“Mr. Lee, let’s just observe the situation for now. If I can just talk to them, I can get rid of them with some money.” Peter was unaware of Otto’s true intentions. He assumed that if it was just about money, the problem could be easily resolved. He thought about paying them first for a clear passage and then coming back for revenge later. After all, Peter was from the Viper’s Den and his experience guaranteed his capabilities of resolving minor conflicts. His priority was to escort Kaze to the hotel. After that, he could deal with the thugs by himself. “Don’t you look down on us. We don’t want your money. Besides, this isn’t your road, it’s a public road,” Otto argued, trying to stall. While arguing with Peter, he scrutinized the rear window, but the heavy tinting prevented him from glimpsing inside. He moved closer to the driver’s seat, trying to peek into the back through the half-open window. They were professionals who always saw things through to the end. If they
Otto finally wore a smirk on his face. “Guys, we got him. Do your job!” Without any hesitation, he raised his hand to summon his men. Peter frowned. He had come to pick Kaze up as ordered, but things had spiraled out of control. He could not let anything happen to Kaze under his watch, so he stepped up and volunteered to protect the man. Kaze remained calm and unfazed. He expected trouble and conflict but Jet’s cheap move surprised him. “Hey man, let’s just talk and don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Peter said as he stood in front of Kaze, trying to mitigate the problem. “Words won’t do. We are here for him. He’s coming with us and you can leave,” Otto said. He signaled his men to surround the two of them, preventing their potential escape. Peter sighed helplessly. He initially thought Otto was after money but it seemed like Kaze was their target. “Calm down, now. I’m from the Viper’s Den. I believe we can still talk about this. Even if Mr. Lee offends you, we can s
“Mr. Lee? He’s just another pretty boy. Do as I say, and I might spare your life! “If you continue to be a mute, we’ll make you scream. Your arms and legs might break, or worse, you might end up dead!” Otto continued to threaten and humiliate Kaze. His men laughed in accordance and even joined him in mocking. An ordinary person would certainly be infuriated by their words, yet Kaze remained calm and unfazed, as if he was not part of it. “You’ll have to take responsibility for the words you speak,” Kaze said as he looked at Otto coldly. “Take responsibility for dealing with a punk like you? What a joke! If you can just do as I say, you might save yourself some pain; if you continue to be stubborn, you’ll have a taste of pain,” Otto said. His men continued to laugh and sneer at Kaze. They hit their bats on the ground, producing irritating clinks that they assumed could scare Kaze. Kaze found their tactics to be crude and cheap, and he was not interested in refuting. “Mr
“That’s a new car! What the hell?!” Peter felt immense heartache looking at the dent. He had always taken good care of the car and given its luxurious brand, one dent would cost him tens of thousands to fix. More importantly, the car was imported and he had to send it overseas for repair, which would increase the cost. Peter initially did not want any trouble but Otto and his men crossed the line when they damaged the car. “I don’t care if the car is new or old, that guy is coming with us. Why don’t you do us a favor and walk away? You are not part of this.” Otto knew the value of the Maybach as well, but he had no qualms about damaging it as it was not his. Peter was frustrated and aggrieved. The damaged car made him feel worse. “Can’t we just talk this out? Why must you damage my car? We are all working for someone else. Why are you doing this?” he said, attempting to reason with Otto. “Cut the crap, or we’ll beat you together.” Otto signaled one of his men to attac
“You don’t need to know who I am but you will soon find out what will happen to yourself.” Kaze gazed into the distant horizon. A red supercar tore across the horizon, its engine roaring fiercely even from afar.The thunderous roar of the engine was enough to ignite excitement in any man’s heart. “So, there’s someone stupid enough to interfere? They must have a death wish!” Otto was displeased by the engine roars further away. He shot a gaze at his men. A few of his men nodded and headed in the direction of the incoming car with their bats. Whether the car was merely passing or intended to be here, Otto would not allow them to interfere with his plan. “I see you people are ruthless. Don’t tell me you are going to attack some innocent people,” Kaze said casually. If the car was just passing, it would certainly turn away when they saw the situation; if not, it would stop. Kaze watched as the red Ferrari slowed down to a stop in front of him. He initially thought the
The others were surprised by the situation as well, but they understood their roles and dared not back down. They grabbed their weapons and charged toward the man. After a brief fight, all of Otto’s men collapsed. Arthur continued to stroll toward Kaze, like nothing could stand in his way. One of his hands remained pocketed, and the cigar remained hung from his mouth, setting off a rugged and manly demeanor. “Mr. Lee, I am sorry for being late.” His strong and deep voice sounded from behind Otto. Otto was stunned as if struck by lightning, unable to believe the voice he had just heard. He stood frozen in place. His bat was still pointing at Kaze but his legs started to shake. An uncontrollable fear spread from the bottom of his heart. “What’s Alfonso doing?” Kaze was displeased by the arrangement. He should be resting at the hotel by now had Alfonso made better arrangements, not standing in the middle of the road because some thugs got in the way. “The boss was worr
“That won’t be necessary. I’ll just take it as a forgettable show. They are nothing, just expendable pawns to the employer.” Kaze already knew who sent Otto, so an investigation was not necessary. He came to Butterworth to deal with Jet, so it would be normal for the man to come after him. It was just surprising that Jet would resort to such a cheap tactic. On second thought, it was understandable because Jet never took Snow seriously. With that, it would only be natural that he assumed Kaze was a nameless lowlife, thus sending street thugs to humiliate him and then abduct him to threaten Snow. Kaze would never underestimate his enemies but Jet did not seem to share the same understanding. “You are just letting them go? Isn’t it a little dangerous? People might think that they can jump on us at any time without consequences,” Arthur asked while looking at Kaze with a serious look. He wanted to find out what plans Kaze had for the thugs. Kaze looked at the men crying on
“I’m okay for now.” “Mr. Lee, are you sure you don’t want to investigate the matter and find out who the mastermind is? I’m sure they are after you for a reason and it’s anything but good,” Arthur said, voicing his concerns. Even if no investigation was launched, he wanted to figure out what happened, or else it would be difficult to fend off potential attacks. “The Frost family won’t let me go this easily, but I have to say they underestimated me this time,” Kaze said nonchalantly, revealing a bit of information to Arthur. Arthur’s eyes narrowed into a serious look. He then gazed into the distance and softly sighed. This little incident might be out of his expectation but it was nothing serious as well. He knew Kaze’s identity, so there was nothing to be worried about. Kaze was the branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den, commanding multiple branches in the state. If he wanted to, he could deal with a lot of matters quietly. He must have had a reason for not using
Leah hopped off the chair and approached Kaze. “It’s me. You helped me on the train today.” Leah held Kaze’s arm in glee. She thought they would never meet again. Leah did not even get his number, so she could not get in touch with him. By sheer luck, they ran into each other tonight. “It’s you.” Kaze thought the girl was quite a character. To think he would bump into her at the hotel. “Aren’t you upset with me? My mother was harsh today.” Though Leah was glad to see Kaze, Kaze’s friendly attitude shocked her. She assumed he would be mad, but he did not seem to care in the slightest. “Your mother and you are two separate people. Her behavior is not on you.” Kaze would not take out his anger toward Katie on Leah. They were mother and daughter, but they were their own persons. Katie’s statement did not represent Leah. “You’re such a great guy. I thought you’d be upset. A lot of people distanced themselves from me because of my mother. “But you don’t.” Leah was
Kaze had to do everything himself. The walk along the path offered a nice view of the hotel’s garden in the back. Even at night, the streetlight illuminated the path and highlighted the lush greens. Not in a hurry to fill his belly, Kaze entered the garden. He planned to wander around and come for a swim tomorrow. The hotel was packed with guests, and no one knew who he was. Kaze could indulge himself a little. Kaze walked along the path and admired the blossoming flowers. Even at night, Kaze was impressed with the view. He looked up at the sky. The starry stars covered the night sky. It was not something he could see every day. Stars were rare in a concrete jungle. The clear weather tonight probably welcomed a myriad of stars. “The scenery here is great,” Kaze commented. He took a detour around the garden to head back to the lobby.On his way to the lobby, he saw a girl sitting in the gazebo. It was late. Yet, someone found time to rest in a gazebo. Kaze w
Joey believed that there was a chance to turn things around since nothing was set in stone yet. Most importantly, the high-ranking member of the Viper’s Den did not show any respect to Katie. Perhaps the VIP thought little of Katie. Even if Katie tried to curry his favor, she likely would not succeed. It was just hypothetical, though. If the VIP were interested in Leah’s hand-in-marriage, the whole thing would be a done deal. It would not matter if the VIP were married or promised to another woman. Leah would become a pawn. Leah relaxed. So long as there was room for changes, Leah would put in the effort. If the VIP were after her looks, Leah would give up her appearance in exchange for her freedom. Her mother may be very upset, but no one had the right to decide her happiness. Leah would not make such a drastic decision unless she had to. She could not back down now. Joey patted Leah’s shoulder to offer comfort. “Don’t worry too much about it. Your mother loves y
“I know that you have a lot on your plate too. I won’t keep you. I’ll be fine.” Leah had always been considerate. She would not get in Joey’s way when the latter was busy. “Enjoy the food here. Give me a call when you’re leaving. Don’t wander around. We are expecting a lot of guests at the hotel.” Just as Joey got up to leave, Katie’s instructions came to mind. She was at a loss for words. In the end, Joey sat back down and took a sip of wine. “What’s the matter? Is something wrong, Joey?” Leah felt uneasy. “We are hosting a few heirs at the hotel today, and they are interested in your hand-in-marriage.” There was no hiding. Biting the bullet, Joey let it all out. “I’m not ready for marriage now. I just broke up with Perry. I don’t want to dive straight into another.” Leah declined. She did not want to be tied down yet. “It’s not your choice to make.” Despite putting it subtly, Joey conveyed Katie’s message loud and clear. “My mother sent you. “What does
Katie had her scary decisive moments. Though Joey’s heart went out to Leah, she understood the role she played. Joey must not act on her feelings if she wanted to keep her job. The job gave her financial independence. She needed to focus on the assigned tasks and keep her emotions in tow. Joey took out her phone to call Leah. She invited Leah to the hotel to sample the party food. Leah’s birthday party was just around the corner. The menu was based on Leah’s food preferences. However, Leah should have a say. After Katie left the villa, Leah chose to wander off. She strolled in the nearby mall for a change of scenery. Leah was around the block when Joey called. She was happy to see Joey. Taking her by the arm, Leah walked into a lounge. “You have no idea what my mom did, Joey. Kaze took care of Perry for me, but Mom wasn’t the least bit grateful. She tore Kaze a new one.” Leah would only behave like a child in Joey’s presence. “I heard about the incident. Madam
Katie did not approve of these families, but she did feel honored. It was the fruit of her labor for many years. “Things are messy at the Frost household now.” In Katie's plan, Joey knew that Katie would not agree for their children to meet. Some had made attempts for their sons to meet with Leah in a private setting. It was a subtle shot at a marriage proposal. Only, Katie had high standards. These families were not good enough for her. “Jet sure is heartless to hurt his family. He’s a good-looking guy and a leader. It’s a shame that he’s ruthless.” Katie had considered working together with the Frosts, but after learning certain things, she dropped the idea. Her purpose was to get to greater heights through her daughter’s marriage. A person like Jet did not act on emotions. Even if Jet was interested in Leah, the marriage would be purely business. Leah would have no influence over Jet. Katie would stand to gain nothing. So, the marriage should not happen. Ka
Katie, the CEO of the Northborn Group, wanted to climb to the top. However, she never had the chance. The Northborn Hotel’s penthouse was occupied by someone from the Viper’s Den. Katie would not get another chance like this again. It was the perfect opportunity for Katie to make it to the top. “But don’t you want to reconsider this, Madam Loren? Ms. Lyfe is still young.” Joey did not have to heart to put Leah through it. “I know what you’re saying, but she’s my daughter. I’m doing this for her own good.“You’ve seen the kind of men we’ve dealt with. “Look at yourself. Why aren’t you married yet? You know that men can’t be trusted. We have to stand on higher ground to find better men.” Katie glanced at Joey. She had her reasons to do so. “But Ms. Lyfe is still young. She won’t understand where you’re coming from.” It was not Joey’s place to give her input. However, Joey could not sit by and do nothing. Leah grew up before Joey’s eyes. Not long since Joey took u
“Just let Alfonso know if you need his help. You don’t have to talk specifically about this to him. I’m just going after Jet,” lying on the deck chair, Kaze uttered nonchalantly. He did not care who would be in the know. His priority was finishing the job. Despite having his qualms, Arthur said nothing else. His primary task was to protect the VIP in the shadows. Everyone working in the core operations of the Viper’s Den was strong enough to fend for their own. They did not need Arthur’s protection. Kaze was clearly a trained fighter whose abilities were far superior to Arthur’s. The street gang would not stand a chance against him if Kaze were to fight. Arthur knew why Kaze did not retaliate against the street gang. It was all to see if Alfonso had his best interests at heart. This led to Arthur showing his face. Arthur realized that Kaze was unlike the hot-tempered superiors from before. Kaze was approachable, but it was not easy to get along with him. Without a w
Kaze nodded. He was not asking for much. “Keep tabs on these firms. Don’t be hasty. Just take your time,” Kaze uttered casually. “I got it. Are we not going to do anything?” Arthur thought Kaze’s approach was merciful. They should be making a stir to move forward. After all, Jet sent his people to abduct Kaze. Arthur believed it was only right that they fought back. “We are. Get our people to get in touch with the owner of the gaming company. We should coach talents in developing games.“This is a serious business rivalry.” Kaze understood that mobile game companies had high initial costs. The employees of gaming companies would be very protective of their data while trying to recoup their investment. It would be very easy for the Viper’s Den to retrieve this information. “Are you trying to recruit the employees, Mr. Lee?” Arthur was surprised. However, it would pull a rug from under Jet. He would be livid. “Just approach the owner and see if they’ll bite,” Kaze sa