“Yes, my king.” Heeding Cronus’ order, Gabriel was ready to carry out the job. “My king, our sources in River Watcher Inn reported that Jeremiah has been sent to the detention center to kill Kaze to avenge Alan. “Jeremiah was Alan’s bodyguard twenty years ago and the top killer in South River state. I doubt anyone in Lilyrose is a worthy opponent to him. “Gabriel and he could cross paths and end up fighting instead of focusing on Kaze,” Angel said. Gabriel cocked his head back and said curtly, “Jeremiah will be my first kill if I run into him.” Priding himself as the top man of the Lilyrose underworld, Gabriel did not see Jeremiah, who had retired for two decades, as a threat. He had been longing to meet Jeremiah. Furrowing his brows, Cronus nodded and replied, “Angel is right, Gabriel. Bring a few shooters with you just in case. Jeremiah is not called the top killer of the South River state for nothing.” It had crossed Cronus’ mind to send Gabriel after Jeremiah.
“Get out of the way,” Jeremiah said indifferently without stopping. He headed straight to the control zone. “Hmph. Aren’t you even going to ask me for my name?” Gabriel narrowed his eyes dangerously. Jeremiah’s contemptuous attitude ticked him off. “I don’t need to know a dead man’s name.” Jeremiah was ten steps away from Gabriel. Lifting his sword, Gabriel let his bloodthirst known. “Before you die, Reaper, I’ll give you a chance to ask my name—” Gabriel did not even have a chance to finish talking. Jeremiah somehow cut the distance between them and was right in front of his face. “Slash!” The sword with the broken tip was swung. “You—” Gabriel’s eyes bulged in disbelief. Yet again, he did not have time to finish his sentence. His beheaded head tumbled across the grass. Gabriel’s headless body stood still on its own for two seconds. Blood spilled from his neck as his body collapsed. The leader of the shooters on the left side of the wall was stunned.
“You can’t kill me.” Kaze had his hands behind his back. Jeremiah’s words did not scare him. Jeremiah scoffed. “Many have said the same to me, but they are all dead now.” Kaze suddenly glanced at the left and right sides of the walls with a frown. Jeremiah reacted the same way as Kaze did. Turning his head back, Kaze said emotionlessly, “There are ten on each side. Why don’t we have a competition to see who finishes them off the fastest? If you lose, you can leave.” He had no intent to murder Jeremiah. The capable man must be Alan’s trusted subordinate. Since Kaze did not kill Alan, he had no reason to kill his men either. Of course, all of it boiled down to Jeremiah taking the hint and leaving on his own accord. Otherwise, Kaze would not hesitate to kill him. “I have not met such a cocky young man in a while.” Jeremiah scoffed and added, “I’ll give you a head start.” Rip! Kaze tore a piece of his clothing and put it over his eyes, fastening it with a secure kno
“Are you referring to Cronus or the mole in Lefteria Group?” Kaze asked without looking back. The response dumbfounded Jeremiah. He said in surprise, “Are you saying that there’s a mole in Lefteria Group?” “I had a drink with Alan yesterday and warned him that he has been poisoned.” Kaze added indifferently, “It’s an ancient poison called Shadowbane Essence. The poison needs a trigger for the toxins to take full effect. The poison can remain dormant in the poisoned’s nervous system for six months to three years while weakening its victim’s immunity. The poisoned won’t feel much except a gradual health decline.“Once the toxins meet its trigger, the poisoned will drop dead.” It remained unknown when Alan was poisoned with Shadowbane Essence. The poison user would decide when the poisoned would die. “Only Alan’s trusted people could be around him around the time he died. It has to be a mole in Lefteria Group who triggered the toxins.” Jeremiah’s eyes reflected bloodthirs
“Mr. Lee, Cronus is all bark and no bite now that his best fighter is dead.“Should Dan and I take Jackal and his team to vanquish the guy?” Gold Tooth stood ingratiatingly before Kaze and asked shyly. Standing in a corner, Dan looked rather excited. A major shift of power rocked the Lilyrose underworld within 24 hours.Alan was dead. Cronus lost his right-hand man. Gold Tooth and Dan realized that this was their golden opportunity. It was their time to become the new kingpins of the underworld. Before that could happen, they needed Kaze’s support. Without his support, they could not stand a chance against any enemy. It was a good thing Cronus crossed Kaze, and his fate was now sealed. Kaze knew what was on their name and said without a care, “Take Jackal and his team to Azure Estate.“If Cronus behaves, you can spare his life. If he doesn’t, you can decide what you want to do with him.” “Of course, Mr. Lee.” Overjoyed, Gold Tooth and Dan took Gabriel’s body along
Jeremiah’s presence at Azure Estate scared the hell out of Cronus. Cronus knew that Jeremiah was not easy to deal with like Gold Tooth and Dan. He ditched his men and fled out of the estate with Angel. His whereabouts were unknown. Gold Tooth and Dan were glad to be alive. They scrambled out of Azure Estate and reported back to Kaze that instance. Kaze was calm as the duo gave details of what happened. Upon hearing that Cronus admitted to poisoning Alan, Kaze raised his brow in surprise. “So, Cronus recreated Shadowbane Essence himself?” It took great skills to synthesize Shadowbane Essence. Not many knew about the ancient poison. For centuries, the knowledge of crafting Shadowbane Essence resided solely with the families of medicine, inheriting through word-of-mouth. Only a handful could recreate the poison. Kaze learned about Shadowbane Essence from the old fool who raised him. There must be more to Cronus since he could craft the poison. Gold Tooth and Dan co
Sieg saw Jeremiah raise his sword. For all Sieg knew, Jeremiah could be coming for him any second. His hair was standing on end. He cleared the air right away. “You got the wrong idea about me, Jeremiah. I’ve been with Alan as long as you. How could I possibly collude with an outsider to harm him?” “Hmph! I doubt you have the brains and guts to be a mole anyway.” Instead of wielding his sword, Jeremiah scoffed and let Sieg go. Sieg turned ashen, feeling uncomfortable by the statement. Jeremiah’s words were not hurtful, but they did bruise his ego. It was clear that Jeremiah looked down on him. “You have a point, Jeremiah.” Sieg smiled awkwardly without refuting. Ignoring Sieg, Jeremiah swept a cold glance around the room and said, “We have a mole in Lefteria Gang, and I know so. “It could be just one person or more. I don’t care how many of you are involved, but I will uncover and kill you.” A deafening silence ensued. Jeremiah looked away and offered his fina
“Alright. Thank you.” Darcy gave a nod. Kiev soon drove his car over. It was a Maybach with a Sunrise City license plate. He got out of the car and opened the door to the front passenger seat for Darcy. Darcy hesitated for a moment. Since it was rude to sit in the back seat, she accepted the gesture and took a seat. The Maybach drove away. Behind the willow tree by the lake, Kaze watched the Maybach kick the dust behind it while clenching his fists. He was filled with a mix of emotions. Kaze had witnessed the sweet moment Darcy and Kiev shared in front of his home entrance. “Mr. Lee, Kiev’s father is the vice commander of the South River Strategic Department. When you were taken away to the holding cell, he asked his father to stop Lefteria Group’s retaliation against Ms. Quint’s family.” Don cautiously reported to Kaze his knowledge of the situation. “I don’t need him to butt in on my family affairs,” Kaze said curtly. Kiev’s feelings were apparent at the Lily
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.