With the order from Hudson, invites were sent out. Soon, all the important figures of Lilyrose received the invites. “Hudson Vinland invites us to have tea at Wuthering Pavilion tomorrow. What is he planning?” At Bay Club, Gold Tooth and Dan Niner received the invites and they were not sure what to do with it. They worked for Kaze for a while and seized all the limelight for some time, but ever since they failed their missions, Kaze switched his attention to Miru. Since then, the two of them had been nothing but miserable. Gold Tooth was forced to retire because of one word from Kaze. He called Dan out to have a drink before they received the invites. “I don’t care what they wanted to do but we have to go to show respect,” Dan said bitterly. “The top three families are taken down already and Hudson Vinland is inviting us to tea? This is sketchy.” The three family heads also received the invitation and decided to talk about it at a cafe. They were still frightened
Hudson’s invitation was sent to Shangrila Group. This one was unlike the others because the content only had one sentence in it—Get over here, apologize! The person who delivered the invitation specifically said it was for Kaze. When the invitation was handed to Winnie, she was frightened. The conflict between Kaze and the Vinlands started because of her and Brenda. Hudson did all those things just because he wanted to get back to Kaze at the tea session. “Ms. Souffle, should we deliver this invitation to the chairman?” Sophie asked. “No need. I’ll take his place. We don’t need to let the chairman know about this.” Winnie bit her lip and made up her mind. Back at Horizon Mirror Mansion, after Darcy received a phone call, she went to Kaze with a concerned look. “Kaze, I got a call from my friend saying that the Vinlands sent invitations to many influential figures in Lilyrose, inviting them over for tea. I wonder if it’s about us.” From the moment Kaze beat up Yume
“I invited everyone here for tea. Please make yourself at home!” Hudson entered the room with a grand disposition and signaled everyone to take their seats. “Master Hudson, Melrose’s kingpin, Steve and his son, were murdered last night by the Twin Ghosts. Is the Vinland family involved?” asked a family head of a first-tier family. The question felt out of line but he could not control his curiosity. The others looked at Hudson curiously. Hudson smiled and said, “I know them.” The answer Hudson provided was profound and it struck the hearts of everyone present. Hudson cherished his reputation more than anything, so there was no way he would admit it. However, his claim to know them explained a lot. A number of guests reacted strangely. Lefteria Group wiped out Dallas Moneylender in Lilyrose and Hudson responded by killing Steve and Sully in Melrose. After Steve stepped down, he supported Miru in taking over his empire in Melrose. Just as Lefteria Group started to
Winnie’s face turned pale. She looked down in silence as guilt started to consume her. “And my son, Juno! The Star Corporation is one of the biggest companies in Chrysant, yet Kaze Lee tortured my son! This is unacceptable!” Jake’s square face looked fierce and strict. The other chairmen of big companies in Chrysant City stepped up and berated Winnie as their sons and daughters were tortured by Kaze. Of course, they would want justice for their children. “I heard you and your daughter are the cause of all this, am I right?” Dexter asked coldly. “It is.” Winnie’s face was as white as a sheet. Dexter bellowed, “On your knees, and apologize to us!” Thump! Winnie knelt without a second thought. Kaze was too kind to her and her family. Even if she had to give her life away, she swore to bear all the criticism for Kaze. “Shangrila Group has been opposing the Vinlands openly, yet its CEO is kneeling before us?” Dexter strutted up to Winnie. Slap! He slapped Winni
The voice came from a phone via loudspeaker. It was so abrupt that it caught everyone’s ears. Everyone was shocked by the bold words. Who was that? Who called Dexter Bluenid and the others a piece of garbage? Each of them ran their respective companies and since they were valued by the Vinlands, the companies were by no means small. Even the Vikroms and Logmans dared not challenge them. Yet someone among the guests called them a piece of garbage openly. “Who said that?! Show yourself!” Dexter was furious as he stared in the direction where the voice came from. The guests in the same direction averted his furious gaze, trying to avoid a potential conflict with the Bluenids. There was one person who did not look away. It was a young lady and to everyone’s surprise, she stood up. It was Sophie. “You? Who are you to challenge me?” Dexter shouted angrily. Sophie was trembling as she held the phone up. “Don’t be afraid. Get close and let them hear my voice.” Kaz
“What the hell?!” Dexter covered his face on the floor, crying in pain. Everyone almost burst into laughter seeing his miserable state. They all gloated at him and looked down at him for crying like a child. Winnie was slapped many times yet she did not even grunt in pain. Dexter was weaker than a woman! Then, everyone was shocked because they did not expect Dan to listen to Kaze and slap Dexter in the face. Not even Hudson had expected it. Hudson stared at Dan. “Dan Niners, what is the meaning of this?” Dexter was with him, and if Dan slapped Dexter, Dan indirectly slapped him. “I’m sorry, Master Hudson, I didn’t mean to offend you.” Dan bowed. Hudson looked slightly calmer. He said, “Explain yourself.” “Alright.” Dan nodded. He then grabbed Dexter by the hair and kneed him in the stomach, making him kneel on the floor. He then slapped Dexter repeatedly, causing him to cry louder. After numerous slaps, Dexter could not even make a sound anymore. Dan then
“Stop them!” Hudson was infuriated. He squeezed the words out through clenched teeth. “If you don’t want to die, stop this at once!” Two men from the Vinlands stepped up and threatened Dan and Gold Tooth. However, their ferocity did not work on Dan. He was known for being brutal and ferocious in the underworld. “If you don’t want them to die, stand right there!” Dan grabbed one of the chairmen’s necks and squeezed it tightly, causing the man’s face to turn red and his eyes rolled back. “Hehe, one more step and I’ll squeeze his balls out!” Gold Tooth was not as young as Dan, hence the lack of strength but he was much more vicious. He grabbed Dexter by the scrotum instead. It was all men’s weakness. Even the man of steel would have to surrender and beg for mercy. “Master Hudson! Stop! Don’t do it! I can’t take it anymore!” Dexter cried like a little boy, his body shook, and his eyes rolled back. Hudson could not just let his men lose their manhood, so he had to
“Challenge you? Are you even worthy?” Kaze scoffed. “This isn’t for you alone, it’s for your whole family.” Everyone else in the room gasped in shock. What did Kaze mean? Hudson was not worthy? Kaze wanted to target the entire Vinland family?” “You can hang up now, Sophie.” Kaze then went silent. Dan and Gold Tooth escorted Winnie and Sophie away. “Master Hudson, are we just going to let them go? This is unacceptable!” Dexter and the others had just escaped the devil’s grasp and the more they thought about it, the angrier they got. They were aggrieved. They would implode due to grievance if they could not get revenge. “Silence!” Hudson stared coldly as Winnie and her group walked out of Wuthering Pavilion. He did not try to stop them. A while later, his frosty gaze calmed down. He said, “A bug dares to challenge me? I’ll give him a few more days to buzz around. He really thinks Lefteria Group is enough for him to oppose me? If so, I’ll overthrow the hierarchy
“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.
Eli dined offhandedly as if he had taken hold of the group. His words were layered with threat. “What? Are you trying to replace us?” Knox asked in disbelief. “I don’t have that power, but the investor does. I heard that he enjoyed dinner with your superiors. I’m sure the project will get the green light in no time. “Even if you didn’t approach me today, my team and I would have invited you out for a get-together.” Eli knew when to back down, easing the tension in the air. It was another type of reconciliation. Eli needed to go through the review board to get the rights to air the films. The carrot-and-stick approach was the best way forward. Kaze was surprised by the sophistication of Eli’s tactics. Still, he believed he had come to the right place. Sure enough, Jet would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Surely, he was bound to leave loose ends. Nevertheless, he probably did not care. Arthur cocked his head back to look at Kaze. Kaze grinned, unbothered
The purpose of the visit was to inform Rising Sun that the films did not make the cut. Since Rising Sun would not make the necessary amendments, the project would come to a halt. “Please, don’t. Since we are all here, we should talk it out.” It took Eli quite some effort to get the group to the hotel. Eli had plans to please the crowd, so he could not let them leave just yet. This went beyond getting the green light for the films. Eli needed to make the group happy. “There is nothing more to talk about. We can’t proceed unless you make the changes.” There was no way around it. Since Rising Sun refused to make the right amendments, and Knox had orders about putting a hold on Rising Sun’s films, that was one less problem for Knox to deal with. Eli could not let the group walk out on him. Hence, he quickly sent people in. Several thinly clad women entered, each holding a small bag. Despite the weightlessness, the bag appeared to be carrying something of substance. “You
For that reason, Rising Sun’s film productions were not cleared to be aired. “I told you the reason. The investor supplied us with the scripts, and we were told to base our productions on the scripts. Our hands are tied.”Eli would have made the amendments if he could. He knew where the problem lay. However, the company had to take the investor’s perspective into consideration. In the end, the films were yet to be approved for release. “I guess you won’t get the permission to air them then.” Knox was surprised that Rising Sun would not budge on the matter. Nevertheless, Knox and his team were not there to give the all-clear or talk some sense into Rising Sun. Knox and his team could care less about what Eli had to say. “We’re serious about getting the approval. “I’m sorry that we aren’t a better host for your visit today. Why don’t we move to the nearby hotel for a talk?” With the review board making an appearance, Eli knew there was still hope. If Eli did not grab
Arthur chuckled, his smile carrying a touch of sleaziness. “Oh, I see.” A realization dawned on Kaze. “Are you with quality control?” Several individuals in dark blue suits approached. The men and women carried files and documents. Kaze nodded without a word. “We are just here to announce the results. We shouldn’t be long.” Arthur came forward to engage with them. The group was likely given the heads-up as they had the right number of people. They swaggered into Rising Sun’s building. The general manager straightened up his tie in a fluster and walked out. None of the film productions made the cut yet, and the delay was costing the company money by the day. At this rate, the project would go down under. Eli, the general manager, rushed to the entrance upon learning the news. The review team was there to do one final check. The films would get the green light if the board found that everything was up to par. The head office would stop putting pressure on
Given Kaze’s status, Alfonso knew better than to have him waiting under the hot sun. Of course, he would send his people to be on standby for Kaze’s arrival. Peter only came to the rescue when Kaze was pestered by some street gang. Alfonso’s omission of Kaze’s identity led to this hiccup. Kaze did not care one bit about the incident. Heck, he did not even bring it up. Arthur straightened his back nervously, becoming even more cautious behind the wheel. “You knew, but why didn’t you say anything, Mr. Lee? You didn’t even tell on us.” Arthur could not understand why. However, he had more respect for the man. “I didn’t see a point. You’ll learn what happens when you displease me, so I won’t bother telling you now.” Kaze was mild-mannered as ever. He spoke softly without a hint of anger. All the more Arthur revered him. “Mr. Lee, we didn’t do our jobs right. We didn’t know who you were.“But my duty is to protect you in the dark. “We saw you getting out of the train
“Rising Sun is a media company. Several of their films are about to be released. They are trying to get them approved to air due to some censorship issues.” Arthur took out a document. “Are there any issues with the films? Why aren’t they approved yet?” Kaze asked curiously. Kaze had no idea. “There are some issues. They aren’t fit to be aired. “Typically, there aren’t a lot of restrictions for film productions so long as the themes aren’t sensitive topics. “But these films featured altered history. The company has been asked multiple times to make revisions, but the films still don’t make the cut.” The Viper’s Den’s members were not privy to the information. The Frosts were insignificant. Kaze was after the Frosts. Otherwise, the Viper’s Den would not waste its resources on a mere film production company. Jet’s investment of nearly ten million bucks in Rising Sun caught the Viper’s Den’s attention. The delayed approval of the films would be catastrophic to the in