A piece of scrap. The sacred weapon of the Viper’s Den, the weapon that represented the power and authority of the organization, albeit a replica, was the symbol of power in the entire West State Viper’s Den. Yet Kaze called it a piece of scrap. He might be the only one brave enough to call the sword a piece of scrap, and no one dared to correct him. They knew exactly what he meant. Power and authority never relied on a symbol or an item; it stemmed from one’s true power, absolute power. Kaze undoubtedly showed them a taste of his incredible power. All of Jude’s loyal followers, twenty of them, were killed and none of them was able to endure a single hit from Kaze. The ex-branch chief of the Butterworth Branch, Alfonso, was one of the strongest in the West State Viper’s Den, who came with experience given his age. Yet he was stomped and kicked away like a ragdoll. The impactful scenes were much more convincing than someone raising the Nether Viper Sword, whining and
Every agent in the gym, be it on Hannah’s side or Jude’s side, knelt immediately. Buffy looked at Kaze, excited and emotional. She was truly happy for him. Many people had looked down on him before, calling him a bumpkin from Lilyrose, a live-in husband and son-in-law, a braggart, but he never changed. Now with his identity revealed, no one would look down on him anymore. Hope and her friends were horrified, their faces ashened. Kaze had become the one person that Hope had to look up to—the branch leader of the West State Viper’s Den. He was more powerful than Casius, or maybe all the Riverbank Seven combined. Hope’s friends were deeply regretful. Given Kaze’s identity, they would surrender their bodies to serve him, let alone marry off their daughters to him. Either way, it would be considered climbing the social ladder. However, their short-sightedness caused them to miss the opportunity to forge a connection with someone of such significance. It felt even more te
Jude looked up at Kaze and Buffy in hesitation for a moment before lamenting, “I have lied to you, Kaze, Buffy. I’m afraid I can’t honor my promise to you.” “How so?” Kaze furrowed his brows. He doubted Jude would carry on playing mind games with him. Jude said with a wry smile, “I have done a lot of terrible things to get ahead in life, but I would never kill my wife.” “Oh, really?”Kaze smiled skeptically. Jude bit the bullet and uttered, “Tulip, Buffy’s mother, came from a powerful family in Midstate. “She was stronger and more talented than me when she joined the Viper’s Den. “There was no way I could’ve put her in a coma. “Besides, Faith and I just met when she fell into a coma. Though we were flirting, I wasn’t sure I was going to marry her. Heck, I haven’t learned that she was part of the Westeros Krads. I couldn’t have possibly been associated with the Krads and harmed Tulip. “Tulip didn’t turn brain-dead because of me. I just happened to find out that Fa
The rusted throwing star could not possibly still carry poison. Kaze held the weapon for a look before saying indifferently, “Since you kept this thing, you must know something about it.” “This meteor dart is the Ryokanian assassins’ typical weapon,” Jude replied with a nod. Kaze sneered. “You suspect that Buffy’s mother’s death is related to the Ryokanians. Yet, you collude with them anyway.” Buffy looked at Jude emotionlessly. She used to think Jude was just playing with fire, but he was clearly embracing the enemy as his own. Jude said embarrassedly, “I haven’t been able to find evidence to prove that Buffy’s mother is related to the Ryokanians.” “You couldn’t or you wouldn’t?” The curt question came from Buffy, stripping Jude of any dignity left. “I was reluctant to probe further.” Jude nodded with a wry smile. “Besides, if the Ryokanians have something to do with your mother, I can’t understand their motive. “I wasn’t even a deputy chief then. I doubt I had
Agnes glared at Kaze. Her attitude toward Kaze changed within a day. Agnes figured that despite Kaze’s competence, the fact that he married into the family would not change. She still wore the pants in the family. If she were to play nice because of Kaze’s little contribution, the guy’s head would swell. Agnes could not help Darcy upon learning of her issues while getting the shares. She took her anger out on Kaze. Something went wrong while the shares were being transferred to Darcy. Furrowing his brows, Kaze said, “I’ll ask Darcy.” “You better fix this, or you won’t hear the end of it!” As Kaze ascended the stairs, Agnes put her hands on her waist and tore into him. Hector shook his head. “Cut it out. Can’t you see that Kaze doesn’t want to get into it with you?” “I can’t believe you, Hector! Watch your tone! “Why didn’t you yell at him when he slapped me? Yet, you’re defending him now. “Did I marry a loser? “Do you want a divorce too?” Agnes came dow
“The deposit to enter the auction is five billion dollars. That should give you a pretty good idea,” Darcy replied. The deposit was typically 10% to 30% of the starting bid. In other words, the starting price for Crown Tower and the adjacent land must be over 10 billion dollars. The final sale price would depend on the bidders. As far as Darcy knew, many eyes were on Crown Tower and the piece of land. The final price could very well be in the twenty or thirty billion dollars. The sale would be meaningless if the price went well over thirty billion dollars. Given the risk and the need for a return on investment, any bid above 30 billion dollars would result in a net loss.Darcy poured her feelings out to Kaze, not at all putting faith in him to solve the cash flow shortage. The two-billion-dollar shares coming from Casius’ company were a nice surprise. These equity shares could not be cashed out for the time being. It never occurred to Darcy to ask Kaze to fork out te
Casius was not just one of the Riverbank Seven. He was the Weathers’ hope to remain one of the elites for years to come. While the Glitters were on a decline due to the family’s incompetent heirs, the Weathers were flourishing. The tragic end of Casius, the heir expected to bring the family to new heights, came as a shock to everyone. It was a shock not only to the Weathers but also to all the mourners. A place to pay respect to Casius was set up. The family, including Johnson, the head of the Weathers, was not in a state to receive the mourners. “Here comes Collier, the deputy chief of the Viper’s Den South River State Branch.” A high-pitched voice boomed. Several hundred people piped down. If Casius had not died, the city’s highlight would be the Viper’s Den South River State Branch fight in Drake Gym. Shockingly, the winners turned out to be Hannah and Collier. Jude, a long-standing deputy chief, was a total wipeout. Not only did Jude lose out on getting the pr
It was Casius’ head. Collier presented Casius’ head at his funeral. There was no telling whether the gesture was an insult or a respect to the Weathers. At least, Casius was able to be put to rest as a whole. He could rest in peace now. Despite knowing that Collier did not mean well, Johnson, the head of the household, fought back his rage and accepted the box. He said, “Open Casius’ coffin and stitch his head back on.” The household staff held the box and carried out the order. Johnson looked back at Collier with a complicated look before taking a deep breath. He uttered, “May I know who killed my son?” “What? Are you planning to avenge him?” Collier scoffed and said curtly, “Your son was in over his head to get involved in the South River State Branch’s internal affairs. He was killed because of it. “Ms. Delmore has a message for you. You and your family better watch your step. “Otherwise, your family will suffer the same fate as Casius.” Collier walked away f
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
Kaze observed as the jeep took off further off course, past the towering buildings to a run-down neighborhood. “This is where I usually reside. My home is not too far away, but I think you might have trouble adapting to this place.” Dwight did not forget to book Kaze a hotel. Kaze could not possibly stay with him. The hotel was around the area anyway. “Didn’t you say that you haven’t tried the local cuisine? I’ll take you out for a bite. “The barbecue ribs here are to die for. We’ve got the dry-rubbed and saucy kind.” Dwight parked the car and hopped out right away. Opposite the parking lot was not the cleanest food joint. Looking in from the outside, Kaze realized that the place was packed. Kaze understood that the restaurant must be known for some kind of dish. The customers were from all walks of life, so the food must be great. “There’s not much to see here, but the food is tasty. If you don’t mind, we can order something inside.” Kaze was not particularly con
Dwight was surprised and curious as to who Kaze really was. From what he gathered, Kaze was a confidante of the Butterworth Branch chief. The purpose of Kaze’s visit was to learn and share. Dwight worked on the fringes, so his access to information was limited. Nevertheless, he got the feeling that Kaze was just an ordinary guy just like him. The only difference was that Kaze was lucky to rub shoulders with important people. Dwight did not get chances like that. “Who are the most influential people in the Viper’s Den Westeros Branch?” Kaze asked in the car. Dwight was taken aback by the question. Still, he had an answer to that. “So you don’t know much about the situation?” Dwight suddenly felt important. “Well, I’m new to the city. I will be running into them soon, so I need to make sure I get my facts right,” Kaze said humbly. This was Dwight’s shot, and he needed to present his best. “Relax, Kaze. I’ll tell you everything I know.” Dwight would reveal some info
Kaze glanced at the flowers. There was a card for well-wishes too.Curious, Kaze reached out to read the card. It was written, “To my eternal lover and sweetheart.” Dwight grabbed Kaze’s bag. Since the sign in his hand was getting in the way, Dwight tossed the placard in the trash can. As Dwight turned his head back, he saw Kaze reading the card that came with the flowers. He tried to stop Kaze, but it was too late. Dwight had not attended to a guest of high importance before. The task was assigned to him at the last minute. In the past, Dwight was usually on the sidelines, never getting close to major matters. He would always get the small, insignificant jobs. Dwight often bought drinks for his superiors to build connections. However, he had always been kept out of the loop. Now that an opportunity had fallen onto his lap, Dwight was not about to let it slip. He wanted to show what he could do. When Dwight arrived at the airport for the pick-up, most people car
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