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
“A guy in uniform and you think he’s from the chief commander’s office? I can give you and your men a uniform each, does that make you soldiers?” Frank laughed so hard that he teared up. After he wiped off his tears, he scoffed, “Tiger, you are really a fool. It’s just a little trick and it scares your soul out. Do you know who that man is? He’s the stupid son-in-law of the Quint family.” “It’s him?” Lightning Tiger was surprised. “I have a picture of him. You can verify it if you want.” Frank sent Lightning Tiger a picture of Kaze. Lightning Tiger then verified it with the workers at the funeral home. A while later, he got a reply. They were the same person! “Fuck! He tricked me!” Lightning Tiger was furious. Frank grinned and said, “So, are you still going to him and kneel?” “Kneel his ass! I am Lightning Tiger, why would I kneel to a useless piece of shit!” He almost became the laughingstock if he actually knelt before the useless son-in-law of a second-tier
“G-Grim Reaper?!” Lightning Tiger was surprised to see the man. Chills ran down his spine instantly. Jeremiah Reaper, the man who killed Gabriel Black, Cronus’ strongest fighter. Lightning Tiger was horrified. His legs turned weak and he almost fell on his knees. Jeremiah extended his broken sword to Lightning Tiger’s neck and lifted his chin. It was just the tip yet it managed to stop Lightning Tiger from kneeling. “Don’t kneel here. Go kneel at the hospital. You still have half an hour left.” Then, Jeremiah left. “I thought Frank said that guy is just some useless shit? But the Grim Reaper is here to deliver his message?!” Lightning Tiger was confused. “Boss, you still have half an hour left.” It was his man’s reminder that brought him back from his shock. “Quick! I have to go to the hospital now!” Lightning Tiger darted out of his office and drove to the hospital like a madman. He managed to reach the hospital within the time limit. “Huh! Huh! M-Master
Lighting Tiger was shocked by Kaze’s words. “But the Chapmans would never agree.” The Chapman family had more than a hundred people living in Jade Estate, yet someone they hated wanted to erect a cenotaph next to where they lived. They would never allow it. “Then make the Chapman family move. Since the Jade Estate is ready, I just need to prepare my brother’s cenotaph, and no need to waste time building another tomb for him.” James’ death anniversary was around the corner. Lightning Tiger was completely stunned by Kaze’s self-righteousness. He did not expect Kaze to be this tyrannical. Kaze planned to move the Chapmans away from the estate that they had been living in for generations so that he could use the place to erect James’ cenotaph. It would be a huge humiliation to the Chapman family! Kaze then glanced at him and said, “Bring some people over there to inspect the place and deliver my message to the top three families…” …Belarus, Edward, and Flint, the he
“Cenotaph!? You want to erect a cenotaph in Jade Estate, where hundreds of my family live?! What the hell is this, Lightning Tiger?! I dare you to say it one more time in my face and I will kill you right now!” Even with his wealth of experience, Belarus was seething with anger. If a cenotaph was erected in the estate, then the Chapman family’s ancestors would probably jump out from their graves to hold him responsible. “Master Chapman, you are right. It is exactly what that person meant. I am not going to repeat myself,” Lightning Tiger said. “Oh and since all three of you are here, that person wants me to deliver a message.” The three heads of families frowned and glared at Lightning Tiger. “The message reads: Three days later will be James White’s death anniversary. The Chapman family is to move out of the Jade Estate by then. On the day of the anniversary, all family members of the top three families, men and women, old and young, shall visit James White’s grave and kne
Edward later gave another suggestion. Their hands were tied when it came to Jesse, but they could stir problems for Shangrila Group. Conflict could start from within. Even though they could not do anything to Jesse, the least they could do was give him something to think about. “Sir, Lightning Tiger has conveyed your message to the top three families. “He has surrendered all his personal and company assets. He even volunteered to lead his men to mourn for James on the anniversary of his death.” Reeve updated Kaze at the hospital. “I see. Since he knows his place, I can spare his life for now.” Kaze waved his arm and said, “It doesn’t just stop with the top three families and Lightning Tiger. I want those who were involved in Shangrila Group’s downfall to be there for James’ death anniversary.” “Of course. I will get Shane to uncover them all.” Reeve had been with Kaze to Melrose, so he knew that Shane was one of Kaze’s minions now. It was time for the minion to do h
“It’s understood that your concert is held on the same day as the death anniversary of Mr. James White, the former chairman of Shangrila Group.“We received word that Shangrila Group will organize a remembrance for James to celebrate him. “Are you holding the concert as part of the event, Taylor?” The interview went on. Taylor responded, “My concert is unrelated to that event. It’s just a coincidence.” It was far too much of a coincidence to be written off as chance.“Can I be blunt and ask you about the alleged abuse James committed on you that rocked the community two years ago?” “I have nothing to say about that. I want to leave the past behind. It’s time I move on.” Taylor added with grace, “I have come back to the city where my nightmare first began because I have put the incident behind me.” “Shangrila Group faced public criticism two years ago and finally bankrupted, but the company has been restructured recently.” The journalist asked, “Do you have anything
Snow had already sent men to where the plane was found. If the passengers were taken away, then they must still be nearby. It was difficult to transport an entire plane of passengers to some place far within such a short time. It was a race against time. Snow did not know who would do such a thing. Kaze took a common flight like everyone else, yet it was hijacked. It was strange. The coincidence was uncanny. Snow believed the hijacking happened because of Kaze but she did not know why. “The only explanation is that there’s a traitor among us…” She finally came to an unlikely conclusion after combing through the details. If there were a traitor, it must be within the Viper’s Den. Kaze had laid a low profile for as long as he was in Butterworth. Not many people knew about his identity and those who wanted to make connections with him were because of Snow. It was unlikely that someone would go after him so suddenly unless this person knew his identity and background.
If they were sent to capture Kaze, then they were severely under-numbered. In addition, they allowed Kaze to be alone with the captives, which proved that they were inexperienced. Or maybe they did not know what he had done in the past as the God of War. Kaze believed that the mercenaries were after him but they did not know his true identity. There must have been some miscommunication between them and their employer, which was good news to Kaze. Tiguan and his men were eating. Since they were unable to identify the target, they were forced to bring everyone back. The plane was huge. It would be an easy target for the law enforcement to locate them. Maybe the outside world had caught wind of the hijacking. “Boss, what should we do now? That man seems like he vanished into thin air.” “We got his boarding information but we can’t identify him on the plane.” “Who are we looking for exactly? Why is he so mysterious?” The men were baffled. “We are looking for the righ
“We are almost there. We have to transfer these people as soon as possible. The plane must take off right away. We cannot leave any traces behind.” They must hurry or they would be caught very soon. They held the pilot hostage and forced him to do an abrupt landing. The sudden descent caught everyone off guard, shocking them. A few of the passengers even hit their heads. Many of them did not get the chance to fasten their seat belts. Kaze grabbed Barney and protected his head from hitting the front seat. “Thank you.” Barney looked at Kaze with gratitude and then looked outside. “Where are we? Have we reached?” He was worried that they would be completely trapped. “They are going to transfer us elsewhere.” Kaze had a similar experience before and he knew what the hijackers would do next. “Transfer us? Are they going to transfer us to somewhere secluded and kill us all?” Barney looked horrified as he stared at Kaze. He somehow felt safe beside Kaze. “They sai
With trains, there was still an option to jump out. However, everybody was sitting ducks in a plane. Kaze had always been sensitive when it came to safety. He had a sinking feeling in his gut as if something was about to happen. He turned his head back to observe the plane’s interior. Several passengers stood up in the business class section. Strangely, these people were seated separately. However, they seemed to know each other. They exchanged glances as if searching for something. Finding the whole thing bizarre, Kaze observed them. Those passengers went straight into the air stewardesses’ compartment and disappeared out of Kaze’s sight. Kaze could not shake off the eerie feeling. Something was off. He looked back, and several more rose to their feet. These individuals were young but toned. They likely underwent some form of specialized training. Kaze had a bad feeling. Trouble was brewing, and the plane was likely being hijacked. “Why are you looking around? Is
“I see. What bad timing.” Katie was a little disappointed to learn that Kaze had left, but in a way, she was relieved. She had gotten on Kaze’s nerves, and he could turn around and make things difficult for her. Now that Kaze was gone, Katie got to keep her job. She did not have to fear Kaze’s retaliation. The news caught Leah off guard. “Why did he leave without saying goodbye? I didn’t even thank him yet.” Leah had a hard time digesting the news. She had been waiting for a chance to show her gratitude to Kaze and see him again. He was out of her life before she could do anything about it. “I’m sorry. Chairman Lee’s departure was unplanned.” Snow put on a professional smile, appearing friendly and distant. “Please present the gifts to him for us if you can. We are grateful for Mr. Lee’s help.” Katie was annoyed that Leah could not spend time with Kaze. The bond could help with her career. Kaze’s departure cost Katie an opportunity, but there was no point in dwel
“Now that’s the spirit. You can’t take every matter into your own hands. You’re a leader now. You should put the right people in the right jobs.” Feeling relieved, May nodded. “Where’s the guy? I have been wanting to meet him. I missed the chance when I was unconscious.” May came over right away just to score a chance to see Kaze. Kaze saved her life, but she did not have the chance to thank him in person. “I set the date. We’re seeing him tomorrow afternoon. Let’s freshen up. I’m taking you home to rest.” With a time in place, Snow had to get ready. May nodded. The pair returned to the mansion where they felt at home. Even though it had been a while since their return, nothing had changed. “Did Jet say anything when he stepped down?” May was clueless on the specifics. “He went mad and ran out. I get this uneasy feeling, but I can’t locate him anywhere.” Snow was concerned. Jet, as witty as he was, likely played up his meltdown. It was a shame that Jet got aw
“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