Before Kaze even replied Darct, the list of birthday gifts was presented. “The Chief of Lilyrose City Council, Johnson Brooks, presents a Van Gogh painting.” “The Jetstar family, the Junon family, the Joestar family, each presents five million dollars.” “Mr. John Walker, Mr. Genji Lord, Ms. Jasmine Sundar…” When the guests arrived in the banquet hall, they were once again shocked by the VIPs invited. From politicians to well-known businessmen, those affiliated with both the underworld and the government were present. The powerful figures of the business world all came with expensive presents. Pietro, who was in charge of announcing the guests’ names and their gifts, was in awe. Even with his experience, he was amazed by the presents received and their value. Master Quint and his family were jealous when they heard the presents being announced, especially Deborah. It would be great if they were the ones who received the presents and not just Darcy. “On behalf of the
Kaze smiled. “Yes, I am the Chairman of Sky High Investment Group, in the flesh.” Agnes flushed. She curled her hands around Kaze’s arm tightly. Having the Chairman of Sky High Investment Group as her son-in-law would make her the most famous lady in all of Lilyrose City. The next time she met up with her friends, they would be envious of her. Her friends who used to look down on her would probably flatter her or kneel before her for forgiveness. Master Quint could not contain the jealousy in his heart as he stared at the pile of expensive gifts. He went up with his glass of wine and said, “Darcy, the Quintessential Group is facing some funding issues at the moment. Can you spare some of your presents to help us overcome this problem? Consider it as a contribution to the family…” Agnes was displeased when she heard Master Quint. “Father, I clearly remembered that we were excommunicated. Why must we contribute to your family?” Master Quint chuckled awkwardly. “That was jus
“My marketing director said he doesn’t know you at all.” Could it be that Kaze was impersonating the Chairman of Sky High Investment Group? Agnes’ heart sank deep into the abyss. Darcy looked at Kaze, not knowing why he would impersonate the chairman. “But the presents are indeed for Darcy.” Kelly reluctantly explained, “I don’t know why but the presents are from the chairman. He wishes you a happy birthday.” She clenched her fists tightly when she explained and it fueled her jealousy. She thought she could finally shame Darcy in public but the chairman took a liking in her. However, if it was true, then Kaze might lose his wife soon. Kelly sized up Kaze contemptuously. Kaze was speechless. He left his men in charge of the company for years, so it was normal for the common employees to not know of his existence. Baffled, Darcy asked, “Kaze, what is going on?” Kaze explained, “Darcy, believe me. I am really the chairman.” “Enough!” Darcy glared at him. “Kaze, c
After the phone call, Kelly bolted and left the presents behind. Everyone found it strange but the celebratory mood of the party was not affected. Even though Kaze was not the chairman, he knew the chairman, so it was possible to reach the chairman through him. Darcy and her family were heavily surrounded by guests who were trying to win over them. Agnes and Hector were flustered. They had been waiting for this moment for years and with it, they could finally lift their heads up as proud human beings, especially before their extended family. Master Quint said shyly, “Darcy, since the chairman is indebted to Kaze, why don’t you tell him to ask for an investment from the chairman? I’m not asking for much, one or two hundred million is definitely more than enough.” “Grandfather, I…” Darcy looked troubled. “What’s wrong? You can’t do it? You are a Quint and you can’t even do your family a favor?” Master Quint was displeased with her answer. Kaze knew the old man was trying
“Mr. Lee, Sky High Investment Group is massive. It’ll take time for Ms. Quint to believe you. It’s normal. “How about this? Since the Construction and Material Society has just been dissolved, we can form a new company for the former board members and you can be the new chairman. Even though it’s not a fitting title for your status, at least you can have an official position and it will be much more convenient…” Kaze thought and nodded. "Sounds good. Sky High will provide the funds and the former board members can bring their resources to this new company. Sky High will be in control with a majority stake. Let's call it the Perfect World Group." Ray was thrilled to learn the new name of the company. With that, the former board members of the Construction and Material Society would form a working relationship with Sky High Investment Group. Kaze glanced at Ray and said, “Ray, why don’t you be the new company’s manager? I’ll just be a nominal chairman.” “My pleasure!” Ray nodde
Darcy could no longer control her anger. She shouted, “Chief Brooks, don’t do this! I’ll call the police!” “Haha! You’re threatening me?” Ned laughed maniacally and slapped Darcy on the face. Darcy covered her swollen cheek and wanted to run but Ned caught her other hand. He pointed at the table and said, “Lay down and I’ll fuck you here and now! You bitch! Stop pretending!” “Let go of me!” Darcy struggled but she was no match for the man. Anxious, she grabbed a tumbler on the table and smashed Ned’s head with it. “Aaargh! You fucking bitch! You hit me? I’ll fucking rape you!” Ned covered his bleeding forehead and cried in pain. He was forced to release Darcy. Darcy tossed the tumbler away and ran out of the room immediately. After she left the place, she wandered alone on the street aimlessly. She was still terrified with her mind blank and clueless of what to do. Suddenly, she received a call from Samus. “Where the hell are you? Come back here right now!” Darc
Ignoring the ferocious glares of the Quint family, Kaze went over to help Darcy up. “Darcy, let’s go home. I assure you nothing will happen.” He also helped Agnes up and brought them out of the mansion. “Darcy, you hit Ned Brooks! Do you really think you can run away like that? Turn yourself in!” “You better surrender for the sake of our family! Think of your parents! Hmph!” The others continued to threaten Darcy, causing her face to turn as pale as paper. “Kaze, send Mom and Dad home. I’ll go turn myself in.” After leaving the Quint family’s mansion, Darcy held Kaze’s hand as tears washed her face. She said, “Please take care of them. I don’t believe my grandfather and the others, but I believe in you.” Agnes was worried. She pulled Darcy away and said to Kaze, “Kaze, why don’t you take her spot? Darcy has suffered enough for the past few years and it’s all because of you.” Kaze’s heart was broken, but it was indeed his fault that Darcy and her family suffered terribly
“What the fuck are you trying to do? Don’t come near me!” Ned instinctively retreated. His face turned pale. “Your wife hit me! One word and I can throw her behind bars for life!” “Are you threatening me?” Kaze darted forward and lifted the bastard by the collar. Bang! He rammed Ned’s head against the glass partition, leaving his head dangling outside while the rest of his body hung over the metal railing. “Aaaaaaah!” Ned screamed at the top of his lungs while struggling to get unstuck.The broken glasses cut his face, causing him to bleed terribly. “I am the Chief of the Housing Department! How dare you hit me, you fucking retard! You and your family are fucking dead!” Kaze did not say a word. He simply kicked the man’s bottom. “Aaaaaaah!” The kick squeezed Ned’s upper body out of the glass partition. The metal railing was crooked after the impact. Ned felt like his bones were all broken. Kaze went outside the office, grabbed Ned by the neck, and pulled his
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