In just ten seconds, Gareth’s disciples were all knocked out on the ground. All of them at least suffered a broken arm. Amidst the shocking silence, Kaze dusted his hands and said, “We could’ve solved this with you kneeling and apologizing but you just had to raise your fists at me, so everyone got a broken arm.” His casual and frivolous tone left Mary Sue, Syed, and the others speechless. He was indeed scary. Even though the Lyfe family had seen what Kaze was capable of, they were still scared. Gareth’s disciples were no threat to him at all; all of them were defeated with a single move. “Mr. Rover, you must call your master or Seven and Wolf! Only they can overpower Kaze Lee!” “Yeah! Now that he’s here, we must seize the chance to get rid of him!” Mary Sue and the Lyfe family stood behind Nevan and urged him to contact his master. Kaze had become their arch-nemesis. The stronger he got, the more horrified they were. They wished Kaze would die immediately on the
Kaze frowned. Just when he wanted to give chase, Sam said, “Kaze, forget it. It’s not like they are all involved. If you hurt them, it will only burden the doctors at the hospital even more. “I heard you were responsible for sending more than a dozen patients with broken bones to the hospital in the past two days.” Kaze single-handedly increased the workload of the doctors in various hospitals, especially the orthopedists. “Uh… Okay.” Kaze nodded awkwardly. He wanted to say it was Conan who beat up those guys but then he realized he was the one who gave the order. Sam said, “Let’s go. We have to bring my assistant to the hospital.” Kaze then brought the professor and his assistant to his car. “Stop them! Don’t let them leave!” A squad of security guards came out of every direction, looking fierce and hostile. They were more like gangsters than security personnel despite the uniforms they wore. The director of Edinburgh Hospital got news of their VIP guests being h
Gareth went up to Don and stared at him. “So you are the chief of police? What are you doing? Why aren’t you arresting the assailant? Why are you shutting down the hospital instead? Is this how you do your job?” Don knew who Gareth was, but he was known as Ironfist of Justice, the man who upheld the law. He was not afraid of some grandmaster from Sunrise City. “We received the order to shut down Edinburgh Hospital. As for the assailant you mentioned, we did not receive any order about a fight,” Don said. “Who gave you the order? Your mayor?” Gareth pointed at Don and arrogantly bellowed, “Go tell him to stop this foolish operation and arrest Kaze Lee. Sentence him to jail or shoot him to death! Tell him it’s my word!” He had disciples across the entire state. Even the mayors of different cities would visit him to pay respect, asking him to talk to his disciples in the underworld to keep a low profile. Therefore, the mayor of Lilyrose had no power over Gareth. Don calmly
Kaze had the nerve to do what he did, showing complete disregard for the fact Gareth had arrived in Lilyrose. It was a blatant insult to Gareth. “I’m going to kill you, Kaze!” Gareth hissed through clenched teeth. His thirst for blood had never been stronger. Mary Sue instigated, “Mr. Hornberg, just kill Kaze. He doesn’t take you seriously. You should make an example out of him.” Smack!Gareth suddenly raised his hand and slapped Mary Sue to the ground. “Mr. Hornberg?” Mary Sue put her hand over her swollen cheek and glared at Gareth angrily. She was a staff member of Madam Hacks. Yet, Gareth attacked him. Thud!Gareth stomped on the woman, and the latter let out a harrowing cry. “Don’t give me that look, bitch.“If you hadn’t stirred shit, Nevan wouldn’t have been incapacitated. “You are just a bunch of losers who can’t do anything right.” Gareth’s menacing eyes brushed past Syed and the others. Thump!The Lyfes kneeled on the ground in fright. “We were
Caleb’s expression stiffened. “Um… Gareth might blame his disciples for the rumors. Besides, Gareth has friends in high places in Sunrise City who will defend him and put the squeeze on us.” “Chin up.” Kaze waved his arm. “Don’t sweat the meaningless stuff. I’ll handle Gareth.” “Yes, sir.” Caleb excused himself. … Meanwhile, Gareth, not one with the patience to wait at the hospital, followed Syed and the others to the Lyfes’ family residence. Once there, Gareth acted like he owned the place. Syed and the others waited on him hand and foot. “Tsk, tsk. The drink is alright.” Gareth happily sipped his beverage. The way he saw it, the job assigned to Sven and Wolf was as good as done. Seeing that Gareth was relaxed, the Lyfes’ tensed nerves loosened. Mary Sue barged into the place and shouted, “This is bad, Mr. Hornberg!” “Shut up!” Gareth’s reproach made Mary Sue shudder. “I don’t give a damn about your interactions with Madam Hacks, Mary Sue. But you bette
Gareth was skeptical. “Who are you kidding? Lee isn’t some influential guy. I doubt he has any security on standby.” He glared at Mary Sue, suspecting that she was only doing the bare minimum because of his earlier abuse. “It’s true, Mr. Hornberg.” Coming to Mary Sue’s rescue, Syed said, “Kaze isn’t someone of power or wealth, but his neighbor is. Chief Commander Lang of the Lilyrose Strategic Department lived in the next-door villa. This is the reason Skylar View District is listed as a restricted area.“The Lefteria Group once sent two dozen assassins to kill Kaze, but they were shot down at the entrance. “It’s an unspoken consensus among the people of Lilyrose that Kaze could escape danger by hiding there. He would be safe in Skylar View District for sure.” Gareth was at a loss. “C-Chief Commander Lang?” Discoloration washed over Mary Sue’s face as realization dawned on her that she had been close to death before. The place turned out to be Draco’s territory. Even i
“You’re wise, Mr. Homberg.” Mary Sue, Syed, and the others sucked up to Gareth in thrill. Tonight would be Kaze’s nightmare. “Get it done.” Gareth waved his arm. Struck by a thought, he said, “That reminds me. Give Hart an invitation too. Since he appreciates Kaze a lot, I want him to berate Kaze and reduce him to nothing. I want Hart to embarrass Kaze in front of everybody.“I want to crush him and his spirit.” Syed and the others were overjoyed. Soon, the heavyweights of Lilyrose received the invitation letter from the Lyfes. The Vikrams, Logmans, and Joestars were on the guest list. Trent, the former mayor, also received the invitation. Miru, a powerhouse in the underworld, had gotten one too. Even investors from out of town like Dakota were invited. Back in Skylar View District, Kaze received a call from Caleb. “Mr. Lee, Gareth is hosting an event and invited all the influential figures in the city. “We have gotten one at the mayor’s office too. Gareth pe
For once, even the unreachable prominent figures were courteous and friendly with the Lyfes. The delight helped the Lyfes grow a spine. Hart finally showed up. Syed sneered, “Oh, didn’t you talk about loyalty in the family? Why did you heed Mr. Hornberg’s call then?” “I bet you’re kicking yourself because you see how great we are doing now, Hart.” The other Lyfe family members taunted him. Ashen in the face, Hart said nothing. He could not bring himself to ignore Gareth’s invitation. The feeling of apprehension had not left Hart as he wondered why Gareth had summoned him. “Get inside. Don’t stick out like a sore thumb at the entrance.” Syed lashed out at Hart before lifting his chin arrogantly for a scoff. The Lyfes would hit it big time after tonight. They believed the dumbest thing Hart ever did was cut ties with them. Once some heavy hitters entered the scene, the Lyfes stopped attending to guests at the door. The feast began at 7:00 PM. Guests were sea
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