The Red Foundation even got spammers and bribed media outlets to assist them in clearing their name. All the blame was shifted toward Kingston. It was he who abused his position as the South River Branch’s executive to collude with Desmond. With the help of online spammers and media outlets, the Red Foundation managed to claim the credit for reporting Kingston to the authority. The top brass then released another statement, claiming that they chose justice over helping one of their own. They reported Kingston to the police instead of covering the incident up, which ultimately sent Kingston behind bars. After all their effort, the Red Foundation was able to clear their name. With their influence, the negative impact from Kingston would be soon forgotten. An organization as big as the Red Foundation, which released recognition to smaller companies to aid their future development, would not be destroyed so easily by a mere PR crisis. “Let’s go in.” Darcy and the guild
“Lilian Wheel, what do you mean?” Darcy was upset. She did not expect Lilian to cause a scene upon meeting and even accused her of being a thief. “Playing dumb, are we? Am I not being clear enough?” Lilian pursed her lips and then looked at the other members. She pointed at Darcy and said loudly, “I believe not everyone knows who she is, right? This woman is Darcy Quint. She might be the president of the Lilyrose Commerce Guild and also the chairwoman of Sky Ocean Corporation, but she’s a thief! “She and her husband are car thieves! Look at the Koenigsegg outside! I believe everyone in our club knows who it belongs to, right?” Lilian went over to the window and pointed at the most amazing car outside. All the members went over to the window to have a look. “Isn’t that Leigh’s favorite car? It’s his new toy. We even saw it when he got it in Sunrise!” “Yeah! That’s Young Master Leigh’s car! Why is she driving it?” There were only six units of Koenigsegg One:1 in the who
Pft! Lilian laughed out loud. “Hahaha! You guys heard her? A Maserati Quattroporte?” “Hahaha!” All the other club members laughed loudly. “Sweetie, I’m sorry to say but driving a Maserati Quattroporte isn’t allowed to join us!” “You must be kidding us! A two million car was smashed and Leigh compensated you with a fifty million Koenigsegg?” “Do you think Young Master Leigh is stupid, or we are stupid?” The club members continued to laugh. Who would compensate for a two million car with a fifty million car? Not even a monkey would believe that. Darcy was shocked. “That car is worth fifty million?” She knew the car she drove was expensive but not that expensive. She could afford it, but she would never spend it on a car. “You keep telling yourself that.” Lilian crossed her arms and scoffed. “She’s taking us as fools. Young Master Leigh’s car is enough to buy twenty of your old car, yet you claimed you got it as compensation? You and your useless husband are th
“Ms. President!” The other guild members were shocked when Lilian slapped Darcy. They quickly stepped up to protect her and glared at Lilian. “Lilian Wheel, this is too much!” “How can you slap our president?” “You are just some person in charge of this supercar club! You have no right to choose violence!” The guild members stood up and defended Darcy. Not only did Lilian slap Darcy but her action was an insult to the Lilyrose Commerce Guild. Despite being scolded, Lilian reacted coldly and shook her hand. “Haha, you look down on us? Can’t you see we have that many club members here?” Following Lilian’s words, all the other club members were upset as well. Bang! A young man in his early 20s slammed the table and got up, shouting at the guild members, “You bastards! You look down on us? My father is one of the execs at South River Commerce Institute! Tell me your company’s name!” A woman wearing a baseball cap, smoking a cigarette, said, “My father is also a member
“Lilian Wheel, what do you mean?!” Upset, Darcy glared at Lilian, wondering what she meant. Could it be that this meeting with Tank was not just about investment? Lilian pursed her lips. “You will know what it means soon. There, Mr. Gebach is here.” The door was pushed open. Surrounded by his men, Tank strutted into the club. “Mr. Gebach!” “Uncle Tank!” All the club members greeted Tank upon his arrival. Most members were from powerful and wealthy families but were merely juniors compared to Tank, a titan in the investment world who shared the same status as Samson. Some of their fathers were actually close with Tank. Lilian went up to the man with a big smile. “Mr. Gebach, you’re finally here. Darcy Quint of Lilyrose Commerce Guild is also here.” Tank nodded. He then looked at Darcy, asking, “I believe you are President Darcy Quint?” “Mr. Gebach.” Darcy nodded with the bare minimum of respect. She skipped the chatters and asked, “Mr. Gebach, can I assume
Tank was surprised by Darcy’s persistence. He did not expect a mere commerce guild president of a small city to speak against him. “So you’re not planning to give it back?” Tank narrowed his eyes. The warmth in his tone was replaced by coldness. Darcy took a deep breath and said, “Glitter gave it to me, why should I give it back?” Everyone else in the club was shocked. What made Darcy so stubborn? Tank switched to a fiercer tone to express his dissatisfaction, yet Darcy did not seem to notice it. “Darcy Quint, you really have the nerves!” Lilian bellowed. “You stole Mr. Leigh’s car. Mr. Gebach only wants you to return it and nothing else. This is letting you off easy, yet you don’t appreciate his kindness?!” Every word she spoke was fanning the flames. Tank raised his wrist to glance at his watch. “My guest is arriving soon. I do not have time to speak with you, it’s a waste of time. “If you do not want to return the car, please leave. We’ll deal with this aft
Lilian never would have thought the guest would be Kaze. “Kaze Lee, are you the driver?” Lilian looked into the rear seat but saw no one. Kaze strangely looked at her. “Are you okay? Stop acting strange beside me.” “What? I’m not strange!” Lilian was upset by his words. She bellowed, “You shouldn’t be here! Our club is having a gathering and the owner of South River Group is meeting an important guest here! Get the hell out!” She pointed at the main entrance, asking Kaze to leave. Kaze was surprised and amused. “If I’m not wrong, I’m the guest Tank Gebach wants to meet.” “You? You useless piece of shit? Are you dreaming?” Lilian did not believe a word Kaze said. She turned around to Tank’s men and bellowed, “Get him out! This isn’t right! This idiot is here to cause trouble!” “Ms. Wheel, he is indeed Mr. Gebach’s guest.” Tank’s men stood to the side and drew distance from Lilian. They looked at Kaze and politely said, “Mr. Lee, Mr. Gebach is waiting for you insi
Bang! A moment later, the supercar club’s door opened with a bang. “Aaaah!” Lilian was thrown inside, shocking everyone else. “Ms. Wheel!” The closest club members approached her immediately and helped her up. Upset, they then shouted at the door, “Who did it? Who threw Ms. Wheel inside?” “Someone hit a woman without holding back? What a cheap move!” “How dare someone hit Ms. Wheel at our club? He must have a death wish!” Tank stood and watched in silence. When he saw Lilian’s swollen face and miserable state, he frowned. Holding Darcy’s hand, Kaze then strutted inside the club confidently. “Supercar club? What even is that? My wife is a woman too but when that woman slapped her, no one stood up for her. “You dare hit my wife? I think there’s no reason for this supercar club to exist anymore.” Kaze stepped on the door he kicked down earlier, crushing the supercar club’s logo with it. It was a blatant provocation to everyone in the club. “Darcy Quint is your
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the
Morris suggested entertaining Kaze well. Things would not be good for the branch if Kaze got dirt on them. That was where Edmund disagreed with Morris. His idea was to send someone to sound Kaze out. Edmund was smug because Morris’ decision was wrong. “You shouldn’t do that. Kaze is here on behalf of the Butterworth branch. You don’t want tension between both branches.” Morris looked at things from a wider perspective. Edmund believed Kaze was just a doormat of little importance. “You just overthink things, and it’s not good for your age. You’re getting senile.” Edmund did not take Morris’ advice seriously. He believed he was right. “You’re not getting it. Kaze is from Butterworth. Even if he doesn’t hold a high position there, we were in the wrong. We did not keep our tracks clean either. “Now that he’s back, I’m worried that he’ll cause us harm.” Morris was only giving a heads-up because the whole branch was at stake. Edmund was young. Due to his lack of judgmen
“We should be generous to our guest from Butterworth. You can arrange as you see fit. Please don’t house him in a messy home. Hire cleaners to tidy up the place. “You can report back to me if you need more money, but it’s not a reason for you to misuse the funds.” Herman wanted to hang up. The money was now in Dwight’s bank account, so he was washing his hands off the matter. The plan was to keep Kaze happy. He was just an insignificant member of the Butterworth branch anyway. The whole thing would blow over soon enough, so long as Kaze kept to himself without taking things too far. Herman would figure out a way to get him out quickly anyway. Maybe Herman and his friends did not have to do anything to get rid of Kaze. “Got it. I’ll be a good host, Herman. I won’t let you down. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Dwight was over the moon to get the notification about the money transfer. “Just play by ear and arrange what you see best.” Herman hung up and continued playing pok
“It’s becoming a hassle now. Are you going to inform the Viper’s Den about the change of accommodation?” After much hesitation, Kaze nodded to take up the offer. Dwight was thrilled. It only hit Dwight that he had to communicate with the Viper’s Den. Kaze was booked for a hotel stay, and Dwight’s job was to take him to the destination. Yet now, Dwight took him to his home. “I’ll tell my superior and see what he has to say.” Dwight was not sure whether the change was appropriate. Nevertheless, he did not want to pass up on a great opportunity. He simply grabbed the bull by the horn. If Kaze stayed at his place, the Viper’s Den members had to respect Kaze’s request even if they had a problem with it. “But when they ask, you can say that you’re getting along well with me. Living together just makes work more convenient.” Feeling unsettled, Dwight tried to get their stories straight with Kaze. Hopefully, the Viper’s Den would not come after them. “Aren’t we friends? I k
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