Later that evening, Kaze and Darcy were at home having dinner with their family. After dinner, the young ones went off to find their own entertainment. Agnes also wheeled Hector out for a walk in the park. Kaze and Darcy took care of the chores and cleaned up the table. It was then Kaze received a call from Jennifer. “Mr. Lee, have you seen the news?” Jennifer’s anger was clear in her tone. Kaze clamped the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he continued to scrub the plates. “What is it this time?” “Rove announced that they will be having an open bidding for investors. More than ten investor firms are invited, except us! “Rove has gone too far this time. They are cutting us off completely. I’ll send you the article and video now.” Beep! Kaze received the press conference video from Jennifer. “What is it, Kaze? Is it important? You can go, I’ll take care of the rest.” Darcy removed the apron for Kaze and pushed him out of the kitchen. Kaze tapped on the
“Kaze Lee thinks he’s above the law. He treated the city like his own den. He colluded with the gangs and oppressed those who tried to bid for the investment. “A senior of our current chairman, Mr. Syed Lyfe, got beaten up by Kaze Lee and is now hospitalized. He is a criminal, a despicable man! “Rove is an honorable establishment, a brand that is loved by many. As long as Kaze Lee exists, Rove will never work with Hudson Investment Firm. “At the same time, in order to draw lines from that despicable man, Rove will also withdraw from the Lilyrose Commerce Guild, where Kaze Lee’s wife is the president!” Eddie spoke fiercely and righteously in front of the camera. Kaze watched his phone emotionlessly. With Rove’s current reputation online, Eddie’s words officially cut off all possibilities for Hudson Investment Firm to invest in the company. Even if things saw an unexpected turn for the better, both Hudson Investment Firm and Rove’s reputations would be hurt and the people w
Kaze was the one who solved all the recent crises that befell Lilyrose. Therefore, he had quite the reputation among the Lilyrose Commerce Guild members. After Darcy delivered his message, the situation within the guild calmed down a little. The night was quiet. The next morning, right before Darcy went to work, Kaze stopped her. “Darcy, take half a day off. I want to take you somewhere.” “What trouble are you causing this time?” Darcy was a workaholic. She did not want to take a day off for no reason. On top of that, she had to deal with the guild’s internal affairs as well. The more people questioned her, the more she tried to prove others wrong. “So you see me as a troublemaker?” Kaze was slightly speechless but he nodded with a bitter smile. “You’re right. We are going to cause some trouble today.” With Kaze dragging her away, Darcy had no excuse to escape. However, she was also curious about what trouble he was referring to. “Fine. I’ll see what you are c
Eddie suddenly stopped talking because he saw Sieg looking at him. The frosty gaze made his heart skip a beat. His back was drenched in sweat instantly. Eddie blurted out without thinking. The investment department of Tulip Corporation had been oppressing the local brands through capitalism. Even though their methods were smart and secretive, which utilized a proxy like South Hill Holdings, those who were smart would still be able to see through it. It was not exactly a secret. In fact, they had been targeting local brands for a long time now, and Rove was certainly not the first or the last. Tulip Corporation was not the only mastermind behind this whole operation either. It was not one, but many other forces in the dark playing a role in this whole scheme. It was complicated and could not be put in simple words. The person in charge of Tulip Corporation in Arcadia called Sieg himself and offered to invest in Rove. They were obviously not trying to help Rove. T
Syed said, “I also heard that Kaze Lee openly criticized the royal family and even impersonated the God of War to force the consulate to kneel and apologize. What nonsense.” “Interesting…” Sieg was amused. He chuckled and said, “It seems like Kaze Lee is already on the blacklist of Tulip Corporation. If so, why not do Sir Andrew a little favor?” Eddie scoffed. “Young Master Sieg, given how ridiculous Kaze Lee is, he’s going to show up in the auction later. He might even send his men to cause trouble. We can call the police and accuse him of gangsterism to arrest him.” “That’s exactly my idea. If he dares to show up, it will save my time,” Sieg said without turning back. Then, Eddie’s phone buzzed. He looked at the screen and was shocked. “Young Master Sieg, we just got news that Kaze Lee is already at the auction hall, but he’s with his wife.” “Oh?” Sieg raised his brows and his hand. “Why don’t you go and welcome him?” “Yes, sir!” Eddie bowed and then left the ro
Everyone looked at Kaze with heightened interest. They wanted to know how he would react to Eddie’s mocks. Kaze nodded. “I saw it. Of course, I saw it.” “How’s that? Was my interview interesting? Are you sad because I scolded you?” Eddie said as he continued to mock Kaze. Kaze was still calm as ice. He smiled and said, “I guess it’s okay.” Eddie’s expression turned heavy. Right before he could continue, he was interrupted by a bright and loud laughter from behind. “Okay? I guess your scoldings are not fierce enough, Eddie. Hahaha…” Another group of people arrived. Kaze looked beyond Eddie and saw the man that he was quite familiar with—Dakota Eason, the boss of South Hill Holdings. “Dakota! You should have let me know when you arrived so that I can welcome you!” Eddie went over attentively to shake the man’s hand. His face was full of smiles and flatters. Dakota was a man that he admired before but after the earlier conversation, he knew Dakota was supported by some
Kaze’s words sounded so funny that some of the attendees could not hold back their laughter. Mommy? The man was old enough to be Darcy’s father, yet Kaze asked him to call Darcy Mommy. Darcy rolled her eyes at Kaze but her frustration faded instantly and she felt warm. Kaze glanced at the man. His expression turned cold and then said, “If you want to wash people’s legs, go back to your mommy. Don’t embarrass yourself in front of me.” The so-called elite investor in the business was nothing but a pervert. He grinned and laughed when he harassed Darcy but when he was insulted, he got mad and embarrassed. Kaze did not want to waste his time on a pervert. “You!” The man was fuming. He wished he could strangle Kaze alive. “Tim…” Dakota tapped on the man’s shoulder to calm him down. He then looked at Kaze coldly and said, “Punk, you have quite the sharp tongue but what are you doing here? Hudson Investment Firm is out of the game. What is your business here?” Kaze smi
“Eddie Fork, what right do you have to ask me to leave?” Kaze looked at the man with furrowed brows. Eddie said coldly, “Of course I have the right. I also have the power because Rove is having an auction here and you are not invited. As the COO of Rove, that gives me every right to ask you to leave!” “You shameless bastard! Leave! You are not welcome here!” “Why waste everyone’s time?” Dakota’s men started to mock and gloat at Kaze. Darcy tugged Kaze’s arm and whispered, “Kaze, should we?” She was not afraid of them but she could not see the purpose of staying and enduring the insults from Dakota and his men. “Why us? We might not be the ones leaving.” Kaze smiled and tapped Darcy’s hand. He then made a call with his phone. “I am at the exhibition center and someone is trying to throw me out of the venue.” The man on the other side of the call was Caleb, the deputy mayor. Caleb was nervous when he received the call. He quickly said, “Mr. Mayor, I will ask the
Dwight approached with a smile. He looked at Edmund earnestly. “I am Dwight McCorney. I have heard good things about you. I finally got to meet the man of the hour. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Witterson.” Dwight was starstruck. Edmund was embarrassed by Dwight’s behavior. He could not believe that Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. Nevertheless, Dwight seemed genuine in expressing his thrill. Edmund became curious about him. He turned around to look at Kaze, who was the polar opposite of Dwight. Kaze stood there, holding his ground. He stood up to greet Edmund and nothing else. He appeared to be refined, unlike Dwight, who was brash. Dwight had no idea that his behavior had upset Edmund. Edmund looked at Dwight in disdain. However, Dwight was a member of the Viper’s Den. It was best for Edmund to keep his comments to himself. Without a word, Edmund stared at the pair. Ryan stepped in to smooth things over. “What are you doing? We have a guest here.
Since Kaze would not change these people’s minds, he was better off doing what he wanted to do. “This vase must be valuable. I got to give it to Mr. Witterson. A display in the living room is worth so much.” Dwight had never seen so much luxury in one room. He had been to the museum, but the displays were nothing like he had ever seen before. The rich had the means to splurge. “Do you think this is pure gold?” Dwight turned to a gold statue. The design was to die for. The purity of color made it hard to doubt its authenticity. “I’m not too sure, but I guess most of the ornaments here are real.”Kaze watched as Dwight gasped in awe. Nevertheless, his behavior would clear any suspicion on Kaze. It could be a good thing. “I knew Mr. Witterson was rich. His businesses are doing well. “But I didn’t expect this sort of lifestyle. The gold must be worth a million dollars. “If I were this wealthy, I would not spend it on decoration.” Dwight rambled on, his eyes stuck t
“I’m not familiar with the area. We’ll have to look around,” Dwight said behind the wheel. He looked for restaurants while driving. It was early, and many restaurants were not open for business. They circled the block and finally uncovered a small breakfast bar. They ordered some food, filled their bellies, and got back into the car. “Mr. Witterson said that he wouldn’t meet you. Why does he want to see you now?” Dwight was curious. Something must have happened last night. Otherwise, Edmund would not suddenly grant an audience to Kaze. “I don’t know. I had some drinks last night, and now he probably made time.” Kaze felt better after breakfast. He did not think much of the situation. Things would carry on as planned regardless of what the Wittersons or the Siegfrieds had to say.This was exactly what Kaze hoped for. Dwight remained in the dark. He drove to the city’s most exclusive area for the rich. It was all greenery in this part of town. The road was wider, an
After a brief hesitation, Kaze followed Rosie. The room turned out to be Rosie’s. Though not a big room, it was crammed with all kinds of junk. The place looked cluttered. Rosie approached the vanity table and grabbed the comb to comb her hair. She turned to look at Kaze. “You said a lot of stuff last night. Do you remember any of it?” Rosie spoke like they had been friends for years. It was just small talk. “What did I say? I don’t really remember. You made a lovely drink, but man, it really kicked in.” Kaze put a cigarette to his lips, but he did not light it. Instead, he spotted a chair to sit down on. “Well, it’s pointless to talk about it if you can’t remember.” Rosie was pleased to hear that. At least, Kaze had no idea that she had gotten him drunk. “Don’t leave me hanging.” Kaze looked peeved. “Are you off the clock?” Kaze asked. “Yes. I work odd hours. It’s time for me to sleep now.” Rosie stared at Kaze. “I shouldn’t keep you from resting.”
“Can you give me something for the pain?” Clemont had a low tolerance for pain. Standing on the stairway, Morris heard his voice and sighed. Clemont could do no good in his eyes. “Keep an eye on him. He’s not allowed to leave the house for the time being.” Morris believed the incident was more than meets the eye. Yet, Clemont was tricked into going to Absolute Zero and starting shit. There was no telling whether the Wittersons or someone else was behind it. Morris let out a sigh and returned to the study. He sent the butler to the storage room to fetch a few valuable antiques. These items were collected years ago, and they cost a fortune. Morris’ intention was to be on good terms with the Wittersons. There was no need to be at war with them. He had to do it for the interest of the Viper’s Den and his family. Morris was all about looking at the bigger picture. Otherwise, he would not have put up with all the bullshit before. Edmund would not let him off the ho
“Are you trying to kill your son?” Clara intervened. “You’re ruining him by spoiling him. If you want things to continue as they were, you can kiss him goodbye forever,” Morris said. Clara was lost for words. She knew better, but she just could not stop herself. Clemont had her heart. Clara could not stand to see him hurt. She was distressed. However, she knew that Morris would not get over the matter without beating Clemont up. She had to step in. “Hit him!” Morris was too old to do anything laborious. However, the kid would not go anywhere in life without a good beating. Despite starting trouble, he sure was arrogant to admit that he was wrong. “I see the errors of my ways.” Clemont apologized in time to avoid the punishment. He managed to escape all repercussions by doing so. Plus, his mother would plead on his behalf. The whole thing would usually get brushed aside. Though it was more serious in this instance, Clemont still believed that Morris would not hur
Morris was in his study, wiping a plaque of commandments that was covered in dust. Due to his commitment to the Viper’s Den, he had neglected his family for years and left his son in his wife’s care. Morris regretted doing so. Unaware of the impending danger, Clemont enjoyed drinks with his friends. They were having fun, playing drinking games. Losing the game, Clemont downed a glass of liquor. Things could get far and exciting in a game. It was then that the door swung open. Clemont’s driver entered the room. “Young Master Siegfried, the master is waiting for you at home,” the driver said, noting the complexity of the situation. The only thing on his mind was to take Clemont away. Tipsy from the drinks, Clemont waved his arm. “Let him wait. What’s the rush to get home?” Clemont’s friends were shocked. Nothing scared Clemont like his father. However, Clemont toughened up for once. “Young Master Siegfried, why don’t you call it a night?” “Yeah. I’m sur
“What’s that supposed to mean? When have I ever made a mistake?” Morris heard nothing of that sort. It could only mean that his people had done nothing wrong. However, Edmund could not possibly get aggressive on the phone. Something must have happened, and he simply had no idea. Morris felt unsettled like something big was about to happen. “You seem to be lax when managing your people. You don’t seem to know what goes on around your house.“Is your age getting to you? Is that why you can’t handle most of the work? If you can’t get your own house in order, how will you ever manage the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Edmund called to say his piece. It was his way to make Morris step down. Though it was likely that Morris would resign, Edmund could at least make things unpleasant for him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Morris was completely in the dark, but Edmund must hold some secret to act so cocky. Despite his troubled feelings, Morris kept his cool and calmly aske
Since it was a rare opportunity, Edmund had to settle the score with them properly. He knew opportunities like this were hard to come by so he had to seize them well. “I understand. I will take care of the guest,” Rosie said. She was glad that her information was useful to her boss. After Edmund hung up the phone, Rosie then looked at the unconscious Kaze. “You are indeed more useful than I thought. Hardly anyone has ever managed to impress Edmund.” She did not feel sorry for Kaze, believing that everything happened as it was meant to. She knew that to climb higher, she had to please her superior. With the Wittersons on the rise, now was the perfect time for her to pledge her loyalty to Edmund. When the Wittersons truly took over the Westeros Branch, she would become one of the most powerful people in the city, second only to them. She was looking forward to that day. Since Kaze was fast asleep and no arrangements could be made, Rosie went out to call her men and