Three minutes went by quickly. The last one standing, Senji, fell onto the floor with his hands over his neck, his expression in disbelief. Blood gushed out from the seams of his fingers over his neck. He held his neck tightly, trying to speak but the signs of life faded from his face rapidly. Cough… Senji opened his mouth but blood gushed out uncontrollably before he finally died. The noisy underground level finally returned to silence. Albert was covered in blood, standing on a pile of dead bodies. His bloodshot eyes were closed. Collier looked as pale as paper. He stared at Albert with fear and reverence while he got up on his feet. He then looked at Kaze, but he did not and dared not speak. Kaze remained quiet as he looked at Albert. A while later, Albert finally opened his eyes, which had returned to normal. He then went to one of the cells with the iron door and stood in front of it for a few seconds before he raised his right hand for a punch. Bang! A
Albert was greatly encouraged by the words. Kaze said it was possible for him to achieve Wargod rank in the future. As long as he could set his mind at the goal, and train himself properly, he would eventually achieve it. He put his arrogance and excitement away and said with a strict look, “I understand. I will not be carried away by my emotions and pride.” His eyes at Kaze were filled with admiration. After reaching the Warlord rank himself, he finally got a glimpse of just how powerful Wargod rank experts like Kaze truly were. Collier finally regained his composure. He gulped nervously and said, “Branch Leader, should we go to war with the Refined Blade Clan? We killed their elite members and if we go after them now, we can certainly hurt their influence here in Riverbank. “Then, we might be able to uproot them completely, including Reiko Hara. She’s the one who set this up and sent hitmen after you.” Collier then bowed and continued, “I am willing to take charge and g
“Aiden? You are back already?” Reiko sipped wine as she asked without turning around, “Have you brought Kaze Lee’s body back? That bastard ruined our plan one time after another. If I don’t see his dead body with my own eyes, I might not be able to sleep at night.” Killing Kaze was a suggestion made by Aiden after his release from the state police department. However, Aiden did not carry out the plan by himself. Instead, he informed Reiko and so the plan was formed. To Reiko, Kaze’s death was not a necessity, but he had repeatedly disrupted their plans. If eliminating Kaze could help Aiden vent his grievances, then it would be worth the effort. Aiden stared at Reiko’s bare back but he no longer had any feelings for her. After what happened the other day, he started to see Reiko as a woman of power, someone that he could not afford to mess with. He ought to steer away from her or he would not even notice it when she devoured him alive. He took a deep breath and said, “I
“He then told Conan Queen to bring Anzu to Bronze Sparrow. Snow and her new mysterious bodyguard also went into the place. “Kaze Lee has been inside there since then, and I am certain. Most importantly, Bronze Sparrow is the home base for the new kingpin in Riverbank, Miru Scarlet. She’s the best friend of Kaze Lee’s wife since they were in Lilyrose. “When the other members of the dojo got into a conflict with Kaze Lee at Bronze Sparrow, it was Miru who stepped up and defended him. “After Kaze Lee went inside, all of Miru’s men went off. I thought he asked Miru to send her men after us, so I increased the security at the Dojo. “I also believed it was a good chance to take out Kaze for good, so I requested you to send Senji and his men. “I saw them storm in but no one came out. Half an hour later, a few dumpster trucks arrived.” Reiko could not help but frown when she heard Aiden. “Dumpster trucks?” Aiden’s expression turned pale. “Yeah. I saw the dumpster trucks enter the
“W-Why?” Aiden lost his confidence in front of Reiko. He was shocked when he heard Reiko mention targeting Snow. He asked, “My brother is into her.” “That’s right. It’s because your brother is into her that she has to die.” Reiko opened her palm, watching as the broken glass slipped through the seams of her fingers. She explained coldly, “The woman whom the young master of the Krad family, the chief commander of the South River Strategic Department, likes, has lowered herself to serve a live-in husband as a nameless follower. “If the news got out, not only the Krad family would be embarrassed, but I also believe Chief Commander Krad would feel insulted. There are things he wanted to do but could not. “Aiden, your brother is your senior and as the younger sibling, you should know how to share the burden.” She spoke with an alluring tone, providing Aiden with a reason to execute her plan. She made it sound like Aiden would be betraying his brother if he did not agree or e
Reiko curled her lips as she explained. Even Aiden had to admit that her proposal was extremely tempting. As a core member of the Refined Blade Clan and having the full support of Sanwell Finances, her words held massive weight. If the Krad family could strengthen their relationship with Ryokan, then it would mean having extremely powerful foreign support. As for patriotism, that was not within Aiden’s consideration from the start. However, Aiden dared not simply agree to let Reiko matchmake Anzu with Aaron, his brother. “Reiko, if Anzu held such a prestigious position, why would she be under Siberian’s command in the first place, serving as a secret killer?” A quick thought later, he further explained, “I am not judging or suspecting Anzu, but I just have to get this clear. You know my brother has a high standard for women. Many women from different powerful families tried to ask him out, but he never showed any interest. “Snow was the only one good enough to capture h
Reiko nodded at the humble Aiden, showing her approval. Aiden asked, “But Anzu is captured. How are we going to rescue her from Kaze Lee?” Senji and his men, almost fifty of them, were wiped out. It was impossible to ask Kaze to hand over Anzu without a fight. In fact, Aiden could only hope that Kaze had not killed Anze in a fit of rage. Reiko said, “We need to use Snow Frost to make it happen. Both their men and Anzu are in Bronze Sparrow, along with a formidable figure guarding Snow. If I’m not mistaken, he’s the same man who recently started as her bodyguard. “That’s why we have to lure her out.” She narrowed her eyes and nonchalantly continued, “We have to find a reason for Snow to leave Bronze Sparrow alone. And then, we will lure Kaze Lee over. “Given his cautious personality, he would surely bring the powerful bodyguard along. Then, Bronze Sparrow would be guardless and we could send our men there to rescue Anzu. “When Kaze arrives, Snow would already be dead a
When Kaze first arrived at Riverbank and visited Lock at his family gathering, Wesley presented the family with a few boxes of blood bird’s nest, which the family cherished and appreciated. Now, Ryna swept the boxes to the ground and bellowed, “Get out! No one wants your stupid gift! We can afford it ourselves! Compensate the value loss of our house? How are you going to do that? “Are you going to give us your villa at Wyomspring?” She shouted at the top of her lungs as she was irritated by Kaze’s words. Kaze crouched down to pick up the presents and calmly said, “The villa was given to me by the mayor, I can’t just simply give it away. But, if you want, I can rent it to you for a long-term stay.” “Long-term stay?” Ryna got even more furious. “Kaze Lee, so this is the compensation you are talking about? Are you looking down on us? Who wants your stupid villa? Get out! Don’t let me see you again!” She slammed the gate in his face and went off. Cyan was not as angry as he
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