"Just take us to my son's house, dear. I'm afraid that man still wants to kidnap Kelvin again," Naomi asked while they were in the taxi.
'Her son? Does that mean Naomi's son is Xander's father?' Vernon muttered to himself. He had never met Xander's father, even though they'd been best friends since childhood.
The man was so busy that he had no time to meet his family. Even Xander often complained about how much his father loved his job. Strangely, Xander was determined to become a professional boxer to get his father's attention.
Vernon found Xander's decision confusing. Did Xander's father love boxing, or had he been violent with him?
Vernon never knew much about the issues in that wealthy family because Xander always kept things hidden.
What he did know was that Xander's father owned the orphanage Naomi managed. He was the one who had provided Vernon with food, clothes, and a proper home.
"What's wrong, Vernon?" Naomi asked curiously, noticing how gloomy he looked.
"Nothing." Vernon quickly turned to look out the window, watching the scenery. If he took Naomi to Xander's house, there was a chance he would run into that jerk.
Right now, Vernon didn't want to see Xander. He was still upset about what he had said about Ellen. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself if they met.
Still, he couldn't hurt Xander because he was Naomi's beloved grandson and the son of the kind man who had let him stay in the orphanage.
A few minutes later, the taxi stopped in front of the Watson family's luxurious mansion gates.
"Aren't you coming in?" Naomi asked, confused when Vernon didn't get out of the taxi.
"No. I need to head to work," Vernon lied.
"But—"
"Please, don't tell Xander about Kelvin. I'm afraid he'll hurt him or won't accept him because of me."
Naomi sighed heavily. Vernon had been stubborn since he was little, so it was pointless to press him for more details.
"Alright. Take care of yourself." Naomi smiled softly before stepping out with Kelvin.
Afterward, the taxi headed toward Vagon BootCamp. Vernon got out and entered the building.
"Where have you been?" Mico asked, annoyed.
"Sorry, Coach. I had a little problem while jogging."
"I don't want your excuses. Mr. Robinson wants to see you. He's been waiting for a while."
Mico headed toward the coaches' meeting room, and Vernon followed him.
As soon as they entered, Robinson smiled warmly at Vernon.
"How are you, boy? Are you comfortable living here?" the forty-year-old man asked.
"Yeah," Vernon answered shortly. Even though Robinson was kind, and Vernon owed him, he couldn't shake the annoyance he felt.
After all, Robinson had trapped him in this cursed world. That fake smile made Vernon sick. How could he still smile while manipulating him?
Although Vernon loved boxing, he hated the way things worked at Vagon BootCamp because Robinson saw the lives of his boxers as nothing more than a money-making opportunity.
Remembering that, Vernon clenched his fists tightly. Why did rich people always take advantage of the weak and poor?
Ever since Xander's betrayal, Vernon despised the wealthy. Robinson's manipulative behavior reminded him of that jerk.
"What do you want to talk to me about?" Vernon asked, not interested in small talk.
"I've decided," Robinson said, staring at Vernon, "to promote you to Rank B, and move the Vagon tournament date up to two days from now."
"Are you crazy, Mr. Robinson?!" Mico protested immediately. "Vernon hasn't even trained or won any tournaments, and now you're promoting him to Rank B!"
"Because I know he has a lot of potential."
"But that's not fair! Promotions are supposed to be based on performance!"
"Fair?" Robinson chuckled darkly. "What do you know about fairness, huh?"
Mico fell silent, not daring to argue further.
"Sorry, Mr. Robinson," Vernon interrupted politely. "I'm not interested in ranks. I'm only here to honor our agreement." Vernon clarified, not wanting Robinson's decision to ruin his relationship with his coach.
"No one can change my decision. Besides, why are you so upset, Mico? Are you against it because of Colin?"
Mico didn't respond.
'Colin? What's going on with him?' Vernon wondered, intrigued.
"I know you're close to that boy because he always helped you out when you were struggling financially. But... I own BootCamp Vagon, not you."
Mico was furious, but he could only clench his fists, afraid of losing his job. He still needed this work after retiring from boxing, and it was hard to find another job.
No matter how much he resisted, Robinson would remain stubborn.
However, Mico couldn't hide his disappointment and frustration. Vernon hadn't fought to earn that rank, while Colin had worked hard to achieve it.
It just wasn't fair!
"Alright, alright. I understand how you feel, Mico. How about we settle who deserves Rank B with a fight?"
'A fight? Damn it! I just want to rest!' Vernon cursed. His body was still aching from fighting Carlos and Ronald.
Mico didn't answer immediately, hesitating. He had been a Rank B boxer at Vagon BootCamp before becoming a coach, and he was more experienced than Colin, but Vernon had managed to defeat him.
Vernon might have a good chance of beating Colin.
What could he do to stop Robinson's suggestion? Mico didn't want Colin to lose his rank. He had witnessed Colin's struggle over the years. The young man had worked harder than anyone else.
"Why aren't you answering? Isn't that fair?" Robinson grinned wickedly.
"But—"
"I agree!" Colin suddenly appeared, smiling with determination. "I've wanted to fight him from the start!"
"Colin! Shut your mouth!" Mico yelled, panicking.
"Don't worry, Coach. I won't lose that easily. You know my skills." Colin smiled confidently.
Mico huffed angrily. Why was that kid so stubborn?! He had already warned him not to underestimate Vernon's boxing skills in the locker room yesterday.
"This is going to be interesting." Robinson grinned slyly. "A Rank F boxer fighting a Rank B boxer. Who do you think will win, Ricardo?"
Ricardo, Robinson's loyal assistant standing beside him, politely shook his head. "I don't know, Mr. Robinson."
"We'll find out today."
***
Vernon sighed heavily as he stood in the corner of the boxing ring, putting on his gloves. Today, he really wasn't in the mood for a fight because he had lost so much stamina.
"Why do you look so unmotivated, dude? Are you scared?" Colin, already in the ring, taunted.
"It's not too late to back out," Colin added.
Vernon remained silent, too tired to argue. He was sick of the insults. Besides, he couldn't back down or go against Robinson's orders.
Robinson and Ricardo arrived last, sitting in the front row. Boxers from various ranks started gathering to watch the match.
"What's going on? Why is Vernon suddenly fighting Colin?" Tian, a Rank F boxer and Vernon's roommate, was shocked.
He and his two friends, Antonio and Tony, were excited when they heard there would be a match between a Rank F and Rank B boxer.
When they heard Rank F, they immediately assumed it was Vernon. Their guess was right.
"But this is exciting!" Tony replied enthusiastically. "We can see Vernon's strength firsthand, just like in the rumors!"
"But why does Vernon have to fight Colin? That's so unfair! Their skills are completely different." Tian protested.
"Did you forget that Vernon managed to beat our coach? He has a chance to win," Antonio said.
"Did you forget who Colin is, huh? He's a top Rank B boxer! In last year's tournament, he beat a Rank B boxer even though he was only Rank C!" Tian replied, irritated.
"Back then, I'm sure Coach Mico pretended to lose just to finish the fight quickly because he hates wasting time on anything other than his work!"
"You're right about that, Tian," Antonio agreed.
"Shut up! We'll see for ourselves who the winner is!" Tony sneered. Their bickering was getting on his nerves.
The uneven match had attracted the attention of not only Rank F boxers but also those from Ranks C, B, A, and even the Annihilator, the S-rank champion.
Amos sat with authority, arms folded across his chest. Next to him sat Rank A and B boxers.
"Who set up this dumb fight, huh?" Oliver, a Rank B boxer and Colin's friend, scoffed. "Obviously, Colin's going to win!"
"I heard that blue-eyed guy beat his coach, who was a former Rank B boxer." Marino, another Rank B boxer, added.
"That victory doesn't prove he'll beat Colin!" Oliver protested.
"Why don't you just watch it yourself? We'll know the winner soon enough." Adam, a Rank B boxer, responded sternly.
"Ugh! You're always no fun to talk to, Adam!" Oliver snapped, annoyed. "Your grumpy face makes you look so old even though you're only 35!"
"Shut up before I break your neck," Adam glared at Oliver, as if he were ready to tear him apart.
Oliver chuckled, wrapping an arm around Adam. "I was just kidding, dude."
When the referee stepped into the ring, the once noisy room fell completely silent. The air was now filled with tension and curiosity.
Vernon and Colin approached the referee.
"Are you ready?"
They both nodded, staring intensely at each other.
Colin hadn't wiped that smug smile off his face, which really irritated Vernon.
"I'll explain the rules..." The referee glanced at Robinson, who gave a small nod and a meaningful look.
Vernon suddenly felt uneasy. He sensed that smile was part of some sneaky plan.
The referee looked back at Vernon and Colin, tense.
"There's only one rule... kill!"
"WHAT?!"