Kaze merely smiled as Ryan reeled in the shock. If Ryan had seen the God of War Palace’s defense technology laboratory, he probably would have passed out in awe. Winnie and Ryan were confused. They did not understand why Kaze brought them there. “Derek, can you share the quality of the precision instrument you developed for clinical studies?” Kaze asked. Carrying the pride of a scholar, Derek said proudly, “Our lab boasts the most advanced technology in the entire military. Our commitment to quality is unsurpassed, Sir. Even state-level labs utilize our state-of-the-art equipment.” Ryan was envious. If only Shangrila Group’s laboratory could be set up with such cutting-edge equipment. No doubt it would be a great help to his research. Kaze pointed at Ryan and Winnie before uttering, “This is Ms. Souffle from Shangrila Group and Ryan Waker, who oversees the company research lab.“I have a thought of a possible collaboration. You can partner with Shangrila Group to set u
Rei did not stop with just the video. She also sent Ryan two voice messages. “You’re useless, Ryan. I heard from Zach that the Four Ocean Commerce Guild issued a boycott order on Shangrila Group. You can forget ever acquiring any equipment. “Are you running a laboratory or nothing? Haha! How do you like that?” The sound of running water and Zach’s ridicule played in the background. Ryan dared not imagine what they were doing. “Don’t get too excited, bitch. The Four Ocean Commerce Guild is irrelevant. We are getting the testing apparatus transported to the company overnight, and I can guarantee you that the technology is more advanced than the top three families’.” He pressed the button to record his reply. Once done, he did not send the voice message. It was not too late to prove the cheating couple wrong after setting up the laboratory and conducting the important experiments. Kaze witnessed everything.He smiled and uttered, “Just send the voice message, Ryan.” “Mr
The general manager of Lilyrose Logistics, Howard was the son-in-law of the Goldings. He was an uncle to Frank. Howard would not neglect a call from his nephew, Frank. So, he immediately rolled out Frank’s instructions. Lilyrose Logistics dominated the distribution chain in Lilyrose. No other shipping companies would dare retaliate against it. These companies heeded Lilyrose Logistics’ orders right away. Soon, the main roads into the city were closed. All freight vehicles entering Lilyrose would be stopped and searched. The power and reach of the top three families permeated the complex network.The local government turned a blind eye to Lilyrose Logistics’ illegal road closures. Some authorities in uniform even volunteered to cover for them. It explained why the public considered Johnson a figurehead mayor. The real people running the city were the three family heads. Large trucks snaked along the roadside, queueing on the other side of the toll booth at around t
Greed was visible on Leath’s face. He had thoughts about hijacking the freight and logistics domain in Melrose. Leath had attempted to dip his fingers there before, but he suffered a massive loss instead. Now that he had a chance for a do-over, he was not going to let the opportunity slip through his fingers. All he needed to do was destroy dozens of cargo vans. The destruction would cost a heavy loss to the logistics company in Melrose. Even if the company did not go bankrupt, the loss would be hard to recover from. “Stop!” “Stop and pull over to the side!” Leath’s men had set up a roadblock. As the men clamored, the fleet of cargo vans pulled over. “Where are the goods heading?” Leath’s subordinate aggressively pulled the driver from his seat. “Shangrila Group.” “Open the door now.” “Alright.” The strange thing was the drivers appeared rather calm. They opened the doors to the cargo beds, no questions asked, nor did they consider retaliation. Leath’
Under the command of the commander, Leath and his men were arrested. Soldiers were not only found in one cargo van. The remaining last vehicle in the fleet contained military personnel too. Heeding the order of their superior, they jumped out of the cargo beds. Leath’s other dozens of men were caught before they knew it. Lilyrose Strategic Department’s defense technology laboratory assigned a team of soldiers to escort the equipment to its destination. The commander gave Kaze a call. “The gang who tried to hijack the military resources at the toll booth has been arrested, Sir.” “Got it. Leave them to the police for conviction.” “Yes, Sir!” Soon, Leath and his gang were handed over to Don, who rushed over with his team. While on the way to the police station, Leath, shaken by fear, spilled the beans and called Howard out. Half an hour later, Howard, the notorious general manager of Lilyrose Logistics, had been apprehended too. Now that the big fish was caught, t
Thud!Frank kicked Zach in the face. “You have the morning to make Ryan hand over the technology by any means possible.” With the establishment of its own laboratory, Shangrila Group would now leverage Ryan’s skills and technology to enter the pharmaceutical market.Frank had to stop Shangrila Group from growing. …Other things were happening at Shangrila Group. The chairman had sorted out the boycott order from the Four Ocean Commence Guild. A laboratory had been set up overnight. The employees of the group were filled with motivation and drive. Winnie could finally rest after working through the night. Then came the call from Key High Tech. “Ms. Souffle, we are ready to dispatch the shipment your company has acquired. When will you be making the final payment?” once the call was connected, the representative said merrily. His attitude was a complete 180 from the day before. Winnie replied curtly, “Sorry, but we have set up the laboratory. We no longer need th
Kaze went to the chairman’s office to take a shower. He had spent the night in the office building. Darcy had called him, asking why he was not home. Kaze explained that he was busy with matters concerning Shangrila Group and would not be expected home that night. Darcy supported Kaze to stay and help out at the company, thinking it was about the previous press conference. “Key High Tech wants to take us to court.” Winnie recounted the earlier phone conversation furiously. Kaze smirked. He gave Albert a call right away. In less than half an hour, the representative of Key High Tech called back. “I’m sorry, Ms. Souffle. I will pay back the deposit. We are all businesses trying to survive in this climate. Why must you take things so far?” Winnie was shocked to hear the wails on the other end of the line. “What happened? I didn’t do anything.” Baffled, Winnie had no idea what was going on. “Don’t be silly, Ms. Souffle. I just talked about suing you, and the n
“Are you deaf? I called him babe.” Rei glared at Kaze before turning to Ryan. She lashed out, “You’re a loser, Ryan. Why do you need your figurehead chairman to speak on your behalf? “I should let you know that he’s my babe, and we get along like a married couple. “Am I right, babe?” She turned around and looked at Zach coyly. “You’re right, my wife.” Zach chuckled. “Oh, boy, do we get along in bed. Rei and I were in the hotel last night, doing things you couldn’t and hadn’t done with her. Tsk, imagine the pleasure.” Ryan clenched his fists, tempted to take Zach’s eyeballs out. Still, he kept it together. He knew that Zach was manipulative. For all he knew, Zach could be trying to get a rise out of him. Ryan could only be giving Zach something against him if he turned to violence. “Did you spend the night at a hotel together?” Kaze said curtly, “Rei, you are still married to Ryan.” “What? Are you trying to stick up for your good-for-nothing employee, Mr. Cha
The other three experts of the Quints scoffed as they stared at Darcy. Darcy might be more beautiful than them but she would have to lose one of her legs. A beautiful cripple would be an interesting scene for them to enjoy. “What?! One of Darcy’s legs?!” Hector and Agnes were shocked by Dark’s words. Sky stepped up to express his dissatisfaction, saying, “What did Darcy do wrong? Why are you people punishing her? “Even if Darcy did something wrong, breaking one of her legs is too much! Are you people savages? How can you set up such an inhuman punishment in the family—” “Slap!” Before he could finish, Dark darted forward and slapped Sky in the face. “Ignorant boy! Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? Are you deaf? I have already announced Darcy Quint’s punishment! Do you not understand English? “Savage? Who are you calling savage? As the branch head of the Quints, Darcy colluded with outsiders to harm the head of the family. Breaking one of her legs i
The group of five strode into the living room. Looking at Dark, who exuded the same ominous aura as her daughter, Shadow, Agnes, who had been advising Kaze on how to negotiate with Phoenix, shuddered and shrank back in fear. The anger on her face was quickly replaced by a timid and flattering smile. “Madam Dark? What brings you here? Welcome to our humble abode!” Dark served Phoenix, so every member of the Quints in the South River State showed her the same respect as the elder of the family. After showing a flattering smile at Dark, Agnes turned around to her husband with furrowed brows and bellowed, “Hector, what are you doing there? Go prepare tea for our guests! “Madam Dark basically grew up with Madam Quint, they are as close as sisters! If we don’t serve her properly, we might not be able to make a stand in Riverbank anymore!” She then turned back to Dark and said respectfully, “Madam Dark, ladies, this way, please. Have a seat and we’ll prepare the best tea we have
“You’re finally getting brighter,” Hector said with a soft sigh. When Darcy became the branch head of the Quints, Agnes was the happiest because she thought the family had hit the jackpot. She foolishly thought her family’s status would surge, which fueled her arrogance along the way. Now, after what had happened, she finally woke up and saw the truth. “What else do you know other than mocking me in my face?” Agnes glared at her husband. Hector said helplessly, “I just want you to see things clearer and if your demands are too much, Madam Phoenix might not agree to them. She might even forfeit the negotiation. “After all, Sky Ocean Corporation belongs to Darcy and it’s her blood and sweat, not Madam Quint’s. So, even if the company goes bankrupt, she has nothing to lose.” Agnes pondered for a moment and realized her husband’s words made sense. Fear caught up to her immediately. She quickly said, “Kaze, then let’s not make so many demands. Let’s just appoint Darcy as the
Though it was infuriating that Kaze cost Darcy her job at Sky Ocean Corporation, Hector was willing to give Kaze another chance for some reason. He was curious whether Kaze was telling the truth. Hector had been taking the calls since yesterday while keeping Agnes out of the loop. “Kaze was right.” Hector looked at Kaze with a mix of emotions, and there was one thing he did not understand. “I just don’t get how he got Perfect World Group and Mayor Synder to follow through with his instructions.” It was a debt and project worth tens of billions.Even if Kaze had ties to Perfect World Group and Kent, it was a big personal favor to ask. Hector could not figure it out. Agnes’ jaw opened, and she glanced at Kaze before tugging at him. “Have a seat, Kaze. Have you had breakfast? Come. Do you want milk with your cereal?” She was always quick to adapt to the situation. Her attitude toward Kaze took a 180 turn. Agnes was not one to reflect on herself. She did not care what Ka
Phoenix uttered indignantly, “That’s fresh coming from Kent. “Didn’t you tell them that you were there on my behalf?“I’m a senior member of the Ridgesouth Quints. Can’t they just hand the rights to use the land to us?” Dark said resentfully, “According to the Riverbank council, they only answer to Darcy, not the Ridgesouth Quints.” “Oh, brilliant. Just brilliant.” Phoenix smirked furiously. “Kent has no respect for me. The Westeros Synders will pay for this!“What’s the situation like in Lilyrose? What does Perfect World Group have to say about this? Don’t tell me only Darcy can handle the business deals?” Dark grimaced hard. “Ma’am, when I said that I was representing you, I wasn’t even allowed into the premises.” …Humiliated, Phoenix froze. As tension rose, Phoenix jolted to her feet exasperatedly and slammed the table. “That’s pushing it!” With Phoenix seething in rage, some family members had ideas of their own. Phoenix had been acting high and mighty, looki
“The family of ingrates!“They have some nerve to threaten and manipulate me.”Phoenix was livid. She, a senior member of the Ridgesouth Quints, had always been superior and the center of attention. No one would defy her. Phoenix believed Hector’s family would not rebel against her. However, Kaze and Darcy had been nothing but a menace since her arrival in Riverbank. Kaze even put her behind bars for a few hours. Phoenix had never been so humiliated. She had had enough. The other family members in the South River State kept to themselves, not wanting to be at the firing end. Phoenix had dragged two family members out to the corridor to punish them for saying something she did not like. They could still hear the echoes of the slapping sound. Anxiety washed over the ward. Joan and her family were desperate. With Phoenix’s help, Joan finally seized Sky Ocean Corporation for her own, only to be blindsided by Perfect World Group and the Riverbank council. The corpora
Robin fell into contemplation before uttering, “I know what to do. “Bring me Ms. Delmore’s trusty sword.” A member retrieved Hannah’s sword and handed it to her respectfully. “Come on.” Kaze turned on his heel and left River Watcher Inn together with Hannah and Collier. As Kaze disappeared from the building, Robin sighed. “I didn’t expect the Chief to appoint a moocher to be the branch leader.” Robin knew that the revelation of Kaze’s identity would be a total shocker. Kaze took Hannah and Collier to Herbal Spring and wrote them a prescription. Hannah suffered internal injuries from Robin’s attack, and Collier sustained mental trauma from Robin’s music. Though the injuries were not serious, they were not in the best shape. Recovery would take time. Medicine could only do so much. While waiting for the medicine, Collier glanced at his phone and said, “The story is out, Kaze. Siberian attempted to kill Robin, and the Roads died protecting him.“There is nothing abou
Kaze smiled pretentiously. “Are you still trying to recruit me, Chief Hill?”Robin hung his head low in shame and replied, “I wouldn’t dare.” It finally dawned on him why Kaze would not accept his offer. Kaze even kept things hush-hush to spare him the embarrassment. However, Robin mistook Kaze’s intention as arrogance. It was true. Robin was unfit to engage in a fight with Kaze. Kaze was more powerful in strength and rank. “Rise,” Kaze uttered indifferently, not putting the blame on Robin. Robin was taken aback, but he quickly responded, “Thank you for overlooking my mistakes.” He rose to his feet. The members of the execution hall stayed in position, their faces pale. They were scared. Just minutes ago, they taunted and mocked Kaze. They had insulted the branch leader. If only there was a hole in the ground they could sink into. “Slap yourselves ten times before you can get up.” Kaze directed the comment at the execution hall members. He pointed at the
Silence filled the air on the ninth floor of River Watcher Inn. Robin stood frozen, his discolored face carrying a look of shock. The clamoring members of the execution hall looked at Kaze with their jaws dropped too. They did not see how Kaze did it. However, they picked up on the vanishing flicker. Robin’s reaction was all the answer they needed. Kaze delivered a blow when Robin attacked. Kaze clearly deterred Robin from launching another attack. Um… It was impossible. The outcome left emotions running high. While Robin killed Siberian with ease, he was no match for Kaze. Robin looked Kaze dead in the eye, his eyes unreadable. He felt that he was a tiny step away from death when Kaze struck him. It had been many years since Robin was consumed by that feeling. Robin knew from experience what it meant. Kaze could kill him if he wanted to. Robin would end up lifeless just like Siberian. Robin cocked his head back stiffly and glanced at the dagger that sank