Chapter 76: Chapter 76: The Hierarchies of Value

The Mercedes E 450 smoothly glided to a halt in front of a mid-tier apartment complex in a completely average working-class neighborhood.

Ivy unbuckled her seatbelt but she hesitated before opening the passenger door.

She glanced back and forth between Alexander and the building clearly waiting for him to step out walk her to the entrance or at least ask for her number.

At the start of the afternoon she had been thoroughly annoyed that she was stuck with Alexander instead of Marcus.

But after witnessing him completely dominate the street race and effortlessly navigate a high-stakes police blockade her entire perspective had shifted.

He wasn’t some pathetic consolation prize as he was the university’s legendary untouchable prince and right now he felt like the absolute jackpot.

Too bad for her Alexander had absolutely no intention of giving her the validation she so desperately wanted.

The very second her feet hit the pavement and the passenger door clicked shut Alexander slammed his foot onto the accelerator.

The luxury sedan tore away from the curb in a cloud of exhaust leaving Ivy standing completely frozen on the sidewalk in absolute shock.

A heavy wave of regret washed over her as she watched his taillights vanish into the dusk realizing she had completely ruined her chance with him.

Unfortunately regret was one of the few wounds that had no cure.

Alexander glanced at the glowing digital clock on the dashboard.

It was just about to strike 6:00 PM which gave him plenty of time to visit Stephen’s gym before his mandatory 10:00 PM mission.

He pushed the car to a higher speed navigating through the city grid until he finally pulled into the gym’s gravel parking lot.

Stepping through the heavy glass doors the sharp smell of iron sweat and rubber hit him instantly.

The facility was packed with a large crowd of people training intensely but Alexander’s sharp eyes quickly picked up on a strange detail.

Not everyone in this room looked like a TMC agent.

Every single agent he had encountered back at the hotel had been physically flawless—they all possessed unique styles but they were all undeniably exceptionally attractive.

Seeing entirely ordinary average-looking people working out in this facility felt incredibly jarring.

These must be the hopeful TMC applicants thought Alexander his eyes scanning the crowded weight racks.

A quiet sense of appreciation washed over him as he thought of Marcus.

If it weren’t for Marcus pulling strings and personally recommending him he would have been forced to grind through whatever grueling bureaucratic recruitment process these regular people were enduring—a normal process that he didn’t even know how to initiate in the first place.

He adjusted his gym bag on his shoulder and strode further into the facility searching for the master trainer.

The heavy thud of dropping weights and the continuous hum of the ventilation system were suddenly cut through by a distinct booming voice "One more repetition!" shouted Stephen from across the training floor "Push it to absolute failure!

If you aren’t failing you aren’t growing!"

Alexander followed the sound a cold chill running down his spine as he remembered the brutal physical torture Stephen had subjected him to just yesterday.

It was almost terrifying how quickly his body had bounced back but that was entirely thanks to the miraculous recovery bottle he had been given.

The substance was nothing short of a miracle as it had completely erased his agonizing muscle soreness leaving him feeling as fresh and energized as if he hadn’t spent hours being pushed to his breaking point.

Alexander casually walked over to the power rack where the master trainer was hovering "Hey Stephen" said Alexander leaning against a structural pillar "How are you doing today?"

Stephen confidently stepped in to assist the poor trembling trainee under the bar lifting the heavy weight back onto the iron pegs before the man collapsed onto the bench looking half-dead from exhaustion.

The massive trainer turned his head his sharp eyes locking onto Alexander with an analytical gaze "You look remarkably well" stated Stephen a slight approving smirk forming on his face "I heard you got yourself up pretty early this morning.

You are proving to be exceptionally resilient kid.

It almost makes me think I need to be significantly harder on you next time."

Alexander instantly shifted his posture standing completely straight with his hands flat against his sides adopting the persona of a thoroughly disciplined battle-hardened soldier who wouldn’t dream of questioning a single command "Of course Master!" replied Alexander his tone completely sharp and obedient "Just tell me exactly what I need to do and I will execute it without a single second of hesitation!"

Stephen burst into a loud booming laugh waving his hand dismissively at the dramatic display "Don’t be so incredibly dramatic haha" said Stephen wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead "Though I do appreciate that you arrived exactly on time.

Come on follow me."

The trainer turned on his heel and strode toward the back of the gym with Alexander following closely at his heels.

They descended the familiar dimly lit concrete stairs leading into the underground level.

However instead of stopping at the heavy steel door they had entered the previous day Stephen bypassed it completely.

He walked right up to the wall directly opposite it pressing a hidden release panel on a completely unremarkable brick column.

A heavy concealed door slowly swung open into the darkness revealing a sector of the facility that looked entirely secret.

Stephen stepped inside first flipping a master switch that bathed the hidden corridor in a cool stark light.

Alexander followed him through the threshold his eyes scanning the completely restricted layout.

The secret sector was lined with a long row of small individual cubicles.

Each unit was divided by thick walls and sealed with heavily tinted polarized glass doors making it absolutely impossible to see what was happening on the inside from the main hallway "Go ahead and pick whichever one you want" stated Stephen gesturing toward the row of units with a mischievous grin "This is where the real fun begins kid.

We like to call it the roulette wheel hehe."

Alexander looked down the corridor and noticed that several of the polarized doors were already glowing with an internal amber indicator light signaling that other TMC applicants or agents were already inside their respective booths deeply engrossed in whatever training awaited them.

Wanting to get straight to the point Alexander strode toward the first completely dark vacant cab gripping the handle of the heavy polarized door.

He pulled it open stepped inside the confined space and let the door seal shut behind him leaving the outside world completely cut off as the room prepared to reveal its purpose.