From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 588

Chapter 588: We Are Criminals (Part 1)

Max had always operated on a simple, ruthless philosophy: make the absolute most of the situation at hand, no matter the odds or the obstacles. In his meticulously calculated mind, there was no avoiding the inevitable. No matter what diplomatic dances they attempted or what temporary truces were forged, his faction would eventually clash with the Gilt Rats in a battle for supremacy.

The Gilt Rats had simply become too deeply involved with their business. With them currently sitting comfortably as the top Syndicate gang operating in Notting Hill, they represented a massive, unavoidable hurdle. They were an apex predator that Max’s group would eventually need to take down if they ever wanted their own organization to grow and thrive within the city’s cutthroat underworld. Coexistence was nothing but a myth.

So, analyzing all of those factors, Max had made a definitive choice. If this was a violent situation that was inevitably going to start anyway, then he would be the one to dictate the terms. He would be the one to start the war, striking on his own timeline rather than waiting to be ambushed on theirs.

It was a mindset somewhat similar to an employee who already knew with absolute certainty that they were going to get fired. There was a distinct, empowering pride in standing up and loudly declaring that they were quitting before the termination could even be mentioned or brought up by the boss. This was the exact same dynamic for Max. He was seizing the narrative and the momentum.

Only, Max truly did believe that right now was currently the absolute best time to strike. Ironically, he had the Gilt Rats themselves to thank for this golden opportunity. By launching this hostile takeover, the syndicate had unknowingly pushed two desperate Stern family members directly into his waiting arms. Because of their aggressive plays, he had managed to secure and absorb far more money than he could have ever imagined making in such a short period.

And for Max, capital was everything. That massive influx of funds allowed for his raw, physical strength to explode to terrifying new heights compared to what it was just weeks prior. He had never felt better, never felt more capable of crushing his opposition. His enemies, of course, had absolutely no idea about this unique, hidden mechanic, that the more wealth he earned and hoarded, the exponentially stronger he would physically become.

And as for his allies within the Billion Bloodline group, they certainly weren’t exactly sitting around doing nothing while he pulled the strings, either. They had continuously pushed themselves, training relentlessly to grow during this tense period, honing and mastering their unique powers.

When the inevitable clash finally happened, it wasn’t going to be the same desperate, scraping fight as when they had fought against the Black Hounds. That was for sure. They were ready for a war.

Meanwhile, back in the suffocating atmosphere of the corporate boardroom, the reaction to Max’s dramatic unmasking was pure shock. Even though one person in particular should have been absolutely overjoyed by the miraculous news she had just heard, that her company was being saved, she was instead entirely frozen, completely focused on the face she could now clearly see on the computer screen.

I don’t understand. Why is Max Stern on the screen? Bobo thought, her mind spinning wildly as she stared at the red hair and the familiar, yet somehow hardened, features. He just said he’s the Chairman of the Billion Bloodline group, right? I looked into them before all this. They already had some serious reputation and weight among the other syndicates in the underworld. Could it really have been him this entire time?

When Bobo started to think about it deeper, analyzing the timeline, she realized just how inherently suspicious everything actually was. A venture capitalist group appearing seemingly out of nowhere, wielding an impossibly high amount of liquid funds, stepping in at exactly the right moments.

Of course, there was always a statistical chance for a shadow company to secretly be backed by one of the wealthy Stern family members. But in a million years, she never would have imagined it would be Max. The weak, pathetic pushover of the Stern family. The outcast. Yet here he was, doing all of this, holding the fate of her entire life’s work in his hands.

Is he actually helping me, or is he just tricking me into a deeper trap? Bobo thought, a cold sweat breaking out on her palms. Why did he come to the facility in the first place? He couldn’t have possibly known that Ramon’s betrayal was going to happen right then, right? She bit the inside of her cheek. Or maybe he’s just a pure opportunist. Maybe he is doing all of this now simply to take maximum advantage of the situation, to bleed me dry while securing his own position against a rival gang.

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