Everyone was stunned. No one thought Kaze would hit Cole under such circumstances, and he did not hold back at all. Cole’s woman and the thugs were all petrified, their eyes widened in disbelief. It was the first time they saw someone had the nerves to go up against Cole in Riverbank, let alone one-sidedly beat him up. Everyone knew Cole as the nephew of the mayor. Even the gangsters of the underworld would bow and smile to him when they learned of his identity. Every gangster would try to curry favor with him. Offending Cole would mean total annihilation, regardless of how big or powerful the gang was. It was foolish for the ordinary to go up against the authority. No matter how powerful the gangster boss was, he was no match for the police officers from the police department. The sultry woman was petrified. She covered her mouth in disbelief and her body was shaking. Kaze was on a spree and would not just stop after a kick. He grabbed Cole by the hair and slappe
“If the people you called can scare me, I will break my arms and legs for you.” Kaze then slapped Cole again, sending him sliding away. The poor guy curled up on the ground and twitched in pain. “Don’t just stand there! Get him! Why do you think Cole is paying you?” The sultry woman shouted at the thugs, urging them to do something. A dozen of the thugs regained their senses and quickly jumped on Kaze. “Bro, I can take this.” Conan stepped in and volunteered to deal with the thugs, with his bare fists. Following a barrage of slaps and ceaseless cries, more than a dozen thugs were slapped to the ground. Ever since Conan started following Kaze, he learned from the best and realized slapping people in the face dealt the most damage, physically and emotionally. Cole never took Conan seriously before this. After Conan slapped all the thugs to the ground, Cole was terrified. He could not believe even Kaze’s followers were that strong. “Give me my phone, I have to call
Kaze sent Darcy a picture of the fish he ate for dinner and came up with all kinds of lame excuses to tell her that he was doing well in Riverbank, telling her not to worry. Darcy had no idea how ‘amazing’ Kaze’s first day in Riverbank was. Kaze smiled happily. Everyone said he was kicked out by his wife’s family but only he knew that if Darcy could, she would abandon everything just to accompany him in Riverbank. His happy smile felt like an insult to Cole. Vroom! Ten minutes later, expensive cars drove into the parking lot one after another. All the cars looked flamboyant with lights and decorations around it. One could tell the driver or the owner was a show-off. Cole had a lot of friends in Riverbank and he called all of them here just to support him. They might not be able to help him physically but they represented their family or organization. Their backgrounds and influences could easily threaten the ordinary. Cole planned for this the moment he dialed the n
Kaze might not sound as harsh as Cole but it sounded real. People in the parking lot knew that he was serious. They looked at him with eyes widened in disbelief. How dare a bumpkin like him challenge Cole in front of more than a hundred people? Cole did not expect Kaze’s bold challenge either. He stomped on the car and shouted, “Kaze Lee, if you keep pissing me off, you will only end up worse! When I get my hands on you, you will suffer even more!” Kaze scanned over the crowd and smiled. “Cole, if these pieces of trash are all you brought, then I would suggest you start kneeling and crawl toward the exit. There’s quite a distance, I’m afraid you might not make it outside in one night.” Cole was furious. “You motherfucker! Kaze Lee, you will know what are the consequences of pissing me off!” “Consequences? What consequences?” Kaze pursed his lips and said casually, “I just gave you a kick, a few slaps, and burned you with the cigar.” To the crowd, it sounded like Kaz
Collier heard that someone from another city came to Riverbank and challenged Cole. Without further ado, he decided to take the matter into his own hands. He failed to crush Kaze but he was confident this time. If this person decided to come all the way to their turf and challenge one of the most powerful people here, then he would suffer the consequences of doing so. Collier gathered his men and headed to the scene. “Mr. Ettinger, you are finally here!” “You’re hurt? You have to be more careful!” “Yeah. Young Master Collier, you are the representative of the younger generation here in Riverbank…” When Collier arrived in the parking lot, the other young men and women made way for him by stepping back and greeting him with the most flattering smile, trying to leave an impression on him. Listening to all the flattery, Collier felt a surge of pride welling inside him. The confidence that he lost returned to him. “Mr. Ettinger, you are finally here!” Cole jumped down
Collier laughed when he heard Cole. His gaze turned cold. He thought of Kaze, who was also arrogant. However, Kaze was powerful enough to be arrogant. As the branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den, the person appointed by Autumn Fall to cleanse the organization, it was normal for him to be arrogant. Yet how did some random guy from another city dare to act the same? “I’d like to see if this guy is really capable or just some liar,” Collier said coldly. The young women looked at the confident Collier with utmost admiration and respect. As the eldest son of the branch chief, Newell Ettinger, Collier could utilize his influence on the Viper’s Den South River Branch and also the resources of Golden Scale Corporation. A man with such power would be the ideal husband candidate for every woman out there. All of them looked at Kaze as if he was a dead man. No matter how arrogant Kaze was or what he did to Cole, all would end as Collier arrived. A loser like him had n
“Kaze Lee, I thought you were a show-off. Come on, now that Mr. Ettinger is here, why don’t you call him a dog again?” Cole said with a smirk. He was standing in front of Collier, so he did not see the shift of expression on Collier’s face. Collier’s expression turned bitter. Kaze glanced at him and then smiled. “Collier, why don’t you bark for him?” His words stunned everyone again. They assumed he continued to court death with his words. Pft! Cole burst out in laughter. He called Kaze a stupid idiot inwardly. He provoked Kaze to disrespect Collier and Kaze fell for it. Kaze did not only do as told, but he did it worse than before. He was practically digging his own grave. “Mr. Ettinger, you hear that? Kaze Lee called you a dog and wanted you to bark in front of us. He disrespected you and the Viper’s Den South River Branch! “If I were you, I would break his arms and make him bark like a dog!” Cole then turned around to Collier with a smirk as he tried to fan t
Collier put his bandaged hands in front of his chest and barked like a dog, looking ridiculous. Everyone else was stunned by the scene yet once again. One word from Kaze and the eldest son of the Ettingers, a prominent figure of the Viper’s Den South River Branch, knelt and barked like a dog! What happened? Everyone’s mind went blank. No one understood what happened. Kaze said, “Kneel straight.” Woof! Woof! Seeing Kaze roll up his sleeve, Collier moved forward on his knee and straightened his back to extend his face for Kaze. Slap! Kaze slapped Collier in the face. The powerful momentum turned his face to the left. “I told you and Hannah to settle Josiah Dubb and you came here to crush me?” Collier was in so much pain. He gasped but he dared not argue. Slap! Kaze slapped his face back to the right. “Did you think I let you live so that you can continue to act like a bully?” Collier clenched his teeth tightly and dared not make a noise. Slap! Kaze slapp
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