“I have no intention of letting you off the hook just because you ate the stale food.“I wanted you to recognize your mistake and experience what you put others through in hopes you would reflect and repent.” Kaze said his piece and waved his arm. “Come on.” Lawson, Chris, and a few more were cuffed and taken away amid a thundering applause. Once their bellies were filled, the rescue workers continued their rescue mission. Kaze got a call from Caleb at the mayor’s office. “Mr. Lee, the management team of Red Star Charity has been detained, but the organization coordinates the relief work in the city. We need a new management team to take over right away. “If I could pick your brain on your plans.” Certain matters were better off left in the hands of experts. Red Star Charity was closely tied to emergency rescue and disaster relief. “Don’t worry. I have an idea who would take over Red Star Charity.” Kaze glanced at Daphne, who was delegating tasks to the rescue worke
Take cover at Lilyrose Commerce Guild? Kaze was taken aback. “Is your dad a member of Lilyrose Commerce Guild, Daphne?” “Yeah. My dad is Hart Lyfe, the chairman of Rove.” Daphne panicked to the point of tears. “My dad must have gotten involved with someone powerful. Unless out of options, he would never bring trouble to Lilyrose Commerce Guild.“I know your wife is the president of the guild. Sorry for the inconvenience.“But could you ask your wife to ensure my parents’ safety? They are good people.” It dawned on Kaze that Daphne was Hart’s daughter. Hart left quite a good impression on Kaze. Though Rove was in the red, Hart pledged 50 million dollars to help with the disaster. He felt sad to witness such a touching moment at the guild just now. “Don’t worry, Daphne. Your dad is a long-time entrepreneur in the city. He has contributed a lot to the city’s development.“It’s Lilyrose Commerce Guild and the local council’s duty to protect your family.” Kaze patted Daph
Darcy could only put all her hope on Kaze. “The people outside are making a bigger commotion, president. They threatened to barge in here and trash the place if we don’t hand Hart over.” A staff member of the guild entered the room to report to Darcy. With a sullen face, Darcy got up and said, “I’ll get out there and engage with them.” “I’ll go with you, Ms. Quint.” Hart settled his family down and went out with Darcy. Darcy went up and said solemnly, “I am Darcy Quint, president of Lilyrose Commerce Guild. We can discuss any business conflicts here. Don’t you know the forceful denial of entry and exit is against the law? “Who is your leader? We can go inside, have tea, and chat.” Darcy knew she had to be firm to keep these gangsters in check. “Oh, isn’t the president an old man? When did this hot chick take over?” A mean-looking man with a buzz cut walked out and checked Darcy out. As Darcy squirmed uneasily under his gaze, the man snickered. “I can drink with yo
“Stop with the accusations. That’s utter nonsense.” Hart said indignantly, “I am ready to sell Rove, so there isn’t any malicious business conduct, to begin with. “We have kinked out all the details on the acquisition, but your boss, Kailan Skyfort, suddenly pushed the selling rate down to half today. “Rove might be going bust, but it’s a long-standing business and a household name. I’m not going to sell the business like it’s worth nothing. “I can’t possibly agree with the offer.” Having built the brand for many years, Hart could not give up on his hard work so easily. Were it not for the unsustainable capital chain caused by storing too much inventory and keeping many employees on payroll, Hart would have wanted to keep the business going for a little longer.For all Hart knew, the business could make it through to the very end. After reaching an agreement with Kailan, Hart intended to make things official by signing a contract at Skyfort Investment today. Kailan ch
“Oh? Are you trying to make me an example, boy?” Narrowing his eyes on Kaze, Gerard said menacingly. His two dozen men eyed Kaze mockingly. They did not see Kaze as a threat. Kaze nodded at Darcy and Hart and led Daphne into the hall to Gerard. “Well, this is why you’re here. Isn’t it?” Kaze said with a smile. His eyes brushed past the two dozen men, and he shook his head regrettably. “It’s a shame you’re just a bunch of hooligans. Where’s the challenge of it all?“Even if I hurl you out, it doesn’t send a strong enough message.“Taking the trash out doesn’t reflect much on the awesomeness of Lilyrose Commerce Guild.” Gerard made a face. “You’re asking for it, boy! We are not trash!” “Who do you think you are? Money in your pocket is no reason to look down on us.” The two dozen thugs clamored and yelled at Kaze. They were enraged by Kaze’s disdain. Kaze grinned without sparing the hooligans another look. His dismissal attitude got on their nerves more than his
Gerard’s voice was tinged with a hair-rising malice. However, Kaze took his words as meaningless grunts of a sore loser.“One slap will cost me the rest of my life? But I’m not finished with you.” Kaze shook his head and approached Gerard. Violence was the answer to ending conflicts with unreasonable thugs. Gerard was taken aback. Not only was Kaze not afraid of him, but Kaze wanted to take another swing. “Don’t just stand there. Get him!” Gerard waved his arm and shouted through his gritted teeth, “End him and trash the guild! “Oh, and the boy’s beautiful wife…” As Gerard’s gaze fell on Darcy, he licked his lips greedily. “Get him!” “Fuck his wife in front of him!” Gerard did not need to finish his sentence for the two dozen thugs to fill in the blanks. The hooligans pounced on Kaze like animals in heat. “Die!” Narrowing his eyes dangerously, Kaze charged into the crowd and grabbed two thugs by the throats. “Bang!” Kaze slammed two heads together. “
Since Kaze was not going to back down, Gerard prepared himself for the worst. “Crack!” Kaze stomped his other hand. “I’ll get to your boss later. “I can loosen up with you since you’re here. I have to make your trip worthwhile.” Kaze told Darcy to summon the staff members of Lilyrose Commerce Guild. “What can we do for you, Mr. Lee?” The staff members arrived on the scene and spoke with a shiver. Although they knew Kaze was protecting the guild, they were still afraid of him. The president’s husband was ruthless. Kaze pointed at Gerard and his crew. “Strip them to their underpants and hang them up the flagpoles. “You can decide on how long you want to keep them there. Just make sure they don’t die.” While it was easy to set these gangsters straight, there was no telling if they would return to start a commotion again. So Kaze came up with a solution. He needed to do something that was both attention-grabbing and intimidating. It would make troublemakers thi
“Sigh…” Hart turned solemn at the mention of Kailan. “Mr. Lee, I don’t know much about Kailan, but he came from Sunrise City not too long ago. “After the fall of the top three families, many businesses from Sunrise followed the Vinlands and Lees to expand to Lilyrose. “Kailan registered Skyfort Investment in Lilyrose around that time.” Lined with deep pockets, Skyfort Investment acquired a few local shoe factories. The company had been in touch with Rove with the intention of taking over the business. After much hesitation, Hart finally made up his mind to sell Rove. An agreement was reached, but Kailan turned around and cut the offer in half which led to the recent conflict. “He popped out of nowhere. My guess is he’s cleaning up ill-gotten gains from some company in Sunrise City.” Kaze contemplated for a while and got up. “Come on, Mr. Lyfe. Let’s go and meet Kailan.” “Huh?” Taken aback, Hart said, “I feel bad to impose on you, Mr. Lee.” While he understood
Dwight gave some suggestions. “But I’m worried about being a nuisance to your family.” Kaze remained hesitant, torn between decisions. “No, you won’t. I usually live alone. They stay somewhere else. They barely visit. I’ll just let them know not to visit for now,” Dwight replied. Dwight figured out what was in it for him. He could not let Kaze leave. “I don’t want to put your family in an awkward position.”Kaze was still considering the matter. “Relax. They don’t live with me anyway. The room I have for you is tidy. No one has stayed there before.“I’ll hire some help to freshen up the place. I can guarantee you an experience no less than at the hotel.” Dwight spoke with great confidence. “We should finish our food and doggie-bag the rest. I’ll take you to my place.” Dwight was ready to get things going. Kaze took the offer and nodded. “I’ll be in your care then.” Kaze was glad that his plan went through. Dwight had no idea that he got played. Nevertheless,
“I’m new to the place, so I don’t know much. Can you show me around when you’re available?” “No problem, but I usually have some stuff to take care of. I can’t be there 24/7. “Why don’t you propose to the branch that you want me to be your guide and attendant?” Dwight suggested. There was no telling whether Kaze would accept his proposal, but it was an opportunity to prove himself. He was never involved in the core operation. Often enough, he was the branch members’ punching bag. Though Dwight was aware that he was not good enough for the big stuff, he still wanted to succeed. Kaze was the trusted aide of the Butterworth Branch chief. He was in Westeros for a reason. By joining Kaze, Dwight would come across the major players. Kaze saw through Dwight’s plans. “Sure. I’ll do that.” Kaze did not mind the request. “Great. I’ll let them know on your behalf. I’ll be responsible for your needs while in the city.” Dwight was overjoyed at the opportunity. “So you live
“You must be rich. I often see rich people picking tabs for everybody. Talk about extravagance.” The tension in the air was lifted when Kaze offered to pay for everything. “I’m not. Consider it an apology,” Kaze explained, not wanting to cause unnecessary misunderstandings. He did not see the point of continuing the conversation. Dwight’s angry screams came from outside. “What the hell is this? I only ordered a bunch of stuff. Why am I being charged an exorbitant amount?“What do you mean my friend is paying for everybody? That’s throwing money away,” Dwight said while storming his way over. “I know you have money, but you shouldn’t do this, Mr. Lee.” Dwight did not approve of this type of generosity. “You rubbed them the wrong way. It was only right to apologize. Besides, it’s not a lot of money.” Kaze looked at the bill and handed a bank card to Dwight. “It’s my treat.” The consumption was barely a dent in Kaze’s savings. The meal did not cost more than his us
Kaze observed as the jeep took off further off course, past the towering buildings to a run-down neighborhood. “This is where I usually reside. My home is not too far away, but I think you might have trouble adapting to this place.” Dwight did not forget to book Kaze a hotel. Kaze could not possibly stay with him. The hotel was around the area anyway. “Didn’t you say that you haven’t tried the local cuisine? I’ll take you out for a bite. “The barbecue ribs here are to die for. We’ve got the dry-rubbed and saucy kind.” Dwight parked the car and hopped out right away. Opposite the parking lot was not the cleanest food joint. Looking in from the outside, Kaze realized that the place was packed. Kaze understood that the restaurant must be known for some kind of dish. The customers were from all walks of life, so the food must be great. “There’s not much to see here, but the food is tasty. If you don’t mind, we can order something inside.” Kaze was not particularly con
Dwight was surprised and curious as to who Kaze really was. From what he gathered, Kaze was a confidante of the Butterworth Branch chief. The purpose of Kaze’s visit was to learn and share. Dwight worked on the fringes, so his access to information was limited. Nevertheless, he got the feeling that Kaze was just an ordinary guy just like him. The only difference was that Kaze was lucky to rub shoulders with important people. Dwight did not get chances like that. “Who are the most influential people in the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Kaze asked in the car. Dwight was taken aback by the question. Still, he had an answer to that. “So you don’t know much about the situation?” Dwight suddenly felt important. “Well, I’m new to the city. I will be running into them soon, so I need to make sure I get my facts right,” Kaze said humbly. This was Dwight’s shot, and he needed to present his best. “Relax, Kaze. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Dwight would reveal some info
Kaze glanced at the flowers. There was a card for well-wishes too.Curious, Kaze reached out to read the card. It was written, “To my eternal lover and sweetheart.” Dwight grabbed Kaze’s bag. Since the sign in his hand was getting in the way, Dwight tossed the placard in the trash can. As Dwight turned his head back, he saw Kaze reading the card that came with the flowers. He tried to stop Kaze, but it was too late. Dwight had not attended to a guest of high importance before. The task was assigned to him at the last minute. In the past, Dwight was usually on the sidelines, never getting close to major matters. He would always get the small, insignificant jobs. Dwight often bought drinks for his superiors to build connections. However, he had always been kept out of the loop. Now that an opportunity had fallen onto his lap, Dwight was not about to let it slip. He wanted to show what he could do. When Dwight arrived at the airport for the pick-up, most people car
The incident did not sit well with Kaze, so he left them out to dry. After much searching, Kaze came across a café. Kaze bought a cup of coffee. Cupping the drink between his hands, Kaze sipped slowly. Many passengers swarmed the arrival hall in the airport, dragging along their luggage or pulling out their phones to get a pick-up. They all had a destination, a place they had to be in a rush. Intrigued, Kaze followed the crowd out. Kaze turned on his phone, and a text message from his airport pick-up came in. He glanced at the message, curious about who the person was. Nevertheless, Kaze trusted that the Westeros Branch members would not set him up out in the open. At most, they would pull little stunts to mess with him. Kaze was not the type to sweat the small stuff. However, he would not tolerate any extreme behavior. He had been keeping a low profile back in Butterworth, keeping the limelight off him. The purpose was to handle Jet without unnecessary complicati
“Alright. I will work hard to be the manager of the Northborn Group. You need to show me the ropes and teach me about management.” Leah looked at Katie with a smile. She believed Katie had not lost her mind. Katie simply had her memory mixed up. “You need to keep your people in line and reward those who deserve it. It all boils down to profits. “You need to work toward managing your people and working with rivals. You’ve got to keep the balance, and nobody loses out. “You need to build your own system when it comes to working together. Don’t be led around by the nose.” Hearing that Leah would start work soon, Katie imparted her knowledge. “Don’t worry too much about things. Joey is nice. You can go to her for help,” Katie said earnestly. Katie seemed to be herself at the moment. Leah wondered if Katie faked her insanity to escape the punishment. “What have become of you? Did they do something to you? “Did you really betray Kaze?” Leah whispered while leaning close
Leah kept working on her knowledge until late into the night. Just as she was about to hit the sack, she got a message from Snow. Learning was a hard enough process. The text message came out of the blue. Leah did not expect Snow to contact her at night. The message was strange as well. Leah could not understand why Snow would give her the address of a nursing home. Leah was determined to turn things around. She strived to become stronger instead of being a burden. She was grateful for Kaze’s help. At least, she had a job now. However, her gratitude was not extended to Snow. She believed Snow had gone too far. Snow left her feeling powerless. Leah did not think much about the message. She assumed that the text was not meant for her. Since Leah did not respond to the text, Snow put the matter aside and went to bed. Leah called Snow the next day. “Why did you send me an address?” Leah went straight to the question. She had been equipping herself with knowledge before