Max didn't hesitate for a second. He stepped toward a homeless man sitting nearby and snatched a glass liquor bottle from his side.
The man started to protest, his mouth opening to shout. But then a few one-hundred-dollar bills fluttered down into his lap.
His jaw locked shut instantly. His eyes bulged with joy as he began to thank Max with feverish gratitude.
Max gripped the neck of the bottle. He smashed it against a nearby metal utility pole with just enough force.
The glass shattered, leaving him with a jagged, lethal weapon. He reached back and grabbed Emily's shoulder.
She gasped in surprise but didn't pull away. Max pulled her firmly behind his back, his voice echoing with dominant authority.
"What innocent person are you talking about? Your business is my business now."
"If they're looking for trouble with you, they're picking a fight with me."
Emily's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes shimmered as she looked at Max's broad back, her soul finally surrendering to him.
[Affection from Emily: +4] [Total Affection: 83/100] [Note: Once affection exceeds 83, she is officially in love. She will not refuse even your most extreme requests.]
Haha, time to pay back my benefactors, Max thought with a dark inner laugh.
The White Tiger thugs watched his "heroic" display and heard his cheesy words. They erupted into mocking laughter.
"Listen to this brat! You want to play the hero saving the beauty? You need actual strength for that, kid."
"You don't need to doubt my strength," Max replied coldly.
"Go home and ask your mother what I did to her last night. She'll tell you exactly how 'strong' I am."
The street fell deathly silent for a heartbeat. Then, a roar of laughter broke out from the other thugs.
"Lonant, did you hear that? This kid is looking down on you!"
"Hey Lonant, your mother still has her looks, doesn't she? I didn't know she liked them this young!"
Lonant, the thug being mocked, turned a deep shade of purple. He looked ready to explode with murderous rage.
But before he could shout, a melodic, tinkling laugh cut through the tension. It was Emily.
She tilted her head back, laughing gracefully. Her face was flushed from the wine, and her hair began to spill over her shoulders.
She looked breathtakingly beautiful in the flickering streetlights. Max felt a surge of heat rising in his own body.
I need to finish off these 'assistants' quickly, Max thought. He was reaching the limit of his patience.
As for Emily, if she had heard those words normally, she would have been disgusted.
But with her affection for Max so high, his every flaw had become a charming virtue in her eyes.
"You little bitch! I'll tie your boyfriend up and make him watch while we take turns on you!" Lonant screamed.
He charged forward, swinging his heavy wooden bat with all his might toward Max's head.
"Damn, how did you know exactly what I did to your parents?" Max dodged the swing with a fluid movement.
"Were you hiding under the bed, watching me and your mother get intimate?"
As he spoke, Max delivered a lightning-fast knee to the thug's stomach. Lonant doubled over, the air leaving his lungs in a wheeze.
Before he could recover, a heavy fist connected with his jaw.
Thud!
The thug flew backward, his back slamming into a pile of trash against the wall. He slumped down, instantly unconscious.
The rest of the White Tiger gang stopped laughing. They realized this wasn't just some rich kid.
Max stood there, intentionally striking a "cool" pose to maximize the visual impact for Emily.
"This guy is dangerous! Everyone together!" one of them yelled.
"The one who takes him down gets the girl first!"
They all rushed at once. Max knew he had to be careful. Even with the physique of an Olympic champion, he was only one man.
If he got surrounded, the numbers would eventually overwhelm him. He glanced at the homeless man, hoping for a "hidden master" moment.
The old man was gone. No help was coming. Max tossed the broken bottle aside and turned toward Emily.
Emily looked confused as Max approached her. Before she could ask a question, he swept her off her feet in a bridal carry.
He dashed into a narrow, dark alleyway. Emily didn't resist. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her body pressed firmly against his.
Max turned a sharp corner to the right. When the first thug rounded the bend, he met Max's foot in a brutal sidekick.
The man crashed into the person behind him. Using the chaos, Max rained down a flurry of punches, knocking down almost everyone.
Only two were left. One of them panicked and lunged toward Emily with his bat raised.
Max dropped the man he was holding and sprinted. He knew he could just trip the guy, but he had a better idea.
He threw himself in front of Emily, taking the full force of the bat blow directly across his shoulder.
Crack!
The sound of wood hitting bone echoed through the alley. Max let out a sharp cry of pain and collapsed to one knee.
The thug saw a glimmer of hope and prepared for a second strike. But Max's leg swept out, hooking the man's ankle.
The thug hit the ground hard. Before his head could touch the pavement, Max's fist drove into his face, sending him sliding toward his comrades.
"Are you okay?!" Emily cried out, rushing to Max's side.
Her heart was overflowing with guilt and overwhelming emotion. She couldn't believe he had risked his life for her.
They had only just met, and yet he was willing to take a blow that could have broken her.
"Don't worry about me," Max groaned, acting more injured than he truly was.
"I'm just... a little dizzy. Can you take me to a hotel? I just need to lie down for a while."
He paused, looking up at her with soft, pleading eyes.
"Trust me... I won't do anything bad to you."