“I have a tiny business with a turnover of a million bucks a year. You can take over the business. “I have a house and two commercial properties, but the title deeds are under my wife’s name. Once she’s out of the hospital, I can transfer the deeds to your name.” At this point, Clark was willing to give up all his assets in exchange for his family’s health. “You are considerably well-off, and your business is making a profit. I’m sure you can afford the hospital bill. Why are you giving up your assets to me?” Kaze thought it was strange. Surely, the expenses at Serenity 37 were not more than the family could afford. “There’s no talking to the management at Serenity 37. My child’s hospital bill is 50 million dollars, and all my family’s combined assets are not enough to cover the expenses. I wanted to pay in installments, but that’s not an option.“The institution expects my wife to donate a kidney to get free surgery for my kid, and only then, my wife and kid will be allowed
“Thank you, Mr. Lee.” Clark looked at the name on the business card and felt assured. Though he had never heard of Kaze before, the title on the card listed the chairman of Perfect World Group. His wife and kid would be safe if an influential man like Kaze offered his help. “I hope you can keep to your promise and owe me one. I would expect the return of the favor.” Kaze may not want the favor back, but a promise was a promise. “Rest assured, Mr. Lee. I will pay you back promptly. What I have, I’ll give to you.” Seeing hope, Clark was in better spirits. He looked at Kaze enthusiastically. “Give me a call if you need anything. You don’t have to call me when your problem is solved.” Kaze was in a rush to catch the train. With the issues in Riverbank straightened out, he should head to Butterworth. He wondered if Venom managed to make her escape. However, it was no easy feat to run away from Hades’ Hand. Kaze had too many important businesses to pay attention t
Clark explained everything to his wife as they got their child transferred out of Serenity 37.Erin did not understand why Kaze would help them. However, Erin could feel her husband’s determination to save the family at the cost of bankruptcy. She knew she married the right man. “We should thank Mr. Lee, but there’s no telling whether we will see him again.” Erin was grateful to her husband for putting the family first. She was also thankful for a stranger’s kindness. Most importantly, not everybody would do so much for a stranger. It was fifty million dollars. Not everybody could afford this kind of money. Kaze was a kind soul who trusted a stranger wholeheartedly and forked out so much money. Clark understood that he had been brash, but his family’s lives were at stake. “We can breathe easy now. You need to rest well. Once we are in better spirits, we can visit Mr. Lee with gifts. I stumbled upon his address. I will stroll around the area in the next few days.” C
Kaze was able to go back to his seat when the girl approached to snack on the tidbits. She must be hungry. While munching on food, the girl looked out the door as if waiting for someone. Killing time, Kaze checked out the small lounge. He did not comment on anything about the girl. The girl happened to cock her head back. Noticing that Kaze was staring, she made a mean face. “What are you looking at?” Leah Lyfe had a temper. She was heading home after a trip. Her trip was not supposed to end so quickly, but her plan was ruined by one person. She needed to make haste back to Butterworth, and Leah was not pleased. The fact that her mother would pick her up at the train station only to annoy her further. Her mother was the CEO of the Northborn Group. While she enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle, it was at the cost of her freedom. She was not keen on having anyone control her life, but her mother’s control issues left her without much room to breathe. Thanks to her beaut
Instead of responding to Leah, Kaze grabbed his luggage and walked away. Anxious, Leah dragged her suitcase right behind him. Kaze did not want to spend another minute with her, so he picked up the pace. He lost her during check-in. Just when Kaze was able to make his way down to the boarding area, a commotion stirred in the back. He looked back and saw the girl being stopped by a handsome man. The man in the suit, without any luggage, seemed to be in a rush. Minding his own business, Kaze headed straight to the boarding area. Once Kaze got to his seat, he was ready for a shut-eye. The trip to Butterworth would take several hours, so he could catch some sleep on the train. Kaze must have been exhausted because he quickly dozed off. He wore an eye mask in case the light caught his eyes. A nearby couple was pretty disruptive when Kaze was trying to get some rest. The quiet carriage only amped up the noise. The couple bickered without concern for others. More acc
“I might be able to put up with you if you didn’t cheat on me, but we’re way past that now.” Leah was firm on that note. There was no way Leah could look past the cheating. “She didn’t mean anything to me. You should know that given our social standing, we have plenty of women around. At least we don’t bring our mistresses home.” Perry believed he was gracious enough. Leah was not having it. Sure, Perry came from a rich family. However, Leah’s mother was the CEO of the Northborn Group. Leah also came from money. Though Perry belonged to the Butterworth Duncans, he had a huge family. Perry might not be competent enough to succeed the family business. Perry and Leah got along before. Drawn by Perry’s hot pursuit, Leah dated him. However, it did not take Perry long to look at other girls. Leah was not that into him anyway. She was quick to break things off with him. To her dismay, Perry tagged along on her trip and ruined her plans. Annoyed, Leah did not want to ha
Lovers, like flowers, needed care to flourish and grow. Incompatible couples would only wear each other out. It was plain to see that Perry and Leah were not a good fit. Kaze glanced at them before cocking his head to look out the window. Since he could not get some sleep, he might as well kill some time. Just as he turned his head, he met Leah’s gaze. “It’s you.” Kaze knew he was done for. He did not want to get in trouble, but trouble seemed to find him either way. Still, he had nothing to fear. “You were the guy in the waiting lounge. Can you do me a favor and kick this fella out?” Leah put Kaze in the spot. “Who is he? When did you meet?” Perry jolted to his feet and glared at Kaze. Well, Kaze was in for it now. While he did not mind the questioning, it made him uncomfortable. He did not want to be in the crossfire between the couple. Even if they had broken up, Kaze believed it was none of his business. He simply wanted a quiet trip to Butterworth.
“Be civil. Don’t cause a scene here.” Kaze did not intend to speak up at first. However, he was the only one who could handle the situation in the carriage. The others tried to minimize their presence to stay away from trouble. It was a different story for Kaze, though. He was not afraid of trouble. “I told you to mind your own business. This is between me and my girlfriend. Who the hell are you?” Perry took his anger out on Kaze. “Don’t try to put this on someone else, Perry. I’ll tell my mother if you hurt anyone. Let’s see what you have to say for yourself then.” Leah was worried. She did not want Kaze to get hurt for intervening. “What do you see in the guy anyway? Sure, he looks good, but he has nothing on me.” Perry whined while sizing Kaze up. Kaze was rather tall. His legs were long even in a seated position. His height and build did not stand out much. However, he looked like a model. He had a handsome face that could attract any woman to bankroll him.
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