Something Unexpected

"Mr. Max Jones, can we talk for a moment?"

At the eastern entrance of the Cobra Kai martial arts school grounds, Max and Georges returned from lunch when a voice called out behind them.

The speaker was a middle-aged man wearing a polo shirt, slightly balding.

Initially, his comments resembled those of many who sought interviews with Max—now widely known for training alongside Georges—which led him to mistakenly believe this man was yet another reporter. However, he wasn't.

The man stepped forward and introduced himself as Joseph, the agent of Andrew, a fighter from the martial arts dojo called Iron Fist.

It's worth noting that Andrew would be Max's next opponent.

Shortly after Max's previous match, the other three matches in the elimination bracket concluded one after the other.

As the frontrunner, Max was set to face one last competitor before reaching the quarterfinals.

"Are you with the press?" Georges asked, noting that this was not the time for questions. Press briefings were scheduled for formal sessions where all questions could be addressed.

"I represent Andrew, my son," the man replied with a sheepish smile.

Andrew, known as a technical fighter, excelled under amateur competition rules, which heavily protected fighters. This made it difficult to knock out opponents, favoring those who could win by points rather than raw power or agility.

Technical fighters were often more successful in amateur circles, one reason many powerful fighters left amateur competitions early to turn professional.

Andrew had excellent combat skills. Standing 189 cm tall, with long arms, he struck quickly and moved with speed, often surprising opponents with powerful punches.

However, his weaknesses included below-average strength, limited endurance under heavy hits, and physical capabilities less than that of most 18-year-old fighters.

In his last match, Andrew fought an overseas opponent for ten grueling minutes before narrowly securing victory.

Now, Andrew, the local favorite, was set to face Max—a one-eyed fighter gaining fame for his knockouts.

The public eagerly anticipated the afternoon match, curious to see how Max would elegantly defeat his opponent.

Max was somewhat surprised when Andrew's agent approached him and didn't understand his purpose.

"Gentlemen, here's the situation. I'd like to ask Max to go easy on my son during the match and avoid knocking him out in the first few minutes."

"What?" Max was momentarily taken aback before smiling. "You're asking me to be gentler during the competition? But this is a regular match, sir!"

"I understand, I do. If Mr. Max is willing to end the match after eight minutes without knocking him out, I'm prepared to pay you thirty thousand dollars as a reward," the man said politely.

Max raised an eyebrow, realizing the man wanted him to prolong the fight against his son.

Such requests were not unusual. Whether in underground rings or professional fights, staged hits were a well-known phenomenon.

Max had dealt with similar offers before and was experienced in such matters. However, he hadn't expected it in a Karate tournament where a loss wouldn't significantly impact a fighter's career.

After thinking for a moment, Max told the man, "Wait here," and pulled Georges—still stunned—aside for a private conversation.

"Georges, my teammates are still competing, and I want to check their results. But since you've volunteered to help me, you can handle this man's concerns.

"Tell him I'll knock Andrew out in the third minute for thirty thousand dollars. For forty thousand, I'll do it in the fourth minute. But for one hundred thousand dollars, Andrew will last until the fifth minute without being knocked out. The minimum is fifty thousand dollars. I won't do it for less."

Georges glanced around, lowered his voice, and said, "Isn't this a fake fight? I've heard about staged hits in boxing, which is wrong, but never in Karate. Why agree to something like this?"

Max shook his head. "Fake fights involve deliberately losing to change the match outcome. That's not the case here. We're playing fair. Think about it. Tomorrow, I'll beat Andrew, but the money this man offers will determine how and when I do it."

"Why risk being discovered?"

Max looked at Georges and murmured, "I can't deny a father the chance to protect his son. It's touched my soft spot. Don't overthink it—it's personal."

Georges glanced at the middle-aged man nearby. "But why do this? What difference does it make if it's a few minutes earlier or later?"

"Of course, it makes a difference. My martial arts are lethal, as you've seen during training. The longer my opponents last, the better they look. When the media reports it, the stats will favor those young fighters. If I knock Andrew out in the first minute, how will the media evaluate him?"

"But this is wrong. If the media finds out, it'll ruin you," Georges said cautiously.

"Don't worry, relax—I've got this," Max replied with a smile.

After reassuring Georges, Max yawned and returned to the hall where the Cobra Kai fighters were resting.

This wasn't about the money—it was about a father's concern that a loss might devastate his son to the point of giving up what he loves.