From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 546

Chapter 546: Consolidating Power

It was currently a strange, tense period for the Billion Bloodline Group. At the moment, Max had decided to put a complete hold on expanding, and that freeze was felt in all avenues of the business. The gangs weren’t continuing to expand their reach around Notting Hill, and the merchandise sales, although still performing well, lacked the added benefit and momentum they usually gained every time a new gym opened in a fresh area.

Max’s decision wasn’t made out of a lack of ambition, but out of necessity. He had figured that with all of the information currently floating around at their fingertips, his opponents would have surely figured out the truth by now. They would know that the Bloodline Group of the streets and the Billion Bloodline investment group were one and the same.

His enemies, be that the Black Hounds, the Gilt Rats, or a combined alliance of the two, would undoubtedly know this secret. It was no longer the time to expand and spread themselves thin, leaving pockets of their organization vulnerable to surgical strikes. It also wasn’t the time for Max to spend any extra money on growth. Stretching out would only make them a clearer target, and Max was expecting a retaliation or an all-out attack at any moment.

Instead of growing outward, he had done quite the opposite. Max had recalled his key members. The strong fighters from his high school days, those who had been spread out to manage the business taken from the Chalkline Boys and the Rejected Corps, had been brought back into the fold at the Fortis Group. They were going to be integrated into the private security team for a while, training alongside the professionals to sharpen their edges.

Max had also set up a contingency plan. He established a specific code word that would be sent out to the captains if things went south. If that word was sent, they were all instructed to immediately drop what they were doing and head to the Fortis Building, which had now been officially rebranded as the Billion Bloodline Building.

Max knew he had to focus on the core members of the group. If he couldn’t generate massive new revenue streams currently and couldn’t find a way to significantly increase his own personal strength in this short window, then he needed to focus on elevating the fighters around him. If he couldn’t get stronger, his team would.

To start this process, he called a quick meeting with the members of the Rangers.

"Has he become an unofficial Ranger now?" Joe asked, his voice filled with a bit of skepticism as he pointed toward Darno.

"Darno has become a key part of our strength, kind of like Na," Max said, his voice level. "But I wouldn’t put them on the same level as a Ranger just yet. That’s why I haven’t given them any colors."

"Oh, colors?" Darno chimed in, leaning forward with interest. "Right, you guys wear those jackets with the special colors. Hey, if I get a color, can I get pink? I really like pink. It suits my style."

At the same time, Joe and Stephen turned to him and gave him the most intense stares of their lives.

"No," they said in perfect unison, their voices flat.

"Anyway, what I wanted to talk to you all about was this," Max said, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand. He reached down and placed both of the exoskeleton arms that had been retrieved from the Gilt Rats on the table. The metallic components clattered against the surface, looking both high-tech and menacing.

"I’ve tested the items myself, and I can tell you they are extremely powerful. They provide a massive boost to your speed and strength. Also, because the frame surrounds your arm, it reinforces the muscles and joints. It stops your bones and body from breaking down under the pressure of using that much power," Max explained.

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