From Bullets To Billions Chapter 651: The Mysterious Man (Part 1)

University life kicked off with a far more demanding schedule than Max had anticipated, though not for reasons that particularly captured his interest. The initial blur of orientation, administrative duties, and social obligations was worlds away from the life of a syndicate head. He had deliberately chosen to sidestep nearly all the meetups and mixers organized by Jono, with the sole exception of that initial, unavoidable session.

As a result, he hadn't really formed any friendships. This fact did not bother him in the slightest, as forging emotional connections with eighteen-year-olds was never his aim. He saw no need to get close to anyone in the business department; his focus remained intensely fixed on two specific objectives: infiltrating Donto Stern’s social circle and grasping the fundamentals of the Wushu martial arts club.

However, the club itself wouldn't commence its first session until after Freshers Week concluded. Moreover, the upperclassmen, including Donto, were not expected to be actively present on campus until the close of the first week. This situation thrust Max into a period of impatient waiting, yet another complication was subtly developing beneath the surface of the campus social dynamics.

During that inaugural week, while traversing the vicinity of the central campus green, Rick and Aki happened to cross paths. As prominent figures within the Billion Bloodline group, both having undergone Wolf’s stringent evaluations and achieved high rankings, they were intimately familiar with each other’s capabilities and past records.

Aki made the decision to draw Rick aside for a personal discussion, a maneuver that did not escape notice. The individuals standing near Rick were overtly astonished that a woman of Aki’s standing would even acknowledge him, let alone seek him out. Rick, always maintaining his composure, dismissed their wide-eyed stares with an indifferent flick of his hand.

"Calm down, she’s merely an old acquaintance from back home," Rick stated with practiced ease, though an undertone of caution laced his words. "And don't even contemplate asking her out, you fools. She's a formidable character; she'll gouge your eyes out if you misbehave."

The pair eventually located a nearby stone bench to occupy. Rick could instantly perceive that something was troubling Aki; the characteristic spark in her eyes was dimmed by a somber aura.

"Have you encountered Max recently?" Aki inquired, lowering her voice to avoid being overheard by any passing students.

"I haven't," Rick replied, a frown creasing his brow. "My dormitory is adjacent to his, so I presumed I would run into him at least once or twice by now, but it appears he's evading all the Freshers' activities. He's practically a phantom."

"I comprehend," Aki murmured. "Do you surmise he is having second thoughts about attending? I had assumed he enrolled with the intention of genuine study, but it’s becoming evident there’s an alternative motive for his presence on this campus."

"We are both aware that man requires no degree to secure employment," Rick remarked, a faint smile touching his lips. "His predetermined path was set in motion a considerable time ago. We are both here to support his chosen course of action, are we not? You are in that design program precisely to acquire the skills for manufacturing more apparel for the organization. You might believe he is specifically avoiding you, Aki, but I suspect he is distancing himself from us as a collective. If he is keeping his distance from his own people, he must possess a compelling justification for doing so."

Ultimately, the fervor of Freshers Week subsided. Max concluded it was time to re-emerge, as the campus was now bustling with students from every academic year and department. This presented his optimal opportunity to commence gathering intelligence on the Stern lineage at June Stone.

Nevertheless, to preserve his disguise, he had to present himself at least as a diligent student. He consulted his timetable and proceeded towards the main lecture hall of the business department for his inaugural official class of the semester.

Upon entering the spacious, tiered room, he observed that the majority of students had arrived early, brimming with the typical first-day nervousness. As his gaze swept across the rows, he identified a few recognizable faces; Jono was present, as was Steve. To be candid, they were the only two individuals whose names Max had bothered to commit to memory.

As his eyes continued their sweep of the room, they suddenly became fixated on two other individuals seated several rows ahead.

"Hold on a moment," Max thought, his stride decelerating.

The recognition was mutual. When the two young women spotted him, their eyes widened with genuine astonishment.

"It’s him," Yovan whispered, leaning intently towards Talia. "I had no inkling he was actually enrolled in the business department. I assumed he was just some random student milling about the corridors."

"Neither did I," Talia responded, her cheeks flushing as she recalled their prior awkward encounters. "We never saw him at any of the mixers or departmental parties."The reason was straightforward: Max had only attended the initial event on the first day. Yovan and Talia, their arrival delayed by a relocation from another city, didn't reach their dorms until the second day. Due to this minor timing overlap, they remained entirely unaware they were all registered for the identical course of study. "What am I supposed to do now?" Yovan inquired, her earlier confidence now tinged with a hint of remorse. "First, you ought to apologize for labeling him a stalker," Talia replied in a low, firm tone. "And I, at the very least, should thank him properly for returning my ID card instead of just disappearing." As Max proceeded towards an unoccupied seat in the distant corner, on the opposite side of the hall, it appeared that any chance for a conversation had vanished. Nevertheless, the two girls abruptly stopped in their tracks upon hearing the dialogue exchanged by the boys seated directly before them. "Hey," Steve addressed Jono, his voice a hushed murmur, yet it carried through the silent space. "Do you recall what I mentioned previously? About the actual identity of that guy over there?" Instinctively leaning closer, Yovan and Talia found themselves captivated, their attention fully focused, eager to absorb every detail of the unfolding revelation concerning the enigmatic redhead.