Besides, Christian decided to pocket the 100 million Uleania dollars. He said with a smile, “But what we discuss today is strictly confidential. It cannot leave this room.”“Of course.” Cosmo nodded, assuming Christian wanted to keep a chunk of the profit. The scheming pair snickered. “Bang, bang,” Their laughter was cut short by the sound of crackling explosives outside the villa. “What was that about?” Cosmo was taken aback. Christian grimaced. “Is that gunshots?” “Bang!” Cosmo’s subordinate barged through the door and crashed to the ground. “S-Sir, Karel and the others were killed. They are all dead!” Karel was a member of Zion Mercenaries. He and three other companions went with Cosmo to Sky Ocean Corporation. They were put on duty, securing the villa after their return. Cosmo hired them not just to bluff Darcy. Zion Mercenaries were tasked with his protection too. Lilyrose was Kaze’s territory after all. Christian went pale and walked out. Sensi
Christian did find his assumption ridiculous because it was not something Kaze was capable of. However, he was left with the most absurd possibility after eliminating all likelihoods. “I must get headquarters to dispatch an expert soon before I die here.” Christian got in touch with Zion headquarters and relayed the recent incident. Without hesitation, he named Kaze as the killer. He wanted to light a fire under headquarters’ ass to send backup. If Christian could not be sure about the killer, Zion would waste time evaluating the enemy for the sake of precaution. “The company has decided to send the chief instructor to Arcadia, Christian.” Soon, an executive of Zion came to Christian, bearing news. “What? The chief instructor is coming?” Christian jumped off the couch in shock and joy. “Thank God. The chief instructor will sort Kaze out.” “Christian, who is the chief instructor?” Christian’s reaction piqued Cosmo’s interest. Once Christian was off the phone, Co
The Powells’ wealth topped 10 billion Gyros. If the Powells only had money, they would be no different than the other rich Arcadians. They would not be able to mingle with the local elites. The Powells’ break to be part of the elite circle came when one of them became a chief instructor in the military and rose to prominence. Since then, the Powells were not just wealthy, but they also climbed the social ladder and became part of the exclusive upper class. The individual who gave the Powells glory was Gunter. Gunter had always been obsessed with Arcadian martial arts. He returned to Arcadia at the age of eighteen and spent years refining and perfecting his art. He and Gareth got to know each other at the time, and they trained under the same teacher. Upon earning success in his craft, Gunter did not stay in Arcadia. Instead, he went back to Glowmoss and joined the army for foreign nationals. Glowmoss possessed extensive overseas colonies.The legion had previously enga
Niko kept to his humped position while waiting. The wait was an hour. Anybody else would not have lasted long with their back hunched over. Though drenched in sweat, Niko remained still. He was indeed remarkable in mindset and determination. The door to the castle finally opened. A young man with emotionless and sharp facial features walked out. The young man looked to be younger than Niko by two years. Niko put a straight face on and greeted courteously, “Sonny.” Sonny was Gunter’s student. Compared to other members of the Powell family, Sonny was favored by Gunter. Even though Niko was one of the heirs of the Powells, he dared not show Sonny any disrespect. “Mr. Powell wants to see you, Mr. Niko. Come with me.” Sonny callously uttered before walking into the castle. Niko knew he was halfway there now that Gunter granted him an audience. Thrilled, Niko entered the castle and met Gunter sitting in meditation. “Uncle Gunter.” Niko went up excitedly, got
Niko did not wait long for an answer. A brief moment later, Gunter opened his eyes. “Gareth saved my life in Arcadia. “I’ll deal with this. “Lee must die.” Gunter kept a stoic face, his voice reflecting an icy chill. The fall of the Viper’s Den did not bother Gunter. Niko and Sonny knew that Gunter was strong enough to be unfazed by an organization’s defeat. With that, Niko said, “I’m happy to go with you to Arcadia and serve you.” Gunter nodded callously. Niko was overjoyed. Given Gunter’s combat skills and power, no one could stop him in Arcadia. Kaze had nothing on Gunter. If Niko tended to Gunter well, his position as the family successor would be guaranteed. Besides, Niko would have no trouble expanding the family business to Arcadia. Sonny let out a smile. It had been mundane and boring staying in the castle with Gunter. Power and women were all Sonny ever wanted. He could not wait to get to Arcadia and show what he was made of. Sonny was Gun
Several minutes later, another person emerged out of the aircraft door. The group watched in anticipation, knowing that the person was Gunter. A hale and hearty middle-aged man with a straight face appeared. He steadily took the steps down. He had an entourage behind him. “That must be Gunter Powell.” The group here for the airport pick-up was blown away. The middle-aged man clearly ranked the highest among them. He was Gunter Powell. However, they had a different impression of Gunter. They were expecting to see Gunter radiating wisdom and detached from worldly concerns. It never occurred to the group that Gunter would look younger than most of them. He did not look a day past his fifties. However, everybody knew that Gunter was pushing sixty. Gunter’s towering figure and rugged physique gave off a presence of power. In general, Gunter carried himself differently than Gareth. Gareth would look like Gunter’s teacher if they stood together. “Welcome, Mr.
The three top mercenaries once belonged to Glowmoss’ legion for foreign nationals. Training under Gunter, the trio became the top decorated soldiers in the legion. The trio later retired from the army with Gunter and joined Zion Mercenaries. They were now Zion Mercenaries’ aces. Gunter took them along to Arcadia. Just as everybody bowed to Gunter, several cars pulled up outside the crowd. The car doors opened, and another group got out. The representatives of different entities were surprised to see the woman leading the new group. Gunter’s men worked fast, quickly encircling the unwelcome guests. The female leader looked at Gunter fearlessly and said, “I am Hannah Delmore, the chief of the serious crime unit of the Viper’s Den’s branch in Westeros. I need a word with you.” The woman was Hannah, who was defeated by Kaze. “Oh, she represents the Arcadian government. Let them through,” with his hands behind his back, Gunter said indifferently. Once Zion Mercenarie
Gunter was the definition of aggression and cockiness. He killed Christian right in front of the Viper’s Den while asking the chief whether it was an issue. Hannah was brewing in anger. While Gunter expressed it was only an act of housecleaning, everybody knew that he did not take Hannah seriously. The Viper’s Den’s branch in Westeros meant squat. Fighting back the anger, Hannah took a deep breath and said, “Christian entered the country illegally. We were going to arrest him and deport him. “So no, I don’t have a problem, Mr. Powell.” Hannah was filled with despair and helplessness. Ever since Magnus died in Lilyrose, the Vipers’ Den’s branch in Westeros became a joke. Their pride was trampled on. No one would dismiss the organization before. Gunter chuckled and turned to Hannah. “I heard that you rushed to Lilyrose to avenge him when you learned of his death.” Hannah was Gareth’s goddaughter, and Gunter trained under the same teacher as Gareth. They were som
As they arrived, they saw a dozen expensive cars parked outside. The customer base was relatively stable as the establishment was targeted at the upper class. The people lining up at the club were young men and women of ordinary background. All were allowed inside Absolute Zero with an entrance fee. Since this would be a chance for ordinary people to meet and interact with the upper-class elites, they cherished it and tried their best to look good. Even movie producers and scriptwriters came to the club, seeking investments or a role in movie production. It was a shortcut to reach out to the upper crust after all. Yet they were just a bunch of fresh graduates with no resources and connections, so the club was their only chance at achieving something great. Dwight would never understand how rare the opportunity was, as he was narrow-sighted. He had never experienced power and wealth before, so he lacked the understanding of how things worked in society. “I never thought
With that in mind, Dwight checked his outfit. His black leather jacket brought out his height and wild side. He then observed Kaze. The latter was dressed casually. Dwight was worried that they would not be allowed into Absolute Zero because of their attire. Nevertheless, he could not let slip that he had never been to Absolute Zero. Without a word, Dwight led Kaze down the apartment building. Kaze could pick up on Dwight’s nerves. While in the elevator, Dwight could not stop straightening out his clothes. It was clear that he was nervous. Even so, Kaze said nothing and pretended not to notice. They got into the car and drove to an alley. The area was not huge, but there were stands selling street food. “The food is great here. Since it’s early, we can grab a bite.” Dwight was not being tight with money. As their destination was a bar, there was no need to get a proper meal. “I’ll get a skewer then.” Kaze did not have much of an appetite anyway. “Okay. I’ll or
“You’re the guest. I should be hosting you, but I don’t seem to be doing a good job.” Dwight knew he had to do better. “It’s okay. I don’t have much to do. It’s just a delivery anyway.” Kaze bought a lot of stuff online. All they had to do was wait for the delivery. Once the items arrived, they could head out. Dwight talked about taking him to a bar under the Viper’s Den’s umbrella. It was a great opportunity for Kaze to check out the scene. He had heard that the Wittersons were tied to all the Viper’s Den’s business operations.Kaze would not meet Edmund and Morris in person, but he would grasp all information related to them. Then, Kaze would stir things up between them and sit back while reaping the benefits. Kaze had it all planned out. He simply had to take his time in playing the long game. Nevertheless, it was important for him to remain discreet. At the very least, he should not show them what he was made of. It was easy to execute his plan when everybody
Kaze rose to his feet and took something out of his bag. Putting on his jacket, he was on his way out. Dwight was out of his room, too. He left his room for a glass of water and waited for Kaze to get out of the room after his nap. Dwight had a drink in the kitchen. He took an apple and chomped on it. Looking at the fruit on the table, Dwight grabbed a plate to arrange it neatly.He took out his phone to pass the time while waiting for Kaze. Kaze emerged from the room and saw Dwight. “You’re up at last. You’ve slept half the day away. Are you still tired? I can wait if you need to catch some sleep.” Dwight kept Herman’s memo to look after Kaze. “A little. I didn’t get any sleep last night. I was waiting to get on the plane.” Kaze took the red-eye flight yesterday. Dwight allowed time for Kaze to rest, knowing his travel schedule. “I know. Did you manage to get some good sleep? If you haven’t, you can go back to bed. I can grab some food for you.” Dwight’s plan
“Your main responsibility is to entertain Kaze. You will be rewarded for good work,” Herman said. Dwight nodded incessantly. “Thank you for thinking of me, Herman. I won’t forget this.” “I’d be grateful so long as you stay out of trouble. “Just focus on what you should do and take good care of Kaze.” Herman worried that Dwight might get ahead of himself and forget his primary duties. Dwight’s priority was Kaze’s well-being. The whole thing would be over if Dwight kept to himself and served Kaze until he was gone. There would be a problem if something were to happen. Without Edmund’s instructions, Herman would never have assigned a job to Dwight. It could be a good thing, though. At least, a job might keep him on the straight and narrow. “Relax. You can count on me,” Dwight said with glee.That was a nice surprise. Dwight did not see it coming. It was just incredible. Herman still could not shake off his worry. However, he had said his piece. It was pointless t
Herman’s smile vanished. His red, irritated skin was playing up. Due to alcohol in his system, Herman could not see straight. He had to grit his teeth to hold back the urge to retch. Herman was not one to drink. Yet, he would have to go through Edmund’s loyalty test every time, and he was reaching a boiling point. However, he understood that he needed to suck it up to gain Edmund’s trust. “You must be Herman. Mr. Witterson. Should I take the things to your car, or should I deliver them to your home?” asked a uniformed server who approached. “Put them in the car and get me a designated driver,” Herman replied. He headed to the lobby while propping himself against the wall. “Okay. There will be a driver out front, ready for your service.” The server tried to help Herman up, but was declined. Herman saw the cartons of alcohol and cigarettes in the lobby. Edmund had always been generous in giving out stuff like this. “These are from Mr. Witterson. You’re lucky to work for
“Kaze can pull the punches for sure. I mean, he has the Butterworth branch chief’s trust for a reason. “There has to be something for him to win the branch chief’s approval.” Edmund doubted there was depth to Kaze. After all, Edmund decided whether to take on a person based on their abilities. It made no sense to pay attention to losers, as he would hold them in contempt. Edmund had been impressed with Herman, who excelled in strategies and management. That was why Edmund bumped Herman up and made sure he stayed on top. “Got it.” Herman nodded and had one foot out the door. “Don’t be in a hurry to leave. There’s one more thing.” Edmund pointed at the table. Herman approached and stood on bent knees. Pleased with Herman’s submission, Edmund passed him a wine glass. Herman took the drink humbly before looking carefully at Edmund, awaiting his orders. “The wine was just airlifted from abroad. I can vouch for the taste. If you’re looking to sip on the finest, yo
Time went by, and a towering man in a suit showed up outside the door. Picking up on the noise inside the room, he knocked on the door. It was hard to tell whether the person inside could hear the knocking, so the man waited outside. The door was opened, and a woman, her face flawless with makeup, popped her head out and saw him. She cocked her head back at Edmund. “You have a guest, Mr. Witterson.” “Let him in,” Edmund instructed. He then leaned in to take the drink from the girl next to him with his mouth. The other girls cheered him on. The group was lost in their fun. The man, who entered the room, stood by the sofa respectfully. He kept his head down, his gaze staying low at the bottles of alcohol spread across the table. It was a bit of a wait before the man approached at Edmund’s order. “Tell me about Dwight.”While listening to the girls’ singing, Edmund turned to Herman. Herman rushed over as soon as Edmund called. He won a lot of money at poker toda
In this particular circumstance, Morris had to play it safe so that things would not get out of hand. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into the mess. At least, he finally saw the Wittersons’ true colors. Morris’ friendly advice was met with disrespect and insult. However, the Wittersons were a force of nature, and Morris was not about to take them head-on. Despite his frustration, Morris had to walk away. Well, Edmund would soon face his downfall at the height of his power, and Morris would be there to enjoy the ride. Still, it did not sit well with Morris to have a young fella walk all over him. It had crossed his mind to keep the Wittersons in check, but there was only so much he could do. Morris had to be the one to back away as the Wittersons grew haughty. Morris believed there was more to Kaze’s visit to Westeros. Nothing major happened in Westeros recently. At least, there was nothing worth the other branch’s attention. However, a representative of the