Really? What if maxvalue in the given string has a negative value?

While it passes the tests without the Distinct, the instructions mention that duplicates are not allowed in some languages so many people are taking that as instructions to filter out duplicate entries from the first array.

And I was afraid my solution was gonna be jank and some Linq Master was gonna come along and laugh at me..

I can just imagine OP pulling an all-nighter wrangling with this problem over a 6-pack of Bawls Energy, hammering away at his keyboard while listening to Anime Hero music.
Imagine the smile on his face when all of those unit tests passed.
The sheer dedication is a best practice. OP never gave up, and despite the spaghettification, I raise my glass to him.

Thanks!,

How would you make it more performance?