Everyone from the top three families knelt and prostrated, not making a sound. “You lot tricked James and plotted the car crash to murder him. You accused him of sexually assaulting Taylor Swan and then forced him to jump off the building. And you people even scattered his ashes! “You went back on your promise and betrayed him, that’s crime number one.” Kaze counted the crimes of the top three families condescendingly. “You took advantage of James’ widow and daughter, forcing Winnie to remarry and harming his parents. That’s crime number two! “You plotted against the Shangrila Group, causing it to go bankrupt, stole its secret, and harmed the employees. That’s the third crime! “You recruited thugs from the underworld to oppress your competitors, running the business world of the city. Don’t forget about the bribery and annexation. That’s crime number four! “You monopolized the priority industry, oppressed the people of the city, and gained wealth through illicit means. Th
Countless people gathered outside Jade Estate, and there were more making their way here. All the roads connecting to the estate saw standstill traffic. The Traffic Department under the city council was forced to mobilize more manpower to clear the traffic and maintain order. Ever since the city was built, it had never seen such a grand funeral before. The red carpets were taken away, the stage for the ceremony was taken down, and the flowers along the pathways were removed. The top three families spent tens of millions to prepare this event to flatter the God of War, yet because of an order, all the decorations were taken down. All the decorations in Jade Estate were changed to prepare for the wake service. White flowers were placed around the lake, giving the entire premise a gloomy and heavy mood. The square that was used for the inauguration ceremony was turned into the venue for the wake service and funeral. A group of five to six hundred people appeared in forma
“James White’s ashes were already scattered by the top three families. That’s why the God of War evicted the Chapman family from the estate and used the place for the cenotaph,” someone from the audience answered. Then, Camry and Teresa put their son’s belongings into the casket as they cried. “Daddy, this was the toy you bought for Brenda…” Winnie carried Brenda to let her place a yellow duck inside. The girl’s innocent voice made everyone teared up. Winnie brought Brenda over in the end because she was James’ only daughter. After the casket was sealed and buried, the tombstone was erected. “James White.” It was not as tall as the statue of the Chapman family’s ancestors; it was just a normal tombstone. Then, the funeral officially ended. From now on, the family estate of the Chapman family became the tomb of James White. Two years ago, the top three families caused James’ death and took his company. Two years later, now, the gathering place of the top three
A while later, everyone finally recovered their composure. “Kaze, what are you talking about? The God of War just left and you are impersonating him again?” Not just Deborah who was deeply prejudiced against Kaze, even Darcy did not believe him. Kaze said, “Darcy, yesterday I said the Chapman family would have to move out of the Jade Estate and they did today. The estate was then turned into James’ grave. “All three families, the Chapmans, Goldings, and Everias, paid respect to James and were the pallbearers. You guys thought I was bragging and bluffing right?” He never thought of hiding his identity from Darcy because she was his wife. Even if she found out that he was the God of War, and if he asked her to keep the secret, he believed she would never tell. Revealing his identity would only bring disaster to Lilyrose City. The moment he saw the disappointment on Darcy’s face, he decided to reveal the truth. “Yeah.” Darcy, Rose, and the others nodded. They witnessed
Darcy did not blame Kaze though. She was happy enough that Kaze got out of trouble. Nothing was more important than her family’s safety and well-being. “Come on, let’s go home.” The two of them went back to Horizon Mirror. During lunch, the afternoon news reported the unprecedented funeral at Jade Estate. The aftereffects of the funeral continued to unfold. “Taylor Swan’s solo concert was canceled. All her fans requested a refund, and her agency terminated her contract.“She also turned herself in and confessed that she was instigated by the top three families to accuse James White of sexual assault.“Lightning Tiger, Aster Fellini, Shelly Fowler, and many more turned themselves in.“It was also reported that the entire Chapman family, more than a hundred people, have moved out of Jade Estate.” “The assets, market shares, and properties belonging to the three families are all confiscated by the city council, and related assets will be auctioned away in the near future.
Upon the phone call from Snow, Ray dispatched his men to deliver Kaze’s message to the Lees. In Sunrise City, the key members of the Lee family gathered at the family estate. They were discussing getting a chunk of the pie of Lilyrose businesses. While in their meeting, they got a message from Lilyrose. “What do you think about the loser’s warning?” George, the head of the household, looked at the family with an ashen look. “Kaze is just a piece of trash, George.” Gregory, the second-in-command in the family, said, “We received intel that the boy’s alias is Jesse White. He re-established Shangrila right under the three major families’ noses.“Now that the God of War punished these elite families by seizing their assets and compensating James’ family, Shangrila Group will only develop rapidly from there. “If we continue to dismiss the boy and think of him as nothing more than a mentally unstable psycho, we will be losing more than we can bargain.” His words drove many
For the past two weeks, Narian dreamed of the moment he would kill Kaze with his bare hands. He wanted to make Kaze pay for humiliating him at the distributor conference. Narian rushed to Lilyrose with his team in tow. That night, Narian, representing the Sunrise Lees, held a dinner party at Dynasty Hotel. All the rich, powerful, and famous received an invitation to the dinner. The purpose of the feast was plain to see. It was to mark the Sunrise Lees’ public comeback to Lilyrose. The Lees were a wealthy family from Lilyrose. It had only been six years since they uprooted to Sunrise. Hence, their influence remained in Lilyrose. There was no doubt the Sunrise Lees were the overlords of Lilyrose. The three top families may be the unspoken rulers of the city, but the Lees overruled them. No one would decline an invitation from the Lee family. “Kaze, you must know about Narian’s party. Quartet Group received an invitation, and we are both invited.” Darcy retur
In fact, Samus and Deborah met with Narian under Logan’s instruction. Logan could not resist dipping his hands into getting part of the three major families’ assets. Quintessential Group was now an empty shell as all the talents had jumped ship to Quartet Group. The Quints did not have the funds or talents to run the company. Since the Quints happened to know that the Lees wanted to screw with Darcy’s family, they thought they could offer their services. “That’s true. Nothing matters more than family. You’re right on that front.” Narian nodded and asked, “What is your family expecting out of it?” Overjoyed, Samus drew close ingratiatingly. “We want you, as the representative of the Sunrise Lees, to put in the good word for us so that our family gets a slice of the three top families’ seized assets.” “No problem. I will hold up my end of the bargain,” Narian agreed readily. Samus and Deborah brought the good news back to the family, and Logan could not be happier.
“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