“But I know you mean well, Ms. Hara.“Don’t worry. It’s over in my books. I won’t take revenge on Jiro or put this on the Refined Blade Clan.” As Draig rambled on, Reiko furrowed her brows. “Woah! Mr. Tenby is so cool. He assaulted a Ryokanian, and another Ryokanian begged for his mercy.” “Yeah. That’s one of the perks of being an Uleanian. As Arcadians, we would be praying that the Ryokanians wouldn’t take things far.” As gasps filled the room. Cyan’s influencer friends were starstruck by Draig’s heroic response. Mika, a superfan of the Ryokanian culture, looked at Draig in admiration. She became doubtful of herself. Maybe it was better for her to migrate to Uleania instead. “So you are not going to hold the Refined Blade accountable, Mr. Tenby?” Reiko asked with a frown. “That’s right. It was just a slight altercation, so it should end that way too.” Draig waved his arm generously and pointed at Cyan. “Cyan is my good friend. Don’t put this on her too.“Well, I’
“Ms. Hara! You!” Draig put his hand over his cheeks and snapped an angry look at Reiko. Cyan and the others were confused. Reiko had come to apologize to Draig. Yet, she slapped him. “Smack!” Reiko raised her hand at Draig again. The slap left a mark on Draig’s other cheek. “Oh, you’re the son of a highly trained martial artist in Uleania. So what?” “Smack!” “Who do you think you are, saying that you won’t hold the Refined Blade Clan accountable?” “Smack!” “I have many dojos in Uleania. Your father doesn’t scare me.” “Smack!” “You sure are full of yourself! Did I say that I came to apologize to you?” “Smack!” “You sure think highly of yourself.” Without giving Draig time to breathe, Reiko whipped her hand across his face over and again. It did not take long for Draig’s face to swell up. “Phew. I’m exhausted. You can take over.” Reiko retracted her arm and spoke to her subordinate with a blank face. She brought along the Refined Blade members whos
Cyan and Ryna looked at Kaze in a daze while emotions overtook them. The influencers stared blankly at Kaze, their expression awkward. Draig, the supposed great man, was no hero. Kaze, who everybody had looked down upon, was the person Reiko wanted to rub shoulders with. What the hell was going on? The question burned in everybody’s mind. Mika, especially, was at a loss. She was wrong. Mika made the wrong call. Men were an open book to her. Yet, Mika read Kaze wrongly. Kaze could make the great Ryokanians fall. Most absurdly, Mika was sarcastic to Kaze. With the things she said in mind, Mika wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it. She could not accept that she lost the chance to be friends with a man like Kaze. Mika had herself to blame. Draig, his hands over his head, was stunned. It was impossible. No way. His screams echoed in his mind. The truth was hard to swallow. As the assault on his head continued, Draig had to accept the cold, hard f
Outside the villa, the crowd looked at Kaze in reverence. Kaze commanded the respect of a powerful Ryokanian. He was the real hero in this story.Everybody used to think that he was a pushover who held his tongue in the face of mockery. Now, Kaze’s behavior was perceived as discretion and refusal to stoop low to the level of petty people. Kaze glanced at Reiko and laughed. “I must say that I am surprised that you’re here.“I didn’t think you’d be here to apologize.” Reiko uttered, her head down, “It’s only right to apologize after making a mistake. I came here tonight to offer my apologies.” “Oh, really?” Kaze smiled offhandedly. He was skeptical of Reiko’s intention. His conflict with the Ryokanians was way past the death of Jiro. “Please believe me, Mr. Lee. I only come with good intentions.” Reiko waved her arm, and one of her people brought forth a box. The lid was opened, and the box revealed a black card inside. “What’s this?” Kaze raised a brow. Re
Ryna was focused on repairing the damage to her reputation as the mentor’s wife in the eyes of Kaze. Kaze shook his head and waved his arm, gesturing for Reiko to follow him. As the pair disappeared into the villa, Lock furrowed his brows. “What’s wrong, Dad?” Cyan asked curiously before uttering in glee, “I didn’t think Kaze’d be amazing. I guess I had the wrong idea about him. “Tsk, tsk. Even a Ryokanian VIP is sucking up to him. That’s brilliant. “Draig sure is nothing compared to him. “You are a good judge of character, Dad.” Cyan’s perception of Kaze changed. She was relieved that while she had been taunting Kaze like her mother, her family would remain close to Kaze because of Lock’s support.Well, all was not lost. Since Kaze was amazing, Cyan would make sure to be nice to him. She could exploit Kaze to get her family ahead in life. “I’m worried about Kaze.” Lock sighed and uttered, “The Ryokanian is not playing nice because of him but because of Mayor
On the other hand, Lock was worried about what Kaze might face. Any long-time resident of Riverbank would know of the Ryokanians’ entrenched and extensive influence in the city. Given his business in the city, Lock had a deeper understanding of the situation. Kent may be the mayor with absolute authority, but a direct confrontation with the Ryokanians could destroy him. Consequently, Kaze would be in grave danger. “Dad, I think you’re getting to your own head.” Cyan said without a care, “I trust in Kaze. I’m sure everything is fine.“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? “We should be thinking of building a business relationship with the mayor while Kaze has Mayor Synder’s respect.“All that matters is making money; everything else is just fluff.”Cyan did not take Lock seriously. To be honest, Cyan did not care what would happen to Kaze. The only thing on her mind was to gain her family an advantage through Kaze. “Sigh…” His daugh
Kaze smiled offhandedly. “At least, I know more than you know.” “Oh, really? I’m let down by my intelligence team.” Reiko leaned forward, giving a glimpse of her long neck and beyond. Her voice softened. “I don’t know much about you, Mr. Lee. “But my curiosity grows the more I know you.“I want to know everything about you.” The dim light gave off an amorous vibe as Reiko worked her magic. Somehow or rather, Reiko’s bare foot managed to creep up Kaze’s pants. She was a vision of beauty. Every part of Reiko’s body was a fatal attraction. Her foot was a powerful weapon to a man with particular fetishes. Tension brewed as Reiko’s foot inched higher up Kaze’s pants. Kaze said, “Do you behave this way with Aiden too?” His words broke the spell. Reiko withdrew her leg. Not feeling out of place, she beamed and said, “Aiden has nothing on you, Mr. Lee. “The Krads are prestigious in the West State, and he was born into power. He’s mediocre in achieving what he has tod
“I don’t mind being a friend to you, Ms. Hara. “But I’d rather pass if it’s the kind of friendship you have with Casius. “If I can be frank, I don’t like your people.” Reiko looked hurt. “I know many Arcadians do not look at my people favorably, but I didn’t think a man of your stature carries this prejudice too.” Kaze let out a self-deprecating smile. “I’m just a moocher who nobody thinks highly of. Why are you putting me higher than other Arcadians?” As one who rejected the notion of social hierarchy, Kaze would never treat others based on their social standing. Not playing along with Reiko, Kaze said callously, “I can tell you now that unless Sanwell Finances agrees to Mayor Synder’s proposed terms, I would never be on good terms with the Ryokanians.“Just hit me with your best shot.“I can tell you now that you will pay a heavy price. “You might not be able to handle it.” Reiko kept a straight face. “Don’t be ridiculous, Mr. Lee. I’m committed to ending our confli
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