“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
Everett started to act like a gangster boss, fierce and unreasonable. He ought to crush Kaze’s confidence and arrogance today no matter what, or else his training days would be disrupted. As one of the big four gangster bosses, there were many ambitious young ones after his position, hoping to drag him down and replace him. They were like Kaze, arrogant and young, hoping to reach the top by taking him out. Over the years, many young men have tried the same, like people thrashing the gym he operated or him challenging others. Therefore, whether Kaze was after him or both incidents with his son and Blackie were purely coincidental, he did not care. Since Kaze had decided to stand in his way and break his son’s arms, then no matter the reason, he would certainly crush Kaze. Kaze scoffed. “So you are not trying to reason and want to resolve this with physical means?” “You can say so.” Everett continued coldly, “I only reason with people who rival me in terms of power. If
The air went still. Everyone in Herbal Spring was shocked by the scene. They felt chills down their spines, but at the same time in awe at what Kaze had just done. Even with Everett and his men around, Kaze still had the courage to slap Duncan in the face. He must think that the highway to hell was not fast enough. Everett’s expression darkened. His gaze at Kaze was sharp but at the same flabbergasted. To him, anyone with a sane mind would submit and de-escalate the matter while dealing with one of the big four gangster bosses in Riverbank and the most experienced one. Given his connections and reputation in Riverbank, plus his men who were ready to die for him, crushing Kaze was just a piece of cake. Even if Kaze’s wife was the branch head of the Ridgesouth Quints, nothing would change. They were in Riverbank of the South River State, and the family with the most influence and control was the Fowlers of Westeros. As for the Ridgesouth Quints, if Everett was facing
Bob called Miru. When Kaze performed the treatment for Sasha, he went out to make the call. Bob knew it was not easy to deal with someone like Everett. The man was able to reign for decades in Riverbank and it already started a lot of problems. Kaze himself was not Mr. Nice Guy either. Either one of them would fall should they clash, so those who were caught in the crossfire would suffer. Therefore, he called Miru, hoping that her influence could calm both of them down. When the people heard it was Miru who came, they all looked at her curiously. The people were curious about the woman who came to Riverbank with an attitude and made a name for herself through ruthless means. It was not that she did not live up to her reputation, but their image of her was completely different from what they saw. Her looks, body, and demeanor were out of this world, unlike the typical image of a kingpin. “Kaze, are you alright? Are you hurt?” Miru, leading Wolf, Sven, and her men
Kaze nodded frivolously. “Duncan here has gotten what he deserved. If Mr. Techman is okay with it and promised not to come after my friends, then I can just forget it.” Miru came to his aid as soon as she heard something happened, so he had to show her some respect. “Just forget it?” Everett found Kaze’s words amusing. He scoffed. “You broke my son’s leg in front of me and you want me to just forget it?” “What do you propose, Mr. Techman?” Miru frowned. If Everett insisted on holding Kaze responsible, then she, too, did not mind being rough with the old man. “There’s no such thing as who’s older and who’s younger. You can disrespect me all you want, I never took you as a young one either. “I have to admit. You killing Zoro and taking over Bronze Sparrow does give you the power to rival me, but…” Then, Everett’s tone shifted, saying, “If you think you alone can overpower me, forcing me to give up on my son’s revenge, then you are terribly wrong.” He exuded a powerful a
Soon, several men in suits with badges that represented the Riverbank City Council’s inspection department escorted two crestfallen individuals inside with their heads hanging low. The men and women were Simona and Zach, who had left earlier. “Mr. Mayor, Zach Oxborn, police chief of the Aries District Police Department. Simona Lombard, chief of Aries Trade and Industry Department,” said one of the suited men. The scene shocked everyone. Zach and Simona who came to Herbal Spring earlier with a temper were arrested and investigated. How long had it been since they left the establishment? The mayor’s power was indeed not to be underestimated! He was the most powerful man in Riverbank! Kent looked at Everett blankly. “Mr. Techman, I believe you know these two. Based on what I know, these two parasites were called here by your son and tried to give Kaze a hard time. “How dare they? How dare they hurt the special consultant of the Riverbank City Council? This is unacceptable!
On the other hand, Simona was not that bright. Panicked, the woman cried and looked at Everett, begging, “Mr. Techman, please save me. I helped you a lot…” “Bump!” Suddenly, Zach broke free from the suited men behind him and headbutted Simona in the chin. Simona cried in agony as Zach landed on her. The man and woman twisted and twirled on the floor, looking absolutely miserable. “Ouch! It hurts! It hurts!” Zach also cried in pain as he hugged his head. Everett, whose gaze turned sharp when Simona spoke, returned to normal after Zach interrupted her. Kent’s expression darkened. He knew Zach was simply acting but he could not do anything. He raised his hand and said, “Embarrassing fools. Take them away!” Zach and Simona were taken away by the suited men. Their absence ended the little interlude. “Mr. Techman, you are a man of many solutions. I bet it’s because you’ve been here in Riverbank long enough,” Kent said with a darkened expression. Even as the mayor, he
“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