Matthew Grimm 's aircraft maintenance center was located just outside Little Rock, Arkansas. Nemo had heard that it was his father's legacy—a project brought to fruition when a certain former president, then serving as governor, had personally invited Mr. Grimm Sr. to set up shop in the newly established Little Rock industrial zone. With the proximity to the airport, it was convenient to have experts nearby in case any aircraft encountered issues.

After the Meteor Shower Event, Matthew's oldest and most prestigious aircraft maintenance center was the only one left intact and still reasonably close to their target destination. At least they wouldn't have to cross half the country to fly back.

Nemo was sure that Matthew definitely had a combat helicopter stationed in Lone Star City, or else how could he have called for support so quickly when they first met? But for official activities, he still had to show respect for the American government and follow the proper procedures.

As soon as Matthew settled into his seat, he started chatting casually with Nemo.

As soon as Matthew sat down, he started chatting with Nemo. Nemo felt that Matthew seemed a bit anxious about being protected by the U.S. military. It was like the top-tier RL player and primary healer being forced to team up with a wild team of elites—it's not exactly terrible, but the equipment and teamwork certainly weren't as good as his own team's.

"My security team has held friendly competitions with the military's special operations units from various branches—and we've always won! No one on my team has superpowers either. I find that superpowers can disrupt balance and team cohesion. If anyone’s not in good shape, they voluntarily withdraw and seek help within the group. I even reward them for it since it reduces my risk. The military's competitive culture can’t compare to how my team always operates at peak performance, functioning as a perfect collective of shared interests," Matthew usually couldn't find anyone to murmur his dissatisfaction to, which would undermine the masculinity of the world's richest man. Fortunately, the only "hole in the tree" was right beside him.

Rigorous training wasn’t the only way to create top-tier talent. Generous benefits and an idealized work environment could achieve the same. That was Matthew’s belief.

"You trust them," Nemo commented.

"Obviously. Otherwise, I’d have to lock myself up in a fortress. The key is to clearly define trust standards and the consequences of violations. Without clarity, misunderstandings arise. They also have to trust my abilities. Besides, I make sure every team member has played my role at least once—it builds empathy," Matthew explained.

"Like last time at the charity gala with the laser fire grid? They shot directly at you. And you let them do that in training, too?"

"They were all ecstatic! You should give it a try someday."

Nemo looked skeptical. While he wasn’t afraid to participate in such training, he couldn’t imagine being as thrilled as Matthew claimed.

"Arkansas is still the same—few skyscrapers and easy to rebuild. If we have time on the way back, we could visit the Crater of Diamonds State Park and dig for diamonds! Or maybe spend the night at a hot spring before heading home," Matthew suggested, clearly less interested in the upcoming negotiations with the Greens.

Once they landed and entered the maintenance center, Matthew personally selected an aircraft from those that had completed routine maintenance. He oversaw the ground crew as they refueled, armed it, and performed pre-flight safety checks.

The pilot, a retired Air Force veteran with extensive carrier landing experience, discussed the day’s weather conditions and flight route with Matthew. They even exchanged tips for landing on a smaller, newer hospital ship. Listening to their conversation, Nemo thought they sounded more like colleagues chatting than a boss and an employee.

Before the preparations were complete, light rain began to fall. Matthew turned to suggest they take cover in the maintenance center, but Nemo suddenly yanked him back. As the curly-haired young chef darted toward the billionaire, a loud crack erupted from Nemo’s chest. All Matthew could see was Nemo’s left arm raised high, seemingly to embrace him in a protective dive, exposing his side in the process.

Matthew quickly reversed their positions, pulling Nemo to the ground and cushioning the back of his head with his hand. He discovered that Nemo had been shot in the left chest—a terrible spot. Yet Nemo’s eyes were bright, filled with pain and the anger of surprise, not the gaze of someone nearing death. A ring of security personnel quickly formed around them, acting as a human shield to prevent a second shot.

"He doesn’t have defensive magic or super speed. His ability must be some form of physical enhancement. Did he react to the gunshot? Even with a silencer?" murmured a masked sniper nearby.

"Yankee Five, report your status. The shot came from your direction, and Mr. Captain was hit," Matthew demanded through a communicator embedded in his collar.

"All clear here, but the bullet trajectory does align almost perfectly," replied his sniper, who had been monitoring the scene. Yet he, too, was undoubtedly under the watch of other snipers and drones.

"What additional sniper points could have created this scenario?"

Yankee Five instinctively glanced back toward the large dam bridge behind him.

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"Two kilometers away. Considering today’s wind speed and direction, I’ve never heard of anyone hitting a target from that distance. That structure was previously deemed safe."

Matthew recalled something Nemo had once said: Never assume your opponent lacks superpowers.

Indeed. The assassin had better hope they could teleport and leave no trace. Otherwise, Matthew would ensure the attacker was caught and made to pay.

"Hold your position. Echo Squad, proceed to the dam bridge for investigation," Matthew ordered before turning back to check Nemo’s wound. Nemo’s grip on his hand was firm, reassuring Matthew that the injury might have missed vital organs.

The aircraft maintenance center of Grimm Group was, of course, surrounded by comprehensive defense systems—both from the skies and underground—to prevent any enemy drones or small missiles from breaching the area. As for long-range sniping technology, Matthew knew all too well the tools and methods that could make such attacks a reality. When the target is the world’s richest man, a solo or small team stealth attack is the greatest threat, which is why the assassins’ ability to carry heavy weapons was severely restricted.

Nemo let go of Matthew’s arm and grasped his wrist, preventing him from pulling open his coat. “It’s fine, the bulletproof shirt stopped it. It’s too dangerous outside, help me get inside first.” His voice was clear and strong, full of composure. Matthew immediately understood—it wasn’t because Nemo was particularly brave, but because he was determined to erase all evidence. This reaction meant that Nemo didn’t trust anyone other than Matthew. It seemed likely that his superpowers were malfunctioning.

“You’re bleeding.”

“I accidentally bit my lip.” Nemo had bitten the inside of his lip when he fell, and a trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth. He licked the wound with his tongue, wincing from the sting and the taste of blood in his mouth. He opened his mouth to show Matthew the wound while his eyes sent a silent warning to the golden-eyed man.

Thanks to the tacit understanding they had developed over time, Matthew kept quiet about the blood oozing from Nemo’s chest as he helped him into the maintenance center’s lounge and immediately sent everyone out.

“What happened to your body?”

“There’s no one here, so you can check for yourself. Something’s not right.” The moment the bullet hit his bulletproof shirt, it felt like his heart was on fire. The problem was, he hadn’t even been shot yet. The fire spread across his entire left chest, followed by a sharp, crushing pain that sent his mind into a haze.

Once Nemo regained his senses, he realized he was surrounded by a human barricade, and the only thought in his mind was not to let the wound be exposed.

Matthew carefully lifted the suit jacket, revealing the bullet impact site over his heart. That area of the bulletproof shirt was soaked in blood.

“Take off the bulletproof shirt. I can’t see the wound clearly otherwise.”

“I can’t take it off completely, I have to put it back on immediately. Just unzip the side of the bulletproof shirt and check it. This is your time to shine with those button-unbuttoning skills, just don’t ruin my shirt.” Nemo still had the energy to joke. “Your people might be totally loyal to you, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be controlled by supernatural forces or have their senses hijacked. Later, I need to walk out of here looking like a lucky guy who only got hit in the bulletproof shirt.”

“Most of the time, women don’t like me slowly unbuttoning their clothes. It’s my first time unbuttoning a man’s shirt.” Matthew teased, but his fingers moved deftly to comply with Nemo’s request.

When the wound was exposed, Nemo lowered his head and realized the severity of the situation.

The incredible but disturbingly familiar large black scales grew across Nemo’s left chest. Part of them had been shattered by the bullet, and the bloody, mangled wound revealed the metallic sheen of the bullet’s tip, silently showing just how deadly the weapon that hit Nemo’s left chest truly was.

“Do you know this is an armor-piercing bullet? The bulletproof shirt was penetrated. It couldn’t stop it. Your body couldn’t stop it either. This bullet would have gone through both of us.”

“How is that possible? Armor-piercing bullets only work at super close range.” Nemo was stunned upon hearing this.

Indeed, it was logically impossible to use that kind of sniper point. No matter how skilled the marksman was, the power and accuracy of the weapon would diminish with distance. Especially with armor-piercing bullets, which relied on the hardness of the bullet’s material and massive kinetic energy—its effective range was very short.

Nemo touched the edge of the wound, feeling the texture of the reptilian scales under his fingertips. He tapped the intact scales, realizing they were sharp enough to be used to sharpen his fish-killing knife. He could only smile wryly.

The amulet that Angie had given him was exposed.

“I didn’t expect the amulet to work like this. When I get back, I’ll definitely thank her for saving my life.”

“When did you trade abilities?” Matthew asked in a low voice.

“It wasn’t a trade, just a simple blessing… We’ll talk about it later, once we get out of here.” Nemo signaled for Matthew to help him put his clothes back on.

“Nemo! You need treatment right now!” Matthew couldn’t stand seeing Nemo do nothing while his bloody, gruesome wound remained uncovered.

“The bullet is still exposed, meaning it didn’t fully penetrate my body. My breathing and blood pressure are normal; it’s not a fatal wound, so I can delay treating it. I need to get to Lone Star City immediately!” Nemo demanded. He wasn’t feeling much pain yet, just in a state of shock, but if Matthew wasted his adrenaline any longer, Nemo would really lose it.

"Dammit! Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Matthew knew Nemo's decision was the right one. What surprised him was the cold, rational response Nemo had without hesitation, and the fact that he didn’t believe Matthew could protect him fully, no matter where he was.

"Do you still want to attend the negotiation? Take me back to Grimm Tower, have Angie pick me up, and I'll handle it. If you're really a friend of mine and Angie, then keep this secret. It's just a flesh wound. If you keep being so picky, I'll just dig the bullet out myself and walk out of here!"

The golden-eyed man laughed in anger. "Matthew Grimm almost got assassinated. How could there still be a negotiation? I'm coming with you! Nemo, What do you plan to do? If you're not going to use my power properly, you're an idiot!"

"First, go back to Grimm Tower and pretend to enter the headquarters for safety, but then immediately switch to another helicopter and head for the Lakeview Villa," Nemo gritted his teeth and said.

Every action Matthew took had to make sense, or else people around them, including Nemo, would attract suspicion. The curly-haired youth had a feeling this long journey wasn’t going to be comfortable.

Matthew made a call, his face showing a slight anger—probably because of Nemo’s result—and his tone was furious, with the billionaire’s acting skills still steady as ever.

"I told the Minister of Defense about the assassination attempt and the canceled negotiation. They’ll either meet the Mississippi River Greens on their own or postpone it, I don’t care! The emergency flight permission to return to Lone Star City has been granted. I’ll personally fly you back in a civilian helicopter, that way you can bleed all you want without anyone doubting it. Just don’t pass out on the way!"

"Is there an adrenaline injector in the emergency kit on the helicopter? I’m not sure if these proliferating tissues will cause an allergic reaction," Nemo said, just having thought his heart was burning. If that symptom happened again, he might need a shot.

"Of course there is! If we’re running out of time, I’ll inject it straight into your heart! Luckily, this bullet hole doesn’t need aiming!"

"Be practical! We’re still not sure if the needle will even go in! It’s safer to inject it into the thigh," Nemo responded, wincing.

"I was just cursing earlier! Now, if you don’t want me to carry you like a princess, get up!" At this point, Matthew felt his patience and composure hit a whole new level.

Nemo staggered slightly, and immediately, a strong arm went around his back, supporting him under the armpit, lifting him up effortlessly. It was like the first day they met, when Nemo had carried the billionaire out of danger. Now the roles were reversed, and Matthew was carrying him with ease.

"Nemo, you’re too impulsive. I didn’t really need you to be my bodyguard and take the bullet for me," Matthew said before they left the lounge.

"How would I know where I’d get hit? It could’ve just been my arm or your thigh. At the time, I only wanted to knock you down to reduce the chance of a shot hitting your torso. I wasn’t trying to be heroic and die for you. Who knew it would end up so dramatic? I feel embarrassed," Nemo explained simply in that moment.

"It was that dramatic. You almost got your heart shot through, you fool. Get ready to be laughed at for the rest of your life!"

Nemo responded with an international gesture instead of words.