“But I know you mean well, Ms. Hara.“Don’t worry. It’s over in my books. I won’t take revenge on Jiro or put this on the Refined Blade Clan.” As Draig rambled on, Reiko furrowed her brows. “Woah! Mr. Tenby is so cool. He assaulted a Ryokanian, and another Ryokanian begged for his mercy.” “Yeah. That’s one of the perks of being an Uleanian. As Arcadians, we would be praying that the Ryokanians wouldn’t take things far.” As gasps filled the room. Cyan’s influencer friends were starstruck by Draig’s heroic response. Mika, a superfan of the Ryokanian culture, looked at Draig in admiration. She became doubtful of herself. Maybe it was better for her to migrate to Uleania instead. “So you are not going to hold the Refined Blade accountable, Mr. Tenby?” Reiko asked with a frown. “That’s right. It was just a slight altercation, so it should end that way too.” Draig waved his arm generously and pointed at Cyan. “Cyan is my good friend. Don’t put this on her too.“Well, I’
“Ms. Hara! You!” Draig put his hand over his cheeks and snapped an angry look at Reiko. Cyan and the others were confused. Reiko had come to apologize to Draig. Yet, she slapped him. “Smack!” Reiko raised her hand at Draig again. The slap left a mark on Draig’s other cheek. “Oh, you’re the son of a highly trained martial artist in Uleania. So what?” “Smack!” “Who do you think you are, saying that you won’t hold the Refined Blade Clan accountable?” “Smack!” “I have many dojos in Uleania. Your father doesn’t scare me.” “Smack!” “You sure are full of yourself! Did I say that I came to apologize to you?” “Smack!” “You sure think highly of yourself.” Without giving Draig time to breathe, Reiko whipped her hand across his face over and again. It did not take long for Draig’s face to swell up. “Phew. I’m exhausted. You can take over.” Reiko retracted her arm and spoke to her subordinate with a blank face. She brought along the Refined Blade members whos
Cyan and Ryna looked at Kaze in a daze while emotions overtook them. The influencers stared blankly at Kaze, their expression awkward. Draig, the supposed great man, was no hero. Kaze, who everybody had looked down upon, was the person Reiko wanted to rub shoulders with. What the hell was going on? The question burned in everybody’s mind. Mika, especially, was at a loss. She was wrong. Mika made the wrong call. Men were an open book to her. Yet, Mika read Kaze wrongly. Kaze could make the great Ryokanians fall. Most absurdly, Mika was sarcastic to Kaze. With the things she said in mind, Mika wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it. She could not accept that she lost the chance to be friends with a man like Kaze. Mika had herself to blame. Draig, his hands over his head, was stunned. It was impossible. No way. His screams echoed in his mind. The truth was hard to swallow. As the assault on his head continued, Draig had to accept the cold, hard f
Outside the villa, the crowd looked at Kaze in reverence. Kaze commanded the respect of a powerful Ryokanian. He was the real hero in this story.Everybody used to think that he was a pushover who held his tongue in the face of mockery. Now, Kaze’s behavior was perceived as discretion and refusal to stoop low to the level of petty people. Kaze glanced at Reiko and laughed. “I must say that I am surprised that you’re here.“I didn’t think you’d be here to apologize.” Reiko uttered, her head down, “It’s only right to apologize after making a mistake. I came here tonight to offer my apologies.” “Oh, really?” Kaze smiled offhandedly. He was skeptical of Reiko’s intention. His conflict with the Ryokanians was way past the death of Jiro. “Please believe me, Mr. Lee. I only come with good intentions.” Reiko waved her arm, and one of her people brought forth a box. The lid was opened, and the box revealed a black card inside. “What’s this?” Kaze raised a brow. Re
Ryna was focused on repairing the damage to her reputation as the mentor’s wife in the eyes of Kaze. Kaze shook his head and waved his arm, gesturing for Reiko to follow him. As the pair disappeared into the villa, Lock furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong, Dad?” Cyan asked curiously before uttering in glee, “I didn’t think Kaze’d be amazing. I guess I had the wrong idea about him. “Tsk, tsk. Even a Ryokanian VIP is sucking up to him. That’s brilliant. “Draig sure is nothing compared to him. “You are a good judge of character, Dad.” Cyan’s perception of Kaze changed. She was relieved that while she had been taunting Kaze like her mother, her family would remain close to Kaze because of Lock’s support.Well, all was not lost. Since Kaze was amazing, Cyan would make sure to be nice to him. She could exploit Kaze to get her family ahead in life. “I’m worried about Kaze.” Lock sighed and uttered, “The Ryokanian is not playing nice because of him but because of Mayor
On the other hand, Lock was worried about what Kaze might face. Any long-time resident of Riverbank would know of the Ryokanians’ entrenched and extensive influence in the city. Given his business in the city, Lock had a deeper understanding of the situation. Kent may be the mayor with absolute authority, but a direct confrontation with the Ryokanians could destroy him. Consequently, Kaze would be in grave danger. “Dad, I think you’re getting to your own head.” Cyan said without a care, “I trust in Kaze. I’m sure everything is fine.“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? “We should be thinking of building a business relationship with the mayor while Kaze has Mayor Synder’s respect.“All that matters is making money; everything else is just fluff.”Cyan did not take Lock seriously. To be honest, Cyan did not care what would happen to Kaze. The only thing on her mind was to gain her family an advantage through Kaze. “Sigh…” His daugh
Kaze smiled offhandedly. “At least, I know more than you know.” “Oh, really? I’m let down by my intelligence team.” Reiko leaned forward, giving a glimpse of her long neck and beyond. Her voice softened. “I don’t know much about you, Mr. Lee. “But my curiosity grows the more I know you.“I want to know everything about you.” The dim light gave off an amorous vibe as Reiko worked her magic. Somehow or rather, Reiko’s bare foot managed to creep up Kaze’s pants. She was a vision of beauty. Every part of Reiko’s body was a fatal attraction. Her foot was a powerful weapon to a man with particular fetishes. Tension brewed as Reiko’s foot inched higher up Kaze’s pants. Kaze said, “Do you behave this way with Aiden too?” His words broke the spell. Reiko withdrew her leg. Not feeling out of place, she beamed and said, “Aiden has nothing on you, Mr. Lee. “The Krads are prestigious in the West State, and he was born into power. He’s mediocre in achieving what he has tod
“I don’t mind being a friend to you, Ms. Hara. “But I’d rather pass if it’s the kind of friendship you have with Casius. “If I can be frank, I don’t like your people.” Reiko looked hurt. “I know many Arcadians do not look at my people favorably, but I didn’t think a man of your stature carries this prejudice too.” Kaze let out a self-deprecating smile. “I’m just a moocher who nobody thinks highly of. Why are you putting me higher than other Arcadians?” As one who rejected the notion of social hierarchy, Kaze would never treat others based on their social standing. Not playing along with Reiko, Kaze said callously, “I can tell you now that unless Sanwell Finances agrees to Mayor Synder’s proposed terms, I would never be on good terms with the Ryokanians.“Just hit me with your best shot.“I can tell you now that you will pay a heavy price. “You might not be able to handle it.” Reiko kept a straight face. “Don’t be ridiculous, Mr. Lee. I’m committed to ending our confli
Snow had already sent men to where the plane was found. If the passengers were taken away, then they must still be nearby. It was difficult to transport an entire plane of passengers to some place far within such a short time. It was a race against time. Snow did not know who would do such a thing. Kaze took a common flight like everyone else, yet it was hijacked. It was strange. The coincidence was uncanny. Snow believed the hijacking happened because of Kaze but she did not know why. “The only explanation is that there’s a traitor among us…” She finally came to an unlikely conclusion after combing through the details. If there were a traitor, it must be within the Viper’s Den. Kaze had laid a low profile for as long as he was in Butterworth. Not many people knew about his identity and those who wanted to make connections with him were because of Snow. It was unlikely that someone would go after him so suddenly unless this person knew his identity and background.
If they were sent to capture Kaze, then they were severely under-numbered. In addition, they allowed Kaze to be alone with the captives, which proved that they were inexperienced. Or maybe they did not know what he had done in the past as the God of War. Kaze believed that the mercenaries were after him but they did not know his true identity. There must have been some miscommunication between them and their employer, which was good news to Kaze. Tiguan and his men were eating. Since they were unable to identify the target, they were forced to bring everyone back. The plane was huge. It would be an easy target for the law enforcement to locate them. Maybe the outside world had caught wind of the hijacking. “Boss, what should we do now? That man seems like he vanished into thin air.” “We got his boarding information but we can’t identify him on the plane.” “Who are we looking for exactly? Why is he so mysterious?” The men were baffled. “We are looking for the righ
“We are almost there. We have to transfer these people as soon as possible. The plane must take off right away. We cannot leave any traces behind.” They must hurry or they would be caught very soon. They held the pilot hostage and forced him to do an abrupt landing. The sudden descent caught everyone off guard, shocking them. A few of the passengers even hit their heads. Many of them did not get the chance to fasten their seat belts. Kaze grabbed Barney and protected his head from hitting the front seat. “Thank you.” Barney looked at Kaze with gratitude and then looked outside. “Where are we? Have we reached?” He was worried that they would be completely trapped. “They are going to transfer us elsewhere.” Kaze had a similar experience before and he knew what the hijackers would do next. “Transfer us? Are they going to transfer us to somewhere secluded and kill us all?” Barney looked horrified as he stared at Kaze. He somehow felt safe beside Kaze. “They sai
With trains, there was still an option to jump out. However, everybody was sitting ducks in a plane. Kaze had always been sensitive when it came to safety. He had a sinking feeling in his gut as if something was about to happen. He turned his head back to observe the plane’s interior. Several passengers stood up in the business class section. Strangely, these people were seated separately. However, they seemed to know each other. They exchanged glances as if searching for something. Finding the whole thing bizarre, Kaze observed them. Those passengers went straight into the air stewardesses’ compartment and disappeared out of Kaze’s sight. Kaze could not shake off the eerie feeling. Something was off. He looked back, and several more rose to their feet. These individuals were young but toned. They likely underwent some form of specialized training. Kaze had a bad feeling. Trouble was brewing, and the plane was likely being hijacked. “Why are you looking around? Is
“I see. What bad timing.” Katie was a little disappointed to learn that Kaze had left, but in a way, she was relieved. She had gotten on Kaze’s nerves, and he could turn around and make things difficult for her. Now that Kaze was gone, Katie got to keep her job. She did not have to fear Kaze’s retaliation. The news caught Leah off guard. “Why did he leave without saying goodbye? I didn’t even thank him yet.” Leah had a hard time digesting the news. She had been waiting for a chance to show her gratitude to Kaze and see him again. He was out of her life before she could do anything about it. “I’m sorry. Chairman Lee’s departure was unplanned.” Snow put on a professional smile, appearing friendly and distant. “Please present the gifts to him for us if you can. We are grateful for Mr. Lee’s help.” Katie was annoyed that Leah could not spend time with Kaze. The bond could help with her career. Kaze’s departure cost Katie an opportunity, but there was no point in dwel
“Now that’s the spirit. You can’t take every matter into your own hands. You’re a leader now. You should put the right people in the right jobs.” Feeling relieved, May nodded. “Where’s the guy? I have been wanting to meet him. I missed the chance when I was unconscious.” May came over right away just to score a chance to see Kaze. Kaze saved her life, but she did not have the chance to thank him in person. “I set the date. We’re seeing him tomorrow afternoon. Let’s freshen up. I’m taking you home to rest.” With a time in place, Snow had to get ready. May nodded. The pair returned to the mansion where they felt at home. Even though it had been a while since their return, nothing had changed. “Did Jet say anything when he stepped down?” May was clueless on the specifics. “He went mad and ran out. I get this uneasy feeling, but I can’t locate him anywhere.” Snow was concerned. Jet, as witty as he was, likely played up his meltdown. It was a shame that Jet got aw
“I have pointed you in a direction. If you still can’t trust your team, you can go to the Viper’s Den.“There’s one thing, though. Don’t rely too heavily on the Viper’s Den, or your company will be left without secrets.” Kaze’s suggestion gave Snow assurance. She considered tapping into the Viper’s Den’s resources. However, Kaze warned her against excessive dependence. “Why did you say that, Chairman Lee? Will the Viper’s Den stab me in the back?” Surely, the Viper’s Den took orders from Kaze. The Viper’s Den would always be an ally so long as Kaze was the branch leader. “I just don’t want you to put too much faith in others. You find loyalty by developing your own team. Those who revere me will never trust you completely.” Kaze analyzed the situation. Snow ate her supper and looked at Kaze in confusion. “You can only count on the people you win over. You can’t trust anyone else, and that includes me.” Kaze would never hurt Snow. However, he hoped that she would fin
“As you said, all is in the past. What’s the point of dwelling on it?” Leah perked up. Such was life, but it took her too long to understand the harsh reality. She guessed things were just not meant to be. “I’ll think about what to get Kaze. Rest well. We’ll visit him in a few days.” Taking the matter seriously, Katie wanted to get gifts ready ahead of time to thank Kaze. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do too. I want to be in touch with the outside world. I don’t care what they have to say. This is not my fault. I won’t blame myself.” Leah wanted her phone back to contact her former friends. Ultimately, she needed to move forward instead of backward. She had to face and fight back the rumors with courage. It was the crucial step to kick trauma in the face. The abduction was kept hush-hush for the most part, but Katie’s frantic search for her daughter at the cocktail party did not go unnoticed. Hearing about the incident, the influential people were keen to find out
“When did Kaze start setting it all up? I get the feeling that everybody played into his hands right from the start, and he had controlled every step of the way.” Leah realized that Kaze was an amazing man. Nothing could go past his eyes. “I don’t know.” Katie feared someone like Kaze. She would not be caught dead near him. Even when grasping the situation, Katie dared not look into Kaze for fear she would be targeted. Katie was careful not to show her face around Kaze. For all she knew, Kaze might get back at her. “But he came to Butterworth alone. We met at the train station, and he helped me out of a bad situation.” Leah felt warm and cozy inside just remembering the events. They did not know each other then. Kaze was kind to help a stranger out. From then on, Kaze could do no wrong in Leah’s eyes. Leah befriended him and found him nice. Her interest in him grew. They also got along well. Her memories of Kaze were sweet. Anyone could hurt her in the world, but