“Jet’s assistant, Aloysius, is waiting in the lobby. Mr. Lee, do you want to meet him? If not, I'll clear the place out,” Arthur asked. “We are going to meet one way or another. I just wonder who he thinks I am now?” Kaze had drawn too much attention at Leah’s party the other day, and that might have been when he first caught Jet’s eye. “If you don’t want to meet him, I can clear the place anytime and I can also make a move against Jet Frost.” Arthur did not want Kaze to be stuck at a crossroads. “No need to worry. I have to go take a look anyway.” Kaze smiled. What was meant to come would come; it was something he had anticipated all along. Jet had lost a lot of projects and money recently. Kaze wondered if the guy had learned his lesson. Otherwise, he could do it all over again and teach Jet another valuable lesson. “Should we do something?” Arthur asked out of concern. “It’s okay.” Kaze was not afraid of Aloysius. A mere assistant would not dare to do anything
“I hope Jet won’t disappoint me.” Ever since Kaze arrived in Butterworth, everything had been so peaceful to the point that it started to feel boring. Now that he could finally meet Jet, he wondered what surprises awaited him. Jet had started to suspect Kaze, so a move would be made against him. Standing by the side, Aloysius was waiting for further instructions from his boss. “He said we could arrange for a meal tomorrow morning at any location.” “How generous of him. He doesn’t seem to be afraid of me,” Jet said with a chuckle. Regardless, as long as Kaze was willing to meet, Jet was confident he could uncover Kaze’s identity and expose the secrets behind the veil of mystery. “Book a room at Kurosawa Club and prepare everything necessary.” Jet looked forward to meeting Kaze. He wanted to know what secrets Kaze held. A man who was unafraid of Katie had to have a strong background, yet he carried himself like just another nameless, ordinary man—which only made him e
Kaze appeared to be there just for the food. Aloysius said nothing more. He invited Kaze into the car and drove out of the Northborn Hotel. With Kaze on the move, Arthur would make sure to stay by his side in the dark. Today was a different situation. Arthur brought along a few members of the Viper’s Den. “Arthur, is this necessary?” One member was confused. Kaze had been discreet, and nobody knew who he was. The agents were just following Arthur’s orders. “Our goal is to keep Kaze safe. Jet’s invitation to dinner is just a trap. If we don’t keep a close eye on the situation, all the issues will be on us.” The young members did not seem to know any better, so Arthur had to lay it thick on them. Without another word, the young members followed the vehicle Kaze was in. However, they did not have much respect for Kaze since they knew nothing of him. Kaze was in the dark about things over at Arthur’s end. Even if he did, he would not be bothered. “Where are we headi
The car pulled up in front of a high-end club in the city’s most cosmopolitan area. “This is Kurosawa Club, a members-only establishment. Non-members can be invited by members, and to be a member, you have to be a high-paying consumer. Members are expected to deposit half a million bucks. “On average, the consumption here is no less than half a million dollars each time.” Aloysius sounded proud talking about it. The private club catered exclusively to the rich. The management came up with new and diverse ideas to attract these people to spend money. The entrance to the club was not obvious. It would be an easy miss unless the person had been there before. Aloysius brought Kaze right into the place. Entry to the club required the swiping of a membership card. Once the card was swiped, the information of the member would be registered at the bar, and an attendant would approach to provide service. Though it was not Kaze’s first rodeo, the whole experience was rather i
It never occurred to Aloysius that Jet’s and Kaze’s first encounter would turn out to be rather confrontational. Nevertheless, Aloysius was just an assistant. He should not be meddling anyway. Pretending like nothing ever happened, Aloysius stepped out of the room without a word. “What have you been busy with? I can’t catch you anywhere.” Jet chatted Kaze up. “Nothing much. I’ve been wandering around,” Kaze answered nonchalantly, his eyes roaming the things on the table. He looked a little disgusted. Jet was not too pleased. He displayed his best-kept wine on the table, and these bottles were priceless. Only real collectors would have this impressive collection. Yet, Kaze did not appreciate the wine at all. “You must know who I am.” “Are you talking about the Frosts? How can I not? You called for this dinner. I wouldn’t have come without doing my homework.” Kaze looked at Jet as if he were an idiot.Jet felt insulted. “I guess you do. Of course, I’m going to ha
Kaze wondered what Jet would do to him. To think Jet would adopt one of the oldest tricks in the book—the honey trap. Jet was forced to take this approach as he could not get information on Kaze. “Mr. Lee, these girls have a clean bill of health. You are free to use a room next to this one.” Jet subtly hinted. Jet was confident that no man would resist a gorgeous lady, and Kaze would be lost in lust. He poured himself a glass of wine and waved at the ladies to tend to Kaze. These women were veterans in the business. Despite their lack of knowledge about the situation, they knew what to do. They approached Kaze and sat around him. “My, you’re a handsome man, Mr. Lee.” “Do you want some grapes, Mr. Lee?” “Mr. Lee, I’ll pass the wine to you, and we can do it mouth-to-mouth.” The ladies, surrounding Kaze, started caressing him. “Is that all you got, Jet?” Kaze was in disdain. Jet did not take Kaze’s comment seriously. These ladies would take any man’s breath away.
The women had been given an order. These were questions they could usually get their hands on, but now, their efforts hit a wall. Kaze would keep his mouth shut when it came to the key questions and simply drink wine. His silence sparked the ladies’ will to win. “Mr. Lee, why aren’t you talking? Is it because you don’t hold much power?” Since their less aggressive tactic did not work, these ladies tried to rile Kaze up. “Jet, do you really want to know who I am?” Kaze suddenly turned to Jet. Jet was surprised to be brought into the picture. He was having fun with one woman while listening to the conversation. These ladies were witty, asking the right questions, but Kaze would not give a straight answer. “I was just curious. I wonder if you are happy to let me in on it.” Jet believed he could drop his act now. Since Kaze knew he was after something, there was no use hiding. “I have a question for you,” Kaze uttered while prying a woman off him. He then forcibly r
“Nothing much, but I’m interested to see whether you’re going to kick yourself.” Kaze’s comment left tension thick in the air. Proficient in navigating social settings, the ladies grabbed their glasses to calm the dynamics. They did not care about the conflict. Only by pleasing the customers could their bank account grow. “I’m sure whatever it is, we can talk it out, Mr. Lee. Why are you upset? You’re not hurting yourself.” “I’ll drink with you, Mr. Lee.” “Mr. Lee, let me peel grapes for you.” These women pulled all the stops to please Kaze. Jet fell into thought, unsure of how to sort the issue. He had no idea who Kaze was, so he could not just burn the bridge. Kaze was not the least bit appreciative. Despite Jet’s humility, Kaze still gave him an attitude. Usually, Jet would be pissed by now. Yet today, he had to tuck his tail between his legs and swallow his rage. He could not let his emotions get the best of him. No matter who Kaze was, Jet did not want to b
Even though Aloysius saw it coming, he was surprised to learn the truth from Murray. “It’s not what you think. We were simply trying to find out if someone was sabotaging those projects since problems came all at once. We were also trying to gather intel.” “So what? It’s my money, but you and the Frosts don’t seem to appreciate that fact. I don’t see a point in working together.” Murray made up his mind to cut business ties with the Frosts, and nothing they said or did could change his mind. More infuriatingly, the ninety million dollars was taken out of the business account for investors. Jet sure took the investors for a ride. “I can offer an explanation for this. You don’t have to be mad about this. It was just to keep it in the books, but the money will be put back.” Aloysius was not there to upset Murray. His intention was to iron out issues in a peaceful manner. However, Aloysius just made Murray angrier, and they were nowhere close to solving anything. “I don’t
“We are facing a minor issue, but it’s no biggie. With some alterations, we will see profits in no time. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Plus, when have the Frosts ever let anyone down when doing business together?” Aloysius continued to persuade Murray. For some reason, Murray was determined to pull out anyway. How did Murray find out about the issues regarding the projects? Jet had blocked any news from leaking out. No one would have known. “As you said, no one knows what tomorrow will bring, so you better give me back my money. I want to cut my losses.” Murray’s mind was set. Aloysius was disappointed. From the meeting, Aloysius could see that Murray had made himself clear. “That reminds me. You have five days to return the investment, or I’ll spread the news and ruin your business.” Murray understood that intimidation would get what he wanted. Integrity was important to businesspeople, but without the right strategies, it was hard to stay on top. “We have
“Anger won’t get us anywhere. We should brainstorm strategies,” Aloysius said. Jet was already struggling with injuries. The mental strain only added to his burden. However, they were bold to run multiple business ventures all at once. The Frosts were able to keep the operation going with the support of business partners. Unfortunately, when it rained, it poured. If one project had issues, Jet and the Frosts could still weather through, but the problems in various projects proved too much to handle. “Do you think I don’t want to? Our hands are tied right now.” Jet was hurt, and he could not even rest. As if things were not bad enough, the shareholders did the unthinkable. “Maybe we should give up on getting the films released. We can sell that business off. “We can abandon the piece of land near the port or offer those old people some compensation.” Aloysius believed the issues with these projects were easy fixes. Most importantly, they were able to sustain the losses.
“You are all a bunch of losers. What happened to those fighters? Didn’t I pay them to do a job?” Jet believed he had prepared for every eventuality. Yet, Kaze came on strong and fast. Before Jet could get his team to protect him, Kaze pulled the first punch. “When I took you to the hospital, these fighters were still lying on the cold, hard floor. They were all down and out.” Aloysius grimaced, recalling the incident. He was lost for words. The incident was etched in his mind forever. He could never forget the tragic scene. Jet was not too happy with the brawlers, but the news took him by surprise. “Kaze came alone. How could he fend off so many?” Jet was skeptical that Kaze could be so powerful. “I later heard that Kaze had backup. He might have had help.” Aloysius refused to believe the truth, so he asked around. Another group barged into Kurosawa Club and possibly helped Kaze. There was no way Kaze could finish the fighting crew off all by himself. Jet was re
The group shook their heads, not carrying much thought about the incident. However, the dynamics were shifting in Butterworth. Several cars fleeted across the road, not causing much notice. The pedestrians went about their ways. Life was as mundane as it ever was. Yet, behind the scenes, the city underwent a silent upheaval. Jet was a seasoned businessman with experience spanning across numerous industries. His position of power earned him the favor and flattery of many. However, the recent events surrounding the Frosts cautioned many businesspeople and potential business partners against doing business with them. Some businesspeople who had yet to secure a deal with the Frosts were not too eager anymore. They had pursued a collaboration before, but now they would think twice before engaging with the Frosts. Some of Jet’s existing business partners were concerned. Jet came from a prestigious and resourceful family. He had the guts and judgment to procure the most pr
After a series of examinations, it was determined that Jet had an open wound on his forehead. Otherwise, he was doing fine health-wise. Jet was unconscious, and it was for the better. At least he would not feel any pain. The chatter outside put Aloysius on edge. Aloysius guessed that Kaze came from power, and Jet had upset him this time. Kaze’s wrath was likely upon them. Aloysius worried about the business. However, he took a glance at his unconscious employer before realizing that Jet should be the one to feel concerned. He called the number of a private hospital, and an ambulance was dispatched right away. With the help of others, Aloysius managed to get Jet on a stretcher. He glanced at the out-cold fighters in disdain. “Get their boss here to take his useless members back. They can take care of their own injuries,” Aloysius said before promptly leaving. The news about Jet’s injuries was shut down. Kurosawa Club’s owner was close enough with Jet to know that any
Oblivious to the situation, Aloysius felt a shiver down his spine. It was as if the world had crumbled. “What happened? Did we hire protection? How did Mr. Frost get hurt?” Aloysius heard the commotion, but he did not expect his employer to be the victim. Jet was talking smack at the time, and Aloysius assumed that he had the upper hand. Kaze was on his own. How could he take the win despite being outnumbered? Aloysius was baffled and curious about what had transpired. Nevertheless, now was not the time to ask questions. Aloysius had to get Jet medical treatment for his bleeding wound. Things were the opposite of what was planned. They intended to bribe Kaze into telling the truth. If Kaze refused to cooperate, they would resort to force. The horrible conflict was the last thing Aloysius expected to see. The plan went through, but the roles were reversed. Jet lay on the ground heavily wounded, and the brawlers were down too. Kaze, who was supposed to be rest
Kaze sat by the table and dumped an unconscious man sprawling across the surface to the ground. He then opened a new bottle of liquor to take big gulps. “Sorry we’re late, Mr. Lee.” Arthur rushed to the scene, only to find such a bloody mess. He felt bad because he and his team were tasked to protect Kaze. Yet, Kaze had to get his hands dirty with these low-life scums. “Mr. Lee, why didn’t you wait for us? You didn’t have to do it yourself.” Arthur and his team came as quickly as they could when they picked up on the commotion, but it was too late. Nothing could stop Kaze when the fight started. He acted swiftly, and help could not come in time. Arthur and his crew felt sorry. The Viper’s Den’s members took in the aftermath and stared at Kaze in reverence. They had no idea that Kaze was amazing. They did not even know who he was. The only thing they were told to do was protect him. It only dawned on them now that Kaze was a terrifying force. “I could use a little
“Who the hell is he? He must be trained because he’s one hell of a fighter.” “I think he might be military.” “What do we do now? Do we still fight him?” The brawlers grew scared. “Things won’t end well for us if we cross the Frosts. You can hide and choose not to attack him, but you’re doing it at your own risk,” the head of the fighters uttered.They were not given the option to back down the moment they took the job. “How do we approach this? This is strange.” “He’s aggressive.” The fighters looked at their injuries. Despite the extent of the damage, they could not walk away from the conflict. “What do we do? Are we fighting him?” Once fear took over, the brawlers lost the will to win. Kaze let out a mocking smile as the fighters turned into cowards. “Are we doing this or what? If you’re not, I can save my energy.” Kaze sneered at the group, finding them disinteresting. Here he thought he could get a good workout with these guys. Kaze guessed he gave them t