Chapter 104: The Bloodline Grows The days at school had been going smoothly for Max. With no trouble circling around him, he could finally focus on one thing, building his new empire: the Billion Bloodline. There were a lot of moving parts, but with his past experience from the White Tiger, Max was placing down the stepping stones, small but calculated moves that would eventually evolve the group into a fully organized crew. His vision? To transform the Billion Bloodline into something the underground world would recognize as an Elite Syndicate. Sitting at his desk, Max scribbled notes across his notebook, barely paying attention to the lesson. Not that the teacher ever asked him to participate anymore. If Billion Bloodline grows strong enough to become an elite syndicate, Max thought, maybe we’ll get an invitation this time. And if that happens... it could finally be my chance to meet the White Tiger face-to-face. With that thought, he continued outlining plans, his next targets, investment ideas, and key roles he’d need to fill. Elsewhere in the school, Abby and Cindy were chatting as usual. And, unsurprisingly, the topic of conversation was the same person it had been for weeks now. "I promise you, nothing happened," Cindy said. "I didn’t even talk to Max one-on-one." "I know," Abby replied with a soft smile. "I trust you, Cindy. We’ve been friends too long. If you ever actually liked Max, I know you’d tell me." Cindy let out a laugh and playfully bumped her shoulder against Abby’s. "So that means you do like him, huh? Finally admitting something." Her voice turned teasing, but there was warmth behind it. "But I swear, my dad still won’t tell me anything about what they talked about. And what little he did say doesn’t make any sense." She shook her head. "I’m telling you, Abby... you’ve picked a really mysterious guy to fall for." After school ended, Max headed to the gym like usual. A few of the students from the Billion Bloodline were already there, training hard, but not as many as the day before. People had their own lives, even delinquents. Not everyone could be at the gym every day, and Max understood that. But for him, the focus wasn’t just training his crew, it was getting his body back to what it used to be. After finishing his intense workout, Max left the gym and made his way back to the familiar coffee shop, the same one where he’d first met with Warma. Sure enough, Warma was already there, sitting in the exact same seat by the window, watching people pass on the street. "I’ve got everything you asked for," Warma said as Max sat down. He slid a thick file across the table. "I still can’t believe it," he added, shaking his head. "The finances... the accounts... everything you told me, it’s all real." He leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "And I can’t believe that you’re, " Max held up a hand before the sentence could go any further. "Remember," he said calmly, "there’s a reason I’m doing things the way I’m doing them." "Right," Warma nodded. "And I get some of it now." He exhaled and sat back in his chair. "But as your financial planner and advisor, I have to admit... I still have no idea what your endgame is." He opened his own copy of the file and pointed to the notes inside. "First, you gathered a list of all the surrounding gyms in the area, and then bought the buildings and the gyms inside them." He flipped the page. "Not only that, but you paid more than their appraised value in every case. Altogether, you’ve spent three million dollars to acquire six different gym properties." Max said nothing, letting him finish. "In this folder is everything you asked for, company contacts, renovation costs, even a manufacturer who can handle merchandise production if that’s the route you’re taking." Warma looked up, serious now. "I just want to know... what’s your plan here? Are you starting your own chain of gyms? Is that why you want to rebrand and renovate all of them?" He leaned forward slightly. "That would make some sense, establishing a brand image. But the way you’re doing it... the way you’ve chosen the locations... it doesn’t add up." Max smiled as he leaned back in his seat, thinking through the plan again. Three million dollars, gone in an instant to purchase six different gyms, including the one Steven currently ran. Each gym was strategically placed around the area, not just near their own school, but close to other schools as well. They were all tucked into one of the most rundown parts of Notting Hill City. The land wasn’t valuable... at least, not yet. It wasn’t a glamorous district, and that was part of the plan. Some of the students from the Billion Bloodline hadn’t shown up to train that day, and Max understood why. For a few of them, the gym wasn’t exactly close to home. "I’ve got a lot of new clients lined up," Max said casually, "people like me. Students." Warma blinked, a little thrown by the answer. "Students? Do they even have money to spend?" he asked. "And since you asked me for a manufacturer... don’t tell me you’re planning to make merch for your gyms too? That seems like a bit of a stretch." "I’m not worried about that," Max replied, cool and confident. "Part of joining the gym will be buying the merch. It’s built into the signup process, mandatory. It’ll drive brand awareness whether they like it or not." Warma gave him a strange look and raised an eyebrow. "That kind of sounds like... scamming them." He shook his head after a moment, realizing he didn’t know enough to judge. What Warma didn’t know was that Max paid everyone in the Billion Bloodline directly. As part of the group, he planned to have each member register at one of his gyms. And not just register, but wear the brand. Uniforms, jackets, shirts, gloves, all stamped with the Billion Bloodline name. It wasn’t about profit, not yet. It was about control. The money Max paid them would cycle back into his system, creating a loop. A subtle one. And since he was their leader, they’d listen. A few dollars out of their pockets wasn’t enough to make anyone leave. Not when they were finally part of something that mattered. "The issue is," Max began, his eyes calm and calculating, "you’re looking at everything from a financial point of view." He leaned forward slightly. "For me... it’s all about territory." Warma didn’t respond right away, listening as Max continued. "I’m not stopping here. This is just the beginning. All of the gyms are going to operate under one name, The Bloodline Gym." There was a spark of certainty in Max’s voice. He already knew who he wanted running the operation. "I have someone in mind to lead it. Someone who would love the opportunity to be the head of the business." That person was Steven. Max had no doubt he’d jump at the chance. Not only did Steven already run one gym, but he also knew people, people he could trust to train other delinquents in each area. Max moved fast. Renovations had already started. Signs were being placed up all around the city. Workers covered old logos and storefronts with fresh branding, catching the eyes of everyone walking by. It all happened in a single day. Locals stopped to watch as something new took shape in their neighborhood, large banners and painted windows bearing a bold, stylized logo: a droplet of blood with the image of a diamond sitting at its tip. Below it, a dollar sign was pierced through the center by a sword, and at the top of the design was the sharp silhouette of a serpent’s head. Beneath the symbol, in bold lettering, were the words: The Bloodline Gym Delinquents across the area took notice. The sudden change. The bold design. The energy. And they didn’t hesitate. They signed up for the gym without a second thought, proudly using their "funds" to buy the merch, jackets, gloves, shirts, and more. They could feel it in their bones. They weren’t just a bunch of kids anymore. They were becoming part of something big.