“Dayton! No!” Buffy took a step back and responded with anger. Dayton was left stunned on the spot. He looked awkward. He did not expect Buffy, who he thought liked him, would reject him without any consideration. “Buffy, what’s the matter? Dayton came here right after he heard about your situation. Do you know how much he cares about you?” “Dayton is young, handsome, and is the disciple of the ex-branch chief of Butterworth Branch. He’s one of the best there is. If you reject him, you’ll regret it.” “Do you know how many women are trying to chase him in Butterworth? Yet he only cares about you. Are you really going to turn him down just like that?” The men and women behind Dayton spoke up, supporting their friend. They described Dayton as the best man in the world and if Buffy rejected his proposal, then she would be labeled ungrateful. Buffy furrowed her brows. She looked angry and wanted to argue but since Dayton came on such short notice just to help her, she did no
Kaze had no good impression of Buffy’s senior, Dayton. The man was unreasonable and arrogant. He also seemed to take advantage of Buffy’s misfortune. If he was not concerned about Buffy's position, he would have kicked Dayton out of the door right away. Hmph! Dayton did not anticipate an argument from Kaze. His expression darkened as he strode over to glare at him. “Delivery Boy, I bet you’ve heard who I am. I ask you to leave with the tip because I respect Buffy. “If you don’t appreciate it, then don’t blame me for being rude! Believe me when I say my friends will break your limbs and throw you out, and you can’t even do anything about it.” Dayton raised his fists, seemingly trying to attack. Kaze’s expression turned frosty and was ready to retaliate. Buffy immediately stepped in between them to prevent the situation from going out of hand. She said, “Dayton, calm down. This is Kaze, the friend that I mentioned on the phone with your master. “He has helped me many
Kaze did not say a word and looked at Buffy. Buffy said, “It’s okay, Dayton. I don’t want to have a feast. Since Kaze brought food for me, I’ll just eat at home.” Dayton’s expression darkened. He turned around and glanced at his friends, signaling them to do something. One of the women, Linda, went over to the table and swept the food to the floor. Splatter! The food fell off the table and splattered all over the floor. Kaze’s gaze turned cold. Buffy was shocked. Annoyed, she looked at Dayton. “Dayton, what is this?” “Buffy, calm down.” Linda said with a smile, “Don’t you understand? Since Dayton is responsible for your daily needs now, then he has to consider whether it is safe to consume food brought by an outsider. He’s just concerned about you.” “Kaze is my friend! If he’s trying to hurt me, I would have been dead a long time ago!” Buffy argued. The anger on her face was brazen. She knew Dayton was trying to give Kaze a hard time. “Buffy, calm down. I’m no
“Is it funny?” Kaze asked with a soft grin. “Of course it is.” Linda scoffed. “Kaze, I’m trying to make things clear for you. I am looking down on you just because you have no money. You are poor! If you can fork out ten million, then you will have the right to talk to me. “If you have a hundred million, I’ll apologize; if you don’t have the money, then shut the hell up.” Kaze laughed. “One hundred million and you’ll apologize? Does it mean if I take out all my money, I make you kneel and clean the mess up like a dog?” His words made Dayton, Linda, and the others exchange glances before bursting into laughter. “Hahaha! You?” “You are full of yourself!” “If you are that rich, you wouldn’t buy roadside food in the first place!” They cackled loudly, looking at Kaze as if he was a clown. “Everyone can brag but do you have what it takes?” “Kaze, it’s not that we want to look down on you, and I’m not asking you to take out that much money.” Linda went up closer and sm
“Then let him explain what the hell is going on!” Dayton’s expression darkened and sounded cold. “Or else, don’t blame me for being rude.” If Kaze could not provide a satisfying answer, he would attack and break all his limbs. Kaze stood still and said casually, “Nothing in particular. I just don’t like her.” “Aaaaah! Dayton! Beat him! I want him dead! Kill him!” Linda cried like a mad woman, especially with her hair covered with gravy and rice. Kaze’s words agitated her even more. Dayton looked gloomy. He rolled his sleeves up. “Buffy, you heard him. Don’t blame me for not showing any respect!” Buffy got even more anxious. She turned around and said to Kaze, “Kaze, hurry up and apologize! I ask Dayton to be here not just to protect me but also to protect you! “Casius is influential, powerful, and has a lot of men. Leron is just one of them! “Leron failed to hurt you the other day and he will come back. No matter how strong you are, you are alone and you can’t possi
“Dayton, beat him up! This clown sucker slapped me! Let him have a taste of true power!” Dayton’s friends cheered on him at the side. To them, Kaze was able to slap Linda because it was an ambush, or else there was no way she would fall to the floor. They might not be as powerful as Dayton but they were considered some of the strongest among their peers. Kaze ignored the noise and focused on moving nimbly to dodge the attacks. Although his movements were subtle, he was able to dodge every slap with the slightest movement. Then, he countered with a slap. Slap! The loud slap silenced the air. Kaze swung his hand casually as he stood still on the spot. Dayton was sent staggering backward, leaving several footprints on his trail before he regained his balance. He managed to stand still on his feet but his face had a clear slap mark. “W-What?! What the hell happened?!” Dayton’s friends were shocked. Dayton had always been unbeatable, at least to them. However, no
“I know Casius Weather. He’s one of the Riverbank Seven and he’s also a well-known figure in Butterworth. “He’s ambitious. He has been using Bronze Sparrow as a base to gather people with different talents, mostly criminals. “His man, Leron, also known as Hydro Dragon, roamed the waters freely. All shipping companies were forced to pay him to get their goods to their destination. “He’s also known as the Sharpshooter, possessing unmatched accuracy when wielding a gun. No one knows where he will show up next. “Kaze, you might be good but you are no match for Leron.” Dayton looked at Kaze as if he was already shot in the head. To him, Kaze was just all brawn and no brains. He wanted to be the hero to save the damsel in distress but going up against Casius and his men was suicidal. He could be the hero but he had to know his place and limitations. Dayton viewed Kaze as a dumb moron who was overconfident. Kaze was unfazed and simply ignored what Dayton said about Leron.
Kaze frowned. “Viper’s Den’s ship was hijacked? Given how they do things, shouldn’t Leron be a dead man by the next day? If your master is that powerful, why did he allow Leron to live?” He crossed paths with the Viper’s Den many times and knew how ruthless and vicious they could be. Hijacking the organization’s ship was a blatant challenge to Viper’s Den's power and authority. There was no way they would allow Leron to live for another day. Therefore, Kaze believed Dayton altered some details or did not spill the entire truth. “You know jackshit!” Dayton grunted and continued, “My master is a kind and compassionate person. He always seeks to act in goodwill and hold back whenever he can. “Leron must have been terrified by Viper’s Den back then and begged my master to spare his life. Is that so hard to understand?” He looked at Kaze as if he was an idiot. His friends also laughed at Kaze scornfully. “If you say so.” Kaze simply smiled it off without commenting or arg
“Do ask around,” Kaze said without being overly concerned. Since he was with Dwight, if they got any news, it would attract even more attention. However, if they did not ask around for more after causing a scene, it would also be strange. Therefore, Dwight’s little investigation was a great cover. “I have to use the toilet. Wait for me here,” Kaze said as he got up. Dwight nodded at Kaze as he was going to make a call. “Sure. If you want to leave, just give me a heads up.” He then sat down on the couch, took a sip of beer, and leisurely watched girls dancing on the dance floor. After seeing Dwight’s casual reaction, Kaze lowered his guard against him. He had been observing Dwight since the start and now he finally knew the man well enough. Dwight never saw Kaze as an outsider or some VIP guest. He was thoughtful and kind and never harbored any ill intentions. “He’s really a simple guy.” Kaze headed to the toilet as he muttered to himself. On the way there, he sa
“She’s quite capable but this will cost her.” Kaze thought Rosie was not being rational enough. If a customer crossed the line, she would have every reason to throw him out. There was no need to endure him or suck up for the sake of a little business. Rosie might seem to be the boss of the club but she often had to endure ridiculous requests for the sake of the well-being of the establishment. Dominic’s words made many uncomfortable, especially the waiter and the security guards. They were ready to throw him out. If he continued to be rude, they would not mind being physical with him. When Dominic calmed down, he would realize what he had done. After all, when one was drunk, one would not have total control over his or her actions, which would lead to making mistakes. Such mistakes would easily slip due to the person being drunk but it only worked when the person could not remember or was not conscious at all. If a person remained sane and could act logically, then be
“I’ll let this slip but you guys can’t always ruin my fun,” Dominic said with a frown. His plan of having fun was foiled before anything could happen. Rosie’s expression turned bitter. “That girl is just an innocent lady, our customer. You can’t just force yourself on her.” Dominic was not deterred. He believed that with his status and how much he had spent at the club, he could do anything he wanted. Yet the boss interrupted his plan and even let the girl go. It fueled his resentment. “Since when is Absolute Zero scared of anything? That girl is just some random girl, and even if I drag her to my bed, nothing bad will happen,” he said confidently. He even moved closer to Rosie, putting his chubby hand around her waist. Dwight was surprised as he had never encountered such a situation before. Dominic acted like he owned the club. He tried to force a girl against her will and now he put his dirty hand on the boss of the club. He was just the boss of a company who
“Stop causing problems!” The security guards gained on Kaze and Dwight, trying to get them out of the club. Dwight was also a hot-tempered person and he could not allow injustice to happen, especially to himself. “It’s that fat prick who started it! Why aren’t you guys throwing him out? The girl has made it clear that they don’t know each other! Why are you two gaining on us?!” He was not weak and could easily take down two security guards, but he remained resentful. They tried to help a girl but the situation turned on them. “You can’t be sure. Maybe the girl is playing hard to get. This is not Mr. Jarbosky’s first time here, and he will never break the rules here,” the security guard said. His words attracted even more attention, but they dared not speak up. Vivi’s face turned pale. She wanted to explain but nothing came out of her mouth. Her explanations seemed weak. Everyone seemed to believe that she seduced Dominic, but she was the victim. “No! It’s not like t
“Kaze, you might not know since you are new here but he’s the boss of Dominion Group, Dominic Jarbosky. We can’t offend him. His company works closely with the Viper’s Den.” Dwight came over and whispered into Kaze’s ears. He just wanted to inform Kaze to rethink his decision. The girl might be in danger but she had it coming. Coming to a club in a skimpy outfit was certainly a bad idea. Since Dominic had his eyes on her, and she did not want his company, then it was up to her to break free. Dwight thought that by explaining Dominic’s status to Kaze, the conflict would be resolved. “I said, it’s time for you to stop,” Kaze said once more, his tone colder than before. Dominic frowned after being interrupted once more. He finally got his eyes on a young girl who looked beautiful and innocent, thinking he could release his sexual desires on her for the entire night, yet someone poked his nose into his business. “What do you have to do with this? Are you into this girl as w
“Seems like there’s nothing to see here.” Kaze was slightly disappointed. He came here just to find out more about the club’s operations and the person running the place. Yet there was nothing he found, or maybe he did not get the right chance. Clubs were loud and messy, fights even broke out occasionally. Men would fight over a woman, and once the fight broke out, the person in charge of the club must step up to resolve the conflict. Kaze just needed to wait patiently for the chance to arrive. With alcohol involved, people tended to be impulsive and physical once the girls rejected them. Dwight continued to test his luck but got turned down every single time. A few minutes later, a void formed around him with no girls wanting to be close to him. He was annoyed. He was tall and handsome, yet no girls wanted to be with him. He saw other men, who were shorter and looked normal, surrounded by girls. The only difference was the watches and branded outfits they wore.
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