Adam stood alone in the narrow, dirty alleyway. The bad smell of old garbage and wet bricks still hung in the air. The sounds from the fight – the grunts, the awful thuds, the scared running footsteps – were gone now.
Only the quiet hum of faraway city traffic was left. His chest moved up and down as he took slow, deep breaths on purpose, trying to calm down the leftover energy from the fight.
His knuckles hurt with a dull, steady pain. It reminded him of the violence he had just caused. He could feel his hands shaking just a little, a result of the big rush of energy.
"I lost control of my anger… That's why I went too far," he mumbled to himself. His voice was quiet in the alley. It sounded like he felt a little bit sorry for how brutal he had been, but also like he was darkly pleased about it.
Not pleased like something was funny, but pleased in a cold way because he had shown his power and made it clear who was stronger. He hadn't planned to beat Rey that badly, but once his anger came out, it was hard to stop.
He looked down at his hands. They were scraped up, with broken skin over the knuckles. Dried blood, dark and crusty now, covered them – it was Rey's blood. He slowly bent and unbent his fingers, feeling how stiff and sore they were. He didn't wipe the blood off. Instead, he stared at it. It was like proof of what had just happened.
A small smirk, cold and sharp, appeared on his lips. It wasn't a happy look, but one showing dark satisfaction and a promise for the future. "But this… this is only the beginning."
Showing his strength like this wasn't just about getting back at Rey; it was a statement. It was the first messy step toward getting the power he felt he should have, the power he didn't have in his past life. This time, he wouldn't just let things happen. This time, he would take action.
Lifting his head, Adam's eyes shone with cold determination in the day light. The calmness he had earlier was gone, replaced by a sharp focus and a scary firmness. The name popped into his head, loud and clear. "John…" The person behind Rey, "I will make you suffer so much that you'll remember my name for the rest of your sad life."
It wasn't just a threat; it was a serious promise whispered into the air that didn't care. He imagined destroying John's influence, taking apart whatever power he had, making him feel helpless like Adam once felt.
With that promise hanging in the air, he turned away from the spot where Rey had fallen. His shoulders were set straight. He started walking toward the end of the alley, his steps steady and sure on the cracked ground.
But, as he stepped forward, ready to leave the fight behind and think about his plans, a face suddenly flashed in his mind – clear as anything, without him wanting it to. Sophia.
Her face appeared, not making him feel warm, but bringing a new wave of bitter feelings. What did her face show in his memory – worry? Or like she didn't care? He wasn't sure anymore.
She was the reason John and his thugs had come after him. She had been right there, watching it get worse.
His face, which had looked cold and determined, darkened right away. His jaw got tight, and a muscle jumped under his skin. "She could have stopped this anytime," he muttered. His voice was low and rough now, full of anger. "She could have said something, done anything. But she just watched. She let it happen."
"I suffered so much in my past life because I was weak, because I let things go… because I trusted the wrong people," he thought. The memories made the cold fire inside him burn hotter. "But not this time. Never again."
His eyes seemed to burn with a cold, hard determination as they reflected the far-off streetlights. He whispered his final thought, like a promise he was making to himself, "I will get my revenge on everyone who wronged me. Everyone."
With those scary words hanging in the small space, Adam finally left the alley behind. He blended into the crowd of the streets nearby.
He left behind the mess he made and carried a promise of more trouble to come. He walked fast, the pain in his hands a dull ache compared to the sharp focus driving him forward.
The walk back to his apartment was fast.
When he got to his apartment building, he climbed the stairs quickly. His mind was already switching gears. He could hear quiet talking from inside his apartment as he got closer to the door. He knew they would be waiting for him.
He unlocked the door and pushed it open. As he stepped inside, the quiet talking stopped. Everyone looked at him. The small living room was full of his team: Monica, Kim, Lisa, Raven, and a few others Raven must have brought. The air felt full of waiting.
Some sat on the old couch, others on folding chairs they must have brought. Kim and Monica stood near the small kitchen counter. The group immediately followed him deeper into the room, their faces serious.
Monica spoke first, stepping forward to walk next to him as he moved to the middle of the room. She looked calm and professional like always, but her eyes quickly looked him over, maybe noticing he looked a bit messy or still tense.
"Before you got here, we talked about everything," she said. Her voice was clear and all business. "We finished the jobs we were given for getting things started."
Kim followed close behind, nodding yes. She gave a quick, small smile to show she saw him. The rest of the team sat down again, watching Adam, waiting for him to tell them what to do.
Adam nodded slowly. He looked around at everyone in the room before looking back at Monica. He liked that they worked fast. "Good," he replied, his voice steady. "I've done my part too. All the tools and equipment we need have been sent to the refinery place."
Monica's eyes got a little wider in surprise. She hadn't thought he would move so fast or handle such a big job by himself.
"Already? That was fast," she said. Then, being practical, she asked the question she was clearly thinking about, "How much did it cost?" She sounded truly curious about the money spent, probably already thinking about how much they had left.
Adam paused for a second, enjoying her surprise. He reached into his jacket pocket with his good hand, acting casual, like it was no big deal.
He pulled out a thick stack of cash – $5000 – and put it down firmly on the small coffee table in the middle of the group. The new bills made a soft sound in the quiet room.
"I only needed to use about half of the money you gave me," he said simply.
Monica raised one eyebrow. Her surprise turned into doubt. She looked from the money back to Adam. "Wait a minute… Are you sure about the quality? Did you buy cheap tools to save money? Because if they break down a lot, fixing them will cost way more later. That wouldn't be smart."
Her worry was practical. She was thinking about whether the business would last.
Before Adam could answer, Kim spoke up, stepping forward a little. "No, Monica, I already went down to the refinery site myself this afternoon to check," she cut in. Her voice was sure and calming.
"I checked everything myself when it arrived. The tools Adam sent are excellent quality. Really good stuff, actually. Better than I thought. I also made sure the water pipes and electricity were connected right and working. Everything is ready to go over there."
Hearing Kim say that, Monica's look changed clearly from worried to totally shocked. She turned her full attention back to Adam, studying him closely now. Her look was sharp, like she was figuring him out again. It was obvious she was changing her mind about him. How did he get such good equipment for such a low price?
"Your negotiation skills are… impressive," she said slowly. You could hear new respect in her voice. "Honestly, I think I should learn from you."
Adam laughed softly, shaking his head a little. He waved his hand like it was nothing, even though he was clearly pleased she said that. "No, it wasn't really negotiating," he said, avoiding the question.
"I just used some of my old contacts. People who owed me a favor. I don't have any special skills in making deals." He kept his answer simple, not wanting to tell them too much about his past life or how he did things yet.
Monica just smiled – a smart, thoughtful smile this time. She didn't ask more questions, but you could see she admired him.
She seemed to get that there was more to Adam than he showed, and maybe more than he wanted to say. The rest of the team looked at each other, quietly agreeing that Adam had surprised them with how clever he was.
A short, quiet moment passed as everyone took in the news about the refinery being ready. You could feel the excitement in the room, like things were really starting to happen. Then, Kim broke the silence. Being practical, he brought them back to the next important step.
"Okay, so the refinery is set up and ready," he said, looking around at the group. "Now, we just need to order our first batch of crude oil and, more importantly, get our first customer order to ship to."
Adam's interest immediately grew when he mentioned customers. This was where the real work started – turning their setup into actual money. He moved slightly, focusing his attention.
He turned to Lisa. She was in charge of finding the first customers because she had worked in sales before. "Lisa, how's it going finding a buyer? Can you tell me who might place the first order?" he asked, sounding eager.
Lisa, who had been sitting quietly, sat up straighter. A real smile spread across her face. She nodded, looking happy with herself.
"Yes, actually. I called a company I used to work with before I left my old job," she explained. Her voice was clear and sure. "They supply fuel for trucks in the area. I told them we were a new refinery starting up.
When I told them we're offering the first shipment completely for free just to show them how good our stuff is and that they can count on us, they loved the idea. They immediately placed an order."
While Lisa talked, Monica stayed quiet. Her face didn't show anything as she watched Lisa carefully. Maybe she was thinking about Lisa's plan or what it meant to give away the first batch for free.
Adam, though, leaned forward a little. He was getting more curious. A free first shipment was a big move. It was meant to get them started quickly.
"A free order is a good start," he agreed. "It helps people trust us right away. How big is the order they placed?" he asked, looking straight at Lisa.
Lisa paused for just a tiny second. She quickly glanced towards Monica, maybe looking for approval or getting ready for her reaction, before looking back at Adam.
"They requested 5000 barrels," she announced.
Adam's eyebrows shot up. That wasn't a small test order. That was a lot, especially for a brand new refinery nobody knew yet. "5000 barrels…" he repeated, thinking about it.
Giving away that much for free would cost them a lot at first, but it could be a huge win if it got them a regular customer.
He immediately turned his attention to Kim. "Kim, based on the refinery setup, how long will it take our place to make that much refined fuel?"
Kim tilted his head, thinking for a second, doing math in his head. "Okay, so the refinery you got isn't exactly super fancy or new," he started, making sure they understood, "but it's definitely not tiny either. It has good machines that can handle a lot. I'd say it's a solid mid-level refinery. If we get the crude oil quickly and run everything at full power, working all day and night, we should be able to finish refining that 5000-barrel order in about two days."
Adam smirked, a real smile of satisfaction this time. Two days was fast. Efficient. "Excellent," he murmured. That timing worked perfectly with his plans.
He then looked over at Raven, who was in charge of hiring workers. "Raven, the workers? Have you hired enough skilled people to run the refinery at full power starting right away?"
Raven, who had been watching quietly, gave a firm, sure nod. "Yes, Adam. I've hired the needed staff – people with experience running machines, fixing things, and keeping things safe. I checked them all out, and they signed contracts. They know the setup and are ready to start work tomorrow morning."
Adam crossed his arms, leaning back a bit. His look was sharp and clear as he looked around the room. "Good. Everything is falling into place." He paused, making sure his next words sounded important.
"Our first goal is set. In four days from now, we will ship our first order. Two days to make it, which gives us extra time to get the crude oil and do final checks."
His eyes landed on Monica again. "Monica," he said, his tone making it clear she had to do this, "You will be in charge of the whole process from beginning to end. That means managing the crude oil coming in, watching over Kim's team and Raven's workers as they refine it, making sure the quality is good, and handling the plans for the final shipment. From getting the crude oil to the last barrel of refined fuel, the whole job is your responsibility."
Monica looked right back at him. Her face was serious. She gave a firm, single nod. "Understood, Adam. I'll handle it." She didn't hesitate at all.
Adam looked around the room one last time, seeing the serious, determined faces of his team. Kim looked focused, Lisa looked excited, Raven seemed calm and ready, and Monica looked like she knew exactly what to do.
Even though there were risks and they were doing things differently, they were all ready. The first real test of their plan was about to start. They had taken the first step toward building their power.