Reuben shuddered in fear by the never-before-seen terrifying look on Mitchell’s face. Mitchell cocked his head and took a deep breath before uttering gravely, “Thank you for being lenient, Mr. Lee, but can you do me another favor? “I wish to save Reuben’s leg, but we are happy to increase the compensation for Ms. Frost.“I’ll make sure to set the bastard straight too. I promise that he won’t show his face to you again.” Despite Kaze’s promise not to personally hurt Reuben which would lead to permanent injuries, it would take forever to bounce back. In a cutthroat environment like the Tiger’s Cave, Reuben would be out of the game if he took the time off. Though Reuben was not the top talent within the family, he was one of the best. Hence, Mitchell had to bail him out as best as he could. If there was no point in saving Reuben, Mitchell would have given up a long time ago. After intimidating his nephew, Mitchell turned his head back around to Kaze. “If you could be so k
As Kaze placed the phone against his ear, Mitchell felt a knot in his stomach. The assistant governor of the South River State lost composure and said frantically, “Don’t, Mr. Lee! Don’t make the phone call. I might have gotten the wrong idea.” Mitchell picked up on something. When Kaze addressed Neegan by his first name, Mitchell could assume that Kaze was trying to act like a tough man. However, Kaze claimed that he was going to get Neegan involved now. He seemed to be bossing Neegan around. Kaze was playing with fire by making such a huge claim even without Neegan present. Hence, Mitchell made a bold assumption. Kaze could possibly be associated with the lordship. Other than that, Mitchell simply could not figure out how Kaze could run the governor’s life. Given his age, Kaze did not seem like he had accomplished much in life. Yet, he gave orders to the governor like a superior would to a subordinate. Kaze even wanted to ask Neegan if he had got way ahead of
“Ahhhh!”Soon, Reuben’s agonized screams boomed from outside the ward. “I have broken Reuben’s leg, Mr. Lee.” Moments later, Mitchell opened the door, covered in sweat. It would take more than a blow for a regular person to fracture a bone. Mitchell attempted several times, together with the help of his strong driver, to get the job done. In other words, Reuben suffered quite a bit. Not concerned about Mitchell lying to him, Kaze nodded and said indifferently, “Ten million dollars a slap. I expect nothing less.” Seeing that Mitchell had been a good sport, Kaze did not increase the rate in return. It was a classic carrot-and-stick approach. Kaze made sure not to take things far. He was assertive enough to stop any act of retaliation while being taken seriously. Mitchell dragged his wailing nephew away, putting an end to the Tiger’s Cave incident for the time being. In the ward, Kaze cocked his head and asked Buffy, “What brings you here?”“I heard from a member tha
Darcy called to ask Kaze about the assassination this afternoon. The incident was no secret. The Viper’s Den and the Tiger’s Cave caught wind of the matter right away, and Darcy had the resources and connections to find out soon enough. Darcy sounded worried on the phone. Kaze and Darcy may not see eye to eye when it came to Buffy, but the feelings between them remained strong. Upon learning that Kaze was nearly killed, Darcy called him to make sure he was safe. “I’m fine, babe, and not a hair out of place.” Kaze said with a smile, “If you don’t believe me, you can head back to Riverbank now, and I’ll clean myself up, ready for your inspection.” “Get out of here!” Darcy whined while feeling assured. Since Kaze was in the mood for jokes, it was safe to assume that Kaze was unharmed. Not taking her response to heart, Kaze asked concernedly, “How is the progress of acquiring the shares coming along, babe?”“I won’t say that it’s smooth sailing.” The mention of the s
After the call, Kaze returned to the ward where Buffy and Snow were deep in conversation. “Uh. You’re getting along well.” Kaze made a strange look.Though he did not pick up on the tension between these two women, the hostility was given. It did not take long for Snow and Buffy to act chummy. “Can’t I hit it off with Snow?” Buffy rolled her eyes at Kaze. Reality sank in for Snow and Buffy. They were not enemies. There was no need for them to take shots at each other. Darcy was the biggest obstacle in their path anyway. Kaze nodded. “I’m happy that you get along well. You should keep in touch.” It was hard to guess what was going through women’s minds. Kaze would not bother to understand Snow and Buffy’s change of attitude when he came back from a phone call. Buffy asked peevishly, “Don’t you always talk for hours on the phone with your wife? Why did the call end so quickly?” “We had serious matters to talk about.” Kaze had no idea what he did to upset Buff
It was clear that Cyan was reluctant to invite Kaze to her family event. However, she could not talk Lock out of it anyway, so she gave in. Hence, Cyan saw Kaze as Snow’s plus-one. He was not worth her time to make another call. Soon, Kaze got a call from Lock. “My family is having a celebration, Kaze. Come over for dinner. I know you youngsters are keen to have a party elsewhere. I’ll get Cyan to give you a ride,” Lock said gleefully. Kaze could sense Lock’s delight on the phone. He knew why. Following Hannah’s rise within the organization, Jude’s people would be cleared out of the core operation. The partners who supported Jude would be replaced. Out of consideration of his bond with Lock, Kaze mentioned the Yemens to Hannah, and Hannah assigned several projects to the Yemens. The Yemens could expect profits in the tens of millions of dollars annually. The family hit the jackpot. They were moving up in Riverbank’s social hierarchy too.However, Lock’s family
The party was in the bar on the third floor of Bronze Sparrow. Kaze walked inside and noticed the customers. It appeared that Cyan did not reserve the entire space. She merely booked two private booths. The previous incidents had no effect on Bronze Sparrow as it was business as usual. The bar was a bustling hive of activity with loud DJ music, heads bobbing, and people partying. Snow furrowed her brows, not particularly enjoying the scene. Since she was already there, she figured that she should make the most out of it. Just as the song ended, the bar quieted down, and Cyan brought the group to a booth. A well-dressed group was seated in the booth. With Cyan approaching, they exchanged greetings. “Hey, everybody. This is my new friend, Snow Frost. She’s Mr. Tenby’s crush.” Cyan formally introduced Snow to the group and presented her influencer friends to everybody too. The group at the booth was Cyan’s friends before she became an influencer. Of course, the group
Cyan frowned. “You’ve not been out for long, Wesley. It’s better not to start anything, especially with Ryokanians.” Wesley was no longer on par with her anyway, so there was nothing romantic going on between them. Nevertheless, Cyan would consider being friends with Wesley. Upon learning that she wanted to have a party at Bronze Sparrow, Wesley volunteered to reserve her seats. “Tsk. Ryokanians don’t mean squat. My cousin, Buffy, is now the chairwoman of Gwake Corporation. She asked for my release, and I was let out with no questions asked. One Ryokanian doesn’t scare me.” Wesley pouted in disdain. He saw Kaze behind the crowd and grimaced. “Get out of the way!” Wesley yelled at the people in front and made a beeline toward Kaze. He said curly, “Oh, if it isn’t the moocher? I didn’t expect to see you here.“Tell me. Who did you have to suck up to get in? “I doubt you can get into this exclusive place on your own. “I hate to say this, Cyan. “But why did you bring
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