When Max had gotten back to the Billion Bloodline building he had done a few things. First he made sure that more of the outer members were at the base. The more powerful fighters that often ran other parts of the business.
Such as the deliveries, as well as the restaurants they had taken over when taking over the Chalkline boys business. Normally they would be spread out managing operations, keeping profits steady and presence maintained across the city, but right now that wasn’t the priority. Stability could wait, survival couldn’t.
He also made sure that there were people watching the cameras as well as lookouts at certain spots within one kilometre of the building. The security wasn’t subtle either. It wasn’t meant to be hidden. It was meant to show that they were prepared.
Although this was more of Aron’s suggestion than Max’s which he greatly took on board. Aron had always been more cautious in that sense, thinking ahead in terms of retaliation and response rather than just strategy and leverage.
With everything he had done he was sure that the Gilt Rat’s would attack eventually and he was hoping that it was later rather than sooner, because he needed the money from Karen.
’I wonder how long it will take her to convince Bobo...’ Max thought while he was at his desk and out of the helmet, he felt like he could actually breathe air in now.
The helmet had become second nature to him, but taking it off inside his own territory gave him a sense of clarity. He leaned back slightly in his chair, fingers tapping lightly against the desk, calculating timelines in his head.
Eventually Warma had come into the office.
"All is good with the contract and I’ve sent over the money you should have gotten a notification for that a while ago."
Max didn’t even need a notification it was such a significant amount that he felt the impact on his body as soon as it had been made he could feel him weakening. It was strange because he was still a strong young individual.
But almost as if he was living off a performance enhancing drug and then that was taken away from him.
The flow of funds within his system wasn’t just numbers on a screen. It was influence, leverage, power. When that much liquidity shifted out, he could feel the absence of it almost physically.
"Did you look into the other matter I asked from you?" Max said.
"Regarding Bobo’s company I did." Warma said. "Right now due to our initial investment we own 10 percent of her company which is rather small. We have the option to buy five percent more at the same valuation as before, even as time goes on.
"She also has the option to force buy back the shares, but they have to either be double the price, or the market price whichever is higher. The terms are quite favourable to us, but they kind of have to be, since with her line of business it relies heavily on investors until something gets made."
Warma then handed over the files, the information in them was about something else that Max wanted to see.
"Do you know, the Gilt Rat’s also were visiting that facility?" Max said.
"What?" Warma said as he blinked hard several times. "How...how do you even know that?"
"I recognised one of them on our last visit." Max said. "Honestly I was surprised but I didn’t think much of it, maybe they were just curious if anything.
"But learning that they were after Karen’s business, or at least helping out those Rum guys, it leaves me to think what if they were targeting her? I mean, they managed to get a big payout because of Chad.
"After seeing how easy it was to get his money, maybe they thought they could do the same to Karen, and will try to do the same to Bobo."
Warma went quiet for a moment, processing it from a business angle.
"You might be right, but how would they even get their hands on Bobo’s money?" Warma thought.
That’s when Max tapped the side of his head.
"You’re smart when it comes to thinking like a businessman, but the Gilt Rat’s aren’t business people, they’re a criminal syndicate. They won’t be thinking of doing things fairly or by the law, just like with Karen, which means they will have their ways.
"It might sting a little, but from what I can see, I can guess what they’re trying to do, and we’re going to stop them a second time." Max declared.
If they couldn’t take control through public disruption and forced sale, then they would move privately. Leverage the family. Target the weak link. Or create pressure somewhere else.
The next day as expected Karen had burst into Bobo’s room, and she had demanded she needed money, and not a small amount of it either.
"Mom..." Bobo said. "But that’s a crazy amount, you need 400 million, what could you need that for!"
"I know you have more than enough." Karen said. "I promise you that it will be worth it, I need you to do this for me as a favour, I’m your mother.
"And I’m not asking you to give it, but I’m asking for it as a loan."
The issue was with a loan that large, it might be many years before Bobo ever saw that money.
Currently with Bobo’s financial situation, she had 670 million left. So she could lend her mother the money.
She had also shifted from investing in her facility with her own money, to gathering money from investors, so if she did give the 400 million it wasn’t as if she would live a rough life, she still had plenty she could use herself.
The next day she even had two meetings set up for investors, to place more money into the company, it would mean giving up more shares, but she still had the majority so it wasn’t an issue.
And when Bobo looked into her mother’s eyes, it was the first time she had seen this... her mother was practically begging her, and as usual she couldn’t help it.
There had always been pressure in the Stern family, expectations, pride, competition, but this was different. This wasn’t about status, this was desperation.
"Alright..I’ll help you." Bobo answered.