As Nemo had promised, he stayed fully conscious throughout the ride. He answered Matthew's questions, and the helicopter successfully landed on the rooftop helipad of Grimm Group's headquarters. Matthew helped Nemo into the top-floor president office and immediately ordered his assistant to contact the company's test pilot to bring the helicopter back to the Arkansas maintenance center through the employee passage, while also dispatching another helicopter and pilot to transport the billionaire back and forth to the Lakeview Villa.

"Nobody else can see my wound. Let’s try it here. You do it. Don’t tell me you can’t handle something as simple as removing a bullet, especially since part of the projectile is still visible. Then I’ll head to the Lakeview Villa to lay low." Nemo, who was already struggling to stand, leaned against the desk and breathed shallowly.

Matthew bent down beside him, one hand pressing against the back of Nemo's neck.

The latter looked up in confusion, and the golden-eyed man pressed his forehead gently against the damp, pain-stricken forehead of the curly-haired youth and said, "Fortunately, it’s not a fatal injury. It might hurt a bit."

"Why are you being so cheesy?"

"I told you, you’re really important to me. You can’t die." Matthew whispered in assurance.

This was once again related to his mysterious friend and that unspeakable great goal, and Nemo had grown used to it.

"Let’s operate now! I don’t want to stay here too long," the curly-haired youth insisted.

Matthew swept everything off the desk onto the floor, pointing at the surface and instructing Nemo to lie down on it.

"Can’t we just do it on the couch?" Nemo felt this situation was very off. "In movies, don’t they usually stitch up injuries while sitting or standing?"

"Is this a movie? We’re dealing with a suspicious armor-piercing bullet, a mutated wound with scales, and a stitching operation where I need to get creative. Tell me you won’t move around and make it harder, or I’ll just carry you to the lab and tie you down while I stitch you up! Whoever wants to watch, let them!" Matthew said sternly.

Nemo had no choice but to remove his shirts and lie down on the desk. He swore to himself that if Matthew ever dared to tease him about this later, he would kick him every time he heard it!

Matthew took out a helmet and put it on. The mysterious technological helmet had eight lens-like structures on its surface, resembling a spider’s head.

"Don’t stare at my surgical microscope helmet. It will emit a strong light to help me see deep into the wound. Be good, or you might injure your eyes too," the golden-eyed man said, revealing only the lower half of his face. Nemo almost wanted to take a picture of him in this state. With a superhero outfit, Matthew could probably trick a whole bunch of people.

Extracting the bullet was the easiest step. Nemo gritted his teeth and kept silent as Matthew disinfected the wound.

The armor-piercing bullet’s head was long, and the wound was deeper than Matthew expected. It was also mixed with fragments of black scales that were stuck in the flesh, impossible to remove. When Matthew tried to extract one of the fragments, Nemo immediately slammed his hand on the desk in pain. Despite this, he kept his body completely still. Matthew quickly abandoned the attempt.

The scales didn’t just grow on the skin’s surface; they were also embedded in the muscles. Matthew didn’t know how to properly stitch such an unusual wound, so he decided to use absorbable surgical thread to stitch it up temporarily.

Matthew injected local anesthesia along the edges of the scales, but when he started stitching, Nemo’s face remained pale, and he gripped the edge of the desk, trying hard not to move.

"Is the anesthesia ineffective? Like when Angie just transformed back?"

"Mm, it’s not a big deal. Just finish it quickly. Remember to get me some painkillers, and I’ll try again to see if they help," Nemo replied, almost speaking through clenched teeth, his body drenched in cold sweat.

This was the path Angie was destined to take—one marked by more than just ordinary pain and hardship. Nemo was confident that she would rise to become an legendary superhero.

Nemo didn’t bother to ask why there were specialized surgical tools and various disinfectants in the office. It was clear that some superhero had probably passed by Grimm Tower’s rooftop to grab coffee with Matthew and ended up stitching a wound. Matthew, either for convenience or secrecy, didn’t call anyone else to help. Nemo must have had the same purpose in mind.

"You can scream if you need to. My office is soundproof," Matthew said, seeing that Nemo was clearly suffering, and decided to say something uplifting to distract him.

"I have a feeling I know what you’re going to say, so just shut up."

"I didn’t know you could read minds!" The fact that Nemo responded was a good sign—it meant he still had some energy left."Why don't you guess how many women have lain on this desk? If you get it right, you can win the ten thousand dollars you missed out on last time."

Still lying on the desk, Nemo didn’t realize that the needle was about to go in again as he immediately fired back.

"It’s not a guess. I’m the first man to lie here. Happy now?" Nemo said, sounding pretty down on himself.

" Wrong answer. Actually, I was the first one to lie here," Matthew replied, a seductive smirk forming under his surgical helmet. His calm, precise stitching was a stark contrast to his playful tone.

Very good, Nemo was still immersed in the shocking answer and hadn’t responded yet.

"I refuse to picture that image!"

" Come on, just give it a try! I’m sure it’ll make you forget all your pain. There I was, completely naked on the desk, fingers gripping the edge, trying to hold it together, with two charming blonde twins, one teasing my chest and sensitive spots, the another one is using her mouth between my legs..."

"Shut up! I don’t want to hear it!" The sharp stabs from the needle, once agonizing, suddenly didn’t seem so bad to Nemo, despite his pain. Matthew's erotic recitation was the real torture, and he insisted on recounting the explicit parts.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"The point is, I was on this desk the whole time, just like you’re lying here now, trying to endure it all. Alright, finished," Matthew said, sealing the last stitch with a neat knot.

Nemo shot him a deadpan look. "I was going to say thank you, but right now, not cursing at you is the best I can do. And what do you mean 'just like me'? I fucking have pants on!"

"You did curse," Matthew pointed out candidly.

"Did I? Must be my superpower kicking in, breaking my limits," Nemo grumbled as he tried to get up and leave the desk. But Matthew quickly placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Wait, let me cover the wound with gauze before you get dressed."

Matthew’s stitching had been quick, maybe five minutes at most, but Nemo had felt every second of it, especially given the discomfort of Matthew’s earlier "desk experiences."

"Honestly, I want to run a CT scan on you. As of now, your heart seems fine, and after checking your breathing and giving you a quick palpation, I can confirm your ribs aren’t broken, but they may be cracked. You absolutely must rest. Once we’re at my place, sleep and take it easy," Matthew gave his professional diagnosis.

"Protect Angie. If I ask her to trust you, she will tell you everything. Although, like me, she remains confused about all this. I was the one who noticed the scales falling from her first. The research lab definitely took some of them for study, but it won’t do any good," Nemo briefly explained the origins of the protective scale.

The night the bloodsucking mosquitoes attacked, Angie had revealed her superpowers to save Matthew and Nemo. When she reverted to her human form, she dropped a scale, which Nemo picked up. Later, Angie kissed the scale, blessing it and giving it to Nemo as a protective amulet.

"Given how clueless you both are, it’s probably better if I investigate it myself," Matthew said, with a sarcastic remark.

"I’ll make sure to pass on your professional opinion to Angie. You’re better at understanding how women hold grudges than I am," Nemo replied.

"Don’t make me think you’re a petty man, Nemo Captain. After all, I stitched you up, so show some generosity," Matthew’s tone softened slightly.

"Fine, I'll let you off this time," After all, Nemo is so generous.

Afterward, the two of them were waiting at the rooftop helipad, where another helicopter was scheduled to take them to the Lakeview Villa. It was impossible to tell that the little chef by the billionaire’s side had just collapsed onto the desk, had his bullet extracted, and his wound stitched up. The benefit of no anesthesia was that Nemo now appeared especially alert and tense, completely like a bodyguard and close friend who had just protected his boss, injured but not seriously, with only the scent of disinfectant on him.

Nemo had changed into a black, loose, clean T-shirt under his suit jacket, which now had a hole from the bullet. The helicopter and pilot were familiar faces, specifically assigned to the air transportation of the Lakeview Villa.

To divert attention and keep things discreet, Matthew applied a fake bandage to Nemo's thigh, and as usual, the pilot didn't ask any questions.

"Good luck, I survived, thanks to Grimm Group’s bulletproof shirt, but my ribs still hurt like hell!" Nemo greeted the pilot with a grin.

"I’m glad you’re okay—well, maybe not completely okay, but lucky given the circumstances! Mr. Captain, please fasten your seatbelt and watch out for any bumps during the flight, considering your injury."

"See? Another person telling you to rest and not do anything reckless after you get to my place!" Matthew's attitude was affectionate, yet cautious as he avoided putting pressure on the wound while fastening Nemo's seatbelt.

Upon arriving at the high mountain lake and entering the Lakeview Villa, Matthew activated the counter-surveillance and soundproofing systems, reminding Nemo to avoid opening windows or leaving the house when he wasn’t around.

"You didn’t need to follow me in," Nemo was sprawled out on the couch, too tired from all the back-and-forth to sit when he could just lie down.

"Who knows if that assassin will continue following us? If my driver gets compromised at a critical moment and attacks you, just like you mentioned, I might need to step in. Besides, you’re still unfamiliar with the villa’s security features. I’ll make adjustments for your solo stay before I leave."

"Alright, better safe than sorry," Nemo agreed reluctantly, appreciating Matthew’s caution.

"By the way, your ability to sense danger approaching is pretty impressive. Since your superpower is so much like a ninja's, shouldn't you practice cutting bullets with a katana?"

"Such a chunibyo move, even if I could pull it off, I wouldn't want to risk being caught on camera. It's more practical to just dodge and take out the enemy shooting at me." Nemo rolled his eyes so hard it seemed like they might fly to the ceiling.

"Still, I should properly thank you for saving my life again. After all, the original target was a double kill, right?" Matthew placed one hand on the back of the couch and looked down at the curly-haired young man who had collapsed and didn’t want to move.

"They mostly wanted to kill me. You were just the collateral target," Nemo replied.

Nemo had been forced by Matthew to drink a bottle of electrolyte beverage on the helicopter. Luckily, the strange scales helped reduce the blood loss, and since the wound hadn't hit any major blood vessels, Matthew agreed that Nemo didn't need a transfusion. He was also concerned that the combination of their superpowers and the introduction of someone else's blood might cause an unexpected issue. However, Nemo still needed to replenish the water and nutrients essential for blood production these few days.

"I’m just a little curious about how you came to such a confident conclusion," Matthew asked.

"Although I don’t want to say this... it’s because of the height difference. Snipers usually aim for the head, but at that moment, my position was meant to cover your back. The attack came from the front instead. Your snipers should have been handling the area, but it ended up being the direction of attack."

"I can’t expect every member of the security team to be as capable as a superhero—that would be too unfair. This attack was far beyond their ability to respond." Therefore, apart from ordering another background check and mental and physical health check for the security team, Matthew didn’t reprimand them further.

"When I sensed a small hidden weapon approaching, my first reaction was to pull you out of the way while covering you, but the bullet hit my heart. Clearly, the opponent calculated that I would ignore myself to protect you, and the intent to kill was clear. The only reason the second person didn't die from the wound is that it wasn't necessarily fatal. So you were just a convenient bonus target. Also, the fact that they didn’t shoot you again right away probably means the attacker only have eyes for me."

Looking back afterward, Nemo realized he had been shot as he pulled Matthew away. The impact made him stagger, preventing him from continuing to shield the billionaire. If the attacker had intended to kill Matthew, it would have made more sense for Nemo to be shot in the back. The attacker had clearly aimed for Nemo’s heart as he was moving.

"This is a large-caliber armor-piercing round. Not only its penetrating power, but Angie’s scales actually absorbed the impact as well. Such an impressive development of her abilities. After I had my assistant sanitize the bulletproof shirt, it was mixed with other damaged samples from different firearms and sent to the body armor development department for testing." Matthew said.

From removing the bulletproof shirt and disinfecting the weapon to flying to the Lakeview Villa, no more than an hour had passed. Nemo could only say, to keep up with a boss of cosmic proportions, his employees had to be on a planetary scale.

"Researchers analyzed the armor-pierced shirt. From the physical evidence, they would think it was shot at close range. Usually, an armor-piercing bullet can only penetrate a bulletproof vest within a range of about a hundred meters. My technology tops out at about one hundred seventy, but the sniper could have been hiding at a distance twenty times that effective range."

"Just say it plainly, the assassin's superpower and the effect of that shot you took at me earlier are somewhat similar," Nemo relaxed significantly after finally reaching the shelter, though the pain from the wound made him feel weak.

"Nemo, aren't you worried?"

"A bit stirred up, like watching a higher-level player using a combat skill that I can’t use yet, and it's a skill I really like."

"I'm glad you're able to think like that." Matthew tossed a bag containing the evidence along with the bloodstained bullet to Nemo.

He didn't tell Nemo that the plastic pen Nemo had casually shot at him earlier, no matter how it was analyzed, was far more dangerous and lethal than today's armor-piercing bullet.

"Here, keep this. Think about how perilous the situation was back then. Without Angie's abilities, you would have definitely died. After I’m done with the Greens situation, I’ll analyze the origin of this armor-piercing bullet." Matthew said casually, but the government would undoubtedly send someone to calm things down, and the billionaire wouldn’t be foolish enough not to contact the Greens' leader privately.

Having used his superpower and gotten injured while being affected by another superpower, Nemo should have been wanting to sleep by now. In reality, he was likely in too much pain to fall asleep, or perhaps Angie's more dominant superpower kept him awake, intensifying the pain. Matthew thought to himself.

"I can’t stay here. Can you handle it alone?" Matthew asked, confirming.

"Of course. Hurry up and go handle the renegotiation with the Mississippi River Greens. Pick a time when I can join in. Three days—no, two days, and I’ll be able to move again. I’ll take this time to investigate the erotic comics you’re hiding in your study!" Nemo replied.

"I don’t hide that kind of childish stuff. You better be careful. You might get so excited by the props you see that you can’t sleep! That’s not good for someone recovering from injuries," Matthew said with a mischievous smile.

Seeing Matthew back to his usual playful chatter, Nemo knew that his gunshot wound was probably fine now. He just had to keep the secret about the injury hidden until the scales completely disappeared before returning.

But Matthew kept on with a slew of advice about cleaning the wound, watching for infection, and always reporting any unusual symptoms. Finally, Nemo couldn’t help but poke him with a fire poker, and only then did the billionaire reluctantly climb back into the helicopter and leave.

Lying alone on the couch, Nemo stared at the bloodstains on the armor-piercing bullet and thought about the mysterious person who had sent him that deadly gift.

Rather than focusing on whether the shot hit or not, the opponent seemed to have preferred that Nemo die quickly and decisively. There were so many ways to take his life, from traditional dumdum bullets to the latest shrapnel rounds, even trendy poison-tipped darts refined from bloodsucking mosquito venom, or like dirty bombs, filled the bullets with radioactive contaminants or Green's infected fluids... Nemo had countless opportunities to be vulnerable, but the assassin chose to target him while he was wearing a bulletproof shirt, surrounded by Matthew’s security team. It seemed almost like a pointless display.

No, perhaps the opponent had calculated that the Grimm Group could perform a heart surgery or even replace a heart at the fastest speed, so they intentionally chose to strike while Nemo was by Matthew’s side, ensuring he could get the world’s most luxurious medical care prepared for the world’s richest man.

It felt like a long-lost greeting: "I really want to kill you, but I don’t want you to die."

"Interesting."