Chapter 204: A Wave Of Wealth (Part 1)
When the Clapton Alliance and West Brinhurst schools returned, they didn’t hesitate, they immediately chose to comply with Max’s request.
Delinquents from high schools across the city had begun showing up at the gyms. Each one of them had purchased clothing, official gear that represented their allegiance.
Although West Brinhurst was known to be under the control of just two students, in truth, it was made up of eight separate high schools spread across the district. With such a wide range, Print and Erik were slightly concerned. They figured they’d constantly have to cross over to the east side if they wanted to use the official Bloodline gyms.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The local gyms in West Brinhurst began to rebrand themselves, one by one, transforming into official Bloodline Gyms.
Print and Erik couldn’t believe their eyes.
They hadn’t reached out to Max. They hadn’t made any formal request. Yet, the shift was unmistakable. Each gym bore the unmistakable logo, the exact same one plastered on the uniforms and gym wear they had seen earlier. It was the same emblem Max had chosen for the Billion Bloodline brand.
That was when it hit them: these gyms were part of the same network. Part of Max’s ever-growing web.
The ripple effect came faster than anyone could have anticipated.
As students across all the affiliated schools began buying and wearing the newly released uniforms, the wave it created was larger than anything Max himself had expected. The streets were filled with students proudly showing off their matching outfits, the designs tailored with bold lines and unique flair.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just a school or street thing.
University students, and even those who had recently graduated, started to take notice. Some were former delinquents themselves. Others just liked the energy, the sense of movement behind it all. There was something magnetic about the way the students moved, unified, wearing the same symbol like a badge of honor.
It helped that the clothing wasn’t just symbolic, it looked genuinely good. There were different cuts, different styles, some clean and sleek, others more rugged or bold. Something for everyone.
Soon, it wasn’t just fighters or street kids picking up the gear. Regular gym-goers, fitness junkies, even influencers began showing up in Bloodline attire. It had crossed the line from being a school-based trend into a full-blown streetwear phenomenon.
And then, of course, came the rumors.
People started whispering that those who wore the Billion Bloodline uniform, regardless of whether they were real members or not, weren’t getting picked on. They weren’t getting targeted. Fights seemed to skip right past them. Problems that usually followed certain students seemed to vanish the moment they put the gear on.
At first, it sounded like just another urban legend. But over time, it became clear that it wasn’t just hearsay.
People were noticing the pattern. No one messed with those who wore the emblem. And the reason was simple: no one could tell who was actually in the group and who was just wearing the clothes for the look. And because of that uncertainty, it was safer to leave anyone dressed in Bloodline gear completely alone.
What had started as a way to unite the schools under Max’s banner had turned into something far greater.
A full-blown trend.
Across the city, students began asking one another the same question, sometimes whispered, sometimes with awe.
"Do you have the gear?"
"Where can I get some?"
"Are you one of them?"
Even if they weren’t, they wanted to be.
The stores couldn’t keep up.
Every drop of the new clothing line sold out almost immediately, both in-store and online. Customers were refreshing pages, checking back daily, hoping to catch restocks. And then, a new kind of craze emerged.
Collectors.
There were people who became obsessed with grabbing every single item from the line, every hoodie, shirt, and pair of joggers that bore the Bloodline name. Some bought them to wear, others to hold onto like rare memorabilia. To them, it was more than fashion, it was a movement.
Naturally, the internet took notice.
Soon, social media platforms were buzzing with people posting their fits. YouTubers began making content about the mysterious rise of the merch and the sudden transformation of local gyms. Their thumbnails featured bold titles like "Where Did Billion Bloodline Come From?" or "Secret Group Running These Gyms?!"
While some tried to dive deep, posting videos exploring the origins of the company, attempting to uncover the identities of the delinquents supposedly behind it all, those videos didn’t exactly blow up.
Instead, the ones that really caught traction were the fashion content creators. Popular influencers started reviewing the gear, rating the designs, and even making try-on hauls. Several of them had latched onto images posted by the girls from Seaton High, who had styled the uniforms in creative, fashionable ways.
Their posts had gone viral.
Multiple fashion channels followed up with their own takes, showing how to style the outfits or where to get similar looks. Recommendations flooded the algorithm. And just like that, over the course of a few nights, it wasn’t just students from one city wearing the gear.
It was the whole country.
Teenagers in different regions started posting pictures of themselves in the clothing. Some wore it to school, others to hangouts or parties. Even adults who weren’t in the loop wanted in on the trend. It didn’t matter if it was just a phase. The point was simple:
Max had unknowingly created a hype storm. The gyms. The clothes. The name. It was all catching fire.
As the days rolled by, in another part of the city, a man sat in his luxurious office high above the streets, where silence was broken only by the faint clicking of a clock and the occasional turn of paper.
It was one of those rare days where Dennis Stern, head of the Stern family empire, had a bit more free time than usual. Typically, at the end of every month, he’d receive detailed reports on the finances of each Stern heir, allowing him to monitor their activity and ensure none were burning through their allowances in reckless ways.
But this time, it was different.