From Bullets To Billions Chapter 654: Not The Same Joe (Part 2)

The deep scars of trauma still clung to the edges of Joe’s consciousness, a persistent phantom of the day Dud had stormed his gym and systematically shattered his life. In truth, Joe had replayed that dreadful sequence of events countless times. In the immediate aftermath, as he recuperated from injuries that should have been fatal, he had genuinely felt that this life—the life of the underworld and the Bloodline—was no longer for him.

He had yearned to quit. The desire to pack his meager belongings and flee the city as far as possible had been overwhelming. The sole reason he remained, the single impetus that forced his battered body back into the ring, was a profound sense of duty. He was the protector of the gym. Had he not stood his ground against Dud on that fateful day, what fate would have befallen his students? What would have become of those who looked to him for guidance?

Yet, as Joe’s eyes fell upon the man in the car, a primal instinct flared. His muscles tensed, prepared to evade, but then something else surged forth to meet it: his Vow. The unyielding resolve he had forged through rivers of blood and oceans of sweat rose within him, intertwined with the memories of every arduous trial he had endured since that devastating day.

’If there is one individual I must truly thank for this,' Joe mused, his gaze intensifying, 'I suppose it has to be Aron. After that man nearly ended my life more times than I can tally with those infernal throwing knives during our training sessions, it feels as though no one else in this world can inspire fear anymore.’

Instead of succumbing to paralyzing dread, a searing anger began to course through Joe’s veins. How could this person possibly be so devoid of shame? How could Dud possess such audacious arrogance to return to this particular neighborhood while Joe still drew breath?

He was not the same man he had been before. With an explosive surge of speed, Joe lunged forward, forming a fist and unleashing it with every ounce of his being. Reacting to the sudden, swift movement, Dud fumbled for the controls, frantically attempting to raise the window with the button. He anticipated the idiot would shatter his hand against the ascending glass, but to his utter astonishment, the fist moved with blinding speed, exceeding the motor’s capability to lift the pane.

Joe’s fist obliterated the glass. The entire window pane disintegrated into a thousand razor-sharp fragments that showered the car’s interior. Dud instinctively recoiled just before the impact, his own reflexes kicking in as he swiped at Joe’s forearm, diverting the blow’s trajectory. Instead of striking Dud’s jaw, the fist slammed into the passenger seat, the sheer force of the impact causing the interior frame to buckle and shatter.

"I already told you," the driver stated, his gaze locked onto the thoroughfare. "The Bloodline organization has transcended its status as a mere street gang; they operate as a syndicate-level entity now. Perhaps you could contend that their elimination of the Chalkline Boys and the Rejected Corps was merely a stroke of fortune or an exploitation of chaotic circumstances. However, their success in dismantling the Black Hounds and the Gilt Rats? That transcends luck. And Max couldn't have achieved such feats single-handedly." Dud had apprehended this fact intellectually, yet witnessing the reality unfold before him presented a starkly different picture. He had never conjectured that the "underdog" whom he had beaten into a near-death state would evolve into someone so exceptionally powerful. His eyes drifted to the adjacent passenger seat. The robust metal and cushioning of the headrest and back support were entirely caved inward where the forceful impact had landed. Such a display of strength far surpassed that of an ordinary human. "It appears I may require significant assistance if I intend to execute this endeavor effectively," Dud vocalized, his eyes contracting. "The Bloodline group has expanded considerably, and has become far more perilous than I had previously comprehended."