“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
“I see.”Kaze nodded. He knew Welson, the police chief of Riverbank. As Lock and Welson shared some similarities, Kaze suspected their relationship. It never occurred to Kaze that Lock was one of the Yaphets. Lock waved his hand unhappily. “I’m not a member of the Yaphets. Don’t show off. I don’t deserve to be a part of the family. I’m a Yemen now.”“What’s the matter? Are things not going well with you and the Yaphets?” Kaze asked with a frown. Lock replied with a wry smile, “Things are worse than you think. My relationship with the Yaphets is similar to yours with the Lees.“You can say that the Yaphets disowned me. I looked out for you not just purely out of affection. “I felt for you because we were in the same situation.” Kaze said with a smile, “Don’t say that. Regardless of your reasons, I could feel the love and care from you.” Lock nodded with relief and uttered, “The Yaphets have always looked down on me because of my failures.” “Ha! We have suffered a lot
Lock’s expression was complicated and wry. “As expected, only my older brother cares enough to come. The other members don’t think we’re good enough. They find it beneath themselves to attend our parties.” Even so, Lock and his family went up to give a warm welcome. The car door opened, and a stern-looking middle-aged man with a square jaw stepped out. It appeared that the man drove himself there. Kaze looked at the middle-aged man with a raised brow. The man turned out to be an old friend. He was Welson, Riverbank’s deputy mayor and police chief.“Welcome, Welson.” Lock reached his hand out. Welson did not respond to the handshake. Instead, he scoffed. “Well, aren’t you eager to buy a villa and throw a party after making a bit of money? I heard that a real mixed bag of people attended. “You’re old enough to know better. Can’t you act more like a member of the family?” Faced with his brother’s criticism, Lock smiled apologetically. “You’re right, Welson, but Cyan bo
Following Welson’s arrival, Kaze’s stature rose in the eyes of the partygoers. Once again, Kaze could not care less. The world may not have high hopes for him, but he would remain unfazed. His experiences had equipped him to remain unperturbed in the face of change.Welson did not stick around for long. He had tea with Kaze before taking off. He was a public servant, so it was inappropriate for him to attend a private get-together with a mix of characters. “Kaze, Mayor Synder thinks highly of you. Thank goodness you are here. Otherwise, Welson wouldn’t play nice,” once Welson was gone, Ryna said in glee.She could not stand Kaze before, but tonight, Kaze was a star. Of all the Yaphet family members, Welson was the kindest to Lock’s family, even attending his niece’s party.It went to show how unpopular Lock’s family must be with the rest of the Yaphet family members. Ryna was overjoyed that Kaze brought honor back to Lock’s family. “You’re amazing, Kaze. You appear t
Though the representatives from the Viper’s Den were insignificant, Lock saw them as influential. These people represented the Viper’s Den, and that alone was enough. Hannah must have followed through with Kaze’s instruction to look after Lock’s business through these people. These VIPs did not seem to take Kaze seriously, though. After a round of introductions, they passed off some casual compliments.While disappointed, Lock was not overly concerned. He was just giving Kaze an opportunity, but Kaze would have to be the one to seize the chance and befriend the Viper’s Den. Lock was not against Kaze climbing the social ladder. One VIP said, “You sure are lucky, Lock.“With Ms. Delmore’s recent appointment, she’s looking to clean house and bring in her own people. Your company is listed as a partner for the South River State Branch.“Do you know that Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger personally approved your company as a partner?” The other VIPs looked at Lock enviously. “
The VIP who made the first comment teased, “You have no idea what you have going for you, Lock. Tsk, tsk.“We have a little something. Do you know why Ms. Delmore won instead of Mr. Gwake?”“Was it not because Ms. Delmore was stronger?” Lock replied. Given his position, Lock would not receive firsthand information about the power struggle. All he picked up on was rumors. The person pursed his lips. “Ms. Delmore is strong, but so is Mr. Gwake. Heck, Mr. Gwake has more experience than Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger combined.“Mr. Gwake has the support of Casius, one of the Riverbank Seven, and Casius is backed by Ryokanians. The Ryokanians have a strong presence in Riverbank.“Ms. Delmore, on the other hand, was kicked out of the Viper’s Den West State Branch. Mr. Ettinger is losing his family influence since the sudden death of the previous branch chief. “Ms. Delmore and Mr. Ettinger couldn’t possibly fight against Mr. Gwake without help.” Kaze nodded to himself. Though thes
Ryna looked at Cyan excitedly. “Cyan, I can't believe you know the branch leader. Why didn’t you tell me?” “The branch leader? I-I don’t. I’ve never met him.” Cyan was thrilled but more so confused. “Think again. Take your time. You must have met him somewhere. Mr. Fisher is right. You went viral out of the blue.“He must like you to pour resources into you. “Only the branch leader can afford these resources.” Ryna’s cheeks turned rosy with thrill.The Viper’s Den West State Branch leader was quite a big deal. Hannah, the South River State Branch chief, was already beyond Lock’s family’s reach. However, the South River State Branch chief was a nobody next to the West State Branch leader. This huge figure took a fancy to her daughter. Most importantly, the branch leader did not try to romance Cyan by force. Instead, he poured a lot of investment into Cyan to support her growth.This was dedication. It was sincerity. The branch leader had shown the Yemens how muc
Cyan and Ryna were lost in their delusions. Kaze’s remark could not bring them back to reality. Ryna refuted. “Tell me why the branch leader poured so many resources into helping Cyan and our family. Does he have nothing better to do?” Upon learning that the branch leader could be her future son-in-law, Ryna faced Kaze with a different attitude once again. Though she was not mean like before, Ryna did not think Kaze mattered much. Kaze said, “What if it was only a favor?” “A favor?” Ryna rolled her eyes and said, “A few hundred million dollars just to return a favor. Make it make sense. “The branch leader clearly has a thing for Cyan. He wants to be with her.“That’s right. This must be it.” With Ryna hung up on her thoughts, Kaze felt the need to make her move on. He said, “To tell you the truth, I am Sponge.”“What? You’re Sponge? You gave Cyan several million dollars?” Ryna and Cyan’s eyes widened. Lock said with a frown, “Why did you do that, Kaze?” “I did
However, Darcy did not fully believe Daniela’s words. Even if Daniela was telling the truth, she was not deterred. She had heard about Kaze being targeted by Casius. Casius even sent hitmen after Kaze’s life. After all that had happened, Kaze should claim some interest for compensation. Darcy was no longer the naïve and innocent girl as she, too, had grown up after experiencing many incidents. Showing mercy to the enemy was being cruel to oneself. She experienced the saying first-hand multiple times. “So, you are trying to coax me into signing this and if I don’t agree, you’ll choose to be rough?” Darcy asked calmly. “I’m glad that you are a smart person.” Daniela smiled. “I liked people who could read the air, and I am low on patience, hence I don’t like wasting time. “Ms. Quint, you are famous for your beauty and for your achievements in the business world. You are so beautiful that even I am jealous of you.” As she spoke, she stepped forward and teasingly tap
Daniela curled her lips as she looked at Darcy, waiting for an answer. Darcy never had thoughts about the two billion shares but the Weathers called her multiple times, hinting at retaliation and threatening her, which aroused her intention to fight back. She had been through a fair share of dangerous situations and was no longer afraid of a few words from Daniela. She said, “Ms. Weather, the shares that we got from Casius Weather are through legitimate procedures. It’s part of our business plan and it’s only natural for us to possess it. “If you are here to take back the shares, then please buy them back at the market price. Of course, since the Weathers called me many times to show their ‘sincerity’ and Ms. Weather showing up here to welcome me, I’ll try to provide a more lenient purchasing option.” Her words held a hidden meaning and it allowed her to talk back without losing her stance. The Weathers wanted the shares back, and they could have them—as long as they were w
Conan escorted Kaze into the car as he updated him on Darcy’s schedule. Darcy was coming back to Riverbank from Lilyrose today, but since she had to meet up with the person in charge from the Seven Stars District regarding the site inspection, she took the train. When Kaze entered the car, he saw a big bouquet of roses beside him. “What’s this for?” “A little welcome gift for Darcy. It’s been a while since you saw her, right? I believe she will be happy if you give them to her,” Conan said with a smile. “You little brat. You might not be good at everything else but when it comes to a woman, you’re an expert.” Kaze playfully mocked him but nodded with approval. He, too, believed a little gift from time to time could maintain a good relationship between husband and wife. The two cars then left the villa. Kaze then asked, “How’s Patrick?” “He was discharged.” In the passenger seat, Conan said, “He’s fired up and determined to take revenge on the Weathers. I lend him so
“Okay, okay. I’ll be careful next time.” Kaze nodded repeatedly to conceal his awkwardness. “Speaking of which, what’s wrong with the management here in Rivername? Why are they letting people in without permission? “I mentioned your name just now and they let me in as well. I was wondering why a high-end residential area allows strangers to enter without verifying their identities. It’s so unprofessional.” Snow said with resentment, “So the management sees me as someone similar to Mika. I believe people see us this way because of how they see you. They believed women like us are brought here by you and can be simply thrown away after use.” Kaze felt helpless. “Let’s just leave that behind.” He thought of switching the topic but Snow pulled him back right away. He did not know how to answer her anymore, especially when she shot a resentful gaze at him. Back at Lilyrose, Snow would never be like this because she admired Kaze. She was a person who could differentiate priva
The call got through immediately. Snow said strongly, “Mr. Alonso Anderson of Mega Dance? I am Snow Frost, the chairwoman of Perfect World Group. I used to be Mr. Lee’s secretary. “I am calling regarding a user on TikTok, Mika Suka. She’s giving Mr. Lee a hard time and is causing trouble by seducing him. Mr. Lee is not happy with it. You know what you should do.” Kaze was shocked when Snow used his name as a tool of power. Was she still the same Snow who used to be compliant and accommodating toward him? She lied in front of his face and used his name to act. “Bitch, are you done faking?” Mika scoffed. “Alonso Anderson? That’s the boss of Mega Dance, TikTok’s parent company! How dare you talk to him like that? You’re bluffing!” Snow looked askance at her and said, “If you don’t want to get slapped again, shut your mouth.” Right after that, Mika’s phone rang. “You dumb bitch, what have you done? Mr. Anderson from Mega Dance just announced to cancel you! You stupid id
“Please, Kaze… Mr. Lee, please forgive me. Don’t cancel me. I believe you have the power to cancel me entirely.” Kaze helplessly said, “I have already forgiven you. I’m not the kind of person who would take revenge just because of what you say.” “Yes! Yes! I totally understand. Thank you, Kaze! Mr. Lee! Lord Lee!” Mika crossed her arms coquettishly and approached Kaze. Her eyes slightly narrowed as she said, “But if I don’t offer anything as a token of apology, I don’t feel good. “Kaze, I am yours for the night. No matter what you want to do with me, I’m okay with it. Even my top donor doesn’t get the chance to meet me in person…” She pressed her slender body against Kaze’s. Even though he had to admit that it was a pleasure, he quickly took a step back and said, “I said I forgive you.” “Kaze, are you still green?” Mika continued to approach Kaze even though he stepped back. She chuckled and said, “It’s just a little game between a man and a woman. The man always gets t
The manager was a man older than Kaze, but a humble one. After all, Kaze was the owner of a mansion that was valued in the hundreds of billions. Whether Kaze spent his own money on it or received it as a gift, it guaranteed he would never face the humiliation of being stopped at the door or looked down upon. “I heard from the person who gave this to me that it’s fully furnished and I can just move in?” The estate manager nodded respectfully and said, “Yes, sir. We have servants and maids to clean the place every day. It’s squeaky clean at all times. If Mr. Lee hasn't eaten, we can also arrange for the kitchen to come up with a quick meal.” “That’s okay. I want to have a tour inside.” Kaze casually dismissed the estate manager and then walked inside. He did not notice that the others behind the manager were looking at him with envy and jealousy. Kaze started from the living room and practically scanned the entire floor. He would open the drawers and check the furniture o
Kaze said with a smile, “The invitation is no big deal. I can get as many as you want.” Cyan and Ryna had no confidence in Kaze. Not wanting to put Kaze down, Lock said, “Just try your best, Kaze. Don’t bother Mayor Synder about it. You don’t want to owe too many favors.” Lock assumed that Kaze would acquire the invitation through Kent. Kaze smiled without a word. All he needed to do was say the word to get Lock’s family on the guest list. The party went on until eleven at night, and it was a blast. As the guests departed, Lock insisted that Kaze should stay for the night. Ryna and Cyan made no comments. Kaze did not mind either way, but he then received a call from Albert. “I’m at Bronze Sparrow, sir. I’ve met with Ms. Frost, and I will be responsible for her safety,” Albert said gleefully on the phone.The Harrowdale Hidens had grounded him. Bored out of his life, Albert snuck to Riverbank for some fun. It was thrilling for Albert to participate in the fighting b
“What’s the matter? Are you angry, Kaze?” Cyan furrowed her brows as Kaze made a face. She assumed that Kaze was lost for words, feeling disappointed in her. Ryna was blunt. “Kaze, you should know when to move on. Cyan is the branch leader’s woman now. She’s on her way to becoming the branch leader’s wife.“I think you’re amazing among your peers. Without the branch leader in the picture, I might even encourage you to pursue Cyan. “But as you can see, you can’t compete with the branch leader. “Don’t you think so?” Ryna smiled and said, “You’re Lock’s student. When Cyan becomes the branch leader’s wife, I’m sure she’ll extend the same kindness to you since you’re like a brother to her. “You should be helping one another. The branch leader is young and talented. I’m sure there will be other women throwing themselves at him.“Cyan will need connections and help to get rid of these women.” Ryna sure had gotten ahead of herself, already imagining the drama that would come.