From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 681

Chapter 681: The One After The Seat

After hearing those words, Max felt the cold prickle of a realization he hadn’t anticipated. His initial investigation into Donto had been a calculated move—a stepping stone designed to get him close enough to Randy. His interest in Randy, in turn, had only grown because of the cryptic warnings left by the Gilt Rats’ leader. Max had operated under the assumption that Randy was the primary obstacle, the shadow he needed to uncover to eventually reach the White Tigers.

However, a nagging question had always lingered in the back of his mind: who was the architect behind the attempted assassination of the original Max Stern? In his mental ledger, Max had already begun crossing off names. He could cross off Chad; the man was a bully, but lacked the vision for a high-level hit. He could cross off Karen and her daughter, Bobo; their malice was transparent and petty. He even doubted it was Cici, as she was one of the few family members who seemed genuinely indifferent to the cutthroat race for the inheritance.

That left a dwindling list: Donto, Randy, Marsha, and Dave.

Since Donto was closest in age to Max and part of the same generation, Max had suspected him. The younger generation tended to be rash, driven by immediate ego and the desire to eliminate competition early. But after systematically dismantling Donto on the court, Max realized his cousin lacked the cold, surgical precision required for such a clean strike. Donto was a creature of loud violence and public displays of power. He wasn’t the type to pull off a murder so quietly that even Aron couldn’t find a paper trail.

"Aron, take the others and get out of here," Max said, his voice echoing through the hall. "There’s no reason for them to stay inside any longer."

The group didn’t hesitate to comply. While they felt a strange, newfound sense of safety around the janitor, their eyes remained glued to Max. They had all witnessed a transformation that defied logic. Even those who had somewhat believed the exaggerated rumors realized they had still vastly underestimated the man standing among the fallen seniors.

"If anything, those stories were an understatement," Steve whispered as they moved toward the exit. He looked back at Max one last time, a look of religious fervor in his eyes. "Don’t worry, Max. I’ll make sure to increase the scale of your legendary tale when we get out of here."

As the heavy doors shut behind them, the group took only a few steps before they were forced to halt. The scene outside was far from the peaceful campus afternoon they had expected.

"What is this?" Eric asked, instantly bringing his fists up to his face and dropping into a combat-ready stance.

The courtyard was swarming with students. They weren’t just random passersby; they were seniors from various sports departments—rugby, soccer, wrestling—forming a loose but intimidating perimeter. They didn’t look like they were there for a casual chat. It was clear that a silent alarm had been raised, a "call to arms" from the king of the sports department.

"It appears that even in defeat, Donto still carries quite a bit of sway with the seniors at his university," Aron noted, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the crowd.

"Are we going to be okay?" Yovan asked, her voice trembling. The adrenaline from the basketball hall was wearing off, replaced by the crushing reality of the sheer numbers outside.

"Hey, don’t sweat it," Rick said, punching his fist into his palm with a grin. "We can deal with these guys. All the ’hard’ ones were on the inside. These guys are just the leftovers."

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