“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,
Kaze watched as the senior citizens took off. The place was quiet as usual, and many things in the unit were left uncollected. “Mr. Lee, does this arrangement work?” Arthur awaited Kaze’s orders. “It will do for now.” After being out for the day, Kaze had seen some stuff. Business was all about making money, but some lines should not be crossed. As long as things remained within reason, there would not be scrutiny or blame. It was astounding the lengths Jet would go to. “The area will be demolished after a while. I want all of the Frosts’ projects on hold. Don’t approve any of them.” One word from Kaze could shake the very foundation of the Frosts’ business. “Alright. My team is on it. “But the Frosts will ask questions and find out who is behind this.” Arthur looked at Kaze worriedly. “They can’t find anything.” No one would know who Kaze was without his permission. It probably never crossed Jet’s mind that Snow had a powerful friend. Otherwise, he woul
Kaze was confused. Surely, the authorities would not disregard human lives and demolish the place by force. “Well, we tried to relocate them, but they refused our services. If they are still not on board, they will be sent to the retirement home tonight.” That was all Pax knew. The retirement home was just another place for the senior citizens to await death. “Is there nothing else you can do? So you signed the contract without thinking about the consequences? Karma will get back at you.” Pax’s shamelessness shocked Arthur. Pax mentioned that he would put the demolition on hold. It had not been long, and now the rights to the land were handed over. “It’s out of my hands. Jet went to my superiors to seal the deal. We are not allowed to intervene. “We had been figuring out ways to reach reconciliation for these senior citizens, but Jet was determined to make them pay.” It was the best Pax could do. He was just an employee, working to make a living. He did not have a say
“I want to see the person in charge of the demolition project now.” It was not a matter of time before the area was bulldozed, but Kaze hoped to delay it. Generally, it would take a large amount of capital to launch a project. Any delay would cause massive losses. Jet had several projects that had been put on hold, and it was a heavy blow to him. If Jet could not fix things quickly enough, all his money tied to the projects would be gone. He would be forced to ditch some projects to cut his losses. “I’ll get him here right now.” Arthur went out to make phone calls. He believed Kaze did the right thing as the senior citizens had nowhere to turn to. The senior citizens could only survive with some help. “Thank you, young man. Why are you helping us?” The senior citizens were old, but they could tell that Kaze genuinely wanted them to be okay. “I don’t think it’s right to bully you.” Kaze looked at the senior citizens earnestly, feeling sorry for them. Jet lack
“We agreed on relocation because we would get a place to stay. “But these people were unreasonable. We were offered only one-third of what everyone else got.” The senior citizens were going to swallow their losses. They just needed the money to live their last days, and they did not have family, to begin with. Later, the same people had their eyes on their money and tried to put them up at an old folks’ home. The senior citizens refused to relocate and finally chose to protect themselves by contacting the media. These people sure left the senior citizens to die. Kaze was sympathetic to the senior citizens. He went back with them to a unit on the ground floor. The place was bare, with several beds placed together. The senior citizens must be sleeping in the same room. There was little to eat, only some water and dry provisions.The old residents did not have much savings. It was good enough that they had something to eat. “Have a cup of water, boy. We don’t have any
“Are you one of those people from the pier? Are you trying to get us to leave?” A grizzled-haired man looked at Kaze warily. “I was just passing by when I saw you struggling with the buckets. I came to help you.” Kaze explained patiently. He could understand why their guards were up. They must have been lied to many times before. “Are you here to help?” “Yes, I am. My companion has gone to get you some water. He’ll be back soon. There’s no need for you to fetch water,” Kaze said kindly. “We’ll pay you.” The senior citizens exchanged glances before accepting Kaze’s gesture. They could not handle the weight of the heavy buckets. “The building here is about to be demolished. Why are you still living here?” Pretending to be in the dark, Kaze asked. “This is our home. Someone is trying to take this land away.” The grizzled-haired man was upset. “What? I thought no one could demolish the building unless they had the residents’ permission.” “You’re right, but there
“Jet sure is bold to ensure business. Isn’t he afraid of shooting himself in the foot?” Kaze had never met a man like Jet. “He has done a lot to get to the top. His ruthless methods got him a lot of money. A lot of people are happy to support him.” Arthur was impressed with Jet’s tactics. However, his approach was too cruel for his liking. “Let’s head to the residential building.” Kaze just wanted to check out the area. He was happy to help when needed. The flashy, red sports car was eye-catching. However, the flamboyant car was uncommon in these places. Most workers would express their amazement, but they would not ask questions. The car pulled up outside a soon-to-be abandoned building. It looked desolate. The power lines and infrastructure were not visible either. Kaze knew that was one of the Frosts’ methods. Sometimes, nothing, not even demolition, was required. The goal was to get the residents out. All Jet needed to do was cut the water and electricity.
“Just tell me what you need, Arthur. You wouldn’t be calling unless you have received orders.” Philip was surprised to get a call from Arthur. Though they were acquainted, they had only communicated because of work. “We have just left Rising Sun. Don’t approve the films for now.” Arthur was blunt. “I can do that, but can I ask why?” Philip was caught in a dilemma because he had just promised Jet to release the films. Philip needed to know if the orders to delay came from a high power who could cover his ass. “Since you got a call from me, you should know that there are eyes on Jet. “You should know what you can and cannot say. Otherwise, you never know when you’re going to lose your job.” Arthur threatened. Philip was reluctant. He accepted Jet’s payment, and now he had to go back on his word. Nevertheless, Arthur was part of the Viper’s Den, and his status was rather unique. Arthur provided services to confidential individuals. These individuals were elites among t
A balanced, profitable dynamic had been developed among the ports in Butterworth. Jet spotted his chance in the lucrative port business. He covertly took out some money to invest in a dying port. The port was situated in a more remote area. Some businesspeople favored more accessible ports. This drove shippers away from the dying port. Jet snagged the steal and improved the logistics and facilities around the area. The port was up and running again. Business at the port was decent enough. As the Frosts would run their business through the port, the local economy took off too. It was a good thing. However, Jet set his sights on several residential buildings around the area. He needed space to accommodate containers. The land was required to make business at the port more profitable. This triggered a whole new thing. Jet could spend some money to buy the residents out of their homes. However, the residents preferred to stay put in their long-time homes. No a
“I’ll keep the bank cards for now. I’ll talk to our superiors and give you a decision. Since the man said that the cards are meant for us, they won’t be going anywhere.” Knox had no idea who Kaze was, but he knew Arthur was with the Viper’s Den. Arthur must be someone from high places. Eli soon put the little incident behind him. He got a call from Aloysius yesterday and was made aware of Jet’s plans. The films had been put on hold for far too long, and the people above Eli were anxious to get things moving. Though Eli was surprised by the review board’s visit, everything was still in his control. Eli left the matter at that without reporting the incident to the higher-ups. The flashy, red car sped along the road. Arthur kept looking back at Kaze, eager to find out about the next plan. Arthur brought Kaze out today to witness how Eli and his team operated. As it happened, Eli adopted such a shallow ploy. Arthur was not surprised, though. Eli’s methods were common.