Kaze dropped a bombshell. The crowd looked up at Kaze in shock. Kaze spent seven billion dollars just to destroy the art piece. All he wanted to do was test out its hardness. It was an outrageous waste. No! It was downright insane!“S-Say that one more time. What are you trying to do?” Aiden had to be sure. By the looks of things, he believed Kaze had lost his mind. “Are you deaf? I’ll say this again.” Kaze said with a wide grin, “I want to smash the Golden Toad in front of everybody. “I can be a little extreme. I would rather destroy the things I can’t have. “You pushed me to it, Mr. Krad.“Besides, this baby is worth seven billion dollars. Even the world’s richest wouldn’t destroy something valued at seven billion dollars. “Don’t you think?” Straightening his back, Kaze looked around the room in defiance. Aiden was tempted to get in Kaze’s face and beat him up. “Are you ready? I’m doing it.” Kaze raised the metal gravel and shouted. An uproar broke out i
“Kaze.” Aiden’s sidekick came forth and pointed at Kaze arrogantly. “Enough with the games. Do you think you can fool Mr. Krad? “You can either smash the gem right now or get on your knees and present the Golden Toad to Mr. Krad. “If you’re lucky, Mr. Krad might forgive you.”Kaze smiled offhandedly. “Kneel?“Believe me when I say that you’ll be on your knees begging me in a bit.” The sidekick scoffed and looked at Kaze in disdain. Aiden smirked in rage. “You want my buddy to beg you, Lee? Who do you think you are?” “Rest assured, Mr. Krad.” Kaze replied indifferently, “I know who I am.” Aiden narrowed his eyes and looked at Kaze as if he was a dead man. Not passing the chance to mock Kaze, Joan rose to her feet. “Who are you bluffing, Kaze? I dare you to smash the Golden Toad.” Her expression was of defiance and contempt. She hated Kaze’s guts. He attacked her twice in public yesterday, and she needed to get urgent care. Today, she could only show her face to
On her deathbed, Melissa expressed deep regret for stealing the Golden Toad. She wanted to get the gem back to atone for her sins. Sean became obsessed with finding the Golden Toad. The young members of the family had been on a relentless search to locate the Golden Toad. Not too long ago, Aiden finally tracked the Golden Toad down in Geranium City. The wealthy businessman from Geranium City, who bought the Golden Toad, did not appreciate its value, and the gem changed hands multiple times over the years. The Golden Toad was nothing more than a decorative piece to others, but it held profound meaning to the Krads. Hence, Aiden was able to acquire the Golden Toad for a hundred million dollars effortlessly. Only, the ease of retrieving the Golden Toad would undermine his effort and determination. So Aiden secretly passed the Golden Toad to Everett and orchestrated today’s auction. His goal was to turn his grandparents’ love story and his dedication into a legendary tal
Darcy was aware of Kaze’s plan. Still, she clung to the edge of her seat as Kaze confronted Aiden. Planning was one thing, and execution was another. Kaze needed to get everything right to win the battle of wits against Aiden. Judging by Aiden’s response, Kaze played his cards right. Kaze got Aiden right where he wanted him. “You should always leave things on a good note.” Aiden looked at Kaze and hissed through clenched teeth. “Don’t take things far, Lee.” “What happened to the determination you showed when you threatened to make my wife pay? Just cut the crap.”Kaze scoffed and said indifferently, “Didn’t you want the Golden Toad? I can give it to you.“You can buy it for eight billion dollars. “You are free to leave with the Golden Toad once I get the money.” Eight billion dollars? The crowd erupted into an uproar. Kaze’s demand was uncalled for. Kaze paid seven billion dollars for the Golden Toad, and now he was selling it to Aiden for an extra billion do
The crowd believed Aiden was off his rocker. The Golden Toad was worth no more than a hundred million dollars. Yet, Kaze purchased it for seven billion dollars. Everybody assumed Kaze was a sucker to outbid Aiden. Moments ago, many of them mocked Kaze. Aiden turned out to be the bigger sucker. He spent another three billion dollars to take the Golden Toad off Kaze’s hands. What was going on? Everybody was confused. Aiden was probably the only one who had a clear picture of the situation. He would be an idiot if he still had not caught on. “I don’t care how you figured out the secret behind the Golden Toad, Lee. Just you wait. This is far from over.” Aiden glared at Kaze and hissed through clenched teeth. He understood that he did not lose to Kaze. The information gap cost Aiden the victory. Kaze must have known what the Golden Toad meant to the Krads and outbid him in the auction. Most frustratingly, Aiden had no choice but to concede to Kaze’s manipulatio
Ignoring Aiden, Kaze turned to the stunned auctioneer and smiled. “Carry on, lady.” Kaze went back to his seat. “You were amazing, honey!” Darcy took Kaze’s arm excitedly. If they were alone, she would give him a kiss. Kaze played Aiden like a fiddle without getting physical. Darcy had known what the Golden Toad meant to Aiden beforehand. Still, not many could pull it off like Kaze. “We shall continue with the auction.” The female auctioneer took a deep breath and hosted the auction. The later part of the auction appeared anticlimactic. The items featured in the auction, regardless of their value, were lackluster compared to the thrill of auctioning the Golden Toad off. Many kept looking at Kaze, still caught in the previous drama. They wondered who Kaze was. Kaze had the nerve to break Aiden. Aiden returned to his seat near Kaze and Darcy. He held the Golden Toad, checking the box out every now and then with a grimace. It was clear that Aiden was about to
“That’s not a lot,” Aiden murmured with a sneer.Sky Ocean Corporation was not a worthy rival with just 15 billion dollars in funding. Joan said cautiously, “Mr. Krad, they now have 10 billion dollars from you too.” Aiden grimaced. Nevertheless, he pulled himself together and said callously, “So they now have 25 billion dollars.“Are you sure that this is the most Sky Ocean Corporation can afford right now?” Joan nodded. “I am certain. You pulled all the right strategies to drain Sky Ocean Corporation’s funding. “After what happened, no banks would give them a loan. “Though Madam Quint didn’t look into Sky Ocean Corporation’s finances yesterday, we can tell from Darcy and her assistant’s behavior that the corporation account is dry. “I just can’t figure out where Kaze got the money from.“I would’ve loved to see them denied entry.” Aiden nodded. “So all I need is 35 billion dollars to acquire the piece of land.” He talked as if thirty-five billion dollars was not a
“It’s public information that Crown Tower under Mt. Seven Stars and its surrounding land is the best spot in the city. “The Seven Star District Council put up the land for sale in hopes of finding a good buyer to develop and boost the growth of the city. “As a result, we have conducted a comprehensive screening process for all potential buyers and selected a few qualified buyers.” The bidders perked up. The highlight of today’s auction was the land in the Seven Star District. The other auction items were insignificant compared to the main event. The ten-billion-dollar sale of the Golden Toad was unexpected. However, the Seven Star District land was likely to exceed the price point. That was what the ordinary bidders thought. A select few had the inside story, and they were qualified to bid on Crown Tower. Still, they quietly put down their paddles. First of all, this was the big leagues. It would take money, connections, and a lot of influence to stay in the game
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
Aloysius entered the room. He was in a sorry state with a bandage on his head. “Mr. Lyfe can’t make it today, sir.” “Didn’t he say he was coming?” Jet asked without a second thought. “Mr. Lyfe’s son is apparently pursuing Leah.“Katie is planning to throw her daughter a birthday party here.” It was old news. The Frosts had always received an invitation to the celebration. “Katie sure put a lot of thought into the party. She must be trying to reach out to more powerful people.” Jet saw through Katie’s little plan. “What do we do now, sir? These people are saying they can’t make it now.” Aloysius had long understood that he would lose friends when he lost power. However, things had not progressed to that state yet. Yet, Jet’s previous business partners ignored him. “The Frosts are still in power. Where are they getting their intel from?” Jet could not put up with the humiliation. “What do we do now, sir?” Aloysius did not expect these people to be so disrespect
Tens of thousands in assets were lost as every second passed. Jet, as powerful as he was, could not let that happen. “Look into any prominent figures who have come to Butterworth lately.” Driven by fury, Jet had no qualms about attacking his people. Jet would compensate him with money anyway. Aloysius was used to the treatment. He kept his mouth shut and cleared up the mess before taking off. Jet’s nerves were on edge. After all, he had never encountered such a situation before. It was a mystery as to who would resent him so much as to take action. After much thought, Jet gave his previous business partners a call. He either could not get through to them or was transferred to their assistants. As it turned out, he could not reach anyone. Jet realized that he may have upset the wrong person. Otherwise, this would not happen in the first place. “That’s strange. I’ve been staying in Butterworth. I doubt I have upset anyone.” Jet just could not figure it out.
“Just lay all the bad news on me.” Jet started getting some ideas, seeing that the situation was rather unique. “The other important business dealings are halted indefinitely. I can’t get hold of the higher-ups.” Something did not add up, but Aloysius could not figure it out. This was the reason why he had to see Jet right away. “Have you investigated? Who is behind this?” It was clear to Jet that someone was out to get him, and the person targeted his business ventures. “We have run some checks. It’s a peculiar situation. It looks like someone is pushing this forward, but we can’t figure out who this person is.” Aloysius had been with the company for a long time. He knew a lot of people. Yet, he had never run into a case like this before. Despite the investigation, Aloysius could not find anything. “What’s the situation like?” Jet asked, holding back his rage. It was strange, indeed. However, there had to be some sort of trace. Who would attack the Frosts, th
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