“Even if the driver was acting under instructions, we need to wait for him to wake up to interrogate him.” Caleb spoke in hushed tones, “Excuse me for asking, Mr. Lee. Are you involved?” Kaze was not the only one who found the timing too coincidental. Caleb thought Kaze was behind it right away. “Yeah, right!” Kaze glared at Caleb and said with a smile, “I only said I’ll deal with the situation. Did I say anything about killing him? “Besides, if I were to do something like that, would I resort to such a crude tactic?” Crashing a car was pretty crude. However, it did get the job done. If the problem could not be solved, then the source of the problem should be addressed. Kaze had thought about adopting extreme measures. In the worst-case scenario, Kaze was going to get someone influential to get a message across to Wells. Kaze would figure something else out if he could not get through to Kai. To his surprise, Kai died. “Regardless, it is a cause for celebra
“Chairman Lee, let’s not talk about the unhappy past. Come. Enjoy the food. We should clink glasses later.” Samson made light of the conversation. The owner of Dynasty Hotel played a gracious host too. “Let’s dine.” Kaze smiled nonchalantly, not accepting Samson’s invitation to sit at the dinner table. He and the owner of Dynasty Hotel went way back. Plus, Lilyrose Commerce Guild operated in the same building, so they often came across each other. Faced with Kaze’s disrespect, Samson kept a smile on his face and did not take any offense. Food and drinks were the best way to break the ice.The owner of Dynasty Hotel excused himself, leaving the pair some space to talk. “Just get to the point, Mr. Hobbs,” Kaze said while drinking some broth. Samson said, “To be honest, Chairman Lee. I wanted to have this meeting with you in the hope we can put the past behind us. “Technically, you and I have no feud. I only went after you under the Lees’ order because I worked for
“If you can do me this favor, I will dedicate myself to helping you, Chairman Lee. I’ll be happy to serve you, and only you.” Samson stood before Kaze, his body hunched, as he looked at Kaze expectantly. Kaze sipped on the broth and said indifferently, “You expect me to hand over five percent shares to save your life while enjoying my protection as my subordinate. “You sure are asking for a lot, Mr. Hobbs. “But do you think you deserve it?” Five percent shares was a lot. Kaze could become the biggest shareholder of Lee Investment with just five percent shares. Heck, he could reestablish Lee Investment with the right tools. He could even cash in the shares for billions of dollars. Company shares owned by the Lees were sought after in the financial market. Most importantly, Samson’s survival did not matter to Kaze. Plus, they had never been friends. Kaze never saw Samson worthy as his enemy anyway. Hence, Kaze had no reason to save Samson. Samson kept his head l
Kai, with a strong will to live, opened his mouth and begged for help in a struggle. The holder of the phone drew close, only to stomp on Kai’s chest. That kick took Kai’s life. In the end, the holder of the phone switched the phone camera to the front view, revealing his face. Kaze recognized the person. The face belonged to the driver who drank and caused the accident. The video ended. Kai clearly did not die from the car crash. It was no accident that he was dead. Kaze put down the phone and looked at Samson. “So you plotted the car accident last night? “Why did you do it?” “Would you believe me if I said that I hate these idiots?” Samson asked. Kaze smiled offhandedly. He did not believe Samson would kill a citizen of Ryokan out of hatred. Samson was all about the profits. Besides, Kai belonged to the Well family. Caleb validated through his investigation yesterday that the Well family was a member of Sanwell Finances’ K division. The family in Ryokan
The Lees had betrayed Kaze before. The excruciating agony was cutting. Kaze would be happy putting the Lees through the same pain. For that reason, Kaze did not mind doing Samson a favor. “Your word is my command.” Samson nodded solemnly, got up, then said, “But I need to remind you, Chairman Lee. There is more to the Lees than meets the eye. “The Lees have a member in the military, and the individual seems to be doing well there.” The military held an extremely important place in Arcadia. While the military generally avoided involvement in local matters, the region’s influential families dared not brush off its presence. Having someone who served well in the army would also elevate the family in their social circles. Kaze understood what Samson was talking about. Moreover, no one knew better than Kaze. “Someone in the military, huh? So what?” Kaze commented indifferently. Kaze sounded disinterested, his tone reflecting his disdain. The news Samson brought d
It appeared Samson made the right choice. Kaze’s confidence in every way gave him assurance. Briefly after Samson’s departure, Snow walked into the private lounge from another room. “Samson is two-faced, Mr. Chairman. “He vowed loyalty to you because you could overturn the Lees. I doubt he’d betray the Lees entirely.“Given a chance, he will stab you in the back.” Kaze said nonchalantly, “It doesn’t matter. If he stays out of trouble, we can leave him alone. “Just sort him out if he tries anything.” In any case, Samson’s character did not matter to Kaze. He went along with the plan not to put hope in Samson to retaliate against the Lees. It was just to get under the Lees’ skin. That was all there was to it. …Then, Kaze told Snow to return the five percent shares to Lee Investment. Samson worked fast too. At the authority of Lilyrose’s mayor’s office, the private hospitals were sold off to both local and foreign enterprises at a low price. The businesses a
“We meet again, mayor.” Sirius drew close, staying several feet from Kaze before looking up with a smile. Only, there was nothing friendly in his eyes. His gaze was chilling and venomous. “Yes?” Kaze said indifferently without glancing at the dozen Viper’s Den agents. Sirius was out of the organization when Magnus came to Lilyrose looking for trouble. Now, it appeared Sirius must have found friends to get his position back in the Viper’s Den. Sirius lit a cigarette, took a puff, and then said, “There has been a murder in Lilyrose. The victim is Mr. Kai Well, the head of the Ryokan’s Cherry Capital branch in the South River State.“I was ordered to investigate the case.” Kaze replied callously, “Oh? And what does this have to do with me?“Besides, we aren’t close enough to meet when you’re here in the city on a case.” Sirius chuckled. “Aren’t you too quick to say you’re uninvolved?” “What do you mean?” Kaze kept a straight face. He knew Sirius was here for troubl
The members of the Viper’s Den were all pleased watching Kaze in trouble.Kaze glanced at the gleaming handcuffs on the ground expressionless and stomped his foot.‘Crack.’Kaze crushed the handcuffs beneath his foot followed by a jarring sound of metal breaking.“You dare to obstruct us to perform official duty!”Sirius looked furious, then flashed a murderous intent in his eyes and reached for his gun.Kaze’s gaze turned cold.A confrontation seemed imminent.At this moment, a Toyota Alphard drove up suddenly.Sirius frowned when saw the vehicle and holstered his weapon while approaching the car.“Ms. Hiden!” Sirius bowed slightly, showing utmost respect as he greeted the woman stepping out of the car.It was clear that Sirius feared the woman, with a mix of reverence and caution.The woman was Fanny, Miru’s aunt.At that moment, Agar also stepped out from the other side of the car, positioning himself behind Fanny.“Hmm.”Fanny gave a nonchalant nod and then turned
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