The meeting between Max and Tim Heart had gone on longer than either of them expected.
The conversation had swept across every corner of the Fortis Group , from payroll structures to department redundancies , and Max hadn't shied away from laying out his thoughts.
"Right now, this place is bloated," Max said frankly, leaning back in the sleek chair opposite Tim's massive mahogany desk. "You're paying too many people to do too little. It's not just the auxiliary departments. Even your core teams , the guards themselves , are oversaturated.
"If you want the Fortis name to stand for 'the best of the best,' then you need to trim the numbers and sharpen the focus. Keep only the strongest. Build their reputation. Make it so that when someone hears the name Fortis, they know it means excellence , not excess."
Tim had expected harsh words, but they still made him wince.
"And the support staff?" he asked carefully, pen hovering over his notebook.
"I'm not saying cut them entirely," Max replied. "They can still operate, just… smarter. More cross-functionality. Less waste. I can bring in new channels to generate clientele so they aren't scrambling just to justify their salaries."
Tim nodded slowly, jotting notes.
"Also," Max continued, "the benefits packages are far too generous. If people want luxuries like Darno's private penthouse suite, it should come out of their pay, not the company's pocket. Comfort shouldn't come before performance."
That one hit Tim like a punch to the ribs. He had braced himself for big changes , and these were certainly that , but a part of him had still hoped the new owners might choose to preserve what little morale the staff had left.
Because the reality was, everyone at Fortis knew deep down they were on the brink of collapse.
It wasn't public knowledge , it couldn't be , but internally, people whispered. They knew jobs were on the line.
And normally when a new owner swooped in, it meant brutal cuts. Tim had told himself to expect that. He had even rehearsed his arguments about why some of the departments still had value.
So what surprised him most wasn't the cuts Max proposed… but the things he didn't want to cut.
The drone department.
The advanced armor research labs.
The experimental weapons division.
These were the bleeding heart of Fortis , and also what had bled them dry financially.
Tim had assumed those would be the first things to go. Instead, Max said nothing about dismantling them.
Tim nearly asked why… but stopped himself. Maybe when this young man reported back to the rest of the Billion Bloodline Group, they would choose to cut it then. Maybe this reprieve was only temporary.
Even so, a small part of him hoped , prayed , that these fundamentals might be spared.
Because in Tim's eyes, they weren't just luxuries. They were what made Fortis unique.
What Tim didn't know was that Max had very different reasons.
Max saw potential.
He saw utility.
If he ever needed to absorb another gang or muscle in on a new territory, drones and surveillance systems could be invaluable.
The armor was another obvious asset. Chrono's weapon had been devastating , and that had been only one. There could be more out there.
If future conflicts brought more dangerous opponents, Max wanted his people equipped to handle it.
He wasn't trying to make Fortis profitable in the traditional sense.
He just wanted it not to bleed money , to hold neutral while secretly strengthening every other part of his empire.
"I honestly think everything you've proposed is fair," Tim admitted at last, leaning back in his chair with a long exhale.
The older man looked drained, but also… lighter somehow, like he had been holding his breath for days and could finally breathe again.
"And the fact that you are willing to still pay me a wage despite the circumstances… it's more than I could ask for," he continued. "I'll be happy to keep running the day-to-day operations , with your guidance, of course."
He hesitated, then asked in a softer tone:
"But… is the rebranding truly necessary?"
Max didn't flinch. "Unfortunately, yes."
Tim's face fell, just slightly, and Max understood why. Fortis was Tim's life's work. Changing its name would feel like erasing him.
"One of the reasons we bought this company," Max explained gently, "was to use this place as our main base of operations.
"The other departments , the ones that will have staff reductions , can be consolidated onto one floor. And in the space that opens, we'll build a new executive level. This will become the official headquarters of Billion Bloodline VC."
Tim blinked. "You… you want to run the entire VC operation out of here?"
"Yes," Max said. "We'll be meeting constantly with very high-profile clients. People seeking our investment. Our presence here will also attract new business opportunities for Fortis.
"But most importantly…" Max's tone sharpened, "the name Fortis is tainted. Its reputation has rotted. Ours hasn't.
"We start fresh , from today. We give this building a new face, a new logo, a new spirit. Billion Bloodline."
Tim's throat tightened.
It made sense. It all made sense.
But hearing it out loud still hurt.
Max, however, was already mapping it all in his head.
The logo of the Billion Bloodline Group would be etched across the glass facade of the building.
The guards' uniforms would be redesigned , sleek black with crimson trims, the Bloodline emblem embroidered on their shoulders.
Even the company merch, the drones, the tactical gear , all of it would carry the mark.
It would be an illusion.
If rival gangs were watching them , and Max knew they were , they would struggle to make sense of what the Billion Bloodline actually was.
Were they just a VC firm? A chain of gyms? A clothing brand? A private security empire?
Or… something darker?
The confusion would breed hesitation.
And hesitation would buy Max time to grow his empire even further.
"Well then," Tim said finally, forcing a faint smile as he extended his hand across the desk.
"I look forward to these changes. And to seeing what the Billion Bloodline Group can do with this place.
"I only hope… that one day, I might get to meet the head of the Billion Bloodline Group in person. I'd like to thank them for all they've done."
Max met his gaze calmly, then took the handshake.
When they had first met, Tim had thought he was just some immature youngster , all looks and arrogance.
But now, staring into those steady crimson eyes, he saw something else entirely.
A man.
One who carried the weight of years behind his youth.
As Max turned toward the door, Nesa finally spoke from where she had stood silently through the meeting.
"I do have one question," she said, her voice quiet but firm.
Max paused, glancing back.
Nesa's sharp eyes narrowed slightly.
"What," she asked, "are you going to do about… Darno?"