Max stood in the center of the arena, the weight of his phone in his pocket feeling like a tether to a new reality. He didn't have time to dwell on the specific details of how he had managed to convince a titan like Dennis Stern to authorize such a transfer. He had promised to pay the man back with interest, but since he hadn't stayed on the line long enough to hammer out the exact terms, he knew there was some level of trouble waiting for him on the horizon.
Dennis was a shark; he would probably not be satisfied unless Max eventually returned at least double the money he had borrowed. But that was a problem for the future, a problem for a version of Max that survived this night. Right now, as the data processed and the Vow recognized the shift in his net worth, he felt stronger than he ever had in his entire life.
The numbers on his screen were undeniable. His total wealth had reached a new peak:
$2,006,380,000
