Ryna was taken aback. She smacked her lips enviously and said, “Some VIP must have dined at Bourbon. Their ride is a Rolls Royce. Even Wesley doesn’t own such a fancy car.“I saw someone getting into the car. He looks young. If only Cyan could get to know him.” Lock scoffed. Ryna always wanted more, and she had not even got Wesley in the bag yet. Cyan watched enviously as the Rolls Royce drove away, but she quickly furrowed her brows. Her parents were too good to get a good look. However, she got a feeling that the back of the individual looked very much like Kaze. “That’s impossible.“Kaze is a loser. It can’t possibly be him.” Cyan shook her head violently and put the matter behind her. … “What do you fancy, Bro?” In the Rolls Royce, Conan took a glass of water from the crystal cupholder and gave it to Kaze. The Butterworth Queens ran the biggest automobile dealerships in several states. All car brands sold in the South River State were distributed through the
Miru’s choice to play nice with the Hornbergs was the fastest way to integrate with the local community. Gareth’s impoverished students were not bums. All they were missing was a chance. If Miru could give them a chance, they could hold onto the opportunity and become Miru’s tool to seize territory. “Let her have free rein to do whatever she wants. Get Sven and Wolf to Riverbank to help her.” Kaze waved his arm. He was going to point Miru in the right direction and help her out in secret since Miru was his wife’s best friend. Albert had left Riverbank, so Miru would need Kaze’s help more than ever. Now it seemed that Miru was doing well on her own. Nevertheless, Sven and Wolf needed to be in Riverbank. The two mean killing machines were bored sick sitting in Lilyrose. Now was the time to unleash their potential. “But keep an eye on their well-being and take them back to Lilyrose’s strategic department for scheduled physical examinations. Otherwise, blood will spi
Conan pulled out his phone and showed a few photos to Kaze. “This is Newell’s eldest son, Collier, and second son, Jamie. They are more competent than Brad, who had been spoiled rotten.“They have not only gathered support from within the family, but they secured the backing of influential figures in the South River State branch. “Collier has the support of Josiah Dubb, the deputy chief. Jude Gwake is another deputy chief, but he is on Jamie’s side. “More accurately, they are rubbing each other’s backs. If everything goes through, Collier and Jamie would make Josiah and Jude branch chiefs.” Conan gave an account of the situation. “Do these deputy chiefs need Newell’s sons’ support to become chiefs?” Kaze asked. He glanced at a photograph of Jude, Wesley’s uncle. Conan nodded. “When Newell was alive, the South River branch was audacious enough to confront Magnus and the West State branch.“The Ettingers are highly influential in the South River State. Many skilled men w
“We don’t have to talk about Hannah. It hasn’t been a few days since she arrived in Riverbank. She’s handicapped and can barely stand on her two feet. The members of the South River State branch don’t take her seriously.” Kaze shook his head when thinking about the woman he crippled. Truth be told, he would have been impressed with Hannah if they had not taken opposing stances. After Gareth died, she confronted Kaze directly for revenge, unlike Sirius who resorted to underhanded tactics.When Hannah realized that Kaze did not kill Gareth, she even gave him a heads-up. Putting aside their differences, Kaze could say that Hannah had a strong personality. The server served the food. They ordered side dishes together with the trout. The chef brought out the best of these raw ingredients, leaving Kaze craving for more. “We can eat and talk.” Kaze told Conan to help himself and grabbed his cutlery. “The Ettingers are the key to gaining control of the South River State br
“Strangely, this woman used to be active in public, running the Ettingers’ business. She’s the perfect wife behind Newell. “But after Newell’s passing, his wife simply started staying out of the limelight. It looks like she’s disinterested in power.” Kaze frowned. “You overlooked such an important individual.” “I’m sorry, Kaze. My negligence is to be blamed,” Conan responded right away. Kaze went back to eating. “Keep an eye on her. I think she’s the same type as Camden.” “Yes.” Conan nodded, and his attention soon went to a woman who walked in. Kaze took a glance as a masked woman in a dress entered the restaurant. The woman looked around. Her eyes widened in shock when her gaze fell on Kaze. “The woman looks familiar, Kaze,” Conan murmured while putting his guard up. Noticing the woman’s response to seeing Kaze, Conan was worried she might be an enemy. Without looking up, Kaze continued to dine and replied indifferently, “It’s Hannah.” Speak of the devil, t
Kaze knew of Four Ocean Commerce Guild. He had several encounters with the members of Four Ocean Commerce Guild in Lilyrose. Four Ocean Commerce Guild once tried to recruit Lilyrose Commerce Guild, but Kaze and Darcy put a stop to that. Kaze heard from Ryna back at Bourbon that Lock was nearly buried alive in concrete due to a business conflict with Four Ocean Commerce Guild. The supposed charitable man was not as kind as rumored. Teddy, the president of Four Ocean Commerce Guild appeared to be highly influential in the South River State. The restaurant owner brought Teddy up to scare the unwelcome customers away. “Oh, so Mr. Crow enjoys dining here, huh?” With the restaurant owner lighting the cigarette, the burly man drew a puff. The restaurant owner nodded. “That’s right. If you could—” “Smack!” The burly man slapped the restaurant owner. “Wham!” The restaurant owner’s plump build hit the ground with a loud thud. As blood bleed out of his nose, he held his
“Run? “Come on. I dare you to do it again.” The burly man whipped his hand across Hannah’s face again. Beaten senseless, Hannah cried in utter despair. She looked completely disheveled. “The once rising star of the Viper’s Den West State branch has been reduced to this,” Conan muttered. Since Hannah tried to kill Kaze to avenge Magnus, Conan had no intention of getting involved. The other patrons watched on the sidelines. Though they were horrified by the brutality inflicted on the woman, they dared not speak out against the arrogant bunch. The leader approached Hannah and stomped her, causing her to cry out in pain. “Do you actually think you’re the deputy of the Viper’s Den South River State branch, you piece of shit? “Talk about the most promising member of the Viper’s Den West State branch. You’re nothing to Mr. Ettinger. “You’re lucky that Mr. Ettinger fancies you.“Given your position as deputy chief, if you served Mr. Ettinger well and handed over the shares
“I told you to get lost, boy. How dare you stay? Is the food that good? I’ll give you your money’s worth.” Before Hux could grab Kaze’s shoulder, the latter slid a butter knife back. “Swoosh!” The butter knife pierced through Hux’s hand and plunged into his shoulder before he could scream in pain. His white shirt was stained with blood. “Ow!” Hux let out a harrowing cry, his arm contorted and pinned to his shoulder. “You’re noisy.” Kaze pulled a punch, sending Hux flying to the ground in a pool of blood. Acting like nothing ever happened, Kaze continued dining. “Clean the restaurant up, pay the restaurant owner’s medical bill, and the woman stays. The rest of you can leave.” He spoke nonchalantly as if driving out flies.“Hiss!” Gasps filled the air. The burly man became the leader of the group because he was the best fighter. However, the young man was able to incapacitate the burly leader brutally while staying seated throughout. They looked at the expo
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