Chapter 747: Who’s side

Chad, Bobo and Karen were tied up side by side on the upper platform of the ship. Their arms had been secured behind their backs, while their feet were bound together, forcing them to remain on their knees as they watched everything happening below.

Jett and Darius were being held not too far away from them.

The restraints used on the two leaders were similar, but it was clear that far more care had been put into tying their ropes. Whoever had restrained them knew how strong they were and had positioned the ropes in a way that prevented them from using much of that strength to break free.

None of them could do anything other than watch the fight unfold.

They were all surprised by what they saw.

Max was far more impressive than any of them had given him credit for. Even when surrounded by a large number of attackers, he continued to hold his ground. The men had attempted to overwhelm him through sheer numbers, yet Max dealt with each one as they approached.

For Bobo and Karen, this was the first time they had seen the young member of the Stern family display such a high level of skill. They had looked down on Max before, never believing that someone like him could be capable of fighting this way.

Now, they were witnessing it with their own eyes.

Regardless of how well Max was doing, they were still worried. They knew who was standing on the ship beside them, and they had already seen some of their strength during the takeover.

In particular, they had witnessed what the man known as Hugo could do.

Even if Max could handle Dipter and all the ordinary gang members surrounding him, there was no guarantee that he could defeat everyone else as well.

All they could do was hope Max lasted long enough for his backup to arrive.

However, it was starting to seem as if that wasn’t going to happen.

Dud began to move, heading down from the ship. The others who had been watching the fight started to follow him.

"Donto, I don’t think you’ll be needed for this one," Dud said. "You’ve already done your part in all of this. You’ll get your revenge, and besides, someone needs to keep an eye on the hostages. Who knows? We might receive a call and need to use them."

It was difficult to tell whether Donto was annoyed by Dud’s decision. His expression didn’t reveal much, and he didn’t argue.

Instead, he remained where he was, gripping the railing as he stared down at the fight below.

"Hey, if all of them go down there at once, that’s going to be bad news for Max, right?" Bobo whispered.

"Right, but it’s not as if we can do anything about it," Chad replied. "Max has an entire gang at his fingertips. He has a whole group working for him, and he managed to outsmart the three of us. If he could do that, then he can do the same thing here."

"Are you sure about that?" Karen asked. "Max is smart, sure, but it seems like these people have planned this out. This doesn’t feel like something they came up with recently. It feels like revenge they’ve been planning for a long time. What if Max doesn’t have any help coming? What if he really has to fight all of them?"

An audible gulp came from Chad.

Although he hadn’t liked being placed under Max’s control at first, Chad knew his life had improved in many ways since then.

Before Max had taken over, Chad had lived each day in fear. He had constantly been running away and worrying about what might happen to him. For all intents and purposes, his debt had been passed on to Max, freeing him from some of the pressure he had been living under.

Despite Max’s unusual way of doing things, Chad believed he was a good person in his own way.

If Max lost this fight, Chad had no idea what Donto would do to them. The three of them had chosen to turn against him, and Donto certainly wasn’t the type to simply forgive them for that.

"Hey, it’s only Donto up here now, right?" Chad whispered. "Do you think all three of us could take him out?"

He could see that Donto’s full attention was fixed on the fight below. He didn’t appear to be paying much attention to any of the captives behind him.

"And what exactly are you planning to do?" Bobo asked. "Let’s say we somehow take him out. What then? Do you think we can go down there and help Max fight all of them?"

"I don’t know," Chad replied. "Half of those men are being paid by Donto, right? Maybe you could stab him in his eyeballs if he refuses to tell the others to change sides. He’s the one paying them. We’re talking about our lives here."

Bobo stared at Chad, unsure whether he was being serious about the suggestion.

"Donto is one of the top athletes," Karen said. "He’s extremely skilled. I don’t think the three of us could take him out. I’m sorry to tell you this, Chad, but I don’t think you’re quite the athlete you believe you are."

Chad clicked his tongue.

As much as he disliked hearing it, Karen had a point. Even if their hands and feet weren’t tied, defeating Donto wouldn’t be easy. In their current state, it would be nearly impossible.

There was also more to worry about than Donto. Other people remained on the lower floors of the ship. If the three of them attempted anything, Donto could call those men up at any moment.

They needed another plan.

That was when Chad thought of something.

He began struggling on his knees, trying to shift his body across the platform while keeping his movements as controlled as possible. With his feet tied together and his arms trapped behind him, even moving a short distance was difficult.

Eventually, he lost his balance and fell onto his side.

The impact made enough noise that Chad feared Donto would turn around. However, Donto didn’t react. His attention remained fixed on Max and the fight below.

He was completely engrossed in what was happening.

That was perfect.

Now lying on his side, Chad started pushing against the floor with his bound feet. He slowly shifted himself across the platform, moving only a small distance at a time.

The ropes restricted every movement, but he continued until he finally reached Jett and Darius.

The two leaders looked down at him, confused by what he was trying to do.

"You two are on our side, right?" Chad whispered. "You want Max to win as well. You don’t want these guys to get rid of him."

Darius and Jett remained silent as they thought about his question.

The answer wasn’t as simple as Chad believed. Their group had been taken over by Max, and they weren’t sure whether that truly placed them on his side. They had their own reasons for disliking the situation and no reason to consider Max an ally.

Chad could tell from their expressions that his argument hadn’t convinced them.

"All right, maybe you’re not on Max’s side," Chad whispered. "But you can tell we’re all in a difficult situation. If these people win, none of us knows what will happen. So, if I break you out, you have to help us. All right?"

He didn’t wait for either of them to answer.

Chad opened his mouth, leaned towards Jett’s restrained hands and began biting down on the rope holding him.