Despite Duncan’s sad state, no one dared to look down on him. Duncan’s family owned Marlboro after all. However, the crowd was curious as to how Duncan got himself all beat up. Who would lay a finger on Duncan in all of Riverbank anyway? “How are you feeling, Mr. Techman?” Marilyn greeted Duncan with a smile and sucked up to him. “Cut the crap!” Duncan waved his hand annoyedly. “Where’s Sasha?” “She’s there.” Following the direction of Marilyn’s pointed finger, Duncan quickly saw Darcy standing with Sasha. Darcy’s beauty took Duncan’s breath away. However, the only thing on his mind was revenge now. Duncan immediately turned to Sasha. “Do you still remember me, Ms. Spoon?” Sasha looked at Duncan in surprise. “Oh, it’s you, Mr. Techman.” “Heh. That’s right.”Sasha was all Duncan focused on. He laughed cryptically. “I’m only in this state because of you, Ms. Spoon. “Who’s the guy who has your back? Get his ass here!” Duncan was eager to ruin Sasha and get
“What are you doing?” Marilyn rose to her feet and shouted in a panic. “Are you trying to get yourself killed, boy?” Duncan’s security team charged ahead. They were newly hired, so they had not met Kaze before. Kaze had crippled the prior security team. “Stay away!” Duncan shouted to stop his bodyguards. Lying on the floor, he looked at Kaze and said with a sad face, “What are you doing, Kaze? I didn’t upset you today.” “Thud!” Kaze kicked him. “Did you not? Is that why you set Sasha up? “You have some nerve.” Darcy witnessed Kaze’s violence without a word. She believed Duncan deserved it after what he did. Duncan shivered. He knew that Kaze had seen through his plans, and there was nothing he could do or say to get himself out of the mess. Kaze drew close and put his foot on Duncan’s chest. He asked curtly, “Am I doubting your integrity?”“N-No.” Duncan stammered, “I have no integrity. I’m a scumbag. I’m a nobody in your presence.” “Can I call Marlboro
“What do you want?” The call quickly connected, and Everett’s annoyed voice came on. Everett never had the patience for his airhead of a son. Due to Duncan’s recent involvement with Kaze, Everett was humiliated, and he still had not let things go. Duncan looked at Kaze, and the latter took the phone and said indifferently, “How are you, Mr. Techman?” “Who are you? Wait, Kaze?” On the other end of the line, Everett was flustered. However, his experience dealing with challenges anchored him down, and he said curtly, “Why do you have Duncan’s phone, Kaze?” “You should ask your son what he did.” Kaze took the phone away from his ear and gestured for Duncan to talk. “Dad, this is on me…” Duncan sobbingly recounted the whole thing. “Bastard!” Everett blew up. “Why did you get involved? Didn’t you learn your lesson?” Everett came down hard on Duncan. However, Kaze frustratedly interrupted them. “That’s enough, Mr. Techman. Don’t play dumb.“I don’t care if you kne
Everett was skeptical that Kaze would kill Duncan in broad daylight. As an underworld kingpin, Everett understood that Kaze had ways to make Duncan pay. After much contemplation, Everett said, “Here’s the thing, Kaze. I’ll pay you 20 million dollars for the trouble today and yesterday.” “20 million dollars? Are you kidding me, Mr. Techman?” Kaze glanced at Darcy before walking a short distance away with the phone in hand. He said emotionlessly, “Since you’re helping Aiden to go against me, you should know that he wants my wife out of the competition. He established some billion-dollar barrier to stop her.“You might not be aware but Jiro Sakamoto, a Ryokanian of the Refined Blade, died yesterday, and Reiko of the same organization gave me a villa worth hundreds of millions of dollars right away. “If you think that your son’s life is worth 20 million dollars, I can pay you that money and kill him.” Everett was lost for words. He quickly picked up on the message Kaze had s
“I’d like to hear from you, Kaze.” Everett was interested in knowing what Kaze was after. Kaze glanced around the mall, and a thought came to him. “You know what. You have quite a nice antique collection in Marlboro, Gem City. How about that in exchange for your son’s life?” Everett felt his heart sinking. Even with Duncan’s life at stake, he could not stop the fury from building. “You’re asking for too much, Lee!” Gem City? Gem City was worth ten billion dollars at the very least. Kaze had the audacity to ask for Marlboro. “Mr. Techman, please mind your attitude.” Kaze said indifferently, “You panicked when I talked about Marlboro. I guess your son’s life doesn’t compare to Gem City. “I didn’t think you’d choose assets over family, Mr. Techman.”Everett ignored Kaze’s taunting. Once his head cooled down, Everett figured that Kaze raised the stakes just to stay in the bargaining game. That was why Kaze rejected his first two proposals. Everett believed that Kaze w
“You can take a closer look at our mall’s prized possession.” Marilyn was adorned in a golden ray, giving off an almost saintly vibe. Kaze brought Darcy and Sasha forward for a good look. Encased within the vacuum-sealed glass display was an emerald gemstone the size of a fist.The gemstone was crafted in the shape of a toad, and it was remarkably lifelike. The jewel displayed no visible imperfection to the naked eye. Kaze, Darcy, and Sasha could not tell what was special about the gemstone other than its shape and purity. “What’s the story about this crown jewel?” Kaze asked. Marilyn shook her head. She was unsure why the gemstone was considered a prized possession. Darcy grabbed Sasha’s arm and asked with concern, “What’s the matter, Sasha? Are you unwell?” “I-I feel a burning sensation on my back.” Sasha looked at Kaze in agony. She knew that Kaze had a better understanding of her well-being. Kaze approached Sasha from behind and gently pulled down her back coll
“I reckon that the stone might be important to someone within the Krads.“Aiden volunteered to take care of the business in Riverbank and go up against your wife. He’s not just here to suck up to his chief commander brother but to prove to the Krads that he’s better than the rest of the competition.“If he can gain that somebody’s favor, this can be bigger than his achievements in business.” Everett adopted the requirement analysis. Though Everett had no idea why the Golden Toad was important to the Krads, he understood Aiden’s needs. By grasping an individual’s core requirement, he was able to deduce something that was closer to the truth. “Has Aiden lost his head?” Kaze uttered in confusion, “He could’ve just gotten the thing from you at a better rate. Why is he getting to buy it from an auction?” Everett mentioned that the Golden Toad was worth tens of millions of dollars, but no more than a hundred million dollars. Aiden could have made a private deal with Everett.
Everett understood that Kaze would make a big deal out of the Golden Road at tomorrow’s auction. Of course, it was none of Everett’s business. He had no qualms about turning his back on Aiden. As one of the four underworld kingpins, Everett would give the Krads their due respect, but he did not owe Aiden anything. Aiden was an individual. He did not represent the Krads as a whole. “So that’s decided.” Kaze then said, “That reminds me. Have your people pick out a nice bracelet. I’m looking at the five-hundred-thousand-dollar range.”“Oh, consider it a gift from me. Just inform Marilyn.” Everett was quick to offer a gift. Kaze did not appreciate the gesture though. Everett was a cunning man. His generosity may seem like an olive branch. However, Kaze knew that given the chance, Everett would make him pay. Everett would never have the chance though. Kaze would fight back, and the consequences could be fatal. “Mr. Lee, Ms. Quint, are you happy with this bracelet
Snow felt bad about Kaze going to Butterworth solely to help her, so she could not just stand idly by. She wanted to help when her presence was needed. “That won’t be necessary. There’s nothing you can do here.” Kaze believed things were progressing smoothly so Snow’s presence here was not needed. In fact, if Snow came back to Butterworth, Jet would surely be alarmed, which would lead to the exposure of Kaze’s plans. Snow was slightly disappointed. She really wanted to help Kaze. Kaze headed to Butterworth because of her. She already blamed herself for not being by his side. Now that she was rejected, she felt terrible. “Chairman Lee, if not because of me, you wouldn’t be in this mess,” she said with a hint of regret and sorrow. Snow stood by the window in a brightly lit room, enjoying a moment of peace, while Kaze was running around tirelessly for her and her family. “Your priority now is to take care of your mother. When your mother has fully recovered, you can bring
“I understand.” Arthur took notes of everything Kaze said and started to plan out the arrangements in his mind. He was more than happy to see Jet suffer a great loss. Jet had always been acting like a king in Butterworth. If they could pull him down from the throne, many would be glad to see it happen. A tyrant who sat high on the throne would never care about the peasants; the peasants did not like the tyrant as well. “Don’t rush it. We have a lot of time.” Kaze was in no hurry. He believed they could take more time to prepare. Acquiring the projects from Jet’s hand was considered a step in progress as well. He took a sip of his drink and then looked at Arthur. “You look tired. I bet you haven’t been sleeping lately. Why not go get some rest? Your dark circles are heavy.” Kaze did not want Arthur to neglect his health to help him, so he gave a piece of reminder. “It’s my honor to help you, Mr. Lee. Besides, I am getting a lot for myself lately.” Arthur’s income
“I can tell he’s running out of patience. His handsome face looked a little tired recently.” Arthur had been carrying out Kaze’s orders and he occasionally met Jet. It was just that Jet never took Arthur seriously. Even if they met face to face, Jet did not have any idea who he was. Kaze chuckled at Arthur’s words. Jet never showed any respect to people below him. Kaze would never let him off easily. He took the documents on the table to have a look and found several interesting projects. Had he not interrupted Jet's businesses, once the projects started, Jet and the Frosts would earn a fortune. “This attraction is quite fun. I played it for a while the other day and it’s quite interesting,” Kaze said. “After the funding for this project got halted, their manager is at a bind. They tried to secure more funding and investment. They know this project is going to make money but time is not on their side, which caused many parties to drop off,” Arthur commented after havi
Kaze continued chewing on his watermelon while listening to Arthur’s update. “It’s interesting. Jet is like a God here. If he’s interested in any project, he gets involved and makes a fortune out of it. “Slowly, people gathered around him and started to trust him. This isn’t anything worth noting but he does resort to dirty tricks to snatch projects at times.” Arthur chuckled as he continued. The more arrogant Jet had been, the more pathetic he looked now. “He got what he deserved. I guess he’s simply unlucky.” Kaze found it amusing. It was also the outcome that he expected. He had been making moves with a clear objective in mind, not merely out of revenge against Jet. “He is. The project owners who were forced to sell their work to him at a lower price are now celebrating.” Arthur had seen a fair share of things recently and he understood why the Frosts became who they were now. He looked down at them. For a family to grow, it must take careful steps one by one,
As the CEO of the Northborn Group, Katie was extremely busy. Despite her busy schedule, she still had to take care of her daughter’s birthday party. Katie could have assigned the task to her assistant but worrying that a slight mistake might embarrass herself, she decided to take matters into her own hands. “Why is the girl so stubborn? I just slapped her in the face and she’s not answering my calls,” she said, her tone upset. She never knew her daughter could be so stubborn. She believed she did the right thing because she wanted Leah to be better, yet the girl did not appreciate her gesture and insisted on blaming her. “Leah is a smart girl, but this is too much. Regardless, she can be mad all she wants. As long as she’s still within our turf, things won’t spiral out of control.” Joey then came back with a cup of coffee and put it in front of her boss. She said softly, “If she’s a smart girl, she would know what to do and not just make you mad every time.” Katie sta
While Kaze was staying in the hotel, he kept having a feeling that he was being watched. It made him uncomfortable. His worry resulted in extra caution but he had never met anyone unfamiliar at the penthouse level. He did not want to have excessive contact with the hotel staff and tried his very best to stay away from Katie. He was not afraid of the woman but he simply did not want to get himself in trouble. The Northborn Hotel was the biggest hotel in Butterworth. It was the house of many, probably almost all, important banquets and events in its grand ballroom. Being able to host a banquet at the grand ballroom was considered a prestigious honor. Although the reservation process was tedious and the fee was exorbitant, many people still wanted to host their events or banquets at the hotel. The Northborn Hotel was also decorated lavishly, equipped with many convenient infrastructures. Other than banquets and events, companies would also rent the place for business meeti
Aloysius came to have lunch and he picked up a piece of information during his meal. He wondered if it was real. When he first heard it, he thought it was ridiculous, but on second thought, it somehow made sense. Katie usually looked like a caring but overprotective mother but who would know for sure that she would not do something so outrageous? Once a person was driven by benefits and gains, sentiments and emotions ought to be sacrificed. “She’s ruthless but only a woman with her personality is fit to be the CEO of the Northborn Group,” Jet said with an approving nod. When a person discarded all sentiments and emotions, he or she would be invincible. “Are we attending the party?” “Of course we are. I still have to find the mastermind.” Jet refused to just step back. Someone ought to pay for halting his business ventures. “I understand. I’ll prepare a gift.” Aloysius nodded and turned around to leave the room. Jet remained in his seat, sipping on his glass of win
Jet did not look worried. His companions were confused. Anyone else in Jet’s position would panic. Each day the business ventures were on hold, and he faced continuous losses.However, Jet remained composed. It proved that Jet was competent to face problems. Despite the obstacles, Jet was able to overcome it in no time. “I see. Do tell if you need any help. We are happy to lend a hand.” “Yeah. I’m sure the problems will go away soon enough.” The group uttered, not taking the incident to heart. Seeing that the group was gullible, Jet was relieved. After dinner, Jet sent his drunk guests away. Jet grimaced. “None of them know anything. Those who do won’t see me.” Jet was curious as to who he had upset to deserve the attack. There was still wiggle room in regard to his business ventures, and Jet could still afford the wait. Nevertheless, it was frustrating to be targeted. “Is there anything you need, sir?” Aloysius asked. “Keep an eye on these people. Check
“We are happy to have dinner with you, but it’s only been a few days since we last saw you.” Though confused, the group took their seats. Jet invited them out to see if they knew anything about the mastermind behind the halted projects. However, the group behaved no differently from before. “Friends should always stay connected. I’m looking to take on a few business ventures. I was wondering if any of you are interested.” Jet was not in the mood to start new business dealings. He was simply trying to extract information from the group. Jet’s business ventures were stalled, and if the group had an inkling, they would not do business with him.If they were in the dark, they would jump at the opportunity to close the deal. They could not possibly say no, especially since they had been begging for Jet to throw a lifeline. “What kind of business are we talking about?” “Yeah. Can we be a part of it?” “I’ve been wanting to do business with you, Jet. It’s a pity we never