Blake and Trafford were stunned. Loid somehow turned around and lashed out at them instead. Although they were suspicious of Loid’s attitude toward Kaze, reality had not kicked in yet. Trafford uttered, “Governor, Kaze tried to bribe you, but he refused to admit to it. Mayor Bowman merely went to extreme lengths to protect your pride.” He thought his remark would spark Loid’s fury. The governor came all the way to Lilyrose, clearly out to get Kaze. “Bribe me? He was insulting me because of what you both have done.” Loid glared at Trafford. “Tell me. What did Blake give you for your trip to Lilyrose?” Color washed off Trafford’s and Blake’s faces.By bringing the matter to light, Loid clearly intended for them to answer for their crimes.Pale-faced, Trafford tried to think of an excuse and said calmly, “I didn’t get anything out of it, Governor. The Vinlands and the Lees came to me to promote Blake. I agreed to it because I believe we need to be on good terms with the
Trafford kneeled next to Kaze’s feet and slammed his forehead on the ground repeatedly until his skin broke. He was a wise man, knowing words could not help him now. His fate lay in the hands of Kaze. “I was wrong, Kaze. The two prominent families wanted me to go after your family. If I knew you were the God of War, I wouldn’t do it.” Following suit, Blake kneeled before Kaze and clung to his leg in tears. The previously high and mighty mayor spinelessly begged Kaze. Thud! Disgusted, Kaze kicked him away. Blake sprung back on his feet and drew close to Kaze. “You must forgive me, Kaze. You threw my son out of the window. He’s still in the emergency room. I have paid the price.” Smack! Kaze gave him another kick and smirked. “Don’t speak to me like I owe you. If I were to arrive late, my wife would be the one in the hospital.” “I won’t be the mayor anymore. I’ll do anything you ask!” Blake whimpered and wanted to approach Kaze again. Loid said chillingly, “You h
Everybody outside the mayor’s office was stunned. It never occurred to anybody that Kaze, who was held captive for questioning, would walk out a free man. Blake the mayor was now under arrest. As the public watched, Blake was dejectedly escorted into the police car in handcuffs. More surprisingly, Kaze was sharing a pleasant talk with Loid, the governor. “What the hell is going on? The governor came all the way to Lilyrose to deal with the mayor instead of punishing Kaze.” “Maybe Kaze’s gifts worked. Seriously, Governor?” These people were disappointed, and they could not figure out why. They mocked Kaze for doing a foolish thing by bribing the governor openly. To their surprise, Kaze’s gift-giving was well received. Not only did the governor save him, but Blake was also ruined in the process. Loid saw Kaze off the building and even gave him a ride home. These people had no idea who Kaze was. They assumed that Loid was materialistic and did not carry shame for t
“Give me a chance, Mr. Lee. Sob, sob…” Kevin was dragged away. Don left with his men. Kaze took a stroll to the villa. “Just transfer the corporate shares to the Vinlands, Darcy. Don’t fight it anymore. Hudson is a vicious man. You can’t deal with him.” Master Quint was there to convince Darcy to hand over the shares. Samus and the others watched the drama with delight. Darcy sat on the couch with tears in her eyes. “I can give the shares to the Vinlands, but they have to promise to let Kaze go.” “Sigh. Do you think the ball is in your court to negotiate?” Master Quint sighed. “If the idiot hadn’t tricked you into going against Hudson, things would not have come to this. You should have surrendered the companies to them a long time ago. The Vinlands might have appreciated your talent and given you a job.“Hudson won’t be grateful even if you hand over the shares now.” Darcy was Master Quint’s granddaughter at the end of the day. He felt bad to see Darcy’s family
“Don’t worry, Darcy. Those two families will pay very soon.” Kaze then told them about Loid going after the two families. The entire family was surprised. What happened? Kaze openly sent Loid a big surprise but Loid did not blame him or punish him. Instead, he agreed to help to deal with the two families? “Loid Farland’s men accused me for no reason, he owes me this much,” Kaze simply explained. He then called Snow. “Snow, how’s things now?” “Mr. Chairman, people are saying that the governor received your gifts and agreed to help you take down Blake Bowman. Now everyone tried to copy you and ask him for favors. Some diligent ones called the company and asked for verification on the matter.” Kaze nodded. “Then just let it be. Don’t clarify or deny anything, let them go. Anyone who copies me will be punished.” “Mr. Chairman, will it affect Governor Farland’s reputation?” Snow was worried that the governor might not be happy about this. “It’s fine. His men tried to h
The five companies’ combined assets were more than five hundred million, probably even more than five billion. Gregory was delighted. Since Loid accepted the gifts openly, he had no scruples about giving more. He ordered his men to send more gifts in the name of one of his companies. Meanwhile, Loid was visiting a steel factory for inspection with his men. Since Kaze did not want his identity to be revealed, it would be strange if Loid came to Lilyrose because of him. Therefore, he came to Lilyrose to inspect the local factories, nominally. After inspecting the factory, he went to the factory’s cafeteria for lunch. Then, a group of suited men came in and asked for a meeting. “What is it?” Loid asked as he chewed on his food. A middle-aged man went up to him with a flattering smile and said, “Governor, I am Alvin Springman, Jade Nova Ltd.’s CEO. I humbly thank you for your care over all Lilyrosean, so I prepared some gifts to show our gratitude. Please accept them.”
Bang! The slam on the table was so loud that the entire cafeteria heard it. Everyone was shocked. The governor was also the regional commander of the military, which explained his dignified demeanor and stern tone. When he was angry, no one could stand his wrath. Cosmo and Ivy were stunned. Loid had been taking gifts from the suited men, yet when the two of them did the same, he got mad and slammed on the table. Cosmo sweated nervously. He lowered himself and said timidly, “Governor, the gifts are just a token of gratitude, we didn’t mean anything. If you don’t want to investigate the five companies and Kaze Lee, then just forget about it!” “Yeah, just forget about it!” Ivy echoed in a trembling tone. The two of them stepped back and wanted to leave immediately. They were suffocated by the governor’s mighty aura. “Leave? This isn’t over yet!” Loid did not spare the two of them. He said angrily, “Not only did you try to bribe me openly, but you also wanted me to
“Contact the local police department and arrest those who tried to bribe me today! Investigate them thoroughly and punish them accordingly!” Loid said coldly as he waved his hand. The men who tried to bribe him cried in sorrow. “Governor! Please! We are so sorry! We were deceived by Kaze Lee!” “Yeah, he should be arrested, not us!” No matter how they clamored or cried, Loid was unfazed. Knowing that they would be arrested no matter what, Alvin and the others plunged into despair. They cursed Kaze for misleading them and cried because they were being arrested. They came here not to bribe the governor but to get themselves arrested. If they did not try to copy Kaze and bribe the governor, they would be fine. Now, they spent money on the gifts and even got themselves arrested. Ivy and Cosmo had it worse. They resented Kaze more than anyone and they thought with five hundred million, they could use Loid to crush Kaze. However, Kaze turned out to be fine and they got t
Aloysius came to have lunch and he picked up a piece of information during his meal. He wondered if it was real. When he first heard it, he thought it was ridiculous, but on second thought, it somehow made sense. Katie usually looked like a caring but overprotective mother but who would know for sure that she would not do something so outrageous? Once a person was driven by benefits and gains, sentiments and emotions ought to be sacrificed. “She’s ruthless but only a woman with her personality is fit to be the CEO of the Northborn Group,” Jet said with an approving nod. When a person discarded all sentiments and emotions, he or she would be invincible. “Are we attending the party?” “Of course we are. I still have to find the mastermind.” Jet refused to just step back. Someone ought to pay for halting his business ventures. “I understand. I’ll prepare a gift.” Aloysius nodded and turned around to leave the room. Jet remained in his seat, sipping on his glass of win
Jet did not look worried. His companions were confused. Anyone else in Jet’s position would panic. Each day the business ventures were on hold, and he faced continuous losses.However, Jet remained composed. It proved that Jet was competent to face problems. Despite the obstacles, Jet was able to overcome it in no time. “I see. Do tell if you need any help. We are happy to lend a hand.” “Yeah. I’m sure the problems will go away soon enough.” The group uttered, not taking the incident to heart. Seeing that the group was gullible, Jet was relieved. After dinner, Jet sent his drunk guests away. Jet grimaced. “None of them know anything. Those who do won’t see me.” Jet was curious as to who he had upset to deserve the attack. There was still wiggle room in regard to his business ventures, and Jet could still afford the wait. Nevertheless, it was frustrating to be targeted. “Is there anything you need, sir?” Aloysius asked. “Keep an eye on these people. Check
“We are happy to have dinner with you, but it’s only been a few days since we last saw you.” Though confused, the group took their seats. Jet invited them out to see if they knew anything about the mastermind behind the halted projects. However, the group behaved no differently from before. “Friends should always stay connected. I’m looking to take on a few business ventures. I was wondering if any of you are interested.” Jet was not in the mood to start new business dealings. He was simply trying to extract information from the group. Jet’s business ventures were stalled, and if the group had an inkling, they would not do business with him.If they were in the dark, they would jump at the opportunity to close the deal. They could not possibly say no, especially since they had been begging for Jet to throw a lifeline. “What kind of business are we talking about?” “Yeah. Can we be a part of it?” “I’ve been wanting to do business with you, Jet. It’s a pity we never
Aloysius entered the room. He was in a sorry state with a bandage on his head. “Mr. Lyfe can’t make it today, sir.” “Didn’t he say he was coming?” Jet asked without a second thought. “Mr. Lyfe’s son is apparently pursuing Leah.“Katie is planning to throw her daughter a birthday party here.” It was old news. The Frosts had always received an invitation to the celebration. “Katie sure put a lot of thought into the party. She must be trying to reach out to more powerful people.” Jet saw through Katie’s little plan. “What do we do now, sir? These people are saying they can’t make it now.” Aloysius had long understood that he would lose friends when he lost power. However, things had not progressed to that state yet. Yet, Jet’s previous business partners ignored him. “The Frosts are still in power. Where are they getting their intel from?” Jet could not put up with the humiliation. “What do we do now, sir?” Aloysius did not expect these people to be so disrespect
Tens of thousands in assets were lost as every second passed. Jet, as powerful as he was, could not let that happen. “Look into any prominent figures who have come to Butterworth lately.” Driven by fury, Jet had no qualms about attacking his people. Jet would compensate him with money anyway. Aloysius was used to the treatment. He kept his mouth shut and cleared up the mess before taking off. Jet’s nerves were on edge. After all, he had never encountered such a situation before. It was a mystery as to who would resent him so much as to take action. After much thought, Jet gave his previous business partners a call. He either could not get through to them or was transferred to their assistants. As it turned out, he could not reach anyone. Jet realized that he may have upset the wrong person. Otherwise, this would not happen in the first place. “That’s strange. I’ve been staying in Butterworth. I doubt I have upset anyone.” Jet just could not figure it out.
“Just lay all the bad news on me.” Jet started getting some ideas, seeing that the situation was rather unique. “The other important business dealings are halted indefinitely. I can’t get hold of the higher-ups.” Something did not add up, but Aloysius could not figure it out. This was the reason why he had to see Jet right away. “Have you investigated? Who is behind this?” It was clear to Jet that someone was out to get him, and the person targeted his business ventures. “We have run some checks. It’s a peculiar situation. It looks like someone is pushing this forward, but we can’t figure out who this person is.” Aloysius had been with the company for a long time. He knew a lot of people. Yet, he had never run into a case like this before. Despite the investigation, Aloysius could not find anything. “What’s the situation like?” Jet asked, holding back his rage. It was strange, indeed. However, there had to be some sort of trace. Who would attack the Frosts, th
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