for dinner. I know you youngsters are keen to have a party elsewhere. I’ll get Cyan to give you a ride,” Lock said gleefully. Kaze could sense Lock’s delight on the phone. He knew why. Following Hannah’s rise within the organization, Jude’s people would be cleared out of the core operation. The partners who supported Jude would be replaced. Out of consideration of his bond with Lock, Kaze mentioned the Yemens to Hannah, and Hannah assigned several projects to the Yemens. The Yemens could expect profits in the tens of millions of dollars annually. The family hit the jackpot. They were moving up in Riverbank’s social hierarchy too.However, Lock’s family
The party was in the bar on the third floor of Bronze Sparrow. Kaze walked inside and noticed the customers. It appeared that Cyan did not reserve the entire space. She merely booked two private booths. The previous incidents had no effect on Bronze Sparrow as it was business as usual. The bar was a bustling hive of activity with loud DJ music, heads bobbing, and people partying. Snow furrowed her brows, not particularly enjoying the scene. Since she was already there, she figured that she should make the most out of it. Just as the song ended, the bar quieted down, and Cyan brought the group to a booth. A well-dressed group was seated in the booth. With Cyan approaching, they exchanged greetings. “Hey, everybody. This is my new friend, Snow Frost. She’s Mr. Tenby’s crush.” Cyan formally introduced Snow to the group and presented her influencer friends to everybody too. The group at the booth was Cyan’s friends before she became an influencer. Of course, the group
Cyan frowned. “You’ve not been out for long, Wesley. It’s better not to start anything, especially with Ryokanians.” Wesley was no longer on par with her anyway, so there was nothing romantic going on between them. Nevertheless, Cyan would consider being friends with Wesley. Upon learning that she wanted to have a party at Bronze Sparrow, Wesley volunteered to reserve her seats. “Tsk. Ryokanians don’t mean squat. My cousin, Buffy, is now the chairwoman of Gwake Corporation. She asked for my release, and I was let out with no questions asked. One Ryokanian doesn’t scare me.” Wesley pouted in disdain. He saw Kaze behind the crowd and grimaced. “Get out of the way!” Wesley yelled at the people in front and made a beeline toward Kaze. He said curly, “Oh, if it isn’t the moocher? I didn’t expect to see you here.“Tell me. Who did you have to suck up to get in? “I doubt you can get into this exclusive place on your own. “I hate to say this, Cyan. “But why did you bring
Robin fell into contemplation before uttering, “I know what to do. “Bring me Ms. Delmore’s trusty sword.” A member retrieved Hannah’s sword and handed it to her respectfully. “Come on.” Kaze turned on his heel and left River Watcher Inn together with Hannah and Collier. As Kaze disappeared from the building, Robin sighed. “I didn’t expect the Chief to appoint a moocher to be the branch leader.” Robin knew that the revelation of Kaze’s identity would be a total shocker. Kaze took Hannah and Collier to Herbal Spring and wrote them a prescription. Hannah suffered internal injuries from Robin’s attack, and Collier sustained mental trauma from Robin’s music. Though the injuries were not serious, they were not in the best shape. Recovery would take time. Medicine could only do so much. While waiting for the medicine, Collier glanced at his phone and said, “The story is out, Kaze. Siberian attempted to kill Robin, and the Roads died protecting him.“There is nothing abou
Kaze smiled pretentiously. “Are you still trying to recruit me, Chief Hill?”Robin hung his head low in shame and replied, “I wouldn’t dare.” It finally dawned on him why Kaze would not accept his offer. Kaze even kept things hush-hush to spare him the embarrassment. However, Robin mistook Kaze’s intention as arrogance. It was true. Robin was unfit to engage in a fight with Kaze. Kaze was more powerful in strength and rank. “Rise,” Kaze uttered indifferently, not putting the blame on Robin. Robin was taken aback, but he quickly responded, “Thank you for overlooking my mistakes.” He rose to his feet. The members of the execution hall stayed in position, their faces pale. They were scared. Just minutes ago, they taunted and mocked Kaze. They had insulted the branch leader. If only there was a hole in the ground they could sink into. “Slap yourselves ten times before you can get up.” Kaze directed the comment at the execution hall members. He pointed at the
Silence filled the air on the ninth floor of River Watcher Inn. Robin stood frozen, his discolored face carrying a look of shock. The clamoring members of the execution hall looked at Kaze with their jaws dropped too. They did not see how Kaze did it. However, they picked up on the vanishing flicker. Robin’s reaction was all the answer they needed. Kaze delivered a blow when Robin attacked. Kaze clearly deterred Robin from launching another attack. Um… It was impossible. The outcome left emotions running high. While Robin killed Siberian with ease, he was no match for Kaze. Robin looked Kaze dead in the eye, his eyes unreadable. He felt that he was a tiny step away from death when Kaze struck him. It had been many years since Robin was consumed by that feeling. Robin knew from experience what it meant. Kaze could kill him if he wanted to. Robin would end up lifeless just like Siberian. Robin cocked his head back stiffly and glanced at the dagger that sank
“Not interested in becoming the deputy chief of the execution hall? Are you kidding me?” “Have you contributed anything to the Viper’s Den? Have you bled for the Viper’s Den? You’re getting a lifetime deal.” “You naïve and cocky! You don’t know what’s good for you, clown!” The members of the execution hall tore into Kaze furiously. They were not fond of Kaze, to begin with. After what Kaze had said, there was no way the members could accept him as their leader. Hence, they did not hold back from tearing him down. “You are the ones being insolent.” Collier said angrily, “Kaze has a choice whether to take up on Chief Hill’s offer. You’re taking things far by criticizing his choice.“You are all unworthy of Kaze anyway.” The execution hall members turned ashen in fury. “So you’re saying that Chief Hill is unfit to recruit Kaze?“Is Chief Hill unworthy of Kaze too?” The female member, who spoke up previously, made a snide remark. Kaze was full of himself. Robin should
The female member of the execution hall went on a tirade. She was basically telling Kaze that he should be honored that Robin recruited him and that he should be wise to make the right choice. “Don’t try to play hard to get. It doesn’t work for everyone or any situation. “The position for the deputy chief of the execution doesn’t come by every day. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “Don’t let your pride get in the way. You might end up with nothing.” …The other members of Robin’s entourage gave Kaze a piece of their minds too. They were Robin’s trusted aides. They were not afraid of upsetting Kaze. “Chief Hill even captured the deputy chief of the South River State Branch and lost her sword.“Chief Hill was kind enough not to make things difficult for her.“Shouldn’t you ask Chief Hill before taking her away, Kaze?“Aren’t you disrespecting Chief Hill?” The same female member remarked harshly. Driven by jealousy, the female member put Hannah down. Hanna
“Bam!” Robin dumped Siberian’s body on the ground. Siberian, one of the Eight Tigers, was the strongest leader in the Steelclaw Guild. He was nothing more than a lifeless corpse now. Collier and the Viper’s Den members looked at Robin in reverence. Without glancing at his kill, Robin took a handkerchief from a female member, wiped his hands, and waved his arm. Soon, the Viper’s Den members cleaned up the scene. The injured members were taken to receive medical care. Robin, flanked by his crew, strode to the ninth floor. Taking a seat, Robin took a sip of his drink and looked at Kaze. He said callously, “Am I good enough to recruit you as the deputy chief of the execution hall now?” The Viper’s Den members looked at Kaze enviously. They thought that Robin’s display of strength was to intimidate Kaze into accepting the job. Amazingly, Robin was not upset by Kaze’s silence. He simply asked nicely if Kaze would join his division. It went to show that Robin appreciat
“That’s amazing, Chief Hill!” The execution hall members cheered Robin on with admiration. Ignoring his crew’s praises, Robin disappeared at the moment of landing. Before everybody knew it, Robin appeared before Siberian. Siberian scowled at the menacing aura coming from Robin. He felt as though he was in the depths of hell. “Swoosh!” Siberian dodged to the side while swiping his knife multiple times. The air crackled with tension as Siberian’s attack headed toward Robin. Robin reached out his hand and snapped his fingers. Siberian’s knife that took the lives of dozens of Viper’s Den members broke.The broken blade boomeranged and shot toward Siberian’s chest. Siberian managed to shy away from a direct hit, but the broken blade took his arm off. As blood spurted, Siberian grimaced hard. In fact, Siberian had not taken Robin lightly. Siberian was a prominent killer in the South River State. He knew better than anyone that it took more than guts to be a leade
Siberian was strong. No one could stop him. Siberian was one ferocious beast. “Siberian, your sister tried to assassinate me. I was kind not to kill her then. “Take your problems up with me,” Kaze said curtly, his presence at the railing upstairs. Kaze could not ignore the killing spree happening right outside River Watcher Inn even though he did not know these Viper’s Den members. The whole thing started because of him anyway. Siberian looked up murderously at Kaze and laughed menacingly. “Don’t worry. You’ll die. They’ll die too. “Anyone linked to you must die. “I will kill your family and your friends to avenge my sister.” Siberian’s voice was brutal. He was known for his cold-bloodedness as a professional killer. Kaze narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Kill us all?” Robin, keeping an emotionless face throughout, grinned. “Aren’t you cocky, Siberian?” “Cocky?” Siberian looked at Robin in defiance and said with a smirk, “Who do you think you are? Who are
“Kaze, get your ass down here to face your death.” Not sparing another glance at the Viper’s Den members, Siberian looked up and shouted, “Weren’t you cocky when you tortured my sister? Why are you scared now?“Do you think you can hide from me?” Siberian’s angry voice filled the air. Kaze pissed the long-time killer off. Anzu was Siberian’s sister, and Anzu suffered at the hands of Kaze. Siberian wanted to tear Kaze apart, limb by limb. On the ninth floor of River Watcher Inn, Kaze narrowed his eyes dangerously and got up to head down. “Just enjoy your drink.” Robin stopped Kaze, looked at him, and said, “Don’t you want to see if I have what it takes to recruit you? Well, here’s your chance.”He poured Kaze a drink before holding his cup while looking at the situation downstairs. With Robin showing up near the railing, the young group got the message. “Kill him!” The group yelled before charging toward Siberian with the remaining dozens of Viper’s Den members.