“Alright, Mr. Chairman.” Snow immediately contacted Dan and Gold Tooth. Dan and Gold Tooth were still in the hospital after a near escape from Chrysant Twin Ghost. They still held significant influence in the Lilyrose underworld. Siding with Kaze had only boosted their power further, especially after ousting Hudson.Upon receipt of Kaze’s order, Dan and Gold Tooth got right down to business. Even if they had to turn the city upside down, they would sniff out Lennon and Theo. …Meanwhile, Leslie entered Jem’s office and reported, “Lennon texted that Sophie called and tried to get an address out of them, Mr. Tart.” “Hmph! I guess Mr. Lee won’t give up.” Jem scoffed in disdain, not surprised that Kaze would pull that stunt. Jem was not flustered at all. Leslie asked, “Should I tell them to leave Lilyrose and get into hiding, Mr. Tart?” Jem frowned. As Lilyrose was Kaze’s territory, Jem trusted Kaze would fold eventually. However, complications could arise. Amid his
Jem drafted the investment contract. Danny would be happy to sign the contract once Kaze yielded to him. Jem would get a cut when the funds were fired to Danny. It would be his cue to leave then. Danny’s eyes grew fervent as he was closer to getting 10 billion dollars. He laughed and said, “Good job, Jem. Here’s to a spectacle of someone’s pathetic begging!”He was smug. After the call with Jem, Danny dialed another number. A fighting gym stood near the street of consular offices in Sunrise City.It was rare to find Arcadians there. Most of the gym members were diplomatic staff from various countries. Baring his toned chest, Jason wrestled with several assistant instructors. Though outnumbered, Jason still ripped through his opponents’ offense.Wham! Thud! Bang!The assistant instructors crashed to the ground in agony. Danny’s call came in. Jason took the call and quickly made an unhappy face. “I can’t believe you want me to attack an Arcadian, Danny.” He add
After making up her mind, Sophie contacted Lennon and Theo. “Raylight Hotel, suite No. 918. Remember, come alone.” Lennon sounded stern on the phone. Sophie took a cab and went to Raylight Hotel. When she was at suite No. 918, she called Lennon again. A while later, Lennon and Theo came down the stairs. Lennon smiled and said, “Ms. Song, pretty wise for coming alone.” The two of them were cautious as they did not want to be caught. They observed Sophie from the stairs to see if she brought anyone else. If they spotted any uninvited guests, they would leave immediately. “Come on in, Ms. Song. We wouldn’t want to talk outside here.” Theo opened the door with the key card. Sophie clenched her teeth as she walked in. She stood in front of the door and said, “Let’s talk with the door opened. This level is quiet. I don’t think anyone will be listening to our conversation.” Bang! Lennon slammed the door shut, which frightened Sophie. She bellowed, “What is the me
Upon hearing Mr. Statham’s shout, his followers from the capital barged in as well. They were coaches and students of the Mixed Martial Arts Club who were close with Mr. Statham. They came here to watch Mr. Statham challenge the martial arts experts of Lilyrose. Sophie breathed a sigh of relief. She disregarded her miserable state and asked for help. “Help me! They are trying to rape me!” “Beautiful girl, these two monkeys are not worthy of you,” Mr. Statham said. Just when Sophie thought she was saved, Mr. Statham said something that pushed her into the abyss of despair. “These monkeys of Arcadia aren’t good enough for you. Us Paladians are better lovers in bed. Am I right, guys?” His followers laughed and started to scrutinize Sophie with a perverted gaze. Sophie escaped the wolves but jumped right into the tiger’s den. Her face turned pale when she felt the perverted gazes on her. “Enough! This is no time for this!” Mr. Statham frowned and bellowed. He pointe
Tensor Martial Arts School was one of the most famous martial arts schools in Lilyrose. The front gate was designed like a palace and there was a massive square in front of the main building. The square was a venue for the school to host martial arts competitions for the students. Several cars drove into the square, ignoring the signs of “no entry”, and stopped right in front of the entrance. Mr. Statham came down from the car and looked at the entrance. Beside the entrance was a sign stone, spelling “Tensor Martial Arts School.” Then, he went over to the sign stone, raised his fist, and punched it. Bang! The stone sign was destroyed like it was glass. It broke into smithereens upon impact. The chunks of stone fell on the ground and alarmed the people inside. “Who are you? What are you doing?!” The guards rushed out with angry and surprised looks. Unlike normal security guards, they were tasked to maintain order in the martial arts school and subdue students and
Niel said fiercely, “We’ll see if you are worthy if you can take three hits from me.” Mr. Statham looked at him and nodded. “Sure.” As his voice subsided, he leaned forward and swung a kick at Niel’s face. “Good one!” Niel laughed. He countered with his own kick instead of dodging. “I’ll teach you a lesson… Aaargh!” Before he could finish, he cried in pain. He was then sent flying with blood gushing from his mouth. He crashed on the ground with several broken bones, causing him to groan in pain. “What the…” The students and the coaches of the school were all silenced. Niel was one of the strongest martial artists in the school, second only to the principal and a few of his peers, yet he was defeated with just one kick. Mr. Statham did not even move! All he did was kick! The devastating outcome silenced everyone. Mr. Statham’s followers laughed and continued to tease the students and coaches. Dwight’s expression shifted. He calmed himself down and said, “Si
Mr. Statham’s provocative words angered the students and coaches. “Principal, no!” “You cannot agree to this!” They were afraid that Dwight might agree to Mr. Statham’s request. “Hahaha, your principal is under Mr. Statham’s foot now. There’s no space for negotiation anymore!” “Stop struggling and just give up!” Mr. Statham’s men continued to provoke and tease them. The students and coaches were furious but since the principal was under the enemy’s foot and his life was at risk, they dared not act recklessly. Dwight felt intense pressure on his chest. His flushed face started to turn purple due to the anger and pressure. He clenched his teeth and mustered enough strength and courage to say, “No can do!” “Stubborn old man!” Mr. Statham curled his lips into a grin and increased the strength of his step, breaking two ribs on Dwight’s chest. “Ugh…” Dwight groaned painfully. Mr. Statham savored the painful look on Dwight’s face before he said with a smile, “Look
“You?” Mr. Statham scrutinized Kaze and grinned. “You are here just in time. Danny wanted me to challenge all the martial arts institutes in Lilyrose and then take care of you.” Kaze looked around but did not see Sophie or Lennon and Theo. He frowned. He nodded and then looked at Mr. Statham and his men. “Fine. Come, come at me all together. I’ll deal with you and then go look for the other two.” Mr. Statham’s expression turned grim. He was already arrogant enough but someone beat him! Kaze wanted all of them to attack him together! Penacony and the others were similarly shocked. “Stupid monkey! Watch your mouth!” “Mr. Statham, leave this monkey to me! You don’t need to waste your energy to deal with this one!” Penacony clenched his fists and walked over to Kaze with a ferocious look. “You stupid monkey. You pissed me off! If you don’t want to die, you better get on your knees now!” Kaze did not respond. He bellowed and charged toward Kaze. He jumped and swung
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