Julius grimaced. Given Taz’s age, Julius did not expect a threat from him. Taz needed to be taught a lesson. However, Julius was not in the position to do so. It was no secret that Samson adored his son. Samson silenced and covered up Taz’s misconduct with a female student in college.It was known within Sunrise’s investment community that Samson was ruthless and cold-blooded. Samson once ruined the life of a close partner. Besides, Samson had the support of the Sunrise Lees. Julius, despite holding a high position at Green Lantern Corporation, would think twice before crossing Samson. He forced a laugh and said, “My nephew doesn’t know any better, Taz. I apologize on his behalf.” Welt’s eyes widened. He could not believe Julius would surrender to Taz. Welt shouted peevishly, “He slapped me for no reason, Julius. Why should you apologize to him?” Taz made a dirty look. Julius turned around and gave Welt a slap. Smack!Welt put his hand over his cheek absentl
“Argh! That hurts!” Taz cried in agony with his hand over his face. The turn of events caught everybody off guard. What was going on? What happened to Taz? They looked at Taz in confusion, assuming he was just having a manic episode. Taz looked down and found a dying ember on the ground. He grimaced. “W-Who fucking burned me with a cigarette?” Taz’s outraged voice ripped through the crowd as he sought the culprit. It dawned on the people that Taz was burnt in the face with a cigarette. It explained his earlier agony. They looked up, eager to find the audacious individual who charred Taz’s face. Narrowly escaping Taz's kiss attempt, Rose fled to a safe distance and lifted her head to find a familiar face. “Kaze!” she exclaimed. Rose pouted and said tearfully, “Taz tried to take advantage of me, Kaze!” Approaching the center of the crowd, Kaze shuffled her hair and said in a calm voice, “I saw everything. Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Kaze
“Kaze!” Intimidated by Taz’s sinister face, Rose clung tight to Kaze’s arm. Her body trembled. Kaze patted her back and consoled her, “Don’t be scared. The punk is no threat.” “Who are you calling a punk, bastard?” Exasperated, Taz waved at his minions and shouted menacingly, “Take the bastard on. Beat him up now!” His five minions were vicious.With the scene about to get ugly and violent, Rose and her friends turned as white as a sheet. “Hide, Rose. Kaze won’t be able to defeat all of them,” Bronya shouted at Rose. “No, Kaze is amazing.” Rose stood firm next to Kaze, though looking a little timid. “Get him!” The minions did not hesitate to charge toward Kaze. “It’s time you face the consequences for defying Mr. Hobbs.” The sidekick in the forefront swung his fist at Kaze’s face with a leer. Pulling a blank face, Kaze shielded Rose and kicked the attacker in the chest. “Ugh.” The minion tumbled back with a scream before crashing to the ground. The pain
Taz talked tough and stormed off. “Is that supposed to be a threat?” Kaze narrowed his eyes dangerously at Taz’s back before turning to ask Rose, “How did the guy come onto you?” Rose recounted Taz’s unwanted pursuit of her in school.In the end, she tugged Kaze’s clothes and said worriedly, “I think Taz’s father is influential, Kaze. He might go after you.” Kaze appreciated Rose’s concern.He patted her head and said with a smile, “It’s okay. I won’t go down without a fight.” “Okay.” Rose nodded with glee. “Wow, you were amazing, Kaze!” As Rose’s friends gathered around, Bronya and Mei stared at Kaze with star-studded eyes. The girls, impressed by Kaze’s quick takedown of Taz’s minions, found Kaze quite the hunk. “Thank you, Kaze.” Welt awkwardly thanked Kaze. He had a crush on Rose. When Taz forced his lips on Rose, Welt was heartbroken and frustrated with his helplessness. The fight changed the group’s opinion of Kaze for the better. Julius said, “You
A young woman in office attire shouted. She was Darcy’s old friend, Nancy Braus. Nancy’s power suit hugged her curves. Though her appearance was not as striking as Darcy’s, Nancy had her unique charm. She approached hurriedly with the management team in tow. “Ms. Braus!” Kefier frowned. He was displeased with Nancy for undermining his authority. Kefier had only been on the job for two days, but he had his eyes on Nancy’s position. He believed he would make a better general manager. To replace Nancy at her job, Kefier needed to suck up to Taz and the owner who was about to check into Mountain Dew Estate that night. Kefier went up to explain with a smile, “Ms. Braus, this man hit me and attacked Mr. Hobbs and his friends. I told the employee to call security, and he refused to take my orders. I was only trying to scare—” “Who hit you?” With her patience running thin, Nancy interrupted Kefier. Kefier was smug, thinking Nancy caught wind of the assault on Taz. He
In Kefier’s opinion, the way Kaze looked and carried himself did not scream wealth. A member of the management team behind Nancy said, “You’re not the first snob, Kefier. Wendell, the previous general manager, did not believe Kaze was the owner and even tried to harm him. Wendell is now rotting in jail.” The other executives chimed in and stood up for Kaze. “I-I…” Stunned, Kefier turned ashen. The owner, whom Kefier wanted to get in good graces with, was right under his nose the whole time. Yet, he screwed the owner over to suck up to Taz.Kefier had no more tears to cry. Suddenly, he shuddered at a realization. He had upset the owner, and his actions may come back to bite him. With that in mind, Kefier turned around to face Kaze and slapped himself. “I’m sorry, Sir. I was a blind snob. I didn’t know it was you. Please see it in your heart to forgive me.” Kefier, who was arrogant before, now wailed before Kaze. Kaze did not have time for someone like Kefier. He
As Kaze and the group approached their accommodation for the night, a young man with jeans hanging off his bottom brushed past them. “That is Taz’s sidekick. They have not left the resort,” Bronya murmured in fear. The group feared Taz’s revenge for taking a stand against him. Undaunted, Mei pursed her lips and uttered, “We have nothing to be afraid of. Kaze is the owner of Mountain Dew Estate. Taz can’t drive us out of here.” The group felt assured. “Mr. Hobbs, Rose and her friends are staying in the best chalet. The general manager even carried their bags.” The sidekick rushed to a nearby chalet to report back to Taz. “Son of a bitch! What’s wrong with the management here? Are they out to get Mr. Hobbs?” Taz’s minions pounded the table in rage. The news did not sit well with Taz either. He had given special instructions to Kefier to ban Kaze and the group from the resort. Not only did Kaze and the others manage to check in, but the general manager of Mountain Dew
Samson brought up his opinion about Kaze within Taz’s earshot.Thinking little of Kaze, Taz hissed through clenched teeth. “He’s a bastard. He has the nerve to hit me when my dad won’t even do that. Since you’re here, I’ll crush you now and make you hand over Hudson Investment Firm.” Taz turned his nose up at Samson’s plan. In his opinion, no scheme was necessary to deal with a loser like Kaze. Lost in his thoughts, Taz pondered ways to dice and slice Kaze when his sidekick said, “Mr. Hobbs, Lil Dee and his team are at Mountain Dew Estate.” “Come on. Let’s meet with Lil Dee.” Taz got up and led his minions to meet Lil Dee. Lil Dee and Taz were old friends. Taz often watched Twig live reels in his spare time. Back then, Lil Dee had only started live streaming as an influencer. Lil Dee’s stunts made Taz laugh, and Taz sent gifts worth up to a million dollars on the platform, propelling Lil Dee into stardom. Later, Taz and Lil Dee hung out several times in real life
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