Snow had prepared a list of guests to invite to the renaming ceremony. Around 9:30 AM, almost all the guests had arrived at the scene. “Bernard Vikrom and Peter Logman? The heads of the first-tier families came in person!” “That’s Nick Guard, the chairman of the local government financing platform! That’s the CEO of Heavensward Group, Bruno Bandino!” “The Orange Group and Far Vision from the capital…” The reporters bombarded the guests with their flashlights on their cameras. High up in the chairman’s office, Winnie teared up as she looked at the grand and unprecedented scene. She wiped her tears away and asked, “Mr. Chairman, you are not going to attend the ceremony? They are all here for you. Why don’t you let the entire city know that you are not the useless son-in-law of the Quints?” Winnie joined Shangrila Group because Snow called her. From the moment she found out Kaze was Jesse White, she knew the man was the chairman of Perfect World Group and the one respons
As the group of young men marched toward the stage, multiple drones hovered above it, capturing the scene from different angles live. Meanwhile in Jade Estate, the heads of the top three families were watching the live broadcast on the massive screen while enjoying tea. “Belarus, we sent that many men over to the ceremony to cause trouble. If Jesse White contacted the police or the military, wouldn’t those men be used against us?” Edward asked when the men appeared on the screen. Belarus arranged for the men to thrash the ceremony alone and he only informed the other two afterwards. If it was against someone else, two hundred men would certainly work effectively. Most of the people would be scared and frightened by the sheer number of men. However, they were going up against Jesse White who was deeply connected with the military. Martin Renslayer of the Lilyrose Strategic Department Logistic Division was someone the top three families tried to flatter but he was relieved of
“I am the CEO of Shangrila Group, Winnie Souffle. Welcome, Principal Tensor and the students of Tensor Martial Arts School,” Winnie said politely while trying to be calm. “Oh, so you are James White’s ex-wife, Winnie Souffle? No wonder they say you are a beautiful woman!” Dwight sized up Winnie from top to bottom pervertedly. He would have raped Winnie if his gaze could materialize. Dwight was a well-known pervert and a sexual offender. He impregnated a student of his school and made headlines for a while. However, due to his background and connections, he was able to suppress the scandal. The school was not affected by his sexual offense. “Thank you, Principal Tensor. I wonder what brings you and your students here.” Winnie had gotten used to men looking at her pervertedly, so she was not offended at all. “I’ll be straight with you.” Dwight pointed at his students and said, “James promised me that he would help the students with their careers and future, so I brought
Two hundred martial arts students answered en masse. They were so loud that it felt like the ground trembled. They looked ferocious. One word from Dwight and they would wreck the stage, the venue, and even the entire building without hesitation. The martial arts students were more terrifying than street thugs. Street thugs knew the consequences of breaking the law and they were afraid of the law enforcers and those who had backgrounds. The students were still teenagers, some minors, and they would follow their principal’s orders without hesitation. They practiced martial arts and they always resolved things with violence. “Ms. Souffle, when Shangrila Group moved back to Lilyrose, you promised to help the city’s development and because of that, you got a lot of benefits and support from the city council. “Shouldn’t you be helping me in solving my students’ problems? Don’t tell me you are breaking the promise now that James is gone. I might not be able to hold my students
Dwight looked down on Kaze and raised the price on the spot. Kaze said, “Shangrila Group is trying to form a specialized and professional security team. If the students of Tensor Martial Arts School are capable, I can afford five billion a year. But your students…” He scanned over the students. Not one of them looked strong or disciplined, most of them were just underaged thugs. He chuckled and said, “Since they are still students, I can pay them five hundred per month.” He insulted Dwight in his face. “You piece of shit! I’ll break you!” The students were furious and agitated. They all shouted at Kaze fiercely. “Jesse White, I will tell my students to wreck this place and see if they are worth five billion!” Dwight’s expression turned grim. Then, he ordered his students to spread out to wreck the building. It was then another strong voice sounded. “Dwight Tensor, if you wreck Shangrila Group, I will erase the Tensor Martial Art School from the face of the city!” Th
As Kaze had no intention of letting Dwight leave, Alan furrowed his brows. The bodyguard behind Alan said coldly, “Chairman White, Dwight is walking away from this on Mr. Cummingham’s request. You should quit while you’re ahead.” In the bodyguard’s opinion, Alan had already told Dwight to get lost. Dwight was glad to let the whole thing go since Alan asked. That should be the end of the matter. However, Kaze was insistent that Dwight stay. His behavior was a slap in Alan’s face. The local government and Lilyrose underworld; the rich and the filthy would do nothing to undermine Alan’s authority. “Don’t tell others what to do unless you have walked a mile in their shoes. Mr. Cummingham, your people don’t seem to see the sense in that.” Without looking at the bodyguard, Kaze talked to Alan indifferently, “Dwight brought his men to stir trouble at the renaming ceremony. He insulted my deceased buddy. Things are not over because you say so.” “Don’t take it there, Jesse!”
“I have two hundred students with me, Jesse. If you want to make an example out of me, you should at least have six hundred soldiers on your side.” Dwight did not see the army of soldiers as a threat. These men might be able to stand at attention, but that ability was not a testament to their combat competence. Kaze was delusional to think that a hundred men could put a dent on him. Could Kaze round up six hundred soldiers? Dwight did not think so. Unless Kaze could deploy troops from the military. It was impossible. Ignoring Dwight, Kaze asked without looking back, “How many of you to sort these martial arts students?” “30, sir!” The veteran soldier standing in front of fifty men on the left reported. His name was Wyatt Bernett. He was the squadron leader of the Garo Special Ops Team before he retired. Wyatt had a good job lined up as a personal bodyguard to a multibillionaire after he retired from the military.When Kaze wanted to put together a professional secu
Dwight could throw a tantrum and stomp his foot all he wanted, but he could do nothing to turn the tide. Thirty veterans charged toward the group of 170 martial arts students. Like a pack of wolves, they rushed into a herd of sheep. These veterans had trained to draw blood. The group of students, fueled by reckless fervor and a craving for combat, were no match for these veterans who had been to the battlefield. Dwight watched as his students were knocked out one after another. His expression was grim. Wham! In the end, the last dozen students who were still standing were knocked down. The clash between 30 and 200 ended in one minute and 40 seconds. The students scattered across the venue in a lying position. “It’s a mission accomplished, Mr. Chairman.” The thirty veterans regrouped without the need to catch their breath. “Good job. You have passed the pre-employment assessment.” Kaze nodded and looked at Dwight who was in distress. “Mr. Tensor, have I prove
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