Inside the gym, only two sounds echoed through the space.
The sharp thud of fists hitting pads, one after the other, and the steady chant that came with each strike.
"Money, money, money!" Joe shouted with every punch.
"Again!" Steven barked, raising the pads.
"Money, money, money!" Joe yelled, throwing his fists harder with each word.
With every chant, Joe swung with everything he had, pouring energy into each hit like he was punching straight through the promise of that paycheck.
"The two of them have certainly changed their tune," Aron commented from the side.
"Right?" Max said with a small smirk. "I expected as much."
The moment Max mentioned how much he was willing to pay, two thousand per knockout, their heads snapped around like magnets. And just like that, they agreed to help take down Dipter.
They were so excited Max swore he could see dollar signs sparkling in their eyes.
Once they were on board, Max asked Steven to start training Joe properly.
Joe had plenty of street fight experience, he was one of the strongest in his class, but still not on the level of someone like Ko, or a few of the others. He had raw power, sure, but not technique.
The good news? Most of the students were like that. The ones who were strong? They were just naturally talented. Almost none of them had any real training.
With Joe getting some basic training in, he'd at least be a step ahead of the others, and to his credit, he was giving it his all.
"Steven's been having financial troubles," Max said as he watched. "So I had a feeling he'd say yes. As for Joe... I'm pretty sure even just two thousand is more money than he's ever imagined having as a student."
The two of them stood there for a while, observing the scene, Joe yelling out his money chants with each hit, Steven barking orders like a proper coach.
Then Aron spoke up.
"Based on everything you've said about Dipter and the group behind him… do you really think this will be enough?" he asked. "Enough to solve the problem?"
Max didn't respond right away.
It was hard to say. He didn't know how strong Steven truly was. Or Aron, for that matter. And this wasn't the time to test them and risk anyone getting injured before things really kicked off.
As for Joe... even if they trained him nonstop for the next few days, at best he might be able to take on three, maybe four guys, if he fought smart.
"The truth is… it's not enough," Max admitted. "Even with us, I don't think we'll be able to win."
"Then how about this," Aron suggested. "Use the money to hire more students at your school, just like you did with Joe. Numbers might help, even if they're just fodder."
Before Max knew the truth about Aron, he never would've imagined the man suggesting something like that, paying off students just to use them as human shields. But now that he understood Aron's true nature, it was strangely comforting to have him around. At least he was honest about who he was.
"It wouldn't work, not with the other students," Max said. "They could just take the money. There's no trust, and I think Dipter has a grip on them... a grip made of fear."
He glanced toward Joe, still pounding the pads like every punch was paying rent.
"Controlling one person is doable. Joe already had one foot out the door by accident. If I'd told him from the start that he'd be going against Dipter, I'm not sure the money alone would've swayed him."
Max crossed his arms, thinking it through.
"Using money is the key. But we have to do it smart, quietly. In a way that no one catches on. You're thinking in the right direction," he added, then looked at Aron. "What about the security team? Can we trust them?"
Aron shook his head immediately.
"No. Everything happening now, they'd report it straight to Dennis. I don't know who's in whose pocket anymore. And any info we share could easily make its way back to them."
"Using the other members of the security team for something like this?" Aron shook his head. "I doubt they'd even wantto be involved."
Still, whether they could rely on security or not didn't change Max's core problem, and that was school. He couldn't just avoid it forever.
For the rest of the day, the others continued training. Even Aron joined in, running through his daily workout routine. He needed to stay in shape, after all.
Joe was left standing in awe, watching what had become an all-out fitness competition between Steven and Aron.
Both of them were built, ripped, and evenly matched. Not that surprising, considering who they were.
Max, meanwhile, still couldn't train. His body was sore all over. But during the downtime, he'd been thinking... and finally, he'd come up with a plan. One that shouldn't cause him any trouble, or so he hoped.
"Alright, everyone!" Max called out. "That's enough for today. Let's meet up here tomorrow, early, 10 a.m."
"What? You want me to skip school again? My parents are gonna kill me," Joe complained.
"Well, you could go to school," Max said with a smirk, "and see if Dipter kills you instead."
Joe groaned, but he understood. Reluctantly, the whole group agreed to rest for the day.
The next morning, when Max woke up, he immediately noticed the difference. His body still ached, but it was manageable now. At least he could move without wincing.
It was perfect, his body was just recovered enough for what he had planned today.
After getting ready, Max headed to the gym, only to be surprised when he arrived.
Everyone was already there, waiting for him.
Steven moved to open the metal railing to let them into the gym like usual, but Max raised a hand.
"No need. We're not going to the gym today," Max said. "We're going somewhere else."
A few minutes later, a large taxi pulled up to the curb. Without a word, the whole group climbed in.
Joe peeked at the meter after they'd been driving for a while and nearly choked.
"Wait... it's a one-hour ride?! And at that price? Wouldn't the train have been way cheaper?"
"This is quicker," Max replied, eyes forward. "I need everyone ready. Because where we're going... anything could happen. So be prepared to fight."
The group fell silent. Tension rose in the car. They weren't heading to school, so what on earth had Max planned?
Max turned his head slightly, then said with complete calm:
"We're going to Notting Hill City."