A large crowd gathered at the entrance of Sky Ocean Corporation. More than a hundred media outlets were present.The security guards formed a human wall to stop the reporters from entering. “Darcy Quint, please come out. We would like to interview you.” “The chairwoman’s husband beat up Lil Dee, causing him to be hospitalized. Is it true?” “Is Mountain Dew Estate a brothel with pimping service?” The employees who were at the scene to maintain order were questioned by the reporters, yet none of them said a word. “Why aren’t you answering our questions? The company forbids you from talking? They’ll fire you once you speak? Sky Ocean Corporation is said to be affiliated with gangs.” The silence was counter-effective. Some sensitive questions were posed and the employees’ silence turned into a tacit affirmation to those questions.It was obvious that Sky Ocean Corporation was in a tough spot. Someone was trying to crush the company by pressuring them. The sensitive ques
The employee’s update on the situation outside the building killed the joyous mood in the office. Darcy opened the window and was blasted by the loud clamors downstairs. “More than a hundred media outlets are here. This isn’t normal, someone must be fanning the flames.” “Vayne is talking nonsense. Professor Whiteman came of his own free will, yet Vayne made it sound like we abducted him! This is slander!” “Someone is targeting Sky Ocean Corporation!” Ash and the executives were both angry and panicking. Be it the person in the dark or Vayne, both of them were vicious and they aimed to push Sky Ocean Corporation over the edge. “Calm down!” Kaze said loudly. He explained, “This is a good thing. We just signed the contract with the professor and we are going to announce it anyway. Now that someone has more than a hundred media outlets here for us, we don’t even need to contact them ourselves.” Ash and the others were struck with sudden realization. The panic on their fac
“Professor Whiteman!?” “The professor is here!” When the vigorous aged voice echoed in the air, the reporters clamored once more. The reporters were so excited that they almost broke through the security guard’s human wall. Vayne was pushed away from the spotlight and was drowned by the stampede. “Professor, your student said you were abducted by Sky Ocean Corporation, is that true?” Professor Whiteman glared at the reporter and said, “If I was, how am I answering your stupid question here? Are you blind? Should I recommend you to my optometrist friends to get your eyes checked? “And you people! Where is your conscience? Are views and attention more important than the truth?” Professor Whiteman bellowed angrily at the reporters. Like Kaze, the professor did not care what the reporters would write in their articles. He simply disliked the reporters’ poor ethics and scolded them. The reporters were scolded by Kaze and then the professor. Many of them were aggrieved.
Samson shouted into the phone. He had friends working in the media, so he got a first-hand update on what happened at Sky Ocean Corporation. Not only did the professor announce his endorsement of Mountain Dew Estate, but he also exposed the dirty secrets between Vayne and Lee Solutions. Samson could already see the criticism flooding his company, so he quickly warned Vayne to take responsibility and free the company from unnecessary criticism. Vayne was forced to agree. He regretted his actions. If he directly signed the contract with Sky Ocean Corporation, things would not have been exacerbated to this extent. However, there was no turning back for him now. No one cared about Vayne anymore. All the reporters focused on the professor and Sky Ocean Corporation. The news of the professor endorsing Mountain Dew Estate reached the internet and made headlines. As the professor’s first endorsement, Mountain Dew Estate received overwhelming attention. “Darcy, we got grea
Darcy was happy that the tables had turned. She shot a glance at Kaze to warn his hand to behave. “Kaze, thank you. It was you who came up with the idea of getting the professor to endorse Mountain Dew Estate. Otherwise, I really have no idea what to do.” “That’s it? At least give me a kiss.” Kaze smiled and moved closer to her face. Darcy blushed and jokingly pushed him away. “I have to work… Mhmm!” Her resistance was silenced by a strong kiss. …Meanwhile at Lilyrose Prime Hospital, the atmosphere in Lil Dee’s ward felt heavy. The TV on the wall was showing Professor Whiteman being interviewed at Sky Ocean Corporation. Other than the noise from the TV, everyone in the ward was silent and they had a heavy look on their faces. After the news, Alyssa took a deep breath and said heavily, “What the hell? We spent all that money to get the media there and Sky Ocean Corporation used it to make their announcement?” “Sky Ocean Corporation is darn lucky! They got Profess
Without further ado, Lil Dee and Alyssa went to Sky Ocean Corporation. There was still a crowd outside the building. Professor Whiteman had left but the reporters wanted to get more interviews with the people in the company, especially Darcy and Kaze. Both of them were probably the most discussed people in the city. One of them was the chairwoman of two companies and was known for her beauty while the other impersonated the God of War who was known for being useless and the son-in-law of the Quint family. The reporters hoped they could get exclusive interviews with them, but Darcy and Kaze did not even come out. Then, Lil Dee and Alyssa arrived. The reporters were surprised for a moment before they swarmed over to the two of them. “Lil Dee, I heard you were beaten up by Kaze Lee and got hospitalized. Is that true?” Lil Dee was still in his hospital gown and had a patch on his face. His appearance somehow verified the reporter’s question. “Please make way. We are on
“Ms. Quint, uh…” Ash tried to stop Kaze. She believed it was inappropriate to be so disrespectful because they had to work together long-term. Darcy glanced at her but did not say a word. The stern look on her face silenced Ash. After Ash and the executives tried to abdicate her, Darcy still respected her for her experience and insights but she would no longer let Ash make all the decisions. “Kaze Lee! Don’t push it! I’ve apologized, what else do you want? You really think I can’t live without your contract?” Lil Dee was furious. Kneeling and apologizing to Kaze would be worse than killing him. Kaze curled his lips and said, “Then please leave. You are right, it’s not like we have to work with you anyway.” “You…” Lil Dee’s eyes were burning with flames of anger. He glared at Darcy and said, “Ms. Quint, is this how you treat your business partner?” Darcy said emotionlessly, “Lil Dee, we are not business partners to be exact. You’ve terminated the contract already.”
Kaze’s words left the room full of people dumbfounded. With red-rimmed eyes, Lil Dee pointed at Kaze and blurted angrily, “You went back on your word, bastard!” Lil Dee had kneeled and cleared the air. He assumed the humiliation would be enough for him to keep his position as the ambassador and piggyback on Sam’s popularity. Yet, Kaze wanted to back out of the contract. Kaze’s scornful eyes nearly drove Lil Dee to the edge. Ashen in the face, Alyssa said to Darcy curtly, “Ms. Quint, I guess integrity isn’t one of Sky Ocean Corporation’s business core values since you can’t keep your word.” Darcy furrowed her brows. Kaze said with a smirk, “What promise? I’ve never said that he would still be the ambassador if he apologized on his knees and came clean openly.” While talking, he turned to Lil Dee. “Besides, it was the least you could do. You made a fuss, demanding that I kneel before you to apologize. You should have seen it all coming when you hired trolls to slander m
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
“We agreed on relocation because we would get a place to stay. “But these people were unreasonable. We were offered only one-third of what everyone else got.” The senior citizens were going to swallow their losses. They just needed the money to live their last days, and they did not have family, to begin with. Later, the same people had their eyes on their money and tried to put them up at an old folks’ home. The senior citizens refused to relocate and finally chose to protect themselves by contacting the media. These people sure left the senior citizens to die. Kaze was sympathetic to the senior citizens. He went back with them to a unit on the ground floor. The place was bare, with several beds placed together. The senior citizens must be sleeping in the same room. There was little to eat, only some water and dry provisions.The old residents did not have much savings. It was good enough that they had something to eat. “Have a cup of water, boy. We don’t have any
“Are you one of those people from the pier? Are you trying to get us to leave?” A grizzled-haired man looked at Kaze warily. “I was just passing by when I saw you struggling with the buckets. I came to help you.” Kaze explained patiently. He could understand why their guards were up. They must have been lied to many times before. “Are you here to help?” “Yes, I am. My companion has gone to get you some water. He’ll be back soon. There’s no need for you to fetch water,” Kaze said kindly. “We’ll pay you.” The senior citizens exchanged glances before accepting Kaze’s gesture. They could not handle the weight of the heavy buckets. “The building here is about to be demolished. Why are you still living here?” Pretending to be in the dark, Kaze asked. “This is our home. Someone is trying to take this land away.” The grizzled-haired man was upset. “What? I thought no one could demolish the building unless they had the residents’ permission.” “You’re right, but there
“Jet sure is bold to ensure business. Isn’t he afraid of shooting himself in the foot?” Kaze had never met a man like Jet. “He has done a lot to get to the top. His ruthless methods got him a lot of money. A lot of people are happy to support him.” Arthur was impressed with Jet’s tactics. However, his approach was too cruel for his liking. “Let’s head to the residential building.” Kaze just wanted to check out the area. He was happy to help when needed. The flashy, red sports car was eye-catching. However, the flamboyant car was uncommon in these places. Most workers would express their amazement, but they would not ask questions. The car pulled up outside a soon-to-be abandoned building. It looked desolate. The power lines and infrastructure were not visible either. Kaze knew that was one of the Frosts’ methods. Sometimes, nothing, not even demolition, was required. The goal was to get the residents out. All Jet needed to do was cut the water and electricity.
“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.