From Bullets To Billions Chapter 641: The Take Over

~2 minute read · 425 words
Previously on From Bullets To Billions...
Surviving enemies, mostly injured rank-and-file numbering around forty, were rounded up and secured in the demonstration room. Core Gilt Rats leaders, scientists, Darius, and Jett faced judgment on stage, but Skull had vanished despite being bound, prompting Aron's apology. Max declared absorption of their businesses and assets, offering members integration into the Billion Bloodline or exile; Darius and Jett could continue operations under his command. To the scientists led by Ramon, he proposed secure imprisonment with limited research privileges over execution, and Ramon accepted in exchange for Max investigating Randy Stern.

The group controlled stakes in all sorts of legitimate enterprises, spanning logistics to infrastructure projects, but far more crucially, they possessed a horrifying asset: an enormous repository of blackmail material. Leverage over top officials spanned virtually every key sector. The overwhelming flood of confidential information suddenly clarified how they cornered even a Stern family member. It likewise revealed why extreme violence was unleashed to bury those secrets eternally.

Ultimately, Max felt immense relief that Ramon opted for cooperation. Delivering the access codes along with the Gilt Rats’ continuous financial records spared Max tremendous trouble. Absent that help, endless legal battles and concealed pitfalls might have derailed the whole takeover. True to his word, Max made Ramon’s imprisonment as luxurious as any jail could allow. Ramon enjoyed a sort of elite house arrest, complete with external gadgets and amenities, provided he stayed put in his assigned spot.

Operating every one of those firms demanded manpower levels and a brutal learning slope that Max refused to tackle. A pragmatic motive for dumping them existed too: the Gilt Rats shockingly lacked ready cash. Vast sums of their fortune had vanished into exoskeleton suit research and development. Max now grasped where almost all of Chad’s pilfered funds had vanished and the frenzy for fresh capital sources.

Dennis showed clear astonishment at the swift debt settlement. He noted Max could have held onto the funds awhile longer if required, yet Max was wiser. Dennis ranked as the deadliest figure Max knew, and owing a predator like him spelled doom in this realm. Clearing the slate fast proved the smartest move.

Seated at his desk amid the office’s eerie calm—a stark shift from recent turmoil—Max dispatched the last payment.

"I have to," Max replied, staring at his screen. "It’s been a tough two weeks, Aron. And after everything has been completed and the debts are paid, it’s strange to see that I’ve landed right back on the same number."

Current Balance: $2,006,380,000

"Aron, that money I sent you... that is hard-earned money from your own pocket," Max said firmly. "I can’t imagine what you went through to accumulate that. You have to take it back. Otherwise, I’ll feel so guilty I won’t be able to focus on what comes next."

"That would be nice, sir," Aron replied with a small, weary smile. "And when do you think this will all be over? When you officially become the heir?"

Silently in his mind, he tacked on the rest of that response.