“Who do you think you are, boy? Watch your tone with Mr. Libra.” “Do you know who Mr. Libra is?” Butch and his girlfriend taunted. Raph smirked and egged on. “The boy doesn’t respect you, Mr. Libra. If you don’t show him who the boss is, he won’t know what’s good for him when he reaches Riverbank City. “Besides, you’ll be doing your uncle a favor.” Kaze raised his brow and glanced at Cole in contemplation. Cole nodded and looked at Kaze grimacingly. “You’re cocky, boy. I don’t care who you called, but I’ve got the chief steward’s back. “No one can fire him.” Cole beamed with confidence. “You’re the best, Mr. Libra.“I’m honored that you have my back.” The chief steward buttered Cole up before turning to Kaze, his gaze malicious. He said curtly, “You asked for it, boy.“Apprehend him, George!” He gave the transport police officer a look, and the latter pulled out his baton and approached Kaze. “Stop!” Just when the transport police officer was about to arrest
“After you.” Cole smiled pretentiously at Kaze. Without looking at Cole, Kaze stepped into the business-class carriage. The carriage was nearly empty, occupied only by a few middle-aged men and women in simple attire. Their reserved demeanor suggested a certain level of authority.With a brief observation, Kaze concluded that they were likely mid-to-high-ranking government officials.In the end, Kaze’s gaze fell on one of the middle-aged men. The latter looked at him with a composed smile. The middle-aged man was clearly the leader of the group. The individual who spoke earlier must be him. Meeting Kaze’s gaze, the middle-aged man rose to his feet and smiled. “My nephew always has his way at home. His parents spoiled him rotten. I’ve been telling him to quit with the attitude. “I want to apologize on his behalf for his rude behavior.” Kaze gave a nod as a response. The middle-aged man must rank high in Riverbank’s council. Nevertheless, even the former governor of
“I can’t agree more, Dr. Tyson. You’re a model of virtue and integrity.” Kent chuckled, seeing that Raph agreed with him. However, Raph shook his head. “Don’t be quick to call me that. I’m not done, Mayor Synder.” “Oh?” Furrowing his brows, Kent said, “Do tell, Dr. Tyson. I’m all ears.” Raph glanced at Kaze and said coldly, “The Riverbank Presleys requested that I examine a lady in Lilyrose. “The boy called me a scammer and got me locked up in the police station there. I suffered a few days behind bars. “If Mr. Libra hadn’t pulled some strings to get me out of there to provide your daughter with medical treatment, I would still be there. “I’ve seen my share of hardship, but that was on another level. “The worst part is my reputation. I was nearly ruined. “I can’t get over it just because you told me so.” Raph broke out of character. However, everyone could understand where he was coming from. Anyone in Raph’s shoes would lose it after going through the same tr
“What are you saying, young man?” Kent scowled. He sought help from many renowned doctors, but none of them could help with his daughter’s case. Raph, found by Cole, was one of his very last hopes. Kaze checked Kent out before uttering indifferently, “This so-called miracle doctor is a scammer. He can’t even tell that you’re dying.” The carriage fell into a deafening silence. Even Kent was shocked. He looked up at Kaze, his gaze carrying wariness. A suited group barged out from another door in the business-class carriage and surrounded Kent. Some of them blocked Kaze’s exit. They reached their hands to their hips. That was where their guns were holstered. These individuals had been stationed between carriages to ensure Kent’s safety. Once a threat against Kent’s safety had been identified, the group made themselves known. Sure enough, Kaze had been determined a threat to Kent. Anything Kaze said could be seen as a reason to kill him. The mayor of Riverbank C
“Say one more word, and I’ll knock all your teeth out!” dismissing Cole’s hostile eyes, Kaze stood there and said indifferently. “How dare you!” With Kaze getting violent, the bodyguards furiously pulled out their weapons. “That’s enough.” Kent stopped everything. “The young man doesn’t mean me any harm. Stand down.” The hired protection hesitated for a moment but kept their weapons away and withdrew behind Kent. “Uncle, the guy wants you dead. How can you let him go?” Lying on the ground, Cole gritted his teeth and said bitterly, “Even if he isn’t a killer, what if he’s here to gather intel about you?” “Shut up!” Kent glared at Cole, and the latter closed his mouth embarrassedly for the slip of the tongue. A killer? Kaze raised his brow in contemplation. It explained why Kent had armed bodyguards with him for his trip. Kent gave a nod. “I want to apologize for my nephew’s behavior. He used to have his way.” “You’re too kind, Mayor Synder. It isn’t you wit
Kaze read Kent’s reaction and smiled without a word. He did not see a point in getting his point across. Sometimes, it was hard to persuade others until the worst happened.Raph, though a scammer, had more credibility than Kaze because he was a supposedly renowned doctor.With Kent getting suspicious of Kaze, Raph was delighted. Heck, Kaze only took a page out of Raph’s playbook. Kaze was in over his head by challenging Raph in his area of expertise. “You said that my uncle is ill, Dr. Tyson. Did I hear it right? Please help him get better,” Cole approached Raph and said respectfully. Raph stroked his long white beard, turned to Kent, and said indifferently, “You must have injured yourself during a recent assault. “Your external injuries have been treated, but you still suffer underlying issues. “I’m sure you haven’t slept well lately. You often wake up in the middle of the night in pain, and your condition hasn’t improved after seeing many doctors. “What’s worse, y
Kent was sure that Raph was a miracle doctor. Not everyone had the resources to collect such valuable herbs.“Haha. I have a small collection. I was locked up behind bars, so I told my assistant to bring my herbs from Ridgesouth to secure my release. Mr. Libra came to my rescue anyway. “These herbs would be perfect to treat you, Mayor Synder.” Raph smiled. The valuable herbs seemed to mean nothing to him. He took out a century-old fleeceflower and gave it to Cole. “Soak it in warm water before consumption. Mayor Synder should enjoy a good night’s sleep after taking the medicine. “It will take time for Mayor Synder to get better.” “Thank you, Dr. Tyson.” Cole asked the train conductor for a glass of hot water and soaked pieces of fleeceflower in the water.The water turned thick, and a refreshing aroma filled the air. It took only a whiff for everybody to feel invigorated. “Drink this, Uncle.” Cole ingratiatingly handed the glass to Kent. The latter grabbed the glass
Raph stroked his beard and said with a smile, “I told you that you’d be fine.” Cole smirked at Kaze. “See that, Lee? My uncle is alive and kicking. “Who are you to call Dr. Tyson a scammer? I think you’re the scammer! “Hmph! I ought to call the cops on you for pulling a fast one on the mayor of Riverbank—” “Cole…” Kent waved his arm to interrupt his nephew and turned to Kaze. He frowned and lectured, “Kaze, youthful enthusiasm is good, but it’s important not to lose your way. Making the wrong choices can have lifelong consequences.“Just apologize to Dr. Tyson. Hopefully, he will forgive you and move past this. “You haven’t done anything major, so I won’t hold your words against you.” Kent was fond of Kaze. Though he was not pleased with Kaze’s scaremongering, he did not plan to take things far. “You’re a good man, Mayor Synder. You still have a soft spot for the likes of him. “Fine. In this case, I won’t pursue the matter further.” Raph looked at Kaze arrogantl
“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