“Smack!”“Shut up!” Zach silenced Simona with a slap and waved at his subordinates. “Take this idiot away. We’re leaving now.” The Trade and Industry Department and the police were in and out of the place in no time. As they left with their tails tucked between their legs, the crowd at Herbal Spring could not believe their eyes. They were curious about the individual who Kaze had called. Zach ditched Duncan at the risk of upsetting the Techmans. The crowd found it unbelievable that Zach would get on the nerves of the rich and powerful. Another ten minutes passed. The wooden door to Herbal Spring burst open with a kick. “Here I come, Duncan.“The nerve of the guy to pick on you on my turf. That’s disrespecting me.“I’m going to make him pay, whoever he is. I’m here for you, Duncan!” A deep, menacing voice boomed as a group of thugs kicked open the wooden door and strutted into the room.A bald man with buckteeth walked ahead. He was Buck Bob, the Aries undergr
“K-Kaze, I-I can explain! “I-I didn’t know it was you. I owe Duncan’s father one, so I answered his call. I have not betrayed Miru!“I didn’t think it was you! “Otherwise, I’d never show my face to you.” Bob kneeled at Kaze’s feet and explained in tears. He went to the Otters’ together with Miya. As a result, Kaze made a phone call, and Miru seized control of Bob’s territory.Since then, Bob, a big man in Aries, was forced to do Miru’s bidding. That was not the reason why Bob was afraid of Kaze. Bob was terrified to learn from working for Miru that Kaze seized Bronze Sparrow and killed Casius’ confidante, Zoro. Rumors had it that Kaze, implicated in the death of Joel, Jude’s fighter, was ordered to go on a suicide mission at Bronze Sparrow. Miru attacked Bronze Sparrow with Sven and Wolf, and Kaze was lucky to be alive thanks to Miru. This was far from the truth. Miru should be the one to thank Kaze for her success. This was the reason why Bob feared Kaze. K
“Kaze, I…” Bob hesitated. Duncan was Everett’s son. Everett was one of the big four gangster bosses in Riverbank’s underworld. He and Everett were not in the same league, so he did not want to mess with the man in any way. “Huh?” Kaze’s eyes turned sharp. He curled his lips into a smirk and said, “Bob, you are already Miru’s man. Do you still want to play two sides?” He might be smirking but his tone was freezing cold, so cold that it sent chills down Bob’s spine. The man before Bob was the man who thrashed Bronze Sparrow and killed Zoro! Bob shuddered in fear and quickly said, “It’s not like that, Kaze! I am just thinking about how to break his arm! I got it now!” Without further ado, he shouted at his man, “Bring me a chair!” Kaze continued smirking. A gangster could never be the same as a veteran officer in the police system, like Zach. He said, “Let him make the call first.” “Alright!” Bob nodded. He then grabbed the chair that his man brought him. “Bob!
At this point, Bob knew there was no turning back. Looking at Duncan’s miserable state, the others at the scene were also horrified. The son of one of the big four gangster bosses in Riverbank was tortured and beaten up like a ragdoll. No one would believe it if not seeing it with their own eyes. Kaze was ruthless. One call for one arm. He kept his words. He was the embodiment of ruthlessness. Compared to Kaze, Duncan’s ferocity and loud words felt like a child throwing a tantrum. “How long before Everett Techman is here?” Kaze asked Bob without looking at him. A quick thought later, Bob said, “I heard Everett has been training at Mt. Seven Stars for years now. I think it will take him at least half an hour to reach here.” “Then I’ll wait for him here.” Kaze then turned to Sasha. “Go change your clothes. I’ll perform the acupuncture treatment for you today. “Also, Dr. Wright, please guide me through the process. I’m not skilled in this after all.” He took up t
Phew! Kaze put the needles away and then buttoned Sasha’s gown. He then said, “Sasha, lie down and rest for a while. You can change later.” “Alright. Thank you so much, Kaze.” Sasha nodded obediently, turning her face slightly to the side to express her gratitude. It pained her to see the paleness on Kaze’s face. Kaze was undeniably powerful, yet even he appeared pale and drenched in sweat after performing just one session of the Ghastly Thirteen Needles. One could only imagine how exhausting it must have been for June after performing the treatment on Sasha for three days straight. Like Kaze, June had been practicing traditional martial arts since her youth, which gave her stronger internal energy and the endurance to continue for three days straight. “Kaze, are you alright?” Sasha’s eyes teared up. She felt bad looking at the exhausted Kaze. “It’s all my fault that you have to go through this.” “You just get some rest. I’ll be better after a quick rest.” Kaze patt
“Who did it?” Everett asked without looking at the employees, his brows furrowed. He was able to contain his emotions, showing no expression on his face. Even his tone was calm and lacked emotions. Kaze heard his question and it raised his brows. Even he had to admit that the so-called one of the big four gangster bosses must have trained himself well to achieve such a level of composure and steadiness. “Bang!” An employee of Herbal Spring was tossed into the lobby from outside. His face was bruised and swollen, supposedly from a beating. The employee was tossed inside by a middle-aged man, who obviously worked for Everett. He approached Everett and bowed respectfully. “Boss, we've got the details. When Duncan called you, his arm was broken by a guy named Bob, another gangster from the Aries District. The one who ordered him to do it is Kaze Lee, a young man whose background we’re still investigating.” The guy’s name was Rodney, Everett’s right-hand man. He continued, “
“Interesting. Riverbank’s underworld has been peaceful for a long time. There isn’t any challenging new blood for a while,” Everett muttered, his face still expressionless. Rodney asked, “Boss, what should we do with Kaze Lee?” “I don’t care what he can do, or how powerful he is. He hurt my son and in Riverbank, that is not allowed,” Everett said with his hands behind his back. He had reigned over the underworld for decades. No matter how volatile the situation was or how dangerous it became, he was able to stand firm in the face of the storm. Such was exactly the trait required to be a boss of a gangster organization, something Bob did not possess. Bob was incomparable to Everett as he was just a slightly more influential thug. Everett had seen people who could cause trouble and young men who were capable, but they were like fleeting fireworks, shining bright but fading fast. It was difficult for people like them to root themselves in Riverbank’s underworld. Riverbank wa
“I admit it. I made Duncan call you because I hope you would be a reasonable person. After all, you and I have no beef or any bad history. Even when Blackie, your best man, was crippled last night, he got it upon himself, not my fault. “That is why I hope to solve this in a peaceful way.” Listening to Kaze’s intention of showing goodwill and approaching the matter peacefully, Holfman nodded his head with approval. It seemed like Kaze did not want to push the matter to the point of no return. Solving it in a peaceful way would be ideal. However, Rodney scoffed, assuming Kaze was amusing, and giving an excuse. He should either be fierce all the way or not cause any problems from the start. Now, he chose a softer approach yet wanted to make himself look magnanimous. What a joke. Moreover, he was trying to play tricks in front of Everett, a notorious gangster boss, which made things even more amusing. “Sounds reasonable.” Everett nodded but then his expression darkene
The incident did not sit well with Kaze, so he left them out to dry. After much searching, Kaze came across a café. Kaze bought a cup of coffee. Cupping the drink between his hands, Kaze sipped slowly. Many passengers swarmed the arrival hall in the airport, dragging along their luggage or pulling out their phones to get a pick-up. They all had a destination, a place they had to be in a rush. Intrigued, Kaze followed the crowd out. Kaze turned on his phone, and a text message from his airport pick-up came in. He glanced at the message, curious about who the person was. Nevertheless, Kaze trusted that the Westeros Branch members would not set him up out in the open. At most, they would pull little stunts to mess with him. Kaze was not the type to sweat the small stuff. However, he would not tolerate any extreme behavior. He had been keeping a low profile back in Butterworth, keeping the limelight off him. The purpose was to handle Jet without unnecessary complicati
“Alright. I will work hard to be the manager of the Northborn Group. You need to show me the ropes and teach me about management.” Leah looked at Katie with a smile. She believed Katie had not lost her mind. Katie simply had her memory mixed up. “You need to keep your people in line and reward those who deserve it. It all boils down to profits. “You need to work toward managing your people and working with rivals. You’ve got to keep the balance, and nobody loses out. “You need to build your own system when it comes to working together. Don’t be led around by the nose.” Hearing that Leah would start work soon, Katie imparted her knowledge. “Don’t worry too much about things. Joey is nice. You can go to her for help,” Katie said earnestly. Katie seemed to be herself at the moment. Leah wondered if Katie faked her insanity to escape the punishment. “What have become of you? Did they do something to you? “Did you really betray Kaze?” Leah whispered while leaning close
Leah kept working on her knowledge until late into the night. Just as she was about to hit the sack, she got a message from Snow. Learning was a hard enough process. The text message came out of the blue. Leah did not expect Snow to contact her at night. The message was strange as well. Leah could not understand why Snow would give her the address of a nursing home. Leah was determined to turn things around. She strived to become stronger instead of being a burden. She was grateful for Kaze’s help. At least, she had a job now. However, her gratitude was not extended to Snow. She believed Snow had gone too far. Snow left her feeling powerless. Leah did not think much about the message. She assumed that the text was not meant for her. Since Leah did not respond to the text, Snow put the matter aside and went to bed. Leah called Snow the next day. “Why did you send me an address?” Leah went straight to the question. She had been equipping herself with knowledge before
Snow could not believe her eyes. Katie suddenly went quiet and behaved like the CEO she was.However, Katie did not look like she was right in the mind earlier. “What’s going on? She seems to have gone insane.” Snow turned to the warden, still digesting the change. Katie had lost touch with reality before the Viper’s Den did anything to her. “How did this happen? She has been taking her meals. Just days earlier, she nagged about getting out because she was worried about her daughter. As usual, we didn’t respond to her requests.” The warden found the whole thing peculiar too. Just a few days ago, Katie demanded her release. Now, she kept to herself and abided by the rules. Out of the blue, Katie went nuts. Things had gotten complicated. Snow wanted to keep Katie behind bars due to her betrayal. However, Kaze decided against pursuing the matter for Leah’s sake. Katie would be let go soon enough, but she would lose her job at the Northborn Group. Katie’s presence woul
It was quiet in the office. Snow sorted the last bit of paperwork before picking her head up in exhaustion. Her initial plan was to delegate the tasks. However, Katie was controlling. Previously, she personally oversaw many matters. Snow could not distribute the responsibilities because the employees had no experience in handling them. They came to Snow for every tiny, little thing, and Snow really got her hands full. Despite her frustration, Snow could let things go as Katie was locked up. “I should pay her visit.” Snow decided to see Katie. Some things should not be left unsaid. Leah would be working for the Northborn Group soon, and the mother and daughter should meet to tie up loose ends. The truth would put Leah to shame, and her guilt would stop her from ever betraying Kaze. After a quick bite, Snow drove to the prison. Katie was furious when she was imprisoned. She was one step away from victory. She was so close to leaving Butterworth to head to Westeros
“Why do you want to sell the properties? Do you need money? Don’t you have some saved?” Joey had a good understanding of Leah’s finances since she ran all the paperwork. “My mother is being held, and I need money to ask favors. Maybe I can get her out.” Leah was not thinking much. Money could always be replaced, but not her mother’s freedom. “Don’t be silly. This is not the way to go.” Though Joey did not have the details, she observed that things were not as simple as Leah thought. Kaze was safe now, but the fact that Katie had betrayed Kaze and revealed his whereabouts remained unchanged. Katie had broken the Viper’s Den’s rules. Even if she got out, she would be a wreck. With Snow running the Northborn Group, Katie would remain a failure. Either way, Katie would not get away with it. Even if Leah offered all her assets, Katie’s situation would not change. It was a waste of money and resources for Leah to save her mother. Nothing would come out of it. “But I
“Give me an answer. Are you taking the job? If you are, you should sort out your affairs. Don’t bring your personal feelings to work.” Snow was not the type to go easy on fragile women. If Leah did not have what it took, she could be forced to leave the company. Nevertheless, Katie had left a lot of assets to Leah. Even without work, Leah could very well survive. The girl would have trouble keeping the wealth, seeing that she was without power or connections. If Leah had a job, she would have the resources to hold onto her assets. Leah had seen the best and worst of mankind. She was once the center of attention, and now, everybody avoided her. It dawned on Leah that it was over for Katie. If Leah could not even keep a job, she would lose everything. “I didn’t know things would happen.” Leah never thought that Katie was capable of stabbing Kaze and her in the back. The thought of betrayal put Leah in distress. Kaze was a great guy who helped Leah a lot. Feeling ete
Leah got dressed and was ready to leave, but she did not know who to turn to. She thought about going to her wealthy friends to see if they could uncover anything through their connections. However, Leah could not get a hold of them. It dawned on Leah that loyalty would fade when power was gone. Even though Katie was just missing, intel spread around Butterworth very quickly. These people must have found out and have chosen to stay away. Leah had always been treated like royalty. Nobody had ever avoided her like the plague. Nevertheless, she had not been in touch with these friends since her injury. Now, in her attempt to contact them, she could not reach them. “Why is this happening? My good friends have gone MIA, and I’m getting silence from those who have been trying to connect.” Sitting on the couch, Leah looked out the window in despair. She tried to seek help with her mother’s search, but her efforts were futile. She could do nothing for her mother. All al
“I have to work hard starting today. But before that, I have to get some sleep.” Snow remembered that Kaze punished her to get some sleep. He said her face looked tired and pale, signs of how hard she had been working. It felt great being cared for. It was because of his kindness, Snow fell for Kaze uncontrollably. Yet she understood not all things were meant to be. After she returned home, she went to sleep immediately without talking to anyone. She only woke up in the afternoon after a comfortable and easy sleep. Next, she would have to work on many things, first being taking over Northborn Group. Katie’s disappearance had the company shaken, but it gave many others a chance. They tried to calm their subordinates down and contact the higher-ups for more information, hoping that they could replace Katie as the new CEO. Little did they know, their preparations would eventually fall short. Snow and her secretary arrived at Northborn Group in the afternoon, and her a