After that, Kaze brought Hart into the office without giving Jennifer the chance to speak or deny him. “Ms. Barwise, I’m Rove’s chairman, Hart Lyfe,” Hart introduced himself. “Mr. Lyfe.” Jennifer welcomed the man with a handshake since the man was older and more experienced than her, but she quickly reverted to her upset look. “Mr. Lyfe, we are talking business here. I got news about Rove and if you are here looking for an investment, I would have to ask you to leave.” Jennifer rejected the idea without a second thought. Hart was disappointed. He chuckled bitterly and said, “I understand. It’s okay. No one dares to invest in Rove anymore.” “Mr. Lyfe, why don’t you go wait outside?” Kaze asked Hart to give him the room with Jennifer. After Hart closed the door, Kaze looked at Jennifer and asked, “I need a reason.” “I was being clear. Rove is on the brink of bankruptcy and there’s no value in them at all,” Jennifer scoffed. She continued, “Is this your so-called potential pros
“Mr. Lee, are you sure about that?” Hart was moved when he saw Kaze’s determined look. Kaze did not sound like he was joking. “If I want Rove to be popular, it will be popular.” Kaze tapped on Hart’s shoulder and said, “Go tell your manufacturer to prepare the stocks. I have to go back first.” Hart watched as Kaze strode off. He clenched his teeth and decided to trust Kaze this time. Since Rove was on the brink of bankruptcy, there was nothing else he could lose. Besides, Kaze offended Samson just because he wanted to help Rove. Jennifer also denied his request to invest in Rove. Therefore, after what Kaze had done, Hart did not want to let him down and he decided to take one last bet. “Darry, contact our manufacturer to increase the stocks!” Hart had made up his mind and he no longer hesitated. He called his elder son, Darry, and gave the order to increase output. However, he did not go all out with the numbers and chose a more conservative increase. When Kaz
“President Quint, here!” A beautiful woman at one of the VIP seats waved at Darcy. Darcy smiled and waved back before she went over with Kaze. At the seat were a bunch of young men and women. They were meticulously dressed, looking confident. At first glance, one could tell that they were all elites in their respective fields. “Kaze, they are all the executives of Red Foundation and the supercar club. They are all from different but powerful backgrounds. You should mingle with them to make more friends,” Darcy whispered in Kaze’s ears. Darcy had done her homework on their background before she came. Kaze knew Darcy was trying to help him expand his connections. He nodded with a smile and said, “Don’t worry, if we clicked, I’d like to have a new friend as well.” Darcy breathed a sigh of relief. She was afraid that Kaze would refuse to mingle with them. “Thank you for waiting.” Darcy went up to them and greeted them before she introduced Kaze to them. “This is my husb
“Faye is right. We are from two different worlds…” The other men and women agreed. They were not mad but they mocked Kaze as if he was a worthless piece of trash. “I’m sorry, Kaze,” Darcy whispered into Kaze’s ear. She did not expect Lilian to be so harsh with her words. She started regretting coming to the gathering, but it was also inappropriate for her to walk away just like that. Kaze smiled and said, “It’s okay. I won’t get mad because some people talk bad about me. You go ahead, I’ll just wait for you.” He knew this gathering would not be that simple so there was no way he would abandon Darcy and leave. However, Lilian and the others assumed that Kaze insisted on staying, which caused them to mock him even more. “Mr. Nanas is here!” Faye suddenly announced the arrival of the guest that they had been waiting for. A man in a custom-made suit, tall and handsome, came in with a group of men behind him. The man was the new person in charge of the Red Foundation
Greg was slightly disappointed but it also aroused his desire to conquer. He was not interested in easy prey. “Who might this be?” Greg switched his attention to Kaze. His gaze grew cold the moment he spotted him. In fact, he noticed Kaze’s presence the moment he stepped in and he realized Kaze was quite close with Darcy. Worrying about others diminishing Kaze, Darcy said, “Mr. Nanas, this is my husband, Kaze Lee. He’s the chairman of Shangrila Group and also has a position in Hudson Investment Firm.” “I see.” Greg barely reacted and did not extend his hand for a handshake. “I heard you are quite the topic online. You offended Samson Hobbs of Lee Investment? I’m quite close with Samson. Maybe you can just apologize to him and if he gives you a hard time, you can mention my name. I’m sure you will be fine,” Greg said condescendingly. “Woah! Mr. Nanas holds sway even in the presence of a big shot like Samson Hobbs. He’s amazing!” Lilian and others immediately showed s
Kaze’s words shocked everyone. He asked if Samson dared to show up at the gathering to confront him. He was just a useless piece of trash, what fueled his confidence? Even Greg was caught off guard by the question. One phone call to summon Samson Hobbs? Not even he could do that. “You little prick!” Greg bellowed as soon as he regained his composure. He scoffed, “Mr. Hobbs is the CEO of Lee Investment, a monumental figure in the investment world. “You are just a lousy guy who relies on your wife yet you want him to come down here to see you? What I meant was for you to go to Lee Investment, apologize on your knees, and if he doesn’t want to see you, you can mention my name. “Now you want Mr. Hobbs to see you in person here? Kaze Lee, are you out of your mind?” Lilian, Faye, and the others were struck with realization when they heard Greg. “Yeah. Mr. Hobbs is a powerful person. Why would he come here to see you?” “I think he knows there’s no way Mr. Hobbs would c
“We are just trying to help your husband, we didn’t mean anything else. If we offended you anyhow, I’ll apologize on their behalf…” Faye held onto Darcy’s hand and apologized with a smile. Not offensive? Kaze scoffed. Before he could speak, Darcy beat him to it. She said coldly, “I can differentiate between what is offensive and what is not. I know you lot look down on my husband. You even believed the rumors about his illegitimate acquisition of the Shangrila Group Chairman position. “But, you have no idea that it was he who made me the president of Lilyrose Commerce Guild.” Kaze called out to the guild members and elected her as the president. It was such an astonishing scene that Darcy would never forget. With Darcy’s revelation, everyone looked at Kaze in shock, including Greg. The shock lasted for a moment before it was replaced by disdain. They assumed Darcy was just trying to protect her husband, and thus credited her husband for that. “Oh, I see. President
Lilian’s eyes were shining as she moved her glass closer to Greg. She was ready to surrender her body to him the moment he gave the signal. Faye and the others were the same, concentrating only on Greg. They raised their glasses to drink with him and flatter him. They were smart because they knew what words would make a man tick. Greg was drowning in flattery. He drank with all the young women and smiled happily. “Greg, we’re going out for some air.” The guys who followed Greg to the gathering had gotten used to it and they wisely excused themselves. As long as Greg was present, the girls would surround him like bees to flowers. Other men would not stand a chance. Since it would be an eyesore, it would be better for the other guys to leave and find chances elsewhere. “Forget about them. Let’s drink!” Greg ignored his followers and continued to drink with the girls. Surrounded by alcohol and women, Greg felt like the king of the world. However, when he saw Darcy
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