Biomedical used to be Shangrila Group’s core business. Winnie planned to reactivate it and use it as an opening to seize the market share from the top three families. “Nice. Your thoughts are clear. You just need to continue the hard work and if you run into problems you can’t solve, just come to me.” Kaze was relieved to hear her update. Winnie was not just a woman with a pretty face. She used to be the founder and also the pioneer of the old Shangrila Group, and she was capable. With her helming Shangrila Group, Kaze believed the company could return to its former glory of two years ago, or even reach new heights. Winnie was happy to win praise from Kaze. After a while, she left for work. “Winnie looked even more tired after she regained control of the company. I wonder if she sleeps and eats well,” Camry said. The elderly couple were worried about her. Even though Winnie was no longer their daughter-in-law, they viewed her as their own daughter. “She’s got a goal
“My son’s ashes have been stored here for two years and it cost two million bucks?” “It’s absurd!” Camry and Teresa were anxious when the woman demanded that much money from them just to retrieve James’ urn. “Expensive? If you think that’s expensive, don’t store it here. Just sprinkle the ashes into the air and that’s it,” the woman argued. Her disrespect and harsh words upset the elderly couple. “You better watch your mouth!” Kaze said coldly. The woman shot a glance at him and scoffed back coldly. She was obviously not afraid of him. “It’s not that I want that much. My boss said that James White is bad luck. If others know that his ashes are stored here, they won’t store their family ashes here anymore. My boss went through a lot to agree to let you keep his ashes here, so the storage fee is a million a year.” Bad luck? What kind of nonsense was that? “My son was a decent man! What do you mean that he’s bad luck?!” Camry was upset. “What do I mean? You have to ask
Upon hearing the veteran, Camry’s hand froze and he looked up in shock. Everything went silent for a moment. The woman and the man from the funeral home were also stunned. There was a hint of nervousness in their eyes. Before anyone could react, the woman shouted, “Who the hell are you? What makes you say it isn’t? Who the hell didn’t close the door? You piece of shit, get the hell out!” The veteran was an honest man and he did not know how to react to the situation. He flushed and stammered, obviously nervous. Kaze said, “Calm down, don’t be afraid. Tell us what happened.” “Sir, have a look at this!” The veteran was not good with his words, so he simply gave his phone to Kaze. He recorded what the male staff did in the storage area. When Kaze took the phone, he played the video. A few seconds later, Kaze’s eyes turned grim. Even his veins were popping on his forehead. He was livid. “Kaze, what’s on the phone?” Camry and Teresa wanted to have a look but Kaze
“What the fuck? How dare you kick me!? You hit a woman?! What kind of shitty man hits a woman?!” Despite her heavily injured face, the woman continued to shout at Kaze. “I don’t care if you are a guy or a woman. Talk shit, get hit! That’s it!” Kaze said with a grunt. He could no longer tolerate the woman’s terrible attitude. “Y-You, just you wait!” The woman sat up on the floor and then shouted at his colleague, who was stunned, “Why are you standing there? Call help! I’ll get this son of a bitch today!” “O-Oh!!” The guy then quickly ran into the funeral home’s office. A while later, a group of ferocious-looking men came out and surrounded Kaze and company. The leader was a middle-aged man named Mr. Sapproni, the person in charge of the funeral home. Mr. Sapproni glanced at the woman on the floor and his expression turned grim. He signaled his men to help her up. “Which bastard hit one of us?” Mr. Sapproni shouted at Kaze and company. “Mr. Sapproni, it's this fu
Some people were forced to bow down to life. However, in the face of danger, these very people would step up in a heartbeat to protect others. Kaze was touched when his godfather stood in front of him, trying to protect him. Other than Darcy and his brothers and sisters back at the God of War Palace, he found another person who would stand up for him. Thump! A heavy thump brought Kaze back from his absent-minded state. When he regained consciousness and saw what happened, he was burning with anger.Camry was already on the floor, screaming in pain as he held his arm tightly. He was still trying to urge Kaze to run despite being hurt. “You piece of old shit! Get out of the way!” one of the men shouted at Camry as he raised the baseball bat for a second swing. He hit Camry in the arm with the baseball bat. Before his second swing could touch Camry, a strong gale blew in his face. Bang! Before he could react, he was sent flying away. He crashed on the floor furt
They charged an exorbitant price to cremate the body or purchase a burial plot for the dead. The price was so ridiculous that the people of Lilyrose had been complaining for many years. An incident that shook the entire city happened a few years ago. Someone passed away and his family could not afford the astronomical figure for cremation, but they dared not reject Lightning Tiger’s men openly. Therefore, they contacted a hearse in the middle of the night, hoping to carry the body to another city for cremation. Unfortunately, before the hearse could drive out of the city, Lightning Tiger’s men stopped them. The family suffered the consequences and it made headlines for days. However, there were no definite results. “Two years ago, Lighting Tiger ordered us to scatter James White’s ashes, leaving only the empty urn. It’s not us! We were just doing as we were told!” Mr. Sapproni begged. “If you think you are innocent, let me ask you this, have you taken any money that L
Soon, Reeve arrived at an expensive mansion on the outskirts of the city. Based on the information provided by the chief commander’s office, this would be the Tiger’s den. Inside one of the buildings, a buffed and tall middle-aged man sat on a chair covered with a tiger's pelt, crossing his legs as he smoked a cigar. The tiger’s pelt was an authentic one. The ferocious-looking tiger’s head was hanging above the man. Its vicious gaze looked like it was choosing its prey. It also granted the man a mighty and ferocious aura. The man there was the one who monopolized the entire funeral industry of Lilyrose—Lightning Tiger. Among all the gangster bosses in the underworld, Lightning Tiger was a strange one because he made money out of the dead. He was one of the most notorious figures and most of the mob bosses disliked him. His influence in the funeral industry fueled his arrogance. He looked down on those who refused to deal with him and he rarely participated in any ot
“Captain Carter, please! Help me! I’ll give you all my money if you can just help me!” Lightning Tiger knelt on the floor, begging. His men were also on their knees, shaking as they had messed with someone they could not afford to—the God of War. Lightning Tiger had scattered the ashes of the God of War's good friend! He was bold enough to disregard the other gangster bosses in the underworld, even Alan Cummingham and Cronus could not threaten him. He had always maintained minimal respect for them but never allowed them to trespass into his territory and seize his business. However, when he realized what he had done, he felt chills running down his spine—an unprecedented fear! He messed with the youngest God of War in the country’s history! One word from the man himself would get Tiger and his men executed on the spot! Reeve was unfazed no matter how Lightning Tiger begged. He said coldly, “This is a direct order from the God of War. No one is allowed to alter or diso
Dwight approached with a smile. He looked at Edmund earnestly. “I am Dwight McCorney. I have heard good things about you. I finally got to meet the man of the hour. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Witterson.” Dwight was starstruck. Edmund was embarrassed by Dwight’s behavior. He could not believe that Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. Nevertheless, Dwight seemed genuine in expressing his thrill. Edmund became curious about him. He turned around to look at Kaze, who was the polar opposite of Dwight. Kaze stood there, holding his ground. He stood up to greet Edmund and nothing else. He appeared to be refined, unlike Dwight, who was brash. Dwight had no idea that his behavior had upset Edmund. Edmund looked at Dwight in disdain. However, Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. It was best for Edmund to keep his comments to himself. Without a word, Edmund stared at the pair. Ryan stepped in to smooth things over. “What are you doing? We have a guest here.
Since Kaze would not change these people’s minds, he was better off doing what he wanted to do. “This vase must be valuable. I got to give it to Mr. Witterson. A display in the living room is worth so much.” Dwight had never seen so much luxury in one room. He had been to the museum, but the displays were nothing like he had ever seen before. The rich had the means to splurge. “Do you think this is pure gold?” Dwight turned to a gold statue. The design was to die for. The purity of color made it hard to doubt its authenticity. “I’m not too sure, but I guess most of the ornaments here are real.”Kaze watched as Dwight gasped in awe. Nevertheless, his behavior would clear any suspicion on Kaze. It could be a good thing. “I knew Mr. Witterson was rich. His businesses are doing well. “But I didn’t expect this sort of lifestyle. The gold must be worth a million dollars. “If I were this wealthy, I would not spend it on decoration.” Dwight rambled on, his eyes stuck t
“I’m not familiar with the area. We’ll have to look around,” Dwight said behind the wheel. He looked for restaurants while driving. It was early, and many restaurants were not open for business. They circled the block and finally uncovered a small breakfast bar. They ordered some food, filled their bellies, and got back into the car. “Mr. Witterson said that he wouldn’t meet you. Why does he want to see you now?” Dwight was curious. Something must have happened last night. Otherwise, Edmund would not suddenly grant an audience to Kaze. “I don’t know. I had some drinks last night, and now he probably made time.” Kaze felt better after breakfast. He did not think much of the situation. Things would carry on as planned regardless of what the Wittersons or the Siegfrieds had to say.This was exactly what Kaze hoped for. Dwight remained in the dark. He drove to the city’s most exclusive area for the rich. It was all greenery in this part of town. The road was wider, an
After a brief hesitation, Kaze followed Rosie. The room turned out to be Rosie’s. Though not a big room, it was crammed with all kinds of junk. The place looked cluttered. Rosie approached the vanity table and grabbed the comb to comb her hair. She turned to look at Kaze. “You said a lot of stuff last night. Do you remember any of it?” Rosie spoke like they had been friends for years. It was just small talk. “What did I say? I don’t really remember. You made a lovely drink, but man, it really kicked in.” Kaze put a cigarette to his lips, but he did not light it. Instead, he spotted a chair to sit down on. “Well, it’s pointless to talk about it if you can’t remember.” Rosie was pleased to hear that. At least, Kaze had no idea that she had gotten him drunk. “Don’t leave me hanging.” Kaze looked peeved. “Are you off the clock?” Kaze asked. “Yes. I work odd hours. It’s time for me to sleep now.” Rosie stared at Kaze. “I shouldn’t keep you from resting.”
“Can you give me something for the pain?” Clemont had a low tolerance for pain. Standing on the stairway, Morris heard his voice and sighed. Clemont could do no good in his eyes. “Keep an eye on him. He’s not allowed to leave the house for the time being.” Morris believed the incident was more than meets the eye. Yet, Clemont was tricked into going to Absolute Zero and starting shit. There was no telling whether the Wittersons or someone else was behind it. Morris let out a sigh and returned to the study. He sent the butler to the storage room to fetch a few valuable antiques. These items were collected years ago, and they cost a fortune. Morris’ intention was to be on good terms with the Wittersons. There was no need to be at war with them. He had to do it for the interest of the Viper’s Den and his family. Morris was all about looking at the bigger picture. Otherwise, he would not have put up with all the bullshit before. Edmund would not let him off the ho
“Are you trying to kill your son?” Clara intervened. “You’re ruining him by spoiling him. If you want things to continue as they were, you can kiss him goodbye forever,” Morris said. Clara was lost for words. She knew better, but she just could not stop herself. Clemont had her heart. Clara could not stand to see him hurt. She was distressed. However, she knew that Morris would not get over the matter without beating Clemont up. She had to step in. “Hit him!” Morris was too old to do anything laborious. However, the kid would not go anywhere in life without a good beating. Despite starting trouble, he sure was arrogant to admit that he was wrong. “I see the errors of my ways.” Clemont apologized in time to avoid the punishment. He managed to escape all repercussions by doing so. Plus, his mother would plead on his behalf. The whole thing would usually get brushed aside. Though it was more serious in this instance, Clemont still believed that Morris would not hur
Morris was in his study, wiping a plaque of commandments that was covered in dust. Due to his commitment to the Viper’s Den, he had neglected his family for years and left his son in his wife’s care. Morris regretted doing so. Unaware of the impending danger, Clemont enjoyed drinks with his friends. They were having fun, playing drinking games. Losing the game, Clemont downed a glass of liquor. Things could get far and exciting in a game. It was then that the door swung open. Clemont’s driver entered the room. “Young Master Siegfried, the master is waiting for you at home,” the driver said, noting the complexity of the situation. The only thing on his mind was to take Clemont away. Tipsy from the drinks, Clemont waved his arm. “Let him wait. What’s the rush to get home?” Clemont’s friends were shocked. Nothing scared Clemont like his father. However, Clemont toughened up for once. “Young Master Siegfried, why don’t you call it a night?” “Yeah. I’m sur
“What’s that supposed to mean? When have I ever made a mistake?” Morris heard nothing of that sort. It could only mean that his people had done nothing wrong. However, Edmund could not possibly get aggressive on the phone. Something must have happened, and he simply had no idea. Morris felt unsettled like something big was about to happen. “You seem to be lax when managing your people. You don’t seem to know what goes on around your house.“Is your age getting to you? Is that why you can’t handle most of the work? If you can’t get your own house in order, how will you ever manage the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Edmund called to say his piece. It was his way to make Morris step down. Though it was likely that Morris would resign, Edmund could at least make things unpleasant for him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Morris was completely in the dark, but Edmund must hold some secret to act so cocky. Despite his troubled feelings, Morris kept his cool and calmly aske
Since it was a rare opportunity, Edmund had to settle the score with them properly. He knew opportunities like this were hard to come by so he had to seize them well. “I understand. I will take care of the guest,” Rosie said. She was glad that her information was useful to her boss. After Edmund hung up the phone, Rosie then looked at the unconscious Kaze. “You are indeed more useful than I thought. Hardly anyone has ever managed to impress Edmund.” She did not feel sorry for Kaze, believing that everything happened as it was meant to. She knew that to climb higher, she had to please her superior. With the Wittersons on the rise, now was the perfect time for her to pledge her loyalty to Edmund. When the Wittersons truly took over the Westeros Branch, she would become one of the most powerful people in the city, second only to them. She was looking forward to that day. Since Kaze was fast asleep and no arrangements could be made, Rosie went out to call her men and