It was ten o’clock at night. Buckridge Lounge was cleared. Since Blackie, the general manager, was incapacitated, Buckridge Lounge would not be open for business for the rest of the night. While most customers and regular staff were asked to leave, a select group of people remained. These people had attended the Otters’ get-together. Patrick, Max, Maxine, and more were asked to stay. Though South did not send his people to watch over them, the staff of Buckridge Lounge kept an eye on them. The whole thing started because of the Otters tonight. Though the situation was chaotic, and the details were unclear, Blackie’s subordinates could not let them leave until they got to the bottom of the matter. Blackie was not just the general manager of Buckridge Lounge. He was also a confidante to Everett, a criminal boss. With Blackie seriously injured, the incident was far from over. Everett might think twice before retaliating against South due to his power, but he would not
Panic drove Rose to tears. Out of the lounge, Rose called the cops right away. The police station took the report, but nothing happened since. They had not sent any officers over. Rose later recalled that the officer on the call sounded funny when she mentioned the Buckridge Lounge. It was possible that the police would not dispatch officers to the location due to Buckridge Lounge’s influence. As time went on, Rose’s heart sank. Out of the swiveling staircase, a figure emerged. “Huh? Kaze?” “You’re alive!” The crowd was stunned as Kaze descended the steps. Patrick, Maxine, and the others were surprised. They ran their eyes on Kaze from head to toe, the shock growing more apparent. They quickly realized that Kaze was unharmed. There was not even a scratch on him. Heck, his clothes were not wrinkled. “Are you alright, Kaze? “Did they hit you?” Rose rushed to Kaze and examined him worriedly. Picking up on her worry, Kaze reached out to dry her tears and sai
Folding his arms, Patrick acted like he was above all. He believed everybody would be dead if not for him. “Maybe you should just thank Patrick, Kaze.”As Maxine and the others cornered Kaze, demanding his thanks, Rose had no choice but to tug at Kaze’s arm. “It’s not over with just a thank-you. My cousin’s help is worth more than that.” Patrick pouted and looked at Kaze haughtily. He said, “I can’t stand your arrogance. I didn’t even want to save you, Kaze. “You somehow got lucky and were spared along with us. “I don’t need you to get on your knees. “You can show your gratitude by giving me a thirty to fifty percent stake in Sky Ocean Corporation,” Patrick said matter-of-factly. At last, his true motive came to light.Patrick had been running the business for Casius. He oversaw the operation of Feliner Corporation, one of Casius’ businesses. Casius had other plans when Patrick called to ask for help. It would be great if Patrick could coerce Kaze into giving up s
“Hurry up. Hit your wife up to get me the shares.“Otherwise, you’re dead meat!” Patrick said impatiently. His tone was intimidating.Patrick needed to get everything sorted before Neely arrived. That way, he could hog all the credit. Kaze glanced at Patrick and said, “Come here. I’m borrowing your phone. I left mine upstairs.” “Did you get so scared that you lost your phone?”Patrick assumed Kaze had given in to his demands and smiled smugly. He took out his phone and gave it to Kaze. “Wise choice. Go on and dial the number.”“Smack!” Kaze knocked Patrick off his feet, sending him flying with a bloody mouth. Patrick’s expensive phone was damaged from the blow too. Silence befell the place. Maxine and the others were stunned. What was going on? “Bastard! What the hell, Kaze? How dare you hit me!” Lying on the floor, Patrick picked his dizzy head up and yelled at Kaze. Kaze looked at him in confusion. “Didn’t you ask me to dial you up?”“Hahaha!” Rose was the fi
It was a devastating blow to Granny Snake. It took her days to get her act together, and now, she was out for revenge. She was there to get even with Kaze. Soon, Granny Snake locked onto Kaze in the crowd and stared straight at him. Granny Snake was not the only one with Neely. Instead of bringing dozens of reinforcements, Neely took a few with her this time. The group of four men and three women gave off dangerous vibes. Kaze recognized them as the ones who had escaped from Bronze Sparrow. He remained composed, unfazed by the group’s presence or the evil look from Granny Snake. “Since you’re with Mr. Weather, do come in.” Blackie’s people welcomed Neely’s group inside. “There you are, Neely.” Patrick covered his face and glared at Kaze resentfully. He quickly put on a courteous face and approached Neely. Neely, a personal assistant to Casius, was his most trusted aide. Though Patrick was Casius’ cousin, he was aware he did not hold the same level of importanc
“You don’t know me?”Neely made a grimacing face. The dismissal from Kaze gave her more distress than getting caught in the dust explosion. “It’s fine that you didn’t know me before. “But you will soon remember me to your dying day.” Neely said icily, her eyes steely, “I should introduce myself. I am Neely Tramp, a personal assistant to Mr. Weather. I’m here to kill you.” The crowd kept their mouths shut and held their breaths. “He sent you to kill me?” Raising his brow, Kaze said with a smile, “It’s a pity that Casius didn’t die the last time, but he hurt and killed dozens. He has the cheek to send people my way to annoy me.“I guess I hadn’t sent a strong enough message.” With Kaze rubbing salt into her wounds, Neely gnashed her teeth and said coldly, “Don’t worry. You won’t be so lucky this time, Lee. “I doubt you can create another explosion in Buckridge Lounge.“You’re dead meat. “I’ll make sure you die in the worst way possible.” Neely hissed through clench
“Stop!” Everybody turned their heads to the source of the voice. “Uh… Mr. Stormborn!” Patrick and the others were surprised that South would take Kaze’s side. Neely grimaced. South’s presence gave her a bad feeling because he was of equal standing with her boss, Casius. In some ways, South was a league higher than Casius. More than one of the Riverbank Seven, South was also one of the Steelclaw Guild leaders. “Hold for now, Granny Snake. This is Mr. Stormborn.” Though baffled by South’s behavior, Neely stopped Granny Snake anyway. “I don’t care who he is. No one can stop me from killing the boy.” Granny Snake had no intentions of stopping. She did not know South. Even if she did, she would not care anyway. She did not carry out Casius’ bidding out of loyalty. Granny Snake was old and had many enemies. Casius happened to offer a safe haven. Granny Snake swung her staff at Kaze. “I told you to stop, old hag!” South, on top of the steps, yelled.“Because of your
South cut Neely off and said indifferently, “Granny Snake should know her place as a lapdog. “She had some nerve baring her teeth at me. I can’t believe she gave me a death threat.“Who did she think she was?“Casius?” South’s barrage of questions weighed over Neely. South saw Neely no more than a lapdog as well. The questions were not just directed at Granny Snake. South had a problem with Neely too. Neely bent over and said submissively, “You got the wrong idea, Mr. Stormborn. Granny Snake wasn’t disrespecting you. She simply didn’t know who you were. “Had she known, she wouldn’t have defied you.” “Oh…” South took strides ahead and kicked Granny Snake’s body. He sneered. “She’s dead now, so you could say whatever you want. Tell me. What brings you here?” His attitude toward Granny Snake left Neely feeling despair. Putting her personal feelings aside, Neely said humbly, “Mr. Weather heard of Kaze’s disrespect toward you at Buckridge Lounge. He sent me here right
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