The operation to secure the investment in Bobo’s struggling facility was moving with ruthless efficiency. Warma, the lead strategist, had meticulously gone through every single detail that needed to be set up for the imminent meeting with Bobo. Every contingency was planned, every legal loophole reviewed.
Fortunately, the Fortis Group, which served as the operational front for the Billion Bloodline group, maintained an exceptionally high-end, in-house legal department. This crack team of corporate lawyers was immediately merged with the external lawyers Warma was already utilizing for the contract drafting. The resulting combined group was a formidable, top-tier legal team, capable of dissecting and constructing complex investment structures with unparalleled skill.
They weren’t just checking documents, either. This powerful internal legal team was also actively advising Warma on certain structural arrangements and contractual language that would allow Max to move forward with his overarching, secret plan without ever being exposed. Their expertise was crucial, ensuring the contract was ironclad yet palatable to Bobo.
The official proposal had already been sent ahead to Bobo, the owner of the facility, days ago. From the sound of the preliminary negotiations, which had been tense but productive, she was more than happy to accept the terms. This was a massive first step, one foot in the door to controlling the technology and the research.
However, even with the deal essentially agreed upon, there was one significant request that Bobo had made before she would sign the final documents. It was a request that Warma and Max had to seriously consider: she wanted to visit the Chairman of the Billion Bloodline group before closing the deal.
Bobo explained her reasoning: with an investment this critical and the financial turmoil her company was facing, she wanted to get a crucial sense of trust with the person she was handing over a substantial part of her company’s ownership and control to. Now that they had their first major investor, she knew that the Billion Bloodline group would be expecting aggressive results and a return on their capital. In some cases, she felt compelled to comply with the investors’ asks, even if they were unusual. It was a notoriously stricter relationship than any founder would want, which was exactly why many CEOs preferred to avoid seeking investment capital in the first place, fearing loss of control.
Initially, Warma had scrambled, looking for a suitable stand-in for Max. Someone who could convincingly portray the Chairman of the Billion Bloodline group. He even considered using Tim, the current CEO of the Fortis Group, who had the right corporate gravitas. But involving Tim would mean bringing him into the inner circle, cluing him in on the highly sensitive Billion Bloodline business, a secret Max was determined to keep tightly guarded.
In the end, it was Max himself who made the unexpected decision. He realized that this deal was too crucial to his future and his rise to power. He would go and meet Bobo himself.
His first move was to contact Aron, the head of his personal security and logistics, to get a particular set of clothes made. He ordered them from the same high-end tailor who had crafted his previous suits, outfits designed not just for fashion, but for the subtle projection of wealth and absolute authority.
While Max was waiting for the tailor’s perfect finished product to be delivered, he asked Aron to arrange an entirely different kind of meeting: a session with a very specific person who might be able to give him a necessary edge and quite a bit of valuable insight into his opponent. That person was Chad Stern.
"Will you give me a bit more allowance if I tell you what I know?" Chad asked Max, a greedy, hopeful gleam in his eye. Chad had been residing at the secure Billion Bloodline building for some time now, a convenient arrangement that kept him safe and also ensured that a constant, low-level group of Pit members were watching him, which helped to grow the covert connection between the Pit and the Bloodline group’s infrastructure.
"How about if you don’t tell me what you know, I cut your allowance entirely?" Max shot back instantly, his tone flat and without a hint of humor.
Chad produced an awkward, forced smile, realizing Max held all the power in this scenario.
"What I want to know is if there is anything I should look out for when dealing with your sister, Bobo," Max pressed, cutting to the chase. "Or maybe if you are aware of any dark secrets that she may have, like the many secrets you had. You have to remember, right now, I’m the only one that is willing to help you. And as everyone else struggles to the top and inevitably falls down the hill, you will be the one right behind me, safe and secure, as my protégé."
Chad, feeling the immense psychological pressure, thought about it for a while. He reflected on his life; since he had never truly believed he would become the true heir, he had spent his money freely and recklessly. At the same time, none of the other heirs had ever offered him a shred of help. Perhaps it was this deep-seated complex, this feeling of abandonment, that forced him to push down all his expectations onto Max. Now, if Max did become the ultimate heir, wouldn’t he finally let up on Chad, allowing him to do as he wished once he had access to the entire family empire?
"About Bobo, I guess there really isn’t much about her that is ’dark’, at least, nothing that I know about," Chad finally conceded, his expression turning thoughtful. "But I can tell you a few things about growing up with her. With her, she is probably too smart for her own good. At least, that’s what I would hear Grandfather saying about her all the time."
Chad paused, trying to articulate the complexity of his sister’s mind. "He would say that she thought too much about the risks. On paper, nearly every new business venture is determined to fail due to the odds. But that was the thing: Bobo was never one to take those necessary risks, always thinking things would inevitably fail if the odds were even slightly against her. The only reason she’s doing what she’s doing now, pouring money into a long-shot research venture, was because my grandfather constantly pushed her to be bolder, to stop over-analyzing the danger."
Max mentally cataloged the information. This was an incredibly good insight to have. He and Warma might be able to use this information to sort out exactly how to convince Bobo if it came down to a negotiation deadlock. They knew she hated risk, so they needed to make the investment appear as the safest, most logical option available.
"There is one more thing I would say to be careful of," Chad added, leaning in conspiratorially. "Bobo will listen to our mother quite a lot. She seems to follow what her mother says and does as she asks. For me, I was always a rebel, a lost cause, so Mother never even bothered with me."
He shrugged, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "But she was always strict with Bobo, as she was designated to be her rising star to take after her, the perfect daughter. So I will say one thing, Max: if you’re dealing with Bobo, you’re not just dealing with her. You’re dealing with two members of the Stern family."