The five companies’ combined assets were more than five hundred million, probably even more than five billion. Gregory was delighted. Since Loid accepted the gifts openly, he had no scruples about giving more. He ordered his men to send more gifts in the name of one of his companies. Meanwhile, Loid was visiting a steel factory for inspection with his men. Since Kaze did not want his identity to be revealed, it would be strange if Loid came to Lilyrose because of him. Therefore, he came to Lilyrose to inspect the local factories, nominally. After inspecting the factory, he went to the factory’s cafeteria for lunch. Then, a group of suited men came in and asked for a meeting. “What is it?” Loid asked as he chewed on his food. A middle-aged man went up to him with a flattering smile and said, “Governor, I am Alvin Springman, Jade Nova Ltd.’s CEO. I humbly thank you for your care over all Lilyrosean, so I prepared some gifts to show our gratitude. Please accept them.”
Bang! The slam on the table was so loud that the entire cafeteria heard it. Everyone was shocked. The governor was also the regional commander of the military, which explained his dignified demeanor and stern tone. When he was angry, no one could stand his wrath. Cosmo and Ivy were stunned. Loid had been taking gifts from the suited men, yet when the two of them did the same, he got mad and slammed on the table. Cosmo sweated nervously. He lowered himself and said timidly, “Governor, the gifts are just a token of gratitude, we didn’t mean anything. If you don’t want to investigate the five companies and Kaze Lee, then just forget about it!” “Yeah, just forget about it!” Ivy echoed in a trembling tone. The two of them stepped back and wanted to leave immediately. They were suffocated by the governor’s mighty aura. “Leave? This isn’t over yet!” Loid did not spare the two of them. He said angrily, “Not only did you try to bribe me openly, but you also wanted me to
“Contact the local police department and arrest those who tried to bribe me today! Investigate them thoroughly and punish them accordingly!” Loid said coldly as he waved his hand. The men who tried to bribe him cried in sorrow. “Governor! Please! We are so sorry! We were deceived by Kaze Lee!” “Yeah, he should be arrested, not us!” No matter how they clamored or cried, Loid was unfazed. Knowing that they would be arrested no matter what, Alvin and the others plunged into despair. They cursed Kaze for misleading them and cried because they were being arrested. They came here not to bribe the governor but to get themselves arrested. If they did not try to copy Kaze and bribe the governor, they would be fine. Now, they spent money on the gifts and even got themselves arrested. Ivy and Cosmo had it worse. They resented Kaze more than anyone and they thought with five hundred million, they could use Loid to crush Kaze. However, Kaze turned out to be fine and they got t
Aside from losing five hundred million, the two investment firms were also fined more than a hundred million, and got blacklisted. Meaning, the Vinland and Lee families’ plans to annex the five companies were foiled before they even started. Hudson and Gregory were furious. Kaze was fine when he gave the governor gifts, but they were arrested and fined when they did the same. What nonsense? Yet they had to swallow the grievance because they dared not argue with Loid. Even though the two families were wealthy and powerful, they could not afford to offend the governor of the state. “Kaze! That little bastard!” While Gregory was shouting to vent his grievance, he received a call from his brother, George. “Greg, you piece of useless trash! What did you do in Lilyrose? Your son’s legs were broken and you are trying to make it even by getting my son arrested?! “Get back here immediately! I don’t care what you do. You will go to the governor and beg him to release Cosmo, e
It was Hudson’s men’s first time seeing such a scary expression on his boss. He said with a shaking voice, “Master Hudson, they are here already. Do you want to see them?” “No. Tell them to go after Gold Tooth and Dan Niners.” Anger had distorted the features on Hudson’s face. He said wickedly, “Kaze will be the last. I will go after the people around him, one by one.” Although he could not get Kaze through legitimate means, he could still send his killers after the idiot. The news of Hudson Investment Firm and Lee Solutions being fined shocked the business world. No one thought it would turn out like this. Kaze sent gifts to the governor and he was fine; the others sent gifts to the governor and they were arrested. What a twist of events. Back in Horizon Mirror Mansion, the Quints were also surprised by the news. “The Lees and the Vinlands are expelled from the city just like that?” Darcy could not believe the news. She plunged into despair when the two familie
“G-Guys, we are all in the business together. Why don’t we sit down, have some beer, and talk…” Gold Tooth forced an ugly smile on his face knowing that he was dealing with the notorious Twin Ghosts of Chrysant. Even his voice was shaking. He tried to stall the Twin Ghosts while figuring out a way to request help from Kaze. Otherwise, Dan and him would surely die at the hands of the Twin Ghosts. His loyal man, King Kong, was just killed before his eyes! “Twin Ghosts, that old fag is just stalling. Don’t fall for it!” A wicked voice came from the door. It was Dexter, Lyn’s father. Jake and the others were also there, all staring at Gold Tooth and Dan. Dexter, Jake, and the others resented Gold Tooth and Dan for slapping them in front of everyone back at Wuthering Pavilion. Gold Tooth’s and Dan’s expressions turned bitter. They should have slapped them to death back at Wuthering Pavilion and this would not happen. “I know he is stalling,” said Dawn, the elder brot
The Twin Ghosts came to Lilyrose with a bunch of gangsters from Chrysant. With the two monsters taking the lead, Gold Tooth and Dan’s territories were all swept. Some of their men escaped to save their own lives, while some turned on Dan and Gold Tooth and sided with the Twin Ghosts instead. In less than one night, the underworld of Lilyrose had completely changed. Lefteria Group already lost the battle with the Twin Ghosts at Melrose and Miru was still recovering. They could not do anything to stop the Twin Ghosts from taking over. With their ferocity and brutality, no one in Lilyrose’s underworld was able to stop them. On the next morning, while Darcy was having breakfast, Miru called her to give her a warning. “Darcy, stay at home and don’t go out for the next two days. Hudson Vinland had lost his mind. He brought the Twin Ghosts here to Lilyrose. Even Dan and Gold Tooth were hospitalized. I think the Twin Ghosts will go after you soon.” “Miru, you have to be careful
“I’ll inform Albert right away.” Draco then called Albert. Then, the heads of the Vikrom, Logman, and Joestar families came to visit. The three of them had masks and glasses on to cover their faces. Kaze frowned. “Why are you people looking like you are here to steal stuff?” “Mr. Lee, Chief Commander Lang!” The three of them took off their masks and glasses and bowed respectfully. Bernard said bitterly, “Mr. Lee, the Twin Ghosts came to Lilyrose, and Gold Tooth and Dan were attacked. We are just scared.” Other than Dan, Gold Tooth, and Johnson, they were the ones who sided with Kaze back at Wuthering Pavilion. Now that Gold Tooth and Dan almost got killed and Johnson almost lost his mayor’s position, they were terrified as well. They were afraid that the Twin Ghosts would go after them. Peter sighed and said, “No one knows who is next in line but the three of us would probably suffer. I don’t dare to let my family go out either.” “Yet even at our own house, we a
“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