“Kaze, Darcy, you two little brats! When I get out, I will crush you two…” Phoenix screamed like a madwoman as she was taken away by the police. As for her threats, Kaze simply turned a deaf ear. He even smiled at the others and said, “This is how a reputable figure behaves when she’s taken away by the police. Manners and respect are nonsense…” The other family members did not expect things to take such an unexpected turn. Phoenix landed in Riverbank for less than three hours and she was taken away by the police. How did Kaze do it? What gave him the nerve? Phoenix was not just some old woman, she was a respectable elder of the Quint family! Joan looked at Kaze with gritted teeth and said, “Kaze Lee, you got what you want. “Grandaunt slapped some filthy employees and you got her arrested? It’s not even that serious! How dare you call the police on her? “How long do you think they will keep her? One call and she will be out in no time! Just you wait! When Grandaunt get
Kaze’s appearance was unexpected and his arrogant attitude that disregarded everything gave Joan and the others a hard time. He did not care whether it was a setup or not because he did not even show any respect to Phoenix, an elder of the Quint family. Phoenix represented the Quint family and came to Riverbank for an inspection, yet she was arrested on her first day there and the one who called the police on her was a junior in the family. There was no such precedence in the history of the family! “Kaze Lee! Your arrogance will kill you one day! Grandaunt will certainly come after you!” The others went up to Joan to help her out, cursing at Kaze as they walked out. Kaze did not even bother arguing with the incompetent fools. “Kaze, you are going to get us in a lot of trouble! How dare you call the police on Grandaunt? You wretched…” Agnes pointed at Kaze with her shaking hand but there was nothing she could do. She grunted heavily and walked out of the meeting room.
The next day, 10.30 am. Kaze and Darcy arrived at Four Ocean Auction right on time. Originally, the auction was held at the more well-known Gaven Auction House, but an hour before the auction, the committee informed the participants that the venue had been changed to Four Ocean Auction. Kaze and Darcy were forced to change their destination. Looking at the massive signage above their heads from the ascending stairs, Darcy instantly felt gloomy. “This auction is unusually big even in Riverbank. The committee changing it to Four Ocean Auction at the very last minute is against the rules. I have a bad feeling about this,” Darcy grumbled softly to Kaze. It was without a doubt that Gaven Auction House was more famous than the smaller-scale Four Ocean, yet in all of South River State, the name Four Ocean held influence over many industries, even in the auction field. Four Ocean Auction had a stronger background and even Gaven Auction House had to step down despite it being a bi
It was without a doubt that the vase was just the appetizer for the entire course, yet its starting price was ten million. The price was the best proof of how exclusive and prestigious the auction was. “Eleven million.” “Thirteen million.” …The auctioneer's pleasant voice echoed through the hall, drawing in more bids and making the atmosphere even livelier. In the end, the vase was bought by a young man who wanted it as a present for the elder of his family; it sold for twenty million. More and more items came on. People started to place their bids and the atmosphere got lively. Only Kaze and Darcy did not participate in any of the auctions. On top of that, Aiden was nowhere to be found either. After the ten-minute break, the auction entered its second session. A few more items were sold before a loud bang came from the entrance as the door was kicked open. Frightened, everyone turned around and saw a group of people swarming in. The leader was a young man i
“You’re a bright one. We can hang out next time. Give me a call.” Aiden was pleased by the young man’s reaction and gave him a name card. He then sat down on the chair the young man had brought him. No one looked down on the young man for giving up his seat and attended to Aiden like a servant. The Krad family was a behemoth to the families here in Riverbank, and only a handful could match Aiden in person. On the contrary, others were jealous of the young man because he got Aiden’s name card. This meant he had a chance—an entry ticket—to join Aiden’s social circle. If he could just please Aiden, he might bring huge benefits to himself and his family. Aiden’s followers sat down as well and started chatting, as if they arrived at their friend’s place instead of an auction. Joan sat beside Aiden with her eyes radiating with brilliance. She wished she could lean on Aiden and surrender her body to him. Aiden’s arrival snatched the spotlight and became the center of attenti
“Besides, the branch head is speaking. So why are you, a filthy bitch, interrupting? Do you think you are in the same league as my wife because you are sitting with Aiden?” Joan used her position to mock Darcy, so Kaze used the same poison on her and made it hurt twice as much. As his words escaped, not only Joan but also Aiden’s expression darkened. If a filthy bitch from the Quint family had the right to sit beside Aiden, what would that make him? “So you are Kaze Lee?” It was Aiden’s first time meeting Kaze in person. He scrutinized Kaze and then said coldly, “Your mouth is as filthy as the voice on the phone.” He remembered listening to Kaze’s voice through the phone, mocking him. Kaze smiled. “My fists speak louder than my words. I used to punch a ninja from Ryokan to death. Do you want to have a taste?” “You killed a Ryokan ninja? You’re bluffing!” Kaze’s words sparked a heated discussion among the others. Knowing that Darcy’s spouse was a live-in husband, mos
After witnessing the golden sparkle of the Golden Toad, everyone’s interest was piqued. “The bidding starts now!” said the auctioneer as she noticed the heightened interest. “110 million!” A chairman of a big company raised his sign. He then looked around him and chuckled, saying, “My friends, I hope you guys can let me have this.” “You want the Golden Toad with just 110 million? You’re being really optimistic.” “But, all of us here are either bosses of big companies or heads of powerful families. I’m afraid your words are not enough to convince us to step down.” “Let’s just see who has the highest bid.” Following the mocks and sneers, another chairman raised his sign and said, “150 million!” He added forty million in one bid! The first chairman’s expression ashened. It was obvious that the two of them had beef. “160 million!” “190 million!” “200 million!” As signs were raised, the bids reached 200 million in a moment. The bidding war expanded beyond the two
Sudden realization struck. “Oh? It’s him? Boris Road is a legend!” Being one of the big four kingpins in the underworld of Riverbank, Boris was worthy of being called a legend. He started his business in the underworld and had nothing to begin with. In thirty years' time, he managed to acquire a billion in net worth. More importantly, he grew up in the underworld yet he was able to withdraw from it after getting rich. He was more capable than any other gangster boss or kingpin. Many who shared a similar background with Boris would either end up dead in their later years or imprisoned. Therefore, when the crowd knew the man was Boris, they nodded and bowed at him, hoping to make acquaintance. Boris greeted them one by one and then looked at Aiden. “Mr. Aiden Krad, I am sorry but I am extremely interested in the Golden Toad. I hope you will let me have it.” Aiden’s expression ashened. “Mr. Road, I have heard many things about you. You are interested in the Golden Toad,
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