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MAX THOROUGHLY READS THE notes that he borrowed from Felix. Since he was at the clinic yesterday, he had to catch up with the lessons. Thankfully, after their PE class, they have homeroom with sir Barron, and fortunately for them, their homeroom teacher was having a meeting with the Elites since they're finally going to have their Monthly Reranking Announcement on Friday.

     The class was noisy as usual, and that honestly wasn't enough to break Max's concentration. What really bothered him was the fact that his classmates and even students from outside the room were looking at him because of one person and one person only...

     "When are you planning to leave?" Max finally asks, turning his head to the side to look at the man who stole Ari's seat, Axel, also known as the frontman of the famous band, the Monarchs.

     "You're seriously a pain. Did you even hear what I just said? Your other members already left. People are going to make up a bunch of rumors about me again," Max complains.

     Axel, who was casually playing games on his phone, looks at Max and says, "They had to go back to their classes since they're not as smart as I am. And the boss said to make sure we assist you, so until you tell us what you need, I'm not leaving."

     "There's nothing that I need. What on earth could you possibly give me?!" Max asks in annoyance, making the students start whispering at each other again, probably talking about how brave Max is to be talking to Axel like that.

     At this point, Max could already feel the fanboys' deadly stares.

     "Well, then I'll stay here a little longer then. I don't have much to do anyway," Axel says, brushing off Max's irruption as he goes back to playing with his phone.

     While Max tries his best not to lose his temper, Ari and Ervin, who was sitting beside Felix, couldn't help but look at Axel in amazement.

     "I can't believe those fuckers were the Ashes," Ari says with a soft tone so no one would be able to hear him.

     "I can't believe Max hasn't beaten the shit out of him," Ervin then adds, making Felix chuckle.

     While Felix continues to read his book, he glances at Max and Axel before saying, "If he didn't introduce himself as a member of the Ashes, Max would have already karate chopped him. But as confusing as Max's real relationship is with Cj, that man is still Cigarettes' underling. And what Max does to him might affect his chance in conquering them."

    Ari and Ervin couldn't help but be impressed by their little friend that Ari even started brushing Felix's hair like a kid, almost like they didn't have an argument earlier.

     "You really are a genius," Ari says. And before Felix could even get mad at Ari for ruining his hair, the school bell rings, signifying that classes were finally over.

     Max immediately closes Felix's notebook and stands from his seat, the rest of his classmates standing too so they could leave the room. Everyone starts leaving one by one while Axel was still playing with his phone, both of his feet resting on the chair that's in front of him like he was relaxing at home.

     Ari, Felix, and Ervin approach Max as Max looks back at Axel with an annoyed expression. "If you even try to follow me home I am seriously going to call the cops on you," he threatens.

    Axel, who wasn't even looking at Max anymore, answers back, "Don't worry, I'm actually going back to the studio now. If you're not aware, we're releasing our album tomorrow so we're going to be a bit busy. If you need anything, it's best you tell me now before I take my leave," he insists.

     "I told you, I don't need your-" Max pauses and just massages his temple in defeat. "Alright, tell your boss that I appreciate the gesture, but right now I don't need help. I'm still trying to think of something, but if I finally have a plan, I'll definitely tell you about it."

     Axel looks back at Max and hides his phone in his pockets.

     "That wasn't so hard now, was it?" Axel says, finally standing from Ari's seat.

     "It's not really my style to follow people around, but what the boss needs, the boss gets," he says before pulling something out from his pocket and handing it over to Max. It was a card made of metal. "This is our band's exclusive card; not everyone can get a hold of it. Call us and you'll be greeted by our manager. Just introduce yourself as Sinclaire and he'll know what to do after."

     Max was surprised by the sudden professional attitude, but he takes the card anyway and nods his head.

     "Well, it was fun following you around master. Until next time," Axel says with a charming smile before finally walking out of their classroom. And as soon as he steps out, dozens of students instantly swarm him, and the Monarchs' frontman disappears in the sea of white uniforms.

     "And there he goes," Ervin says, draping his arm around Max's shoulder.

     "I can't believe a member of the monarchs stayed in our classroom for an hour and a half. We're literally living the fanfic main character life," Felix then says, making Ari and Ervin laugh.

     "Well, what surprised me more is the fact that they were actually the infamous Ashes. Who would have known," Ari then adds, and the three couldn't help but agree.

     "Well, I guess that's all-" Before Ari could even finish his sentence, Max's phone suddenly starts ringing, cutting him off. Max apologizes and immediately pulls out his phone from his pocket and sees that the caller is actually his butler, Étienne.

     "Hello?" Max answers.

     "I apologize for calling you like this master Leigh, but I called madam Scarlet as you requested and she replied to me just an hour ago. She said she's only available today at 4:00 PM because she has a photoshoot at 5," Étienne answers.

     Max looks at his watch and sees that it's already 3:07, making him curse.

     "Where does she want to meet?"

     "At the Romano Hotel near Fairview Avenue."

     "That's at least 30 minutes away by car. We can't predict how the traffic will go either," Max says with a sigh, a bit irritated that Scarlet gave them such a difficult schedule. But then again he's the one who requested to meet up with her so he can't really complain.

     "Alright, where are you now?"

     "I'm already downstairs."

     Max immediately ends the call and looks back at his friends. "Can't really explain in detail, but I have an important meeting at 4 so I'll have to leave you guys first."

     "No worries, we'll see you tomorrow," Ari assures him, and Max smiles and runs out of the room and heads straight to the Keep where Étienne is waiting for him.

     Max doesn't even say anything as he practically throws himself inside the car. Étienne then closes the door for him, and the two immediately drive off to their destination to meet the woman who might just have a solution to both Max and Cj's problems.

     Scarlet Romano, also known as the heiress of the Romano Resort and Hotels, is the only heir who publicly announced her rank in Crème de la crème, which is rank 9.

     If Cindy is known as the public's darling, Scarlet is definitely labeled as an icon. Other than being a prodigy, Scarlet is well-known for her deals and strategies. She directly helps their company by planning strategies for them. It is said that she was able to save her company three times from bankruptcy. It's also rumored that you have to pay a large amount if you want to get any advice from her. She's that good.

     That's why being able to talk to her for free is a great privilege, especially for Max who isn't even his company's heir anymore.

     "Master, we're here," Étienne suddenly says, snapping Max back to his senses.

     Max looks out of the window of their car and was welcomed with a grand hotel that almost looks like a forest. Unlike the Sinclaire Hotels that look extravagant because of their famous casinos, Romano Hotels make you feel like you're on the beach despite it being placed in the city.

     "It's 3:50 PM master Leigh so we still have a little time left," Étienne answers. "I'll park at the main entrance and wait for you at the lobby. I was also able to buy the red velvet cake that you asked for. But since madam Scarlet replied to me late, I was not able to send it to her."

     "It's alright, I'll bring it to her myself. Thank you," Max answers as Étienne parks at the entrance. He then hands Max the cake before heading out to open the door for him.

     Max steps out of the car with his full white uniform, instantly catching people's attention. Even if people didn't know who he is, they definitely know where the uniform is from.

    "I'll message you when we're done," Max says as he finally heads inside.

     No one welcomes him there, but a floor manager instantly recognizes him. He practically runs to where Max is, and as soon as he stops in front of Max, he immediately bows and says, "S-Sir Maximilian Sinclaire...we were not expecting you. Did you perhaps book a room here?"

     "No, I'm here to meet Scarlet. She says she's here?" Max asks.

     "Yes sir, right this way. I'll lead you to where she is," the man says, and he and Max walk to the elevator to head to where Scarlet is. 

     As soon as they arrive, the manager eventually leaves. Max takes a deep breath and adjusts his peak cap before finally knocking on the door. No one answers, so Max knocks on it again. After the third knock, Max sighs and decides to open the door to check if someone was inside, but to his surprise, there were at least a dozen of people in the room. It wasn't an office at all.

     There were stylists, makeup artists, and even a photographer. Everyone was so busy.

     Max thought that he was brought to a different room by mistake, so he was about to step away and leave. But then someone shouts, "Leigh! You're finally here!"

     Max furrows his brows and sees a hand waving in the air. The person who was waving it was blocked by a crowd of people, but the expensive gold bracelet alone made Max certain that it was Scarlet.

     "What the hell is this woman even doing?" Max asks as he heads inside the busy room and walks towards where Scarlet is. The staff who were there were so busy that they didn't even notice him enter.

    When he finally got to where Scarlet is, after excusing himself from everyone who was in the way, Max was once again surprised to see that Scarlet was only wearing undergarments, immediately making Max look away from her. It's not like he was embarrassed, it was just a gesture out of respect.

     "Leigh! I can't believe you made it! I'm glad!" Scarlet practically shouts thanks to the loud hairdryer. "I'd stand and give you a kiss but I'm covered in makeup. I don't want to stain your uniform," she then adds.

    There were at least two people doing her makeup, and there was a hairstylist too. She almost looked like a princess who was getting ready for a grand ball.

     "You gave us such a tight schedule, but I'm glad you agreed to meet with me even though you're so busy," Max says, almost choking because of the hairspray.

    Scarlet was about to answer but she giggles instead when she noticed that Max was still not looking at her. "No need to be decent now, we're close friends," Scarlet says, but she takes her robe anyway and wears it for Max's consideration.

     When Scarlet was finally covered, Max looks back at her and hands her the cake, "This might not be the appropriate time, but I hope you accept this."

     "Oh Leigh, you shouldn't have," Scarlet says as she snaps her fingers, and in an instant, someone arrives and takes the cake from Max's hand.

     "I apologize for this but I have a photoshoot for Forbes later. I really wanted to meet up with you in a more formal and professional manner, but I'm also leaving to Singapore tomorrow. I'm staying there for a week since we're having our grand opening there, and I bet you don't have the luxury to wait that long," Scarlet says, and the man who took the cake from Max arrives with an extra chair, putting it beside Scarlet so Max could take a seat.

     "Don't worry about it. I'm just glad to be able to talk with you," Max says, finally taking his seat.

    "Do you mind if they continue their work while we talk?" Scarlet then asks, gesturing at the makeup artists beside her.

     Max shakes his head and honestly answers, "It's fine. It's better if we don't waste even a single minute."

     "You're such a darling Max, thank you. Now, I'm assuming you wanted to talk to me about your deal with the devil himself. It was brave of you to challenge the head of the Mills family like that. I would have loved to see it, but unfortunately, I was in Italy at that time," Scarlet says, making Max chuckle.

    "You really do travel a lot huh?"

    "You know me. I'm on-demand," Scarlet says with a wink.

     "Can't disagree with that. But you're right, that deal with Mr. Christopher Mills was sudden and it was honestly because I lost my composure. I can't really say I'm having a hard time with it, but I'm not having the best time either. Do you have any advice for me?"

     Scarlet, who was staring at herself in the mirror, doesn't even look back at Max as she asks him, "Have you talked to Charles about this? Did he say anything about it?"

    "I wanted you to personally meet him but I guess we can do that next time. Honestly, he was glad that I was helping him even if I decided to challenge his father because of the heat of the moment. I do still want to genuinely help him. It's just that it difficult to actually help him," Max explains.

     "Well, what did you expect? His father is the head of the largest hidden stocks in the world. He has control over the biggest companies and investors. Looking for big investors isn't difficult, it's impossible," Scarlet explains, leaning closer to the mirror to wipe the lipstick on the side of her mouth.

    "But thankfully, you went to the right person," she then says before looking back at Max, her robe falling off her shoulder, exposing the strap of her bra.

    Max smirks and leans close to her, slowly draping the robe back on her shoulder before saying, "What magical advice can you give me then, Ms. Romano?"

     Scarlet smirks and licks her upper teeth before saying, "You see Leigh, it's impossible to look for investors because the ones you're targeting are the big guys. As much as we want them to fund Charles's falling company, they'll never agree to your terms even if you make them major shareholders."

     "What do you suggest then?"

     "Target the public," Scarlet says, instantly making Max furrow his brows in confusion.

     "The public?" 

     "That's right. Mr. Christopher controls hidden stocks. Big companies need hidden stocks for a lot of reasons, and one can be for tax evasion or just for corruption in general. It's the illegal part of business after all. But usually, such companies are for elites or people with big names," Scarlet explains, making Max slowly understand where she's going.

     "Make Charles's company a company for the public. Make it a household name that the masses can buy from. Make it a brand where even street vendors will know. If you got that down, you'll earn investors," Scarlet then reveals.

     "So you're telling me we're targeting-"

     "Small investors," Scarlet finishes. "You didn't really specify the investor you're going to get, right? So get small investors who don't have hidden stocks. Get a ton of them; maybe about five will do. Small companies usually like the idea of brands for the masses because it reaches more people. Get this for instance. Christian Dior is a famous brand, and usually, people who buy from them are the elites since it's considered a luxury brand. Zara, on the other hand, targets the masses because it's more affordable. Now, the target audience is a bit different, but look, both companies are famous and both CEOs are rich as fuck. It doesn't really matter who buys from them."

     Max's eyes widened from shock. No wonder people seek her advice. She really knows what she's talking about.

     "The Mills company is like the Christian Dior of the tobacco business, so make Charles's company the Zara."     

     "How do I make it public then? How will I make Cj's cigarettes a household name?" Max asks next.

     Scarlet looks back at the mirror and checks her hair this time. "Make the brand more affordable but retain the quality. You can do that by looking for manufacturers who haven't handled big brands. Manufacturers like that usually raise their prices because of that. Another thing is a common strategy called public display. Use a local celebrity or someone famous. Do it subtly too, like get a picture of them using your brand in the airport. Something like that."

     "Celebrities?" Max asks, trying to think of someone who would fit. "That sounds like a good plan, but I don't know any celeb-" Max pauses in an instant when he suddenly remembered something.

     Max isn't really the type to get acquainted with celebrities, but he fortunately just recently met one.

     "Have you heard of the band called Monarch?" Max asks, and in an instant, all the staff in the room stop what they're doing to look at Max.

     Scarlet, who was busy checking her makeup, was also surprised as he looks back at Max and says, "Have I heard of the band called Monarchs? Did you really just ask me that question? The Monarchs is literally the biggest indie band at the moment. Every teenager literally knows them. They're even releasing an album tomorrow. Everyone's talking about it."

     Max was surprised at the response. He then slowly reaches something out of his pocket before showing it to Scarlet, practically making Scarlet gasp.

     "No...you did not..."

     "Do you think they'll be enough for people to know about Cj's company?" Max asks, and Scarlet immediately snatches the calling card from Max's hand and shouts, "What the hell are you even thinking?! Call them...now!"

- END -