Some people were forced to bow down to life. However, in the face of danger, these very people would step up in a heartbeat to protect others. Kaze was touched when his godfather stood in front of him, trying to protect him. Other than Darcy and his brothers and sisters back at the God of War Palace, he found another person who would stand up for him. Thump! A heavy thump brought Kaze back from his absent-minded state. When he regained consciousness and saw what happened, he was burning with anger.Camry was already on the floor, screaming in pain as he held his arm tightly. He was still trying to urge Kaze to run despite being hurt. “You piece of old shit! Get out of the way!” one of the men shouted at Camry as he raised the baseball bat for a second swing. He hit Camry in the arm with the baseball bat. Before his second swing could touch Camry, a strong gale blew in his face. Bang! Before he could react, he was sent flying away. He crashed on the floor furt
They charged an exorbitant price to cremate the body or purchase a burial plot for the dead. The price was so ridiculous that the people of Lilyrose had been complaining for many years. An incident that shook the entire city happened a few years ago. Someone passed away and his family could not afford the astronomical figure for cremation, but they dared not reject Lightning Tiger’s men openly. Therefore, they contacted a hearse in the middle of the night, hoping to carry the body to another city for cremation. Unfortunately, before the hearse could drive out of the city, Lightning Tiger’s men stopped them. The family suffered the consequences and it made headlines for days. However, there were no definite results. “Two years ago, Lighting Tiger ordered us to scatter James White’s ashes, leaving only the empty urn. It’s not us! We were just doing as we were told!” Mr. Sapproni begged. “If you think you are innocent, let me ask you this, have you taken any money that L
Soon, Reeve arrived at an expensive mansion on the outskirts of the city. Based on the information provided by the chief commander’s office, this would be the Tiger’s den. Inside one of the buildings, a buffed and tall middle-aged man sat on a chair covered with a tiger's pelt, crossing his legs as he smoked a cigar. The tiger’s pelt was an authentic one. The ferocious-looking tiger’s head was hanging above the man. Its vicious gaze looked like it was choosing its prey. It also granted the man a mighty and ferocious aura. The man there was the one who monopolized the entire funeral industry of Lilyrose—Lightning Tiger. Among all the gangster bosses in the underworld, Lightning Tiger was a strange one because he made money out of the dead. He was one of the most notorious figures and most of the mob bosses disliked him. His influence in the funeral industry fueled his arrogance. He looked down on those who refused to deal with him and he rarely participated in any ot
“Captain Carter, please! Help me! I’ll give you all my money if you can just help me!” Lightning Tiger knelt on the floor, begging. His men were also on their knees, shaking as they had messed with someone they could not afford to—the God of War. Lightning Tiger had scattered the ashes of the God of War's good friend! He was bold enough to disregard the other gangster bosses in the underworld, even Alan Cummingham and Cronus could not threaten him. He had always maintained minimal respect for them but never allowed them to trespass into his territory and seize his business. However, when he realized what he had done, he felt chills running down his spine—an unprecedented fear! He messed with the youngest God of War in the country’s history! One word from the man himself would get Tiger and his men executed on the spot! Reeve was unfazed no matter how Lightning Tiger begged. He said coldly, “This is a direct order from the God of War. No one is allowed to alter or diso
“A guy in uniform and you think he’s from the chief commander’s office? I can give you and your men a uniform each, does that make you soldiers?” Frank laughed so hard that he teared up. After he wiped off his tears, he scoffed, “Tiger, you are really a fool. It’s just a little trick and it scares your soul out. Do you know who that man is? He’s the stupid son-in-law of the Quint family.” “It’s him?” Lightning Tiger was surprised. “I have a picture of him. You can verify it if you want.” Frank sent Lightning Tiger a picture of Kaze. Lightning Tiger then verified it with the workers at the funeral home. A while later, he got a reply. They were the same person! “Fuck! He tricked me!” Lightning Tiger was furious. Frank grinned and said, “So, are you still going to him and kneel?” “Kneel his ass! I am Lightning Tiger, why would I kneel to a useless piece of shit!” He almost became the laughingstock if he actually knelt before the useless son-in-law of a second-tier
“G-Grim Reaper?!” Lightning Tiger was surprised to see the man. Chills ran down his spine instantly. Jeremiah Reaper, the man who killed Gabriel Black, Cronus’ strongest fighter. Lightning Tiger was horrified. His legs turned weak and he almost fell on his knees. Jeremiah extended his broken sword to Lightning Tiger’s neck and lifted his chin. It was just the tip yet it managed to stop Lightning Tiger from kneeling. “Don’t kneel here. Go kneel at the hospital. You still have half an hour left.” Then, Jeremiah left. “I thought Frank said that guy is just some useless shit? But the Grim Reaper is here to deliver his message?!” Lightning Tiger was confused. “Boss, you still have half an hour left.” It was his man’s reminder that brought him back from his shock. “Quick! I have to go to the hospital now!” Lightning Tiger darted out of his office and drove to the hospital like a madman. He managed to reach the hospital within the time limit. “Huh! Huh! M-Master
Lighting Tiger was shocked by Kaze’s words. “But the Chapmans would never agree.” The Chapman family had more than a hundred people living in Jade Estate, yet someone they hated wanted to erect a cenotaph next to where they lived. They would never allow it. “Then make the Chapman family move. Since the Jade Estate is ready, I just need to prepare my brother’s cenotaph, and no need to waste time building another tomb for him.” James’ death anniversary was around the corner. Lightning Tiger was completely stunned by Kaze’s self-righteousness. He did not expect Kaze to be this tyrannical. Kaze planned to move the Chapmans away from the estate that they had been living in for generations so that he could use the place to erect James’ cenotaph. It would be a huge humiliation to the Chapman family! Kaze then glanced at him and said, “Bring some people over there to inspect the place and deliver my message to the top three families…” …Belarus, Edward, and Flint, the he
“Cenotaph!? You want to erect a cenotaph in Jade Estate, where hundreds of my family live?! What the hell is this, Lightning Tiger?! I dare you to say it one more time in my face and I will kill you right now!” Even with his wealth of experience, Belarus was seething with anger. If a cenotaph was erected in the estate, then the Chapman family’s ancestors would probably jump out from their graves to hold him responsible. “Master Chapman, you are right. It is exactly what that person meant. I am not going to repeat myself,” Lightning Tiger said. “Oh and since all three of you are here, that person wants me to deliver a message.” The three heads of families frowned and glared at Lightning Tiger. “The message reads: Three days later will be James White’s death anniversary. The Chapman family is to move out of the Jade Estate by then. On the day of the anniversary, all family members of the top three families, men and women, old and young, shall visit James White’s grave and kne
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