Chapter 15: The Bodyguard!

Chapter 15: The Bodyguard!

Mary and I were completely unaware of the vultures flying above us as we finished our meal. After throwing our trash away, the two of us walked out of the food court arm in arm, our shopping bags completely full.

Watching me navigate the BMW out of the parking garage, Mary looked over at me from the passenger seat.

"Back last year when I taught you to drive, you were honestly worse than me," she commented, a look of genuine admiration in her eyes. "Now I feel like an absolute amateur next to you. Your timing for shifting and braking is incredible. I bet you could really make a police squad car fly, right?"

"It’s partly from all of those race car games I played down at the arcade, plus action movies and videos I watched online about professional racing," I replied with a smooth grin, revving the engine slightly as we hit the open road. "Your teaching was the absolute best, though, even if the transmission completely hates the way you handle it."

"Manual transmissions are incredibly difficult, alright?" Mary pouted, crossing her arms defensively. "The squad car at the precinct is an automatic and I do perfectly well with it. That’s the whole reason I gave you this manual car in the first place. I can't help it."

Soon enough, we arrived back at our apartment and put away all of our new shopping bags. Mary immediately got out of her uncomfortable high heels, slid into a comfortable pair of shorts and a tight tank top, and walked straight over to me. I had already changed into some simple shorts and a t-shirt myself.

With excited eyes, Mary wrapped her arms tightly around my waist, took her glasses off, and began to kiss me deeply. Just as our kissing was getting incredibly hot and heavy, the universe decided to intervene.

[ Ring... Ring... Ring... ]

Her phone, which hardly ever rings on her scheduled days off, started to blare loudly from the kitchen counter. The frustrated look on her face from having our perfect moment completely cut short made me burst into a quick smile.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" she groaned, resting her forehead against my chest. "Rick, I have to get that, so just wait right here, okay?"

An incredibly agitated Mary marched over to answer the line, but her angry expression completely changed within seconds based on the information she was receiving from the other side.

"Yes, Sergeant," Mary stated, her tone turning entirely professional. "Let me throw on my uniform right now and I will be right over there. Bye!"

Mary put her phone down, looking back at me with the most pitiful, disappointed eyes I had ever seen. I just smiled warmly at her, trying to ease her stress.

"Come on," I said, walking over to guide her. "Let me help you get ready. I will grab your tactical gear from the counter while you throw your clothes on. Hurry up."

As Mary unhappily started tossing her comfortable clothes off to change into her standard police uniform, she broke down the emergency news.

"Every single detective from every single precinct across Star City is being called in right now, regardless of whether they are on or off duty," she explained, her voice tight. "It seems a massive turf war between the Black Snakes and the Crouching Tigers syndicate just broke out down by the shipping district. A couple hundred gangsters are already dead or severely wounded. The entire docks area is an absolute mess and the frontline beat cops are completely overwhelmed. I am so sorry I can't stay here with you, Rick... especially right after we finally confessed to each other."

I stepped in close, carefully tying her heavy utility belt around her waist and adjusting her holster to make sure all of her gear was sitting in the exact right operational position.

"Just focus entirely on your work," I told her, looking her dead in the eyes. "Don't worry about me for a second, because I am incredibly happy with where we stand right now. Go do your job and I will take care of you the moment you get back home. Call my phone if you need me to bring you some food or anything else to the perimeter line, now go."

She reached up, giving me one final, passionate kiss that left my head spinning before she ran out the door toward her marked police cruiser. To make her feel a bit better, I walked her all the way out to the parking lot to see her off.

I stood on the curb and waved as she activated her sirens, the tires chirping as she accelerated hard toward the West side of the city. Now I was completely alone in the apartment, and I had several major tasks of my own that I needed to finish up before the weekend was over.

"I have heard of getting cock-blocked before, but never cop-blocked," I muttered to myself, walking back upstairs. "I guess getting a third round of intimacy in one day is officially out of the cards."

I pulled open my laptop and booted up my private network connection, checking on the status of the orders and legal application acceptances I had put in—or rather, successfully hacked into the state registry earlier.

Like I noted before, the only realistic way for a commoner to secure a high-level concealed carry permit in this city without drawing corporate suspicion is to be legally licensed in specific security fields. The exact path I chose was a registered Bodyguard. The legal parameters for that job are incredibly generic, meaning I can independently draft my own protection contracts or even operate like a private investigator without the department breathing down my neck.

The high-end shop I was heading to to pick up my official government documents and my specialized handgun order was a massive establishment called FF-Firearms. They aren't just the absolute best weapons dealer in Star City; their legal department handles all of the official background clearing and document printing for high-tier CC permits.

As for my weapon selection, I couldn't exactly use my deceased father's old Beretta for my everyday street carry because that weapon was strictly meant for dirty work and emergencies. So, on top of the legal permits I was collecting today, I had a matched pair of factory-new HK P30 9mm handguns waiting for me at the counter.

Those bad boys are widely recognized as some of the absolute best firearms on the market for seamless concealment, overall build quality, and field performance. And unlike my dad's older pistol, the default magazine capacity for these babies is a solid fifteen rounds. More importantly, their specific ergonomics meant I could use my Gun-Fu skill to its absolute maximum potential with the HK P30s.

Along with the legal paperwork and the handguns, I had ordered a large box of high-pressure ammunition, plus a variety of tactical add-ons and customized holsters designed for different clothing styles, including shoulder rigs, lower-back mounts, and hip holsters.

I used the very last bit of the prepaid gift card money I had secured from Scott Tang to purchase a high-grade, concealable bulletproof vest for my torso, which would come in handy for the exact moments when the shit inevitably hits the fan in this city. It was easily the best-spent $500 if you ask me.

I couldn't help but chuckle as I double-checked the order receipts. I wondered exactly how Scott would feel if he realized his own trust fund was completely financing my life-saving armor and my lethal killing potential, right on top of me breaking in his future wives. Fuck, I couldn't stop smiling.

Nichole was entirely right about the sweet taste of this revenge.

"Oh? Looks like my official documents and firearm orders are marked as ready for pickup," I said, reading the screen notification. "Well, I don't have anything else going on tonight now that Mary is deployed on a turf war, so let's head back out."

I changed into the low-profile black outfit I had worn on the morning of the front-gate fight, grabbed my keys and primary identification, and locked up the apartment securely.

The sun was just starting to dip below the horizon, but it was still perfectly light out when I pulled my BMW into the lot of the FF-Firearms dealership.

The facility was housed in a massive, two-story building that looked exactly like a premium department store. The place featured state-of-the-art, high-tech indoor firing ranges, and I figured I would spend some time doing active target practice while I was here so I wouldn't end up heading into a real street fight cold.

The moment I crossed the threshold into the air-conditioned showroom, a beautiful saleswoman took note of my confident stride and my sharp black attire, walking over to greet me warmly. She was clearly highly trained at her job; she instantly recognized that my long coat was a custom, high-end tactical product and immediately assessed my high purchasing power.

"Hello, welcome to FF-Firearms," she said, offering a bright, professional smile. "How can I assist you today, sir?"

"My name is Rick Lee," I replied smoothly. "I am here to collect my certified Bodyguard documents, along with the handguns, body armor, and ammunition order I placed online."

The blonde woman's eyes flicked slightly as if she registered some immediate recognition of my name from their priority database. Her tone instantly shifted into an even more respectful, elite register.

"Please come with me straight to our VIP waiting lounge, Mr. Lee," she said, gesturing toward a private set of double doors. "Although your legal paperwork is indeed approved and ready, the system still requires around an hour to process the final biometric validation in person. Please follow me."

That part was standard procedure for high-tier permits; they had to manually take my fingerprints, log my updated digital photo, and then bind everything together into a secure, government-issued identification card and an official permit booklet that functioned much like an international passport.

"Mr. Lee, please make yourself comfortable in this armchair and help yourself to the vending machines over there," the blonde saleslady said as she led me into a luxurious, leather-appointed lounge. "Everything in this wing is entirely complimentary for our VIP clients. Let me go fetch the legal representative in charge of your paperwork, and I will personally gather your weapon purchases during this time. Do you have any other specific requests for your itinerary, sir?"

"Yes," I nodded, sinking into the leather seat. "I would like to reserve one of your private firing ranges after the paperwork is finalized, if they are still open."

"Ufufu, sir, our range facilities are operational twenty-four hours a day," she giggled softly, giving me a playful wave. "So you are welcome to come by anytime in the future for active practice. I will personally attend to your lane detail if I am on shift. Please excuse me for a moment."

Watching the hot as fuck saleslady slide out of the lounge, I couldn't help but feel a little bit amused. Why the hell was she treating a regular commoner kid like some high-born corporate young master? Did my departed system accidentally leave me with some secret, hidden passive charm skill or something? Oh well. I looked up at the widescreen television on the wall and noticed an episode of Alf was currently broadcasting. I leaned back to enjoy the old show while the clerks processed my new tools of the trade.

In the back office, the sales lady closed the door behind her, dialed a number on her phone, and waited for the line to connect.

[ What is it, Gwen? ] Tina Feng’s sharp voice came through the receiver.

"Number two is currently sitting in the lounge waiting for his Bodyguard license to be completed," Gwen reported, keeping her voice low. "He’s also picking up a substantial purchase of handguns, ammunition, and a concealable vest. On top of that, he just requested to use our indoor shooting range. What are your orders?"

[ What? He already has an approved Bodyguard license?! ] Tina sounded completely stunned over the line before her tone shifted into a calculated hiss. [ Fuck... alright, just give him the absolute VIP treatment and delay the final processing as much as you can. I will be down there soon. Click... do do do... ]

Gwen set the phone down and immediately went to work getting my complete order gathered from the secure vault.

During my time in the lounge catching up on classic TV shows, the processing staff came in to manually take my photos, log my fingerprints, and double-check my additional personal information. While they ran the data, Gwen stepped into the room to precisely size up my concealable vest and custom holsters. Once the fittings were done, she led me back into a private inspection room so I could personally review my new firearms to make sure everything was right.

Naturally, the HK products were completely top-notch. I ran a quick mechanical breakdown, stripping the weapons down and reassembling them in a fluid motion with zero issues found. The barrels were already perfectly clean, oiled, and ready to be fired. Now I just needed the physical documents in my hand so I could take them down to the lanes for a live test.

When I finished the inspection, I walked back out to the VIP waiting room, and the person currently sitting in the armchair completely surprised me.

Leaning back right where I had been sitting just a few minutes ago was Tina Feng.

"Fellow student Lee," Tina purred, tilting her head with a sharp grin. "I am honestly surprised to bump into you here of all places."

"Well, it’s a small world," I replied, keeping my voice completely casual as I sat across from her. "So it’s pretty common for people to bump into me."

She narrowed her golden Phoenix eyes slightly. "Have I offended you somehow, Rick? You seem a bit grumpy to meet me today."

Well, to be perfectly fair, this woman had absolutely no idea that I was a master hacker. She didn't know I already figured out that this entire high-end establishment was a front-facing Feng asset—FF-Firearms literally stood for Feng Family Firearms. She also didn't know I tracked her private dinners with Officer Woo and her father. So, from her perspective, she was probably genuinely confused by my cold attitude. But knowing that the ruthless Fire Birds syndicate operated as an enforcement arm for the Feng family, it didn't take a genius to figure out she had something to do with my weekend trouble, right?

"Grumpy? No," I said, leaning back. "Just whenever I meet you, bad things always seem to happen to me out of nowhere. But it’s not your fault, right? Just my usual bad luck."

Tina let out a soft laugh, crossing her legs. "That is not entirely fair to throw out the baby with the bathwater, Rick. I might happen to be around the area, but surely I personally have never caused you any harm."

I leaned forward, dropping my voice so the staff couldn't overhear. "So those five guys I completely wrecked on Monday morning didn't text you directly from their smartphones? I literally saw your incoming text on their screens right while you were watching the entire fight from the school rooftop."

She completely forgot that Star High has high-definition security cameras installed up on that roof to monitor for student suicides and criminals.

Hackers are a scary breed. No, I didn't actually see her text flash on their physical phone screens during the fight, but I easily looked into their text logs later that night once I secured their names. How did I get their names? Simple. When Dr. Hana Chang casually told me she took care of their medical intake, I used my laptop to breach the hospital server, hacked their files, and pulled all of their personal information. Past-me, you seriously rock for giving me a Master-tier computer skills.

Tina stared at me, her expression cracking into absolute fascination. "Rick Lee, I am starting to like you more and more. Please, tell me how we can repair our little misunderstandings? I genuinely want the two of us to be friends."

"No need," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "I am not actually upset with you for any of that. Plus, our paths won't really cross after graduation next week anyway. I will be going straight to Star University to become a regular businessman."

"Really?" Tina smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Then we are definitely going to see a lot of each other around campus. I am also attending Star University next term, naturally."

Right at that moment, Gwen walked back into the VIP lounge carrying my finished paperwork. She handed the secure booklet over to me with a respectful nod.

"Your Bodyguard license and official concealed carry permit are completely finished, Mr. Lee," she said. "Please give it one final look to ensure there are any typos."

I scanned the pages and noticed every single detail was correct, certified, and fully legal. Inwardly, I was so fucking excited. Being legally allowed to carry firearms in this cutthroat city meant my immediate safety had just risen through the roof. I gave her a firm nod and stowed the documents safely into my long coat.

Gwen offered a polite gesture toward the back hallway. "Now, off to the range, Mr. Lee?"

"Yes, Miss Gwen, let’s do it."

I slid my twin HK P30s securely into the new shoulder holsters beneath my coat and started following her down the corridor. I glanced back at the third wheel who was confidently trailing right behind us.

"Miss Feng, is there something I can help you with?" I asked.

She put on a completely sweet smile, cutely blinking her eyes at me. "Well, you're an official licensed bodyguard now, and I happen to need a professional bodyguard sometimes. If you're actually any good down there, I want to hire you."

What kind of crazy drugs was this woman on? Did I not just completely out her for being the shadow mastermind behind my street fight? Her skin was easily as thick as Tony Deng's.

Soon enough, Gwen brought me to a private firing lane, handing me a pair of heavy ear covers and a variety of different paper target sheets to choose from. I took off my long coat, hung it on the rack, and got my two brand-new handguns ready for live testing.

I set the standard human silhouette target out on the automated line, sending it rolling back to a range of exactly fifty feet. Normally, a professional can hit seventy-five feet without a problem and keep their groupings close, but for a 9mm handgun, fifty feet is the absolute sweet spot for long-range defense. Remember, fifty feet is basically the equivalent of shooting down from a five-story building. Both women watched the target slide back, entirely unsure of why I was testing a concealment weapon from that far away.

Tina watched me pull a gun in each hand, likely thinking I was just trying to show off for her. In real-world tactical combat, dual-wielding handguns is a completely unrealistic style that no actual professional would ever use. But the departed system did explicitly state that I was this world's premier Gun-Fu master after all, so I was the only person alive who could actually make a movie style work in reality.

The moment the grips settled into my palms, the metal felt like an extension of my arms. Thanks to the inherited master database, it felt like I had been executing these exact firing strings for fifty years. I took aim, locking my right gun directly onto the target's heart and my left gun onto the forehead.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Both of my weapons spewed out the 9mm rounds in a rhythmic, terrifying wall of death. Within seconds, all fifteen shots from each handgun were completely emptied. When the line whined and the target sheet was pulled back to the station, all thirty bullet holes were clustered within a neat, one-inch grouping right in the dead center of the targets. The concentrated, shattered marks left in the middle of the forehead and the heart looked incredibly eerie.

Now, I know some of you real-world gun enthusiasts out there are looking at a one-inch group at fifty feet and thinking, 'One inch, bro? You total amateur, you suck!' But you have to remember, I have never actually fired a real gun in my life until this exact moment. With this baseline, I am only going to get faster and deadlier from here.

When I turned around and looked at the blonde saleslady and the redheaded heiress, both of them were standing there with their mouths wide open, their eyes completely stretched in absolute disbelief. Their imaginations were clearly running wild trying to process what they just witnessed.

I quickly ejected the empty magazines, slapped in fresh, loaded fifteen-round clips, and made sure the safeties were functional before smoothly sliding both HKs back into their shoulder holsters. I turned to Gwen, offering a casual smile.

"Thanks," I said, adjusting my coat. "It’s been a few years since I last had a chance to shoot, so I'm completely satisfied with the alignment. Thanks for your help today. Goodbye."

The moment I turned on my heel to exit the lane, my right arm was firmly grabbed from behind. Tina stared up at me, her rich girl composure completely gone.

"Rick, I want to hire you as my personal protection detail right now!" she blurted out. "Two thousand dollars a day, plus full expenses covered!"

I had absolutely zero interest in keeping Red alive, and working for a noble clan sounded like a massive logistical hassle. I smoothly rotated my wrist and shoulder, activating my Grandmaster martial arts muscle memory to slip out of her vice-like grip like a slippery eel. She looked shocked that she couldn't physically hold me back, her mouth opening as she instantly raised the stakes.

"Three thousand dollars!" she called out.

I just kept walking, giving her a brief wave over my shoulder. Three grand did sound like an awesome chunk of change, but no... dealing with her syndicates wasn't worth the headache.

"Four thousand dollars a day, plus full corporate expenses?!" she yelled after me.

My boots completely stopped against the concrete floor. My mind rapidly ran a calculation on the official rules for maintaining a professional Bodyguard status in this city. If you don't log at least twenty days of active, contract-verified protection work every calendar year, the government automatically expires your high-tier concealed carry license. On top of that, four grand a day was an insane amount of money; that liquidity was enough to easily finance a massive lifestyle upgrade for me and Mary. I smiled, turning around slowly to look back at her.

"Well, this doesn't exactly beat my great morning or my afternoon," I said, adopting a smooth, professional posture. "But I think I can manage to work for you on occasion, Miss Feng. Let’s sit down and draft a formal contract."

Tina Feng looked like she secretly felt a bit shafted by the massive price tag, but she also understood that my gun precision and hand-to-hand metrics were no joke. Plus, offering me a high-paying contract was the only realistic thing her sharp mind could come up with to mend our fractured relationship. If I ended up thoroughly hating her and the Feng family over the weekend assault, her father's evaluation game was completely pointless, right?

I didn't know her internal thoughts and I didn't really care, but four thousand a day was what a legendary veteran bodyguard earned. With absolutely no prior corporate record on my new resume, I normally would only be able to secure small-time commoner clients, so having a direct young lady of the Feng Clan listed as my primary employer was going to look massive for my future credibility.

For the next hour, the two of us thoroughly haggled over the contractual boundaries inside the VIP room. I made sure to implement strict safety clauses, specifying exactly when she could call for my services and ensuring she couldn't knowingly bring me into an active hideout of murderers or illegal operations. Overall, it was incredibly good stuff for my portfolio. The expenses clause covered premium hotel rooms, five-star food, custom clothing tailoring, and many more high-end perks, meaning I was realistically earning way more than just the baseline four grand a day. Yay!

Finally, with my new handguns secured under my coat and my legal bodyguard permit tucked into my pocket, I drove back to the lower-income district and headed straight up to the apartment to get ready for bed. I lay down on the right side of the queen mattress completely alone, letting out a long breath as I closed my eyes for the night.