Landon could not stand Kaze. He would mock Kaze at any chance he had. Kaze never took his remarks to heart though. Leath and his gang held back from fighting Billy because Kaze said nothing, simply sitting back and watching. Otherwise, the gangsters would not let Billy walk all over them. Leath and his men were familiar with the world of crime. They were capable of doing anything when backed into a corner. Although Billy could fight, Leath and his gang had weapons that could do a fair bit of damage to Billy. Billy was too young and arrogant to see that. He had no idea of the narrow escape from death he had experienced. “Haha! Landon is right!” Gavin, Yaryn, and the others looked over with a smirk. “The loser even tried to get Leath to apologize.” “He only went up against Leath because Billy was near.” The group taunted Kaze. Gavin and his gang pinned the group down and slapped their faces, while Kaze, Landon, and Rose were unharmed. They were humiliated ju
“Thanks to Billy’s timely rescue, the loser didn’t get away with his evil plan.” “He should thank Billy. Otherwise, he would’ve suffered from getting on Leath’s nerves.” The group took turns demeaning Kaze, reducing him to nothing. Kaze’s help to stop Leath and his gang was perceived as a vengeful attack on Gavin’s group. “I can’t believe them, Kaze. I’m fuming!” The group’s ugly behavior caused Rose to shake with rage and tear up.Kaze patted her shoulder and consoled, “Don’t be mad at trash, Rose.“Only the weak will lift themselves by belittling others.“These so-called winners in life are, in fact, the real losers. “The best way to deal with them is to just ignore whatever they say. “Don’t stoop to their level just to win an argument.” Feeling better, Rose looked up at Kaze in admiration. She believed Kaze had a point. A brief silence ensued. Then, the weight of Kaze’s words sunk in. Gavin and his friends were not having it. “Woah! You mooch off your wife
Taz reached out to touch his own face. The realization that he had shown fear to Kaze contorted his face with a grimace. Taz could never forget Kaze beating him up twice in one night during his stay at Mountain Dew Estate.Kaze had the nerve to insult him by bringing up his past trauma. Billy glanced at Taz amusedly. It dawned on him that Taz had suffered at the hands of Kaze before. Billy had asked if Taz had any feud with Kaze, but Taz dodged the question and insisted Billy deal with Kaze. Though it was amusing to Billy, he knew whose side he was on. “Kaze, right? You’re asking for it.” Lifting his chin, Billy said coldly, “Mr. Hobbs’ father is the president of Lee Investment. You’re nothing more than a moocher. You’re out of bounds to insult Mr. Hobbs, so apologize now!” “Woah!” Gasps filled the room. They were in awe of Taz’s privileged upbringing. After the fall of the three major families, Lee Investment asserted itself in the local market and acquired
“Hahaha!” Taz let out a manic laugh. Ever since Samson expressed his desire to break free from the Lees, Taz no longer revered the family. Insulting the former heir of the Lees gave Taz an exhilarating rush. “Hahaha!” The others burst out laughing. Gavin looked at Kaze in disdain. “He is nothing without his family. “That explains why he mooches off his woman and takes his wife’s last name.” The rest sneered and jeered at Kaze, holding him in contempt. After taking multiple digs at Kaze, Taz felt satisfied and recalled his purpose of being there. He poured himself a drink and said, “I’m here today to bring a message from my dad, Kaze. “You have three days to bring Cosmo back to Sunrise City and beg for atonement from the Lee family. “Tomorrow is the last day, but you have not taken any course of action. Are you just going to give up?” Taz’s eyes turned sharp as he narrowed in on Kaze. “Or are you taking my dad’s words lightly?” It dawned on everybody else
“Drinks downstairs? Sure.” Taz took the call and quickly hung up. He told Billy, “I have friends waiting downstairs, so I’m heading there now. “I leave him to you, Billy. You will be rewarded, of course.” Taz pointed at Kaze before heading his way down the stairs. He had witnessed what Billy was capable of, and Billy lived up to his reputation as the son of Tensor Martial Arts School’s principal. Though outnumbered, he defeated the gangsters without breaking a sweat. Surely, it was a piece of cake for Billy to teach Kaze a lesson. “Just do it, Billy. Beat the loser to the ground!” “That’s right. He’s been an eyesore!” Once Taz was gone, Gavin, Yaryn, and the others clamored, eager to see Billy crush Kaze. “Hehe. This can wait.” Billy shook his head with a smile, side-eyed Kaze, and added, “I can give the loser a reality check anytime. He’s not going anywhere anyway.” Judging by his offhanded tone, Billy believed Kaze was a sitting duck. The group was stunned.
Rose flushed with rage. She was unaware of Billy’s intention before. Billy threatened to cripple Kaze unless she slept with him. She would not throw away her self-respect as a woman for him. “Ew. That’s disgusting!” Rose glared at Yaryn and said angrily, “I’m not like you. I won’t sleep with a man to get what I want.” That was a slap in Yaryn’s face. Yaryn’s heavy-painted face contorted into a grimace. “Oh, keep up with your innocent act, and Kaze will get his limbs broken.” Yaryn sneered. “You act like you have your family’s best interests at heart, but the moment the table is turned, your selfishness rears its ugly head.” Unlike Yaryn, Rose was no good at confrontation. She looked up and met Kaze’s gaze in tears. “Kaze…” Her voice was filled with hurt. “Don’t listen to her. I know you have my back.” Kaze wiped away her tears and said with a smile, “You don’t have to give yourself away just to show how much you care. “Some people wish you would do it beca
“Did I say something wrong? You were dragged into Kaze’s mess, Rose. Why are you sticking up for him?” Landon glared at Kaze hatefully. “Did the coward say anything? All he does is hide behind you. “He’s not worth your time and energy.” As the siblings got into a row, Gavin and his friends laughed out loud. “Haha. Now, that’s what I call a drama. Landon wants to sell Kaze out, but his sister comes to Kaze’s defense.” “Kaze stayed out of the fight the whole time. He’s such a loser.” “Hehe. I bet the loser is scared silly.” The group taunted Kaze. “Enough! Shut up!” Annoyed, Billy stopped the group and turned to Rose cheekily. “See that? That’s who you are trying to protect. I am more of a man than he ever is. “I’ll give you another chance to be my girlfriend. I can promise you that no one is a threat to you in Lilyrose. “Haha…” Billy burst out laughing. It was the same speech he had used successfully on many goody-two-shoes. Rose’s red-rimmed eyes bulged. “Dre
“Woah! That was so cool, Kaze!” Rose looked at Kaze with starstruck eyes. She felt safe in Kaze’s presence. “The lo… Was I wrong about Kaze?” Sitting on the ground, Landon rubbed his eyes. He could not believe what he just saw. Gavin and his friends shared Landon’s sentiment. The group widened their eyes at Kaze in shock. They saw Kaze as nothing more than a spineless crowd who talked big. The group called Kaze out for being a wimp because he did not do anything when Rose was bullied. Yet, Kaze turned around and proved them wrong with a slap. They did not expect that of Kaze. He had the nerve to attack Billy. How dare he?After Billy pulverized Leath and his gang, Kaze sure had the audacity to hit Billy. Either Kaze was confident in his combat prowess, or he was naïve enough to dig his own grave.The group would rather believe it was the latter. Hence, Gavin and the others stepped forward to criticize Kaze. “Rose should feel honored that Billy is intereste
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.