Delighted as if he saw the beacon of hope, Newell said, “Thank you, Chief Delegate…” Thump! Before he could finish, Kaze flung the broken sword at him, stabbing into his chest and pinning him against the door of the courtyard. “Ugh…” Newell groaned in pain. He looked at Kaze in disbelief. “H-How dare you attack me!” He never expected Kaze to attack him without a second of hesitation in Scarlet’s presence. “I said, from the moment you set this all up to kill me, you should have expected me to retaliate and eventually take your life. Not even Autumn, the Viper Queen, can save you today.” Kaze walked closer. “No! Chief Delegate, please save me!” Newell begged for mercy as he continued to bleed, but his plea did not work at all. Kaze flicked the hilt of the sword, sending a powerful vibration into Newell’s body. Buzz! The broken blade vibrated violently, ripping the remaining life force away from Newell’s body. Everyone in the Ettinger family was shocked by the un
“Kaze Lee, you!” The other elite agents of the Viper’s Den were infuriated but scared as well. They did not expect Kaze to strike one of them. Even Newell would have to be humble and respectful to them when he was alive. However, Kaze slapped one of them without any solid reason, treating them similarly to the Ettingers. His arrogance was intolerable to some of the elite agents. “Chief Delegate, please do something!” “He’s going out of control! He must be punished!” Everyone looked at Scarlet, hoping that she would intervene. “That’s enough.” Scarlet, who had been quiet since the rampage started, suddenly bellowed, “Bunch of useless fools. You think you are the elite agents from headquarters and that gives you the right to be arrogant? “I shall let Branch Leader Lee teach you guys a lesson so that you know your place.” The elite agents of Viper’s Den flushed with emotions but none of them dared to argue. They looked at Kaze with utmost resentment. To them, K
Kaze’s tone grew colder as he asked. When he finally voiced his questions, the other Viper’s Den agents were shocked and looked at him with disbelief. Who exactly was Kaze Lee? How dare he call the Viper Queen by her name and demand an explanation? “Branch Leader Lee, you said the Ettingers colluded with ninjas from Ryokan. Are you sure about that?” Scarlet asked. Kaze said indifferently, “Last night, a ninja from Ryokan tried to assassinate me at Lilyrose Funeral Home. I managed to seize the ninja’s body from Newell’s son.” Scarlet frowned. A moment of silence later, she said, “Branch Leader Lee, if your words are true, then as an agent of the Viper’s Den colluding with foreign forces, Newell Ettinger must be punished. “I will investigate this matter. If it’s true, I will arrest the entire Ettinger family and let you decide their fate. What do you say about that?” She did not simply believe Kaze’s words because it was a serious crime to collude with foreign forces. S
“Take care, Branch Leader Lee.” Scarlet got up and sent Kaze off at the door. “Huh? Kaze Lee came out already?” “The chief delegate didn’t punish him?” The Ettingers finally got up on their feet and saw Kaze strolling out, fine and healthy. They were in shock. Then, the Viper’s Den elite agents from the headquarters rushed out and surrounded the Ettingers. “By the order of the chief delegate, no one is allowed to leave Mountain Dew Estate. All of you are hereby under investigation and will be sanctioned accordingly.” …Back in Lilyrose, Newell’s death did not make the headlines. First, the Viper’s Den wanted to investigate the matter thoroughly, so releasing the news would startle the enemy. Second, Newell was the South River Branch Leader and his death was not a glorified one, so the organization wanted to keep it under wraps. The news did not get out and it was both good and bad for Kaze. The good thing was that he could still keep a low profile because if he
The trip to Riverbank City had moved up the schedule. Kaze also planned to relocate some businesses of Perfect World Group to that city for the sake of convenience in conducting his affairs there. After all, he had to cleanse the Viper’s Den from within and he needed all the manpower and resources he could get, especially his trusty assistant, Snow. Snow was able to arrange everything to perfection and he never needed to worry about her. He got so attached to the convenience that he did not want to leave her behind. He called Snow and unlike the usual where she picked up almost instantly, it took her a while before the call got through. “Chairman Lee, anything I can help you with?” Unlike her usual frosty and confident voice, she sounded slightly weak. Kaze frowned. “You sound terrible. Are you okay?” “I’m feeling unwell. I’m resting at home.” Then, Snow switched to a more energetic voice and explained, “What can I do for you, Chairman Lee? I’ll arrange for my men t
Kaze ignored the men and went over to the opened door. “What happened?” A man came out from the door after hearing the commotion. When he saw Kaze, he frowned and asked, “Who are you?” “I’m here to visit Snow. Who are you?” Kaze scrutinized the young man and spotted hostility in his tone. He, too, replied without any courtesy. The young man in his early 30s wore a custom-made suit, had neatly combed hair, and wore a pair of golden-framed glasses—all signs of a successful businessman. His handsome looks surely promised him the attention of many women. “Mr. Lee, you’re here? Please come in!” Snow, who looked pale, appeared behind the young man. Kaze sharply noticed the look of relief on her face when she spotted him. “Oh? So you are Snow’s friend? I see. Please come in.” The young man had another glance at Kaze before he stepped aside. A hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes. The man was Snow’s distant cousin, Vance Presley. He always had thoughts about his co
“Yeah, Snow. What do you feel like eating? Vance can go out and get something for you.” Miranda spoke up to support her son, waving her chubby hand adored with an emerald as she did so. Kaze found it amusing. Judging from Miranda’s dazzling outlook, if one did not know better, one might assume she would give Snow cars or houses. At the same time, Kaze also felt puzzled. Snow came from a decent family. He might not have a deep understanding but based on Conan’s explanation, Snow’s family was powerful enough to rival the Butterworth Queens. However, her relatives looked like a bunch of nouveau riche and tried to act cool in front of Snow, who drove a supercar. “Yeah, Snow. Just tell me what you want to eat. I’ll get it for you.” Vance stood up and rolled his sleeve up, seemingly trying to flaunt his expensive watch. He already noticed that Kaze did not have any expensive watch on his wrist, in fact not even a smartwatch. If he did not know better, he might assume Kaze
Miranda found out Snow was working in Lilyrose and assumed Snow got into an argument with her own family. The Presleys were a big family in Riverbank and because of that, Miranda did not take a small company in Lilyrose seriously. Even if Kaze was the chairman, she had little to no respect for him. Vance noticed his mother’s assistance, so he said confidently, “Snow, which company do you want to work for? I have a strong connection in Riverbank City. “The Perfect World Group that you are working for now might sound big but in this tiny city, there’s a limit to how far it can go. There’s no reason for you to stay…” Vance did not hold back in belittling Kaze and even expressed provocatively at the end. “You…” Anger was obvious on Snow’s face. She wanted to ask them to go out. Right before she could speak, Kaze indifferently said, “Snow, they are right. You have to eat something to replenish your energy and you shouldn’t hurt your body just because you don’t have an appeti
“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
Morris suggested entertaining Kaze well. Things would not be good for the branch if Kaze got dirt on them. That was where Edmund disagreed with Morris. His idea was to send someone to sound Kaze out. Edmund was smug because Morris’ decision was wrong. “You shouldn’t do that. Kaze is here on behalf of the Butterworth branch. You don’t want tension between both branches.” Morris looked at things from a wider perspective. Edmund believed Kaze was just a doormat of little importance. “You just overthink things, and it’s not good for your age. You’re getting senile.” Edmund did not take Morris’ advice seriously. He believed he was right. “You’re not getting it. Kaze is from Butterworth. Even if he doesn’t hold a high position there, we were in the wrong. We did not keep our tracks clean either. “Now that he’s back, I’m worried that he’ll cause us harm.” Morris was only giving a heads-up because the whole branch was at stake. Edmund was young. Due to his lack of judgmen
“We should be generous to our guest from Butterworth. You can arrange as you see fit. Please don’t house him in a messy home. Hire cleaners to tidy up the place. “You can report back to me if you need more money, but it’s not a reason for you to misuse the funds.” Herman wanted to hang up. The money was now in Dwight’s bank account, so he was washing his hands off the matter. The plan was to keep Kaze happy. He was just an insignificant member of the Butterworth branch anyway. The whole thing would blow over soon enough, so long as Kaze kept to himself without taking things too far. Herman would figure out a way to get him out quickly anyway. Maybe Herman and his friends did not have to do anything to get rid of Kaze. “Got it. I’ll be a good host, Herman. I won’t let you down. I’ll keep you in the loop.” Dwight was over the moon to get the notification about the money transfer. “Just play by ear and arrange what you see best.” Herman hung up and continued playing pok
“It’s becoming a hassle now. Are you going to inform the Viper’s Den about the change of accommodation?” After much hesitation, Kaze nodded to take up the offer. Dwight was thrilled. It only hit Dwight that he had to communicate with the Viper’s Den. Kaze was booked for a hotel stay, and Dwight’s job was to take him to the destination. Yet now, Dwight took him to his home. “I’ll tell my superior and see what he has to say.” Dwight was not sure whether the change was appropriate. Nevertheless, he did not want to pass up on a great opportunity. He simply grabbed the bull by the horn. If Kaze stayed at his place, the Viper’s Den members had to respect Kaze’s request even if they had a problem with it. “But when they ask, you can say that you’re getting along well with me. Living together just makes work more convenient.” Feeling unsettled, Dwight tried to get their stories straight with Kaze. Hopefully, the Viper’s Den would not come after them. “Aren’t we friends? I k
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