From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 103

Chapter 103: Too Much Money

Warma had jumped out of his seat, eyes glued to the file in his hands. His sudden outburst startled a few nearby customers in the café, drawing curious stares.

Embarrassed, he quickly sat back down across from Max, who remained completely calm, casually taking another sip from his drink.

"This number..." Warma muttered, still staring down at the page. "This can’t be real. You’re playing some kind of joke on me, aren’t you, kid?"

He looked up, disbelief written all over his face.

"I can’t believe kids these days. Was my daughter in on this? Did Cindy put you up to this?"

Max smiled slightly as he looked Warma straight in the eyes.

"I liked your reaction," Max said. "And I liked that your first instinct was to think it couldn’t be real. That’s exactly how I want people to think."

He leaned forward, his voice calm but confident.

"The idea that a normal school kid couldn’t possibly have that kind of money? That’s what I want to preserve. That illusion is powerful, and I need someone who can help me keep it intact."

Max rested his hands on the table.

"That’s why I want you to handle everything. I need someone to make sure that perception stays exactly the way it is."

He paused, then added:

"Of course, you’re free to think this is all fake. But when I give you full access, you’ll know for yourself whether it’s a lie or not."

His tone was steady, almost too calm for the weight of the words he was speaking. It made everything feel even more surreal.

Warma glanced down at the file again. The numbers hadn’t changed. He double-checked anyway, flipping through the pages.

No mistakes. And then, the thought hit him, What if this is real?

If Max was offering him the position of personal financial manager... even a half percent of a figure like this would change Warma’s life forever. He could retire early. Live in luxury. Secure Cindy’s future ten times over.

But another thought crept in, clawing at his logic.

If a kid actually had this kind of money, wouldn’t I have heard of him? Why me? Why now? Is this just because he goes to the same school as Cindy? Is that all this is, a convenience?

Knowing this, knowing that someone with this much wealth was walking the same school halls as his daughter, if it was all true... it made Warma uneasy.

"I need to know more before I even consider getting involved," Warma said carefully. "First of all, if this money is real... how does a kid like you even have access to something like that?"

Max’s expression changed immediately. His face tensed ever so slightly, but his voice remained calm.

"When you eventually look into the finances," he said, "you’ll see my real name. And once you do, you’ll understand everything."

He leaned back in his chair.

"But since you haven’t agreed to anything yet, I’m not telling you right now. Not while you still have those kinds of questions."

Warma’s brows furrowed.

"Then why?" he asked. "Why are you doing all this? Why me?"

Max leaned forward, his eyes focused.

"Exactly. That’s the kind of thinking I was hoping for. You’re not just financially smart, Warma. You’ve got some street smarts too."

He tapped the table once.

"Why would I pick you instead of the top financial firms in the country? Why would someone like me be attending the same school as your daughter in the first place? All of those questions... those are exactly why I can’t tell you everything yet."

He paused, then nodded toward the file.

"But what I can tell you is this, I’ve documented everything I’ve done so far with the money in there. It’s all outlined, minus a few sensitive details."

Max’s tone shifted, more serious now.

"And now I have a question for you: are you willing to work the same way? If not, then we pretend this conversation never happened. You walk away, and that’s that."

"But if you are willing... then you’ll become part of this. And if things continue the way they are, what you saw in that file? It’s just the beginning."

The firm owns fifty percent of Curt’s Family Boba business... he read silently. This information isn’t public. Our firm’s never seen anything about this deal, but with the kind of money Max has, I suppose it adds up. Still... why?

Wait... didn’t Cindy mention something a while back? A girl transferring to their school from the Curt family?

If this was about helping out a friend, Warma thought, then it’s a stupid move. No financial advisor would ever recommend it. But with the kind of money Max has... he could afford to burn it.