Kaze demanded Gareth to leave Lilyrose. It was a last warning to Gareth. The crowd could not believe the words coming out of Kaze’s mouth. They suspected their ears were playing tricks on them. The whole thing was so bizarre. The Quints’ son-in-law just threatened Gareth, the renowned martial artist from Sunrise City. The roles should be switched. It would have made more sense if the threat came from Gareth. “Just do it, sir. Kill Lee!” “We need to make an example out of him!” “Show these bozos in Lilyrose that no one should challenge your authority!” Gareth’s disciples clamored savagely. For Kaze to insult their mentor, he was insulting them too. The disciples would jump on Kaze at Gareth’s command. The tension was coming to a breaking point. Amid the crowd, the heads of the Vikroms, Logmans, Joestars, and several others aware of Kaze’s identity were kept in suspense. Once Gareth chose violence, blood would be shed tonight in Lilyrose. Gareth stared K
Gareth’s words settled the disciples down. “So you are looking out for the guests, sir. We shouldn’t dampen the party with blood.” “I knew it. Our mentor could crush Kaze easily. He is just nice to let Lee breathe easy a little longer.” “The Lilyrose New City project is our priority in Lilyrose. Getting rid of Kaze can happen any other day.” The disciples, arrogant as ever, flattered Gareth. The guests scowled at the comments. Apart from a handful, most just found out that Gareth’s trip to Lilyrose was to acquire the Lilyrose New City project. It was no secret that the new mayor wanted to rebuild the Old District and develop a new city. Many had their eye on the project. The project was worth tens of billions. Even a small slice of this pie would be highly profitable.It explained why Gareth came all the way to Lilyrose. He was after the project. Some of the guests were upset. They, the local players, aimed to compete for a piece of the action. To their dism
One wrong step could have deadly consequences. The drama was so intense that it was easy to get completely lost in it.Many dared not make their stance known. “No one has met the new mayor before, Mr. Hornberg. He has never made a public appearance.” “He exercised his authority and fired several chiefs the moment he took office. One of them is the deputy mayor’s son, but Lou, the deputy mayor, is loyal to the mayor.” “The mayor intends to take over Lee Investment’s acquired hospitals even if it means making enemies with strong corporations.”“Many commented on the new mayor’s iron fist.” Under Gareth’s menacing gaze, a few succumbed to the pressure and offered the information they had.Nevertheless, they kept things vague and did not give detailed information on the new mayor. Gareth was not pleased. He turned to the heads of the Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars. “I heard that you have emerged as the top three families after the God of War clamped down on the former three
“We, the Logmans, share Bernard’s thoughts.” “Lilyrose isn’t a big city, Mr. Hornberg, but don’t forget that the military is based here. If you think about it, Sunrise City isn’t much threat to Lilyrose.”“So things aren’t as plain or simple as you think, Mr. Hornberg. Just return to Sunrise City before you get yourself killed,” Peter and Jack said. Bernard, Peter, and Jack embodied Lilyrose’s high society. Even they demanded Gareth’s departure from Lilyrose. The others were shocked, to say the least. At first, the Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars did not want to upset Gareth. They had no problem with Gareth securing the local projects. That was in the past now. Kaze had now told Gareth to get back to where he came from. Peter, Bernard, and Jack understood the authority behind Kaze’s words. They no longer feared stepping on Gareth’s toes. Heck, their advice was not to offend Gareth. They were doing him a favor by saving his life. There was bound to be a power strugg
“You are either with me or against me.” Many gasped sharply at Gareth’s ugly statement. They started to make faces too. It had become clear to them that the event tonight was not just a step designed for Kaze. The feast was also a trap set for the most respected individuals in Lilyrose.Gareth demanded that they pick a side to determine whether they were a friend or foe. To Gareth, there was no in-between. If they were not with him, they would be against him. The gray area did not exist. However, not everyone was conflicted. “I support you, Mr. Hornberg.” Trent took a stand without hesitation. “To be frank, I am disheartened by the way the noob mayor runs the city. It’s a mess!“The young man won’t take advice from a retired man like me. Kaze even humiliated me. “I trust that you will contribute greatly to the Lilyrose New City project, Mr. Hornberg. Please get rid of pests like Kaze and build a figure for the city,” Trent said righteously. Gareth’s eyes sp
Gareth was a go-getter with strong connections in Sunrise City.On the contrary, Kaze might hold some sway in the city, but he was just a nobody who took his wife’s last name. He did not have the resources and wealth to compete with Gareth. The odds were in Gareth’s favor. “Haha. Thank you, all.” Gareth grinned and glanced at Bernard’s group before mocking, “You’ve been contemplating for a while now. What are your decisions?” Bernard, Peter, and Jack were firmly on Kaze’s side. However, that could change. Gareth believed that the family heads would be foolish not to make the wise choice, especially after many were in support of Gareth. All eyes fell on Bernard, Peter, and Jack. The Vikroms, Logmans, and Joestars were the top-tier families in Lilyrose at present. They profited from the fall of the top three families. Though the reputation of the top three families did not expand past the boundaries of the city, their influence went beyond that. However, the top t
Many grimaced at Jack’s comment. Hudson made the local players pick a team when he came to Lilyrose. The Bowmans, an upper-class family, were the first to take a stand. The head of the Bowman household, Blake, pledged allegiance to Hudson right away and took Johnson’s place as the mayor. Kaze was forced to confess a crime he did not commit. Blake’s son nearly pushed Darcy to jump off a building. As Blake pissed Kaze off, he was only mayor for a day. Since then, the Bowmans plummeted the ranks of social classes and hovered in the bottom tier. With that in mind, some locals started to have a change of heart. They were afraid Kaze might turn the tide and ruin their families too. Still, others sneered at that thought. “Don’t try to scare us with the past, Mr. Joestar. Kaze was driven to desperation to the point of giving Governor Farland gifts. “Governor Farland was enraged and followed the clues to Blake for taking gifts and bribes. Since the Bowmans were the bigger fi
“My request is simple, Mr. Lyfe. Issue a statement of your split with Kaze and his underhanded acts. I expect Kaze to return Rove’s 20% shares, and I want them for myself. “Once you do that, I’ll consider you a friend of mine.” Gareth had his eye on the 20% shares Kaze possessed. However, his goal was to destroy Kaze’s reputation through Hart. There was always a clear rationale behind Gareth’s actions. He was an egotistical man. Gareth wanted the world to understand that getting rid of Kaze was not a predatory move, but a just one.Hart sank under the burden of all the attention. Still, he made a shocking decision. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hornberg. It’s a fact that Mr. Lee saved Rove. No one can change that. “That’s not the only thing. Mr. Lee also saved my family and stopped my daughter from marrying Kingston. “Mr. Lee has always been an honorable man. He never resorts to underhanded tactics. “I can’t betray a friend for glory.” Despite his discolored face, Hart spoke
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