The day ended peacefully with everyone heading to their respectful homes and businesses. CJ and KC were taken home extra early while Sue, Rin and Max went to the warehouse district to see what they could do for Rin. When they got their, they were surprised to see some man with a construction hat and a safety vest. He had a big, round belly, a round nose and a rough beard.
" Excuse me, what are you doing to my warehouse?" Rin asked as she pulled him away from the building.
" Sorry Miss little lady but your place is too unfit to be used." He said with a voice that was forcefully deepened.
" Unfit!!Look at this place, most of them are no longer fit to be called warehouses." She yelled.
" No need to yell miss little lady, I'm just doing my job."
" Who do you work for. Is it the Four Armed Gang?"
" Oh no, there's no way I could work for such people like them. In fact, I wanna start my on gang to run them out."
" What did you say?" Max spoke up. The big bellied man sprung up with life and ran close to Max. He smiled intently, making his beard fall off.
" Hey, who are you?"
[Fire arms activated]
The man looked at Max's burning arms and smiled even more but Max was ready to knock the living hell out of him. The man took a step back and started stripping. He took oof his shirt, revealing a bunch of clothes that fell out. He then peeled off his face mask, revealing his jet black hair and his red eyes, similar to Max's.
" You, your the salvation guy from earlier." Max said. He could feel something hot move inside him but he wasn't sure what it was.
" My name is...."
" Phoenix Cheng, heir to the Cheng family business and founder of Cheng technologies." Rin interrupted as she read from her phone.
" As your friend has said." Phoenix smiled without staring away from Max, who was now becoming very uncomfortable.
" What do you want from us?" Sue aggressively yelled.
" Oh, feisty girl friend you have. Good job Max."
"SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND. What do you want and how do you know my name?" Max asked.
" We can't talk from here.Let's go in." Phoenix opened the warehouse door for the kids and locked it shut after they got in. He then checked the warehouse to see if anyone was listening in on them. " Max Lin, like you and your friends, I have a desire to take down the gang system in this city but I don't want to start with a small gang like the four armed losers. I'm looking at the bigger fish. I'm looking at the ones in the city."
" What does that have to do with us?" Sue asked.
" I can't do that alone. I may have the money but I don't have a team as ambitious as you, Sue, Rin and CJ."
" Wait, how do you know us man. You're not some pedophile, are you?"
" Why would I go for teens yet I'm old enough to get the real deal. You guys will be the real gang, the ones who do the real work while I will be ideas guy. The one who funds and masterminds every thing in the gang."
" How can we know that you'll not betray us?"
" Because like you, I know what it's like to have your life changed because of gangsters. I'm too young to be the rich C.E.O I am today but hey, fate has a way of bringing the ones you need when you need them."
" So what if you lost family to gangsters, how can we know you're useful to us?"
" I'm like you Max. I'm a fire mutant." Max couldn't believe his ears. Earlier in the week, the system told him he was the last fire mutant but in front of him was a rich teenager, claiming to have the same abilities that he had.
" Prove it." Mas asked. " Prove that you are a fire mutant like me.
" What are you, crazy. Do you know how expensive this suit is." Max was angered by Phoenix's false accusation, so he jumped on him, held his neck with one hand and threatened to punch him with his other hand that was currently covered with fire.
" Very well." Phoenix's eyes started glowing and his hair became as red as Max's. He gently moved Max from him, stood up and placed his hands on the sides of his body. His body started to light up and before they knew it, he was engulfed in flames. His whole body was covered with a fiery aura but his suit wasn't burnt. Max was astonished by the power Phoenix was radiating and he couldn't wait to see what else he could do. Sadly though, Phoenix's body went back to normal and he fell to the ground.
" Unfortunately for me, I can't stay a mutant for long My body, as magnificent as it is, can't handle such power but you can. With your power and my brains and money, we will take over the four armed gang and the others that rule in the city. Are you with me?"
Max was a little reluctant on working with Phoenix but the energy presentation he just saw inspired him even more. " Here's the deal. I'm only doing this to avenge my father. After that, I'm done. If we don't do your stuff by then, you cannot and will not force me to work with you, deal?"
" Deal." Phoenix and Max shook on it and a few minutes later, Sue and Max returned to their homes. Phoenix agreed to let Rin stay in his house but the emo girl spent the night in her warehouse. With that said and done, Phoenix returned to his mansion and went to his study in the fourth floor. He moved a cloth off the wall that revealed a billboard covered with faces of Max, Rin, Sue, CJ and other people including Pharaoh, Miss Xin and Fang. At the top of the billboard, there was a picture of face of a chubby man with doodles and darts all over it.
" I'm coming for you, Lidong."