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
Kaze wondered if his generous cash handouts had backfired on Cyan. Maybe he should take back his donations and retract the sources allocated to her by Golden Scale Corporation. Everybody took their seats. An awkward moment followed. Somehow or rather, there were no seats left when it was Kaze’s turn to sit down. “Ha. Mr. Lee of Golden Scale Corporation.” Wesley looked at Kaze with a smirk and said sarcastically, “I’m sorry. I might have forgotten that you were attending when I reserved the booths.“But you’re just a sales manager. You are not qualified to sit with us.“Look around. They are all senior members of Golden Scale Corporation. They are your boss’ boss’ boss. “You might want to find somewhere else to sit.“If you’re short of money, just put it on my tab. “It’s my treat tonight! “Consider it a celebration of my release. I’m disappointed that you reported me to the police, though.” Wesley gestured gracefully for Kaze to leave. Draig let out an amused gr
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
Though it was infuriating that Kaze cost Darcy her job at Sky Ocean Corporation, Hector was willing to give Kaze another chance for some reason. He was curious whether Kaze was telling the truth. Hector had been taking the calls since yesterday while keeping Agnes out of the loop. “Kaze was right.” Hector looked at Kaze with a mix of emotions, and there was one thing he did not understand. “I just don’t get how he got Perfect World Group and Mayor Synder to follow through with his instructions.” It was a debt and project worth tens of billions.Even if Kaze had ties to Perfect World Group and Kent, it was a big personal favor to ask. Hector could not figure it out. Agnes’ jaw opened, and she glanced at Kaze before tugging at him. “Have a seat, Kaze. Have you had breakfast? Come. Do you want milk with your cereal?” She was always quick to adapt to the situation. Her attitude toward Kaze took a 180 turn. Agnes was not one to reflect on herself. She did not care what Ka
Phoenix uttered indignantly, “That’s fresh coming from Kent. “Didn’t you tell them that you were there on my behalf?“I’m a senior member of the Ridgesouth Quints. Can’t they just hand the rights to use the land to us?” Dark said resentfully, “According to the Riverbank council, they only answer to Darcy, not the Ridgesouth Quints.” “Oh, brilliant. Just brilliant.” Phoenix smirked furiously. “Kent has no respect for me. The Westeros Synders will pay for this!“What’s the situation like in Lilyrose? What does Perfect World Group have to say about this? Don’t tell me only Darcy can handle the business deals?” Dark grimaced hard. “Ma’am, when I said that I was representing you, I wasn’t even allowed into the premises.” …Humiliated, Phoenix froze. As tension rose, Phoenix jolted to her feet exasperatedly and slammed the table. “That’s pushing it!” With Phoenix seething in rage, some family members had ideas of their own. Phoenix had been acting high and mighty, looki
“The family of ingrates!“They have some nerve to threaten and manipulate me.”Phoenix was livid. She, a senior member of the Ridgesouth Quints, had always been superior and the center of attention. No one would defy her. Phoenix believed Hector’s family would not rebel against her. However, Kaze and Darcy had been nothing but a menace since her arrival in Riverbank. Kaze even put her behind bars for a few hours. Phoenix had never been so humiliated. She had had enough. The other family members in the South River State kept to themselves, not wanting to be at the firing end. Phoenix had dragged two family members out to the corridor to punish them for saying something she did not like. They could still hear the echoes of the slapping sound. Anxiety washed over the ward. Joan and her family were desperate. With Phoenix’s help, Joan finally seized Sky Ocean Corporation for her own, only to be blindsided by Perfect World Group and the Riverbank council. The corpora
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