The reason behind the unity of the families in Geranium City was closely related to the city’s history. It was a sensitive topic and not many knew about it. Charlotte was close with Astral, so she had a chance to get bits and pieces of the news. “It’s like internal competition that kills, right?” Kaze casually commented on the topic. The so-called secret was not very surprising to him. He waved his hand and said, “If Astral is that useless, I don’t need him here. I just want to meet Sieg and see how powerful one of the Geranium Four is.” Kaze had a feeling that he would eventually cross paths with all the Geranium Four. “Yes, sir!” Charlotte stepped behind Kaze and sided with him. The others reacted with a complicated look. Jorge called his sister here to deal with Kaze but now she disregarded her own brother and helped Kaze to teach her brother a lesson. Even though no one really heard what Charlotte said to Kaze, everyone saw their interaction and the way she re
The moment Kaze’s words subsided, the entire parking lot went silent. Everyone looked at Kaze strangely. Corax wanted to end the conflict but Kaze refused to let them go. Corax froze. He turned around, breathed heavily, and said, “Kaze Lee, you think I’m afraid of you?” He was upset. He was already embarrassed when Jorge scolded him and called him a coward. However, Charlotte’s unusual reaction told him that something was not right and his gut told him not to tangle with Kaze anymore. He planned to leave and do some homework on Kaze’s background. Surprisingly, Kaze continued to provoke him and wanted him to stay. Kaze said, “Corax, you said you will deal with me later. Why not now? I don’t like dragging out things, I like to take my revenge as soon as possible. I want to beat you up now.” Everyone looked at Kaze in disbelief, shocked by his arrogance and confidence. He thought he was invincible just because Charlotte surrendered to him. He insisted on beating up C
Jalin said a bunch of nonsense because he wanted attention to himself. He insulted Kaze in front of Corax because he wanted to stand out. Corax did not feel annoyed, he listened to Jalin with a smile on his face. He enjoyed listening to the insults against Kaze. Everyone laughed as Jalin insulted Kaze. They were envious of his opportunity as well. He was able to seize the chance to appeal to Corax. “Mimi, come on!” After being under the spotlight, Jalin’s confidence was boosted. He waved at a girl with gothic makeup and nose piercing. “Jalin, you’re so cool!” The gothic girl named Mimi wiggled her way over to Jalin and kissed him on the cheek. Jalin curled his arm around Mimi’s slender waist and sauntered over to his car. “I’m getting out of here and no one can stop me! Haha!” Jalin said as he got into his car. His convertible Ferrari roared to life and did a beautiful drift as he drove toward the exit. A few seconds later, the car disappeared beyond the corner.
“Jalin did not take the gangster seriously. He scolded the gangster and threatened to run him over, but then the gangster started to swing his bat at the car. “Jalin got mad. He got out of the car and wanted to stop the gangster, but the gangster swung his bat at Jalin! A few swings later, Jalin’s arm and leg were broken! I thought the gangster was just targeting the car, but he beat up Jalin…” Mini cried a river as she explained what just happened. Everyone was shocked when they heard her. The gangsters from the underworld were fierce and brutal. Corax looked at Kaze with a grim look. He scoffed. “Kaze Lee, you can’t even control your men? You said you would crush the car but your little gangster beat up Jalin and broke his arm and leg!” It sounded more like an exasperated statement than a taunt. Kaze smiled and said, “Maybe he got bored of crushing cars and wanted to beat up human beings.” Other than Charlotte, no one understood what Kaze said. Corax grunted. He gru
“Alright. We have to be careful if this useless bastard decides to trap us. After all, he’s just a useless guy who married into his wife’s family, a lousy son-in-law who does nothing good. Of course, he would lure us into a trap.” The five men sneered at Kaze before they got into their cars along with Corax’s bodyguards and drove to the exit. Crank! Corax lit up a cigarette and then took a deep puff. He pointed at Kaze and then said, “Kaze Lee, your men will be dead before I finish this cigarette.” “Maybe. Maybe not. Let’s just see.” Kaze smiled and stretched his body. Charlotte quickly went over to drive her convertible over and then said, “I can’t find a chair here. Why don’t you sit on my car hood first?” “No wonder Astral took you as his personal assistant.” Kaze smiled and sat on the car hood. Jorge was furious looking at his sister. He turned to Corax and bellowed, “Corax, stop wasting time. Get this son of a bitch!” Corax nodded with a smile. “There’s no ru
Kaze insisted on Corax calling Sieg here. He wanted to challenge one of the Geranium Four in person! Almost everyone in the parking lot looked at Kaze in disbelief. They had started to realize Kaze was not just a useless son-in-law of some second-tier family through the confrontation, it was still unbelievable. He was able to deal with Charlotte, sealed the parking lot of Dynasty Hotel, and beat up several rich young guys from Sunrise. He was even able to overpower Corax’s anger with his confident and arrogant presence. It was unusual for someone as useless as him to show such prowess. Everyone was forced to admit that Kaze was more capable than they thought. Yet it was not a sufficient reason for him to challenge Sieg. Sieg was one of the Geranium Four. The title of Geranium Four was not inherited but earned through fierce competition in the city. Only four of the best were selected in the end and given the honorary title. Even Astral would pale in comparison t
Corax explained, “Sieg, this guy is different. He seems powerful in Lilyrose and his wife is the president of Lilyrose Commerce Guild. I overlooked that.” He also explained how Kaze got his men to shut down the exit to the parking lot and break Jalin and his bodyguards. “The president of Lilyrose Commerce Guild? I think I know who he is.” Sieg finally showed a hint of interest following the change of his tone. “Sieg, you know this guy?” Corax was surprised. He did not expect Sieg to know Kaze. If Sieg knew Kaze, then maybe Corax could wholeheartedly accept defeat. However, Sieg’s interest faded at the next moment. He said coldly, “He’s just a vermin. He’s not worth my time. I’ll get someone to support you. Just hold on.” The call ended. At the same time in a quaint courtyard at Lilyrose Riverfront, Sieg met up with Trent. Sieg put his phone down and asked, “Trent, have you heard of someone named Kaze Lee?” He had heard of the name Kaze through Rove’s incident. B
Trent casually told Sieg about the stories he heard about Kaze as a teatime joke. Sieg smiled and commented, “Ignorance is bliss. Maybe that’s why he’s able to stay noisy until now.” Trent got up and said, “Why don’t I do you the favor and head to Dynasty Hotel? If you drag this out, your cousin might really lose a leg or an arm. Kaze Lee is fearless and audacious.” “Of course. Thank you, Trent.” Sieg got up and shook Trent’s hand. When Trent walked out of the courtyard and headed to his car, he received a call. He glanced at the caller ID and answered it. “Haxor, what is it?” Haxor, the third highest-ranking officer in the South River Commerce Institute. He was considered one of the strongest people in that organization, and even in South River State. His son’s name was Cetus Snowpine, the supercar club member who got into a fight with Kaze at Taurus Automobile the other night. “Trent, I have an inspection visit today, and I am in Lilyrose. My son’s car got smashed
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