“What the fuck! You, get out of the truck!” “Get out!” Gino and the others disregarded their messy state and ran over to the two trucks that splashed water and putty powder on them. They shouted at the drivers and urged them to come down. The drivers came down from the trucks and were surrounded by a bunch of people in sticky putty powder. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Did Kaze Lee tell you to get back to us?!” Gino shouted. “What Kaze Lee? Who is that?” The drivers shrugged and giggled, looking frivolous. Their attitude made Gino and the others even more angry. “Hmph! Look at what you’ve done! How can you laugh?!” “These two must be faking it! It must be Kaze! Or else why would a truck carrying putty powder come here?” “I don’t care if it’s Kaze Lee or not! I’ll make him pay for what he has done! He must kneel and apologize!” Megan pointed at the two drivers and shouted, “We are business elites and you two are just stupid drivers! How dare you do this to us!
“First of all, Sophie will be the chairman’s assistant, taking over Megan's duties in the HR department.” Kaze’s words sparked a debate among the executives. Sophie might be a long-time employee of Shangrila Group but she used to be a team leader in the HR department, yet she was promoted to chairman’s assistant. A nameless employee rose in the ranks and became the chairman’s assistant. It was a huge leap in her career! With her new position, it was not surprising that she could also be the new HR director. The chairman’s assistant was considered a high-ranking position in the company, so it was normal for her to also take up the HR director’s position. Kaze admired Sophie’s righteous and strong personality, but since she was still young, making her COO or CFO of the company might spoil her. All the other executives shot a jealous gaze at Sophie but no one dared to question the chairman’s order. It was all because of Megan and the others. Kaze fired all of them in the
When Kaze told Koga to recruit the veterans of the Garo Spec Ops Team to protect the Whites at Springvile District, there were many names on the list of veterans. However, Kaze only needed four to guard the mansion back then. Koga was thrilled to receive the order from Kaze because it would help a lot of veterans find a new path in life. Shangrila Group was a big company and the chairman was Kaze. The veterans would be handsomely paid and it would be better than working with other companies. Koga treated the veterans like his brothers. Now that Kaze had job arrangements for his brothers, Koga was more than just grateful. “Yes, sir! I will arrange for it right away!” Koga nodded happily. “It’s settled.” Kaze waved his phone at Winnie. One phone call and Kaze could get veterans from the Garo Spec Ops Team. Winnie was once again in awe of Kaze’s connection. The mysterious halo that he had on him grew stronger instead of dimmer after he revealed his identity to the compan
Snow had prepared a list of guests to invite to the renaming ceremony. Around 9:30 AM, almost all the guests had arrived at the scene. “Bernard Vikrom and Peter Logman? The heads of the first-tier families came in person!” “That’s Nick Guard, the chairman of the local government financing platform! That’s the CEO of Heavensward Group, Bruno Bandino!” “The Orange Group and Far Vision from the capital…” The reporters bombarded the guests with their flashlights on their cameras. High up in the chairman’s office, Winnie teared up as she looked at the grand and unprecedented scene. She wiped her tears away and asked, “Mr. Chairman, you are not going to attend the ceremony? They are all here for you. Why don’t you let the entire city know that you are not the useless son-in-law of the Quints?” Winnie joined Shangrila Group because Snow called her. From the moment she found out Kaze was Jesse White, she knew the man was the chairman of Perfect World Group and the one respons
As the group of young men marched toward the stage, multiple drones hovered above it, capturing the scene from different angles live. Meanwhile in Jade Estate, the heads of the top three families were watching the live broadcast on the massive screen while enjoying tea. “Belarus, we sent that many men over to the ceremony to cause trouble. If Jesse White contacted the police or the military, wouldn’t those men be used against us?” Edward asked when the men appeared on the screen. Belarus arranged for the men to thrash the ceremony alone and he only informed the other two afterwards. If it was against someone else, two hundred men would certainly work effectively. Most of the people would be scared and frightened by the sheer number of men. However, they were going up against Jesse White who was deeply connected with the military. Martin Renslayer of the Lilyrose Strategic Department Logistic Division was someone the top three families tried to flatter but he was relieved of
“I am the CEO of Shangrila Group, Winnie Souffle. Welcome, Principal Tensor and the students of Tensor Martial Arts School,” Winnie said politely while trying to be calm. “Oh, so you are James White’s ex-wife, Winnie Souffle? No wonder they say you are a beautiful woman!” Dwight sized up Winnie from top to bottom pervertedly. He would have raped Winnie if his gaze could materialize. Dwight was a well-known pervert and a sexual offender. He impregnated a student of his school and made headlines for a while. However, due to his background and connections, he was able to suppress the scandal. The school was not affected by his sexual offense. “Thank you, Principal Tensor. I wonder what brings you and your students here.” Winnie had gotten used to men looking at her pervertedly, so she was not offended at all. “I’ll be straight with you.” Dwight pointed at his students and said, “James promised me that he would help the students with their careers and future, so I brought
Two hundred martial arts students answered en masse. They were so loud that it felt like the ground trembled. They looked ferocious. One word from Dwight and they would wreck the stage, the venue, and even the entire building without hesitation. The martial arts students were more terrifying than street thugs. Street thugs knew the consequences of breaking the law and they were afraid of the law enforcers and those who had backgrounds. The students were still teenagers, some minors, and they would follow their principal’s orders without hesitation. They practiced martial arts and they always resolved things with violence. “Ms. Souffle, when Shangrila Group moved back to Lilyrose, you promised to help the city’s development and because of that, you got a lot of benefits and support from the city council. “Shouldn’t you be helping me in solving my students’ problems? Don’t tell me you are breaking the promise now that James is gone. I might not be able to hold my students
Dwight looked down on Kaze and raised the price on the spot. Kaze said, “Shangrila Group is trying to form a specialized and professional security team. If the students of Tensor Martial Arts School are capable, I can afford five billion a year. But your students…” He scanned over the students. Not one of them looked strong or disciplined, most of them were just underaged thugs. He chuckled and said, “Since they are still students, I can pay them five hundred per month.” He insulted Dwight in his face. “You piece of shit! I’ll break you!” The students were furious and agitated. They all shouted at Kaze fiercely. “Jesse White, I will tell my students to wreck this place and see if they are worth five billion!” Dwight’s expression turned grim. Then, he ordered his students to spread out to wreck the building. It was then another strong voice sounded. “Dwight Tensor, if you wreck Shangrila Group, I will erase the Tensor Martial Art School from the face of the city!” Th
“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
Even though Katie was the CEO of the Northborn Group, many eyed her position. There were too many vying to replace her. Without dedicating herself to her work, Katie risked falling from grace. Katie had been too eager to find success to give her daughter the best life. Leah could not understand the pain Katie had to go through. “I understand it now. I explained the nature of my relationship with Kaze to you, but you just wouldn’t get it.” Leah stubbornly expressed herself in hopes her mother would understand. “I just couldn’t get it through my head that you have grown up. You make an easy target since you just graduated and have not stepped into the real world.” Katie would not always be there for Leah. Hence, Katie did her best to get rid of potential danger. Her overprotectiveness triggered Leah’s defiance. It was Katie’s fault for not realizing it sooner. “I’m not angry with you. I didn’t understand a mother’s good intentions, but I understand now. I will listen to
Leah’s face beamed, but her mother’s words threw her into a daze. In the end, she tried to squeeze a smile to assure her mother. However, Leah could not muster a smile. Those days lingered with her like a recurring bad dream. Whenever she recalled the incident, she felt trapped in that nightmare again. Leah wanted to let those memories fade away, but she just could not do it. She would get startled awake late at night and trace the scars across her skin. During moments like this, she resented Perry. Leah was rather cheerful during the day as if the past was behind her. However, it was simply a way for her to escape the pain. By the way Leah was behaving, Katie instantly regretted the question. She should not have probed. Even if they avoided the elephant in the room, they could pretend like nothing ever happened. Nevertheless, the act of asking brought up unsettling times for Leah. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have asked.” Katie gently held Leah, hoping to cast
When the ambulance door closed shut, Leah wailed once more. The reality of her rescue finally sank in, and she grasped that it was not just a dream. It was a pity that she did not have much time with Kaze. She longed to spend more time with him. “Don’t cry, young lady. You’ll get better soon enough. Don’t worry about the scars on your face. I can administer medicine to help you,” the doctor said while wiping her tears. “Thank you. I’m finally out of the hell hole.” Leah’s worst nightmare would be to be trapped in there forever. Kaze watched as the ambulance disappeared into the night. He then turned to face the villa. “Apprehend everybody in there. Perry should be punished for his crimes.” Kaze had not intended to go after the Duncans, but the family had crossed the line this time. Leah was an adorable and vulnerable woman. She was abused beyond recognition. It never occurred to Kaze that the Duncans could be so cruel. “Perry has passed out in there. Where should
With the secret out in the open, the housekeeper dropped his attitude. He pointed at the basement not too far away. “My employer is in there.” The housekeeper grimaced and kept his head down. Kaze laughed. Unaware of his impending doom, Perry was still living it up. It was absurd. Perry was playing with fire by hurting Leah. “About time you wise up.” Arthur smiled and patted the housekeeper’s face. He opened the door to the basement. Kaze walked to the bar counter and picked up the best bottle of champagne there. He fiddled with the bottle before carrying it to the basement. The other Viper’s Den members followed him. Kaze took a stride down the steps, to the basement. The noisy music was blasting before they reached the entry. Kaze was filled with a mix of emotions. Nevertheless, he said nothing. He opened the door and walked in. The light in the basement was bright, making everything perfectly clear. However, the people inside were not bothered by the
“You know him. It’s Perry Duncan, Leah’s ex-boyfriend.” Snow did not see the point of hiding the truth, so she laid everything out. “Leah must be feeling foul because she was unaware that she was being stalked. By the time she realized what was going on, she was taken into a vehicle. “We spotted the vehicle they departed in from the surveillance footage. They headed to the mountain up north.” Snow had a general idea of the location. “I got Arthur on the job. He’s putting up a team from the Viper’s Den.” Snow was uncertain of Kaze’s stance toward Leah, but now that she was made aware of the situation, the least she could do was help. Katie belonged to the Viper’s Den, so Snow was lending a hand to a friend in business. “Thank you. Please save my daughter.” Katie was nervous. The Viper’s Den was the people she could count on. “Arthur is good, but he’s slow. I’ll do it,” Kaze said. The whole thing was unrelated to him. Kaze was well within his right to stand on the si
Even so, Elsie was out to get Leah. Elsie could pick up on Perry’s delight when she took a swing at Leah. Poor Elsie was just trying to survive by catering to others. People like her learned to pick up social cues and read body language to please customers for money in return. Their income would double if their customers were happy. Leah was the obstacle. If the women could not get rid of her, they would lose their profit. They had no hard feelings for Leah, but they stood on opposing ends. “You should be fawning over Mr. Duncan, not begging me,” Elsie said while grabbing Leah’s hair to pull her up. Leah snatched Elsie’s wrist to try and break free. “Let me go. I never did anything to you.” Leah was no doormat. She did not want to cross these people or get involved with them. She still hoped that by waiting here, her prince would arrive to save her. However, all she got was a cruel beating, and she had enough. “This isn’t my fault. Blame Mr. Duncan for your cir