Chapter 125: PIcking A Partner When Max walked into school the next day, his mind was a storm. In his hand, he kept flipping Chrono’s black card over and over, the name printed across it in clean, sharp letters. Chrono. So that’s it, Max thought. I’ve officially joined a street gang... while also building my own. Not exactly the high school experience I imagined. But right now, it’s the best shot I’ve got at surviving. He shoved the card into his pocket and kept walking. I can’t tell Aron. He’d lose it. He wouldn’t get why I’m doing this, wouldn’t see the bigger picture. He’d think it’s too dangerous, and he’s not wrong. But I’ve got two edges on the Rejected Corps. One, they don’t know I’m Max Stern. Not yet. And two, I’m growing the Billion Bloodline right under their noses. Still, one name tugged at the edge of his thoughts: Chad. What do I even do about him? Max wondered. The Rejected Corps don’t seem too bothered. Probably because he owes money to the group above them, the Blackhounds. That’s a whole different monster. The most frustrating part? His crew wasn’t ready. They weren’t even close. For now, Max had to wait. Play the long game. Do what Chrono said. That’s why, in the middle of class, he was casually entering Chrono’s number into his phone. Across the room, the teacher glared at him. Look at that damn kid, the teacher fumed silently. Ever since he found out about our little secret, he’s been walking around like he owns the place. Now he’s just... on his phone. In the middle of my class. "Donto!" the teacher suddenly snapped. "How many times have I told you, stop breathing so loudly!" The entire class turned. Donto blinked in confusion, pointing to himself like, Me? He glanced around, trying to figure out what he did wrong, especially since Max was clearly on his phone, not even pretending to hide it. He’d seen Max sleep through class, text during tests, and not once had the teacher said a word. Donto’s eyes drifted to the back corner, where Max sat calm, cool, untouchable. It wasn’t fair, but nobody said school was. "Alright," the teacher said, already irritated. "Who can tell me, out of the following tools, which one would be best for conduction in this scenario?" Silence. Not a single hand went up. The teacher’s eye twitched. "That’s it, Donto!" he snapped. "Stop being a distraction to the class and get out!" "What?!" Donto shot up, confused and defensive. "I haven’t even done anything!" "Exactly," the teacher barked. "You’ve been useless. Didn’t answer the question. Now get out!" Donto knew there was no point arguing. With a loud sigh and an annoyed shuffle, he grabbed his bag and walked out. Back inside the classroom, Joe was sitting near the back. He was back in school now, bandaged up but patched enough to be on his feet. He’d already said hi to Max that morning, and weirdly, he’d apologized. Apologized for not stopping the guys who’d jumped them. Max didn’t know how to respond to that. It reminded him of something, the way members of White Tiger used to apologize to him after they lost fights. Like they’d let him down personally, just by losing. It was strange, but also... familiar. Still, Max had other things on his mind. If I’m going to be working with a crew like the Rejected Corps, dangerous, deep connections, real consequences, then I need backup. I need someone I can trust to contact Aron if things go south. Just in case. Chrono did say I could bring someone I recommend, right? Max scanned the room. At first, he thought of Jay. Strong. Committed to the Billion Bloodline cause. Loyal. But that strength also came with problems. Jay was confident, maybe too confident. The kind of guy who would act on impulse if he thought something was wrong. He also had a strict moral compass, the kind that didn’t bend easily. And in a world like this, rigid morals could get someone killed. Max’s eyes shifted again... to Joe. Max could already see it happening, something going down between Dud and Jay. A clash. And if that happened, it would turn into the two of them fighting for control, dragging the entire operation into chaos. Jay’s out, Max decided. It’s not worth the risk. And Joe? He looked over at the bandaged student. No... not him either. He’s already been hurt by Dud. Throwing him into a gang like the Rejected Corps would be too much, too soon. Sure, he’s getting stronger, and it might be good experience, but not now. Not like this. That left one other name: Steven. His newest recruit. Steven’s strong. Reliable. Grateful. He actually listens. Since I put him in charge of the gym network, he’s been working hard to get things running. But... could he even pass as a high school student? Max frowned. Unlikely. On top of that, Steven was busy contacting his old crew to help manage the other gyms under the Billion Bloodline name. Max had just placed him in that role. Pulling him out of it now would create another hole to fill. Does it even have to be a student? Max thought. Chrono said I could bring anyone I recommended. But if he starts suspecting I brought in an older friend, it could raise questions I don’t want asked. So the criteria got tighter. Someone strong. Someone who listens. Someone who won’t act on their own. Someone who can pass as a student. And most importantly... someone willing to do the job. Max’s eyes lit up as the answer hit him. I think I’ve got the perfect person. Without saying a word, Max stood up from his seat and walked straight out of the classroom. No explanation. No glance at the teacher. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺 Max stepped over to the nearest window and pulled out his phone. Outside, Donto was still standing in the hallway, arms crossed, still salty about being kicked out of class. When he saw Max casually making a phone call, right there in the open, he nearly lost it. "What the hell kind of favoritism is going on in this school?" Donto muttered. "This dude just walks out, whips out his phone like it’s nothing, and I’m the one who gets booted for breathing too loud?" Meanwhile, Max wasn’t paying attention to anything around him. He had his eyes on the screen, waiting as the call rang on the other end. Finally, someone picked up. "I’ve got something I think is right up your alley," Max said, voice low and steady. "I’ll pay you for it. But I need you." He paused, then smiled slightly. "What do you say, Wolf?"