Seeing Hannah and Collier kneel, the other agents of the South River Branch immediately mirrored the action. “Branch Leader!” “If the branch leader isn’t a part of the Viper’s Den and has no right to be in the ring, then who else in the West State Viper’s Den has the right?” As Hannah and Collier revealed Kaze’s identity, the other agents chanted his name fanatically. The entire gym was once again stunned. The air froze. It felt even stiffer when Kaze slapped Bruce away. Branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den, Kaze Lee?! Everyone was shocked when Hannah and Collier referred to Kaze as the branch leader. They could neither comprehend the situation nor contain their shock. Hope, who was glaring at Kaze with her friends in the VIP seat, widened her mouth in shock. Her body was shaking instinctively and her face paled. Did she hear Hannah and Collier correctly? Kaze was not a branch chief but the branch leader? There were only so many branch leaders in the Vipe
All sorts of voices echoed in the gym. Even the agents who served Jude started to look at Kaze with reverence and respect. When Jude gave the order, many instinctively prepared to act, driven by their loyalty to him. However, now that they found out Kaze was the branch leader, the thought of carrying out Jude’s order vanished. The branch leader and the branch chief might sound similar, and one might assume they shared the same authority, but both positions were worlds apart. There was only one branch leader in the entire West State while more than a dozen individuals held the branch chief position. It was likened to the mayors of cities within a state with one governor—both positions were incomparable. “How did he become the branch leader all of a sudden?” “This is bad! This is over! Jude’s career is over!” Hope fell back onto her chair in shock, her face paled. She recalled the scenes with Kaze and then it hit her that Kaze had always treated and looked at her and
“You’ve committed such atrocity and still have the nerve to meddle with the Viper’s Den affair? “You dare claim to be the new branch leader? Do you think we’re fools? We won’t fall for this charade with your hired actors playing along! “If you know what’s good for you, be honest and tell us why you killed the ex-branch leader! How dare you come here and mess with our affairs?!” Jude pointed at Kaze angrily, shouting his questions at him. Kaze looked at Jude as if he was a clown. He then looked at the other upset agents and said, “First of all, I didn’t kill Magnus Fuller. I simply broke him and crippled him.” He did not kill Magnus but only broke him? What kind of ridiculous nonsense was that? Many of the agents could not accept such a ludicrous answer. However, when they recalled how Kaze had sent Bruce flying with just one slap, no one dared to voice their doubts. Magnus was certainly stronger than Bruce, and Kaze might have sent Bruce flying with just one slap, but i
At this moment, the faces of Jude’s followers, who spoke up earlier, paled and their bodies were shaking. Kaze was indeed appointed as the branch leader by Autumn, the Viper Queen. Who else dared to question the legitimacy of his identity? Not even Jude dared to oppose the superior Viper Queen. More importantly, Kaze revealed that he was tasked by the Viper Queen to cleanse the West State Viper’s Den. Cleanse? Despite being a word related to cleaning, it reeked of blood. Lives would be lost and blood would flow like rivers. Kaze made himself clear enough. His cleansing operation started with the South River Branch and Jude and his loyal followers were the targets. At that very moment, in their eyes, Kaze had transformed into a monster with bloody fangs, ready to devour them. The thought frightened them. Those who berated and criticized Kaze earlier wanted to kneel and beg for mercy, hoping that Kaze would spare them. Hannah’s agents also quickly secured all the exit
As doubts spread across the room, Jude put his hands behind his back casually, and his stiffened expression finally showed a hint of delight. He wanted to use the crowd’s anger to create chaos. If he could incite the crowd to attack Kaze, the sheer number would overwhelm him no matter how strong he was physically. Moreover, his reinforcement was on the way. The reinforcements he called were Casius and Rio, one of the ten strongest of the Refined Blade Clan. When his reinforcements arrived, he would reveal the fact that he had been working with the Ryokanians if it meant killing Kaze. If he could become the branch leader, he would have the power to cover it up easily. Then, he would become the hero who exposed the fraud who impersonated the late ex-branch leader! To bring someone to their downfall, the first step would be driving them mad. Jude was already one step away from his grave, the situation cornering him and fueling an even greater ambition within him. He wa
Hannah, Collier, and the others were shocked. They did not expect Jude to possess the Nether Viper Sword and even revealed it to all the agents. They lost the advantage over the situation as soon as the sword was revealed. They even noticed some of the Viper’s Den agents showed murderous intent when looking at Kaze. Only Kaze remained unfazed in the gym. He smiled and said, “Jude Gwake, do you think that sword makes you the branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den?” “Hmph! Stop with your nonsense!” Jude grunted with disdain and said, “I have the sword and you have nothing. “Kneel before me and I might consider leaving your body intact. You should know that from what you did to me, this is already considered merciful.” Looking at the frantic Jude, Buffy’s eyes teared up. Her father transformed into a monster hungry for power before she even realized it. Now, the greed for power had driven him mad completely. “Is that so?” Kaze smiled and then walked toward Jud
One step, one kill. When Kaze got off the ring, seven to eight bodies were already in his trail, and he was approaching Jude. The stench of blood spread from the center of the ring and filled the entire gym. All the agents were shocked by the gory scene. Their hands felt cold, their scalps numb, and their legs turned to jelly. Serene and the others who died were the experts in the South River Branch. A moment ago, they were furiously criticizing Kaze and shouting arrogantly, but now, they all lay dead because of Kaze’s sword. He killed them with such ease and they could not even resist. Drip drop. Kaze’s shoes were dripping blood as he slowly approached Jude. “Kaze Lee! What are you trying to do?!” Jude instinctively stepped back, glaring at Kaze in fear and anger. Alfonso and the other loyal followers cautiously looked at him as well. Kaze smiled at the pale Jude but surprisingly, he did not snatch the sword or attack. “Deputy Chief Gwake, we’ve been crossi
“I suppose you know the rules of the Viper’s Den clearly state that agents and personnel are forbidden to collude with foreign forces. “Of course, it’s not that I don’t trust you or your position, Deputy Chief Gwake. A spy like Rio Sho would certainly accuse you or frame you for something you did not do, so that he could sow discord between us, am I right?” Hannah’s words made the other agents look at Jude with doubt and suspicion. Right before the match to decide who would become the chief, Hannah was ambushed by the Ryokanians. Saying Jude was not involved or the mastermind behind it would be difficult to believe. The coincidence was uncanny. Even though Hannah took the initiative to defend Jude, it was clear that Rio was most likely the Plan B he had prepared before the match. Jude was left speechless. He took a deep breath, feigned a calm look, and closed the box before giving it to his agent. He forced a smile and said, “Deputy Chief Delmore, I am delighted by the
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