“I think because Darcy became the branch head of the Ridgesouth Quints, they got so carried away that they don’t even respect Grandfather anymore!” “I believe to them, it is us who begged them to attend this banquet.” Adam’s children, Max and Maxine, sided with their father and grandfather, so they spoke harshly toward Darcy and Agnes. Master Otter’s expression darkened. He looked at his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter in silence. He grunted heavily to express his dissatisfaction at Agnes and her family. As for Kaze, his existence was completely ignored. “Father, I am sorry. We were caught in terrible traffic and we traveled almost half the city to get here.” Agnes stepped up and apologized to her father. “I am so sorry that we are almost late.” “Caught in traffic? I guess you have to be earlier next time. It’s better to arrive than no show. Father actually misses you guys,” Agatha said, showing support to her sister. “Agatha, stop finding excuses for them. Ma
No one thought Sky would be so assertive. Kaze nearly burst into laughter. He gave the boy a playful pat on the back and adopted a mock-serious tone as he said, “Sky, where are your manners? “Maxine, right? She’s your cousin and older than you, you should show some respect. You know you can address the issue without embarrassing her right? Is this how I usually teach you?” “I’m sorry! I will never do it again!” Sky immediately bowed and apologized like a soldier in front of Kaze. Kaze’s words made things worse as Adam and his family felt embarrassed. They glared at Agnes and her family, thinking how they should retaliate. “Sky, mind your words! Where are your manners? This is no place for you to speak!” Agnes turned to Sky and shot him a warning glare. She wanted to scold Kaze too but a sudden thought entered her mind and she decided to keep her lips sealed. She shot him another glance to signal him. “Kaze, Darcy, where is the present that you prepared for your gran
Agnes glared at Kaze fiercely but could not do anything at all. Among the whole family, only Kaze, Sky, and Hector were secretly pleased. They would have to face Master Otter’s temper whether they prepared the present or not. In addition, without Master Otter’s permission, Adam and his family would not dare to give Agnes and her family a hard time. If the outcome remained the same, why waste the money? “Hmph! If more of us are like you, disrespectful and unfilial, then it’s going to be sad and bleak for Grandfather,” Maxine said scornfully. She then took out a white walking cane with a shiny dragon head and presented it to Master Otter. “Grandfather, we prepared this ivory walking cane for you. We got master craftsmen in Jairo to customize this walking cane based on your height and we also had it blessed by a renowned priest in Jairo. It cost us around three million. “You can use it in your daily routine and it can boost your blood circulation, ensuring your health and
“A villain in success!” Sky muttered, airing his grievance. Since everyone had already quieted down, his voice sounded extra loud. Master Otter was furious. “Boy, where are your manners?! Maxine is older than you, how can you talk to her like that? “Not only are you rude, but you keep making the same mistake! You are not taught properly by your parents!” He pointed at Sky and bellowed, “Slap him!” Slap! Before Sky could even react, Maxine darted forward and swung a slap at his face. A red slap mark covered his face, forcing him to stagger backward. He, too, was furious. “Maxine! I’ll hit a woman if I have to!” Slap! Maxine got carried away and slapped him once more. Sky’s anger erupted. He wanted to retaliate. “Sky! How dare you! Grandfather ordered the slap and you want to hit Maxine?!” “You are really disrespectful of Grandfather!” Max and another cousin dashed forward and held Sky’s arm back. Maxine quickly stepped away and smirked. “You little bastar
Darcy tried to argue but Agnes knew her father’s temper well, so she stepped up with tears trickling down her face, bowing and apologizing, “Father, Darcy and Sky are still young. Please don’t mind them! “It’s our fault for not teaching them well. Punish us instead. We accept whatever punishment you have for us!” Hector took a deep breath and bowed as well. “Father, today is your family banquet, please don’t get mad or it might affect your health. We apologize. It’s our fault.” Sky saw his sister and parents lowering their stance and apologized to his grandfather. He was aggrieved. He was shaking with anger but he no longer dared to make a noise. He knew speaking up would only make things worse for his family. “Grandfather, this bastard kicked us when we tried to hold Sky down!” Max went up to Master Otter and pointed at Kaze, calling him out. He even lifted his pants to reveal the bruise on his calf. It was messy a moment ago and they had no idea who kicked them. When
“Is this how your family teaches you to talk to people?” Master Otter bellowed angrily. Disappointment and anger were clearly written on his face. Hector quickly got into the role of a father-in-law and scolded Kaze. “Kaze! Where are your manners? How dare you talk to your grandfather-in-law like that! Apologize right away!” At the same time, he was signaling Kaze subtly. Kaze’s brave and outstanding reaction moved him as it was something he dared not do. Hector decided to step in because if it was Agnes, she would have scolded Kaze, or worse, hit him, for dragging the family down. Kaze spotted the signals but he did not respond. He looked at Master Otter and said, “Apologize? To you?” The questioning tone and disdain were obvious and they silenced everyone, including Darcy’s family and Master Otter’s family. It was no secret that Kaze was bold and with a temper. He was fearless and had the nerve to challenge everyone. Yet when he made his thoughts verbal, it shocke
Maxine’s hair was messed up and her legs opened up due to the fall. Since she was wearing a skirt, everyone could see what color panty she was wearing. “Using age as a means to act superior, lacking the respect expected of an elder, being self-righteous, and unable to distinguish right from wrong…” As Maxine continued to cry in disbelief and everyone widened their eyes in disbelief, Kaze looked up coldly at the elderly man on the stairs. “A man like you demands my apology? You want me to call you Grandfather?” Maxine heard Kaze and she cried even louder, “Grandfather, Kaze Lee slapped me and insulted you! He is not respecting you at all. Teach him a lesson…” She fluttered her legs, screaming like a little girl throwing a tantrum. She was the favorite child in the family where the excessive love and care spoiled her. No one had ever hit her in her life, not even her parents. Yet Kaze slapped her twice in front of everyone. The urge to strangle Kaze with her own hands gre
Clank! Kaze tossed the bony cane in front of Master Otter. He then wiped his hand with alcohol and wet tissue. While everyone remained stunned and shocked, Kaze looked at Master Otter, whose face had darkened, and said, “You scolded us because we didn’t prepare a gift for you, right? So why not take this as a gift? Me saving your life. It’s the best gift you can ask for.” Master Otter stared at Kaze fiercely. He clenched his teeth tightly, his body shaking. To everyone’s surprise, he did not have the words to argue back, let alone scold him. The entire family was at a loss for words and actions. Thump! Maxine suddenly knelt in front of Master Otter and cried, “Grandfather, don’t believe this bastard! The antique shop said this was an ivory cane from Jairo! It cost me tens of thousands! How can it be the bones of a dead person…” The expression on everyone’s faces changed, a sense of unease creeping in on Maxine’s explanation. Earlier, she said it was custom-made by a
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