The sniper could not afford to hesitate anymore! She decided to risk it all with the next shot. She pulled the trigger. As though the man with the umbrella sensed the sniper rifle aiming at him, he suddenly jumped forward and rolled away. “Thump!” The shot was fired. Through the sniper’s scope, the sniper took aim at where the man’s head would pop up under the umbrella at the next moment. However, due to the man’s forward roll before the shot was even fired, the sniper’s bullet missed the target by a fraction of a second. “Damn it! It’s him!” The sniper grunted angrily, her tone furious. Her gut was right. The man with the umbrella and plastic bag was indeed Kaze, her target, and she hesitated to take the shot. Her target was within rage and had she fired, she would have killed Kaze ten times over. Kaze had dodged a bullet once more. She never believed in the superstitious, nothing about sixth sense or clairvoyance. Even if such ability existed, it should not
The blueprint of the building was quickly presented to Kaze. “Thanks.” Kaze took the blueprints, glanced over it, and said, “I have to go to the 98th floor, please take me there through the fastest route.” Elevators in five-star hotels required access key cards, so it was unlikely that he could go up by himself. “This way please.” The receptionist quickly guided Kaze to the elevator. When he walked past a trash can, he took the “warrant” from the state police department and crumpled it into a ball before throwing it inside, all under the receptionist’s confused gaze. There was no way he could get a warrant from the state police department. The piece of paper with the official stamp on it was just a document of his previous release. He thought he could reuse it once more before throwing it away. …The presidential suite. Soon, the sniper recovered her composure. She removed the black robe on herself and moved away from the table. She actually covered herself with
“Thud!” The moment the case fell onto the floor, the sniper revealed a black dagger in her right hand. “Swoosh!” She quickly lowered her body and lunged out, thrusting the dagger at Kaze’s neck. The woman was not only skilled with a sniper rifle, but she was also quick and ferocious like a viper with the dagger during close combat. “Zwoo!” Kaze advanced on her instead of moving away. With a slight tilt of his head, he dodged the incoming dagger narrowly but easily. The sniper did not expect Kaze to be this quick. She clenched her teeth and grip before turning her wrist at Kaze, trying to stab him. Kaze did not give her a second chance. He slightly twisted his waist to lift his leg and then kicked forward. “Thump!” A heavy thud sounded. The sniper groaned in pain when the kick landed at her abdomen. She was sent flying back, crashing onto the wall before sliding onto the floor. “As a sniper and a woman, you are skilled not only with the sniper rifle but also in c
“Whip!” Kaze twirled the cloth in his hand and used it as a whip, smacking the sniper in the left cheek. The force of the whip sent her sprawling to the floor again, breaking a tooth in the process and making her spit it out along with blood. “Hiding a poison capsule behind your tooth?” Kaze stepped forward and stomped on the tooth-like capsule to break it. He then said coldly, “So you were trained by Siber and are ready to die for him?” The sniper tried to kill herself with the poison behind her tooth but Kaze just stopped her. Lying down on the floor, the sniper looked at Kaze in fear. She finally had a taste of despair. She could not even kill herself in front of him. Without sparing a glance at the woman lying on the floor, Kaze pulled out his phone, which had been buzzing incessantly moments ago. “Kaze, Albert and I are at Bronze Sparrow now. How’s your side doing?” It was from Snow and her voice sounded concerned. Kaze smiled. “You are calling me. Doesn’t
Siber’s secret killer? No wonder not even South, the so-called diplomat of the Steelclaw Guild, had no idea of her existence. The sniper, Samantha, was even sent to Ryokan to train as a ninja. “Interesting.” Noticing the pondering look on Kaze, Collier lowered his head and said, “I am sorry, Branch Leader. The woman is only a killer. I thought I could make her tell me who contacted Siber and contracted him to kill you, but she had no idea.” “It’s normal that she doesn’t know. If she does, then the mastermind is being unprofessional and careless,” Kaze said. He waved his hand and said, “There’s nothing much to get out from her anyway. As soon as I walked out of the state police department, she came for me. So, there are only two people who eagerly want me dead. “It’s either Reiko Hara, or Aiden Krad, but I tend to lean more toward the latter. Reiko is much more difficult to deal with and the Ryokanians are powerful here in Riverbank. If I can walk out of the state police d
The men spread out and quickly surrounded Kaze and Collier. One of them, in a black uniform and a headband over his forehead, stepped up and said coldly, “Kaze Lee, I am Senji Kadota from the Refined Blade Clan. I heard you have taken Anzu Okita. You have one minute to hand her over and I will take her away, or else I will level Bronze Sparrow to the ground and make this place your grave!” Senji peered down at Kaze condescendingly as if he were looking at a dead man. He did not take Kaze seriously at all. Kaze did not even look back at Senji. He grumbled, “What is Miru doing? I put her in charge of Bronze Sparrow and this is how she does things? Some random people came down here and she told me this is a safe spot?” Miru had become the kingpin of Riverbank’s underworld. With her connection to Kaze, she was able to secure a tight relationship with the Viper’s Den South River Branch as well. Collier knew Kaze was annoyed and not necessarily criticizing her like a mere employee.
“Pft!” Even Kaze could not hold back his laughter. Collier was amusing at times. “You bastard!” Senji was infuriated by Collier’s words, but he was on a mission to retrieve someone important, so he suppressed his erupting anger and said coldly, “Anzu Okita has another name here in Arcadia—Samantha Oakland. “She might be an Arcadian but the martial artists here are all show and no power, charlatans if you may. She studied under a famous teacher in Ryokan and was given a new name.” Kaze was not concerned by Senji’s insult but he glanced at Collier. Collier tacitly understood Kaze’s glance and quickly lowered his head, with his forehead glistening with sweat. He said timidly, “I am sorry, but my men did whatever they could to make the woman talk. “We thought she had spilled everything but it seems like she still kept something from us.” It was a serious mistake for not being able to extract all the information from Samantha. Initially, Kaze thought she was just a kille
Collier knew exactly who Albert was—the ex-chief commander of the South River Strategic Department. He was certainly powerful. If it was one-on-one, Senji might not even make it through the first round even if he sounded intimidating. Yet there were almost fifty of them and all of them were experts, equipped with a katana. One slash from each of them could easily slice Albert into a thousand pieces. Collier was worried that Albert might be overwhelmed by the numbers. “Calm down.” Kaze explained, “I know better than anyone how powerful Albert is. After going through the lengthy fight at Drake Gym the other day, he’s reaching the point where he could break through to the next stage. “If he could overcome this situation, then he would be able to take the final step to the next stage, thus becoming an expert Warlord. Only then will he be worthy of being the chief commander of the South River Strategic Department.” He ignored the other Ryokanians and focused his gaze on Albe
“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