Chapter 98: Growing The Gang School had ended, and Max was already laying the groundwork for something new, something he would call the Billion Bloodline. If he wanted to uncover the truth about what happened inside the White Tiger, he couldn’t just rely on others. He had to build a group powerful enough to face them head-on. Something of his own. Hiring a security team or outsourcing the job to another gang? That was never going to work, especially for someone like him. Too many questions would be raised. People would doubt his legitimacy. And more often than not, those who were hired ended up betraying their clients anyway. Even when he’d visited a group like the Pit, things could have easily gone sideways. No one ever really knew who was backing who. Street gangs were unpredictable. Loyalties were bought and sold every day, and money alone was never enough to guarantee safety. That’s why Max had decided to create something new from the ground up. And this... this was just the beginning. In high school, the only thing I can rely on is what I’m building now, Max thought, heading down the hallway toward the gym. It was time to fall back into his routine. In the past, his old body, his old experience, would’ve been more than enough to take down someone like Dipter. He wouldn’t have needed to rely on underhanded tricks. Thankfully, Dipter had believed he was several levels above Max in every way... and that arrogance had led to his downfall. It’s going to take time to get my body back to what it used to be, Max thought, but maybe I need to focus on more than just strength. Maybe I need to learn something new too. Back in the day, when Max rose through the ranks, he’d done his fair share of fighting. But the higher he climbed, the less he had to do it himself. As the White Tiger transformed, from a local street gang to a full-fledged organization, he started relying more on others. They had used smaller gangs to do their dirty work. And once they evolved into a true syndicate, they hardly lifted a finger. Maybe... maybe that was my biggest mistake. Getting too comfortable... too complacent, Max thought. If I had stayed sharp, even those who betrayed me wouldn’t have been able to lay a finger on me. He wasn’t much of a boxer, though. And while Steven was definitely skilled, Max knew he needed to train beyond that level. He’d seen street gangs with members far more dangerous, fighters who made the people around him now look like amateurs. "Which is exactly why I need to stay focused on my plan," Max muttered under his breath. "I just hope my new familydoesn’t get in the way too much." "You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind," Joe said, appearing by his side. "Guess that’s what happens when you become the leader of an entire school." He let out a dramatic sigh. "Man, all of them hanging on your every word... But hey, the best part? I’m getting paid more than the rest of them. That makes me like the sub-captain of the group, right?" Max had been cautious about that. He hadn’t increased the amount the other students were being paid, not yet. All thirty members were still receiving the same deal they had under Dipter: two hundred dollars each per month. That had been Dipter’s original rate. But Max knew the real problem wasn’t now. It would come later. If I want the Billion Bloodline to exist beyond high school, Max thought, I’ll need to start paying them real wages. Something they can live on. Running a gang, at least the kind of gang he was planning, was starting to feel a lot like running a business. Right now, with thirty core members, he was paying out $6,000 total every month. That was manageable. But Dipter hadn’t treated everyone the same. Some of his more important members had earned more. One of them was Jay. His paycheck had been $1,000 a month. When Joe found out about that, he came to Max immediately, demanding a raise. And to be fair, Joe had been doing a decent job so far. Reluctantly, Max agreed. That meant, to keep the Billion Bloodline running in its current state, Max was paying out a total of $8,000 a month. Normally, with rent, daily necessities, and the cost of the gym they were now using, that would’ve put him way over the $20,000 monthly allowance he received from his grandfather. But things weren’t exactly normal anymore. Finally, Max and Joe arrived at the gym. The metal shutter was already pulled up, and even from outside, they could hear the rhythmic thudding of someone hammering away at a punching bag. The hits were fast. Sharp. Heavy. Walking in, they spotted Steven right away. He was in his usual red jogging bottoms, shirtless, his gloves landing solid strikes on the bag with relentless force. He didn’t stop, not right away. But eventually, as sweat dripped down his body and his breathing got heavier, he paused and glanced over at the two entering. "You’re hitting that bag harder than usual," Joe said, raising an eyebrow. "What, you think it’s gonna spit out money or something?" Steven let out a half-hearted chuckle and walked over, wiping his face with a towel. "No, it’s not that..." he muttered. "I’ve just got a lot on my mind." He looked down at himself and shook his head. "After what happened last time, getting nearly taken out by a high schooler, I realized I’ve been slacking. Big time. I mean, look at me." Steven jabbed at his midsection, hitting the soft layer of fat that had formed over time. For a regular guy, he was still in solid shape. But it wasn’t the body he used to have, the body of an athlete in his prime. "I’m kind of embarrassed by how it all went down," Steven admitted. "I can’t let something like that happen again. I need to stay sharp. Stay ready." Steven paused, falling silent. It looked like he had more to say, something weighing on his mind, but before he could speak, the sound of the door opening pulled his attention away. "Hey, hey! What’s he doing here?" Steven shouted, pointing toward the entrance. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂 The person who had just walked through was none other than Jay Woods. "It’s nice to meet you again," Jay said politely, bowing his head slightly. "I want to apologize for last time. Given the situation, we ended up on opposite sides... but moving forward, I hope we can work together. I believe we both have a lot we can learn from one another. You were strong, one of the strongest I’ve ever faced." Immediately, Steven’s face turned red. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to hide the blush. "Well... at least you brought a polite one this time," Steven muttered. "Not like that damn Aron who’s always trailing behind you... But wait, what do you mean working together?" Before Max could answer, the gym door opened again. One after another, several students began walking in. They were a rough-looking bunch, most of them slinging their bags onto the floor without a care. A few were chewing gum loudly, and others were openly mocking the smell of the place. Max just smiled. "I brought you a group of brand-new customers," he said, motioning toward the students. "I want you to train every single one of them... teach them how to fight."