Kaze was aware of one thing. Given Bronze Sparrow’s long-standing presence in Riverbank City, the establishment surely had a more robust security system than the dozens of untrained security officers. Eunice took out a walkie-talkie in a daze and shouted hysterically, “Get here, Scarface! Some out-of-town bastard just smashed my head with a bottle. He claimed he was going to tear down Bronze Sparrow.“Bring backup! “Kill him! You got to kill him!” Eunice went limp and passed out soon after. Two minutes later, the door to the venue burst open with a kick. A dozen men in suits barged into the place. These men were not particularly strong or muscular. Heck, they paled in comparison to the dozens of burly security officers they replaced. Still, Kaze could tell that they were trained fighters from the bulging veins along their temples. The emergence of this new group gave Kaze insights into why Bronze Sparrow was able to stand tall in Riverbank City for years. With a sk
“They say he committed a massacre, killing a family of 36 in one night. He fled overseas and became an international fugitive, landing him on Arcadia’s most wanted list.“I didn’t think he’d be hiding out in Bronze Sparrow and living the high life right under the police’s nose.”Even those who did not know Gillian before turned pale. The massacre years ago was well known in Riverbank. Gillian’s name struck terror in the hearts of the people of Riverbank City and even the most elite. Instead of taking cover overseas, the ruthless killer unexpectedly remained in Bronze Sparrow. Even Buffy grimaced. While she was not naïve enough to believe Bronze Sparrow was squeaky clean, she did not expect it to be so brazen as to harbor a fugitive.It was the Viper’s Den’s job to arrest a fugitive like Gillian. As far as Buffy knew, Gillian was high up on the most-wanted list. “It’s been years. I didn’t expect anyone to remember me.” Gillian nodded at the crowd and turned to Kaze wi
“Tell you what…” Gillian took large strides ahead and flipped over a long table. The wine bottles on the table slammed onto the floor and broke into pieces. The stench of alcohol filled the air. The glass shards on the ground were a terrifying sight. Gillian narrowed his eyes at Kaze and said with a fake smile, “Get down on your knees and crawl across these shards to me. I’ll call it a day when you bow to me. “I can forget you ever claimed to tear down Bronze Sparrow.“How about it?” Gasps echoed across the room. Kaze was expected to crawl across the floor of broken glass. The thought sent shivers down everybody’s spines. Without looking at the shards, Kaze shook his head and replied, “Not for me.” “So you won’t do it?” Gillian scowled and said menacingly, “Help the guy out and make him crawl here, boys.” “Yes, sir!” The dozen trained fighters behind Gillian pounced on Kaze. The light had been dimmed to find the diamond just now, so no one could get a goo
“Ugh!”The short man grunted in agony. He held his chest and looked down in panic. The broken blade penetrated his skin, leaving barely half an inch sticking out.The jagged weapon nearly tore through his flesh completely. “Wham!”Kaze drew close and kicked the short man away. “A fugitive on the most-wanted list and a Ryokanian. Bronze Sparrow sure operates in the shadows.” The short man slammed onto the ground and whimpered. He spoke in his language before lying stiff on the floor, his hand over his chest. His eyes stuck to Kaze wickedly. Kaze did not even look at him. He was confident in his attack. The blade should hit close to the heart arteries. The attack would not kill the Ryokanian, but a tiny bump while on the road in an ambulance could end his life. The short man was aware of that fact. The only thing he could do was lie still and wait for the paramedics. Though the short man refused to admit defeat, there was nothing he could do about the situation.
Gillian looked up in a struggle, his eyes fixating on Kaze and his menacing scar grimacing. His dozen trained fighters and the Ryokanian were a powerful force in the Riverbank underworld. Barely anyone stood a chance as competition.Yet, his ace team fell apart quickly in the face of Kaze. Kaze carried dominance that ended Gillian’s will to call for backup. With that in mind, Gillian said with a rugged breath, “I admit defeat.” Kaze retracted his foot and said callously, “You should know what to do.” Gritting his teeth, Gillian staggered to his feet and summoned his henchmen. “Trash the place now!” “Scarface, the owner…” A subordinate was hesitant. “Wham!” Gillian sent the subordinate flying with a kick and narrowed his eyes at the remaining men. “Trash the place now!” “Thud! Wham! Bang!” Gillian led his crew to destroy the five-story venue in three minutes right before everybody’s eyes. He picked up a dropped knife from the floor and cut each of Eunice, Luis,
Kaze was a bastard. He talked about rights as if Buffy was some tool. Buffy saw red. However, she calmed herself down and grinned while tucking a wisp of hair behind her ear. “Yes. I was going to remind you. I always keep to my promises.“How about it? Why don’t I get us a room, and we can talk?” Kaze was taken aback. Buffy was supposed to blow up. Instead, she suggested taking their conversation somewhere private. There was nothing much to talk about when a man and a woman were alone in a room. Kaze took a good look at Buffy until her cheeks turned rosy. She snapped. “What are you looking at? Are you in or not?” She had never been so bold to put herself out to the opposite gender. Buffy was not as composed as she let out to be. She did not intend to take things further with Kaze, though. Buffy needed him around to talk about her father’s treatment. Kaze shook his head. “Forget about it.” “Forget about it?” Buffy was surprised by Kaze’s rejection. She asked, “W
Rose looked up at Kaze pitifully, her concern for him showing. She had encountered trouble with Kaze before, but nothing of this magnitude. Smashing heads with beer bottles was bad enough. However, Rose was scared stiff by the finger cutting and the Ryokanian’s near-fatal encounter. Instead of celebrating Kaze’s fighting prowess, Rose was worried about his safety. Those people Kaze was up against tonight came from powerful families. Kaze tapped his finger on Rose’s head. “Don’t say that.” “I’m just concerned about you.” Rose pouted her lips. Kaze grinned. “Don’t worry. I will avoid trouble from now on, but sometimes, I have no choice but to fight back when people are out to get me.”Rose realized that Kaze had a point. Luis and his friends pushed the envelope tonight, leading to Kaze’s retaliation. It was quite a mental strain for Rose after such a dramatic night. She quickly dozed off against Kaze. Kaze pulled a throw over her and told Conan, who was behind
As a long-standing family, the Queens had extensive connections to find the people Kaze needed. If Conan failed to meet his demands for security, Kaze could also access his resources. His people would be overqualified for the job in Riverbank City, though. Conan gave his word. “I knew a few people, Kaze. They are experts in protection, but they don’t come cheap.” Kaze replied indifferently, “Money is no object so long as their competence lives up to the rates.” It was a quiet night. Kaze slept in the next day. By then, Conan had brought him breakfast. After breakfast with Rose, Kaze got a message from Hannah, saying that Cyan had gone to Golden Scale Corporation to sign the contract. Thanks to Kaze, Golden Scale Corporation offered Cyan the best contract. Streamers signed to Golden Scale Corporation typically earned 20% of their profits.However, the profits were split in half between Cyan and Golden Scale Corporation. After the deduction of the operating cost, Cy
“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