Chapter 66: The Proper Way to Use

It seems John's brain is not quite wired correctly, although there is also a possibility that Arthur's brain is just too sharp.

Looking at Mike with a heartfelt gaze, Arthur said softly, "You've got too many capabilities. Don't always think about legally obtaining a gun. Look at his build, his speed, his agility, and his stamina - he's a star football running back. Can't you think of how to use him?"

John frowned, "How? Tell me!"

"Let him wear full body armor, heavy-duty protection, just like being by my side." Slapping John's shoulder firmly, Arthur whispered, "I never intended for him to hold a gun. How does this idea sound?"

John suddenly understood, then remained dumbfounded.

Arthur waited patiently, until John lamely said, "I'm so stupid, I never realized you were so... but will the client boss agree?"

"I'm going with my team, and this is how we're configured. What can the client say? Even if I use two human shields, I'm responsible for the offensive, so what? As long as the result is good, right?"

John stared at Arthur, utterly dumbfounded.

Frowning, Arthur murmured, "It's just a short-term job. We'll let him go once the task is done. Is that not okay?"

"Okay! How did you come up with this?"

Relieved, Arthur smiled proudly, "Ancient Eastern wisdom. I'm not quite there yet when it comes to warfare, but for these kinds of things, hehe."

John put down his gun, as Mike was at least ten meters away, and John could easily shoot him if he moved. Seeing this, Mike eagerly took a couple of steps forward, and John immediately raised his gun again, causing Mike to sheepishly stop.

John looked at Arthur, who calmly returned his gaze.

After a moment, John finally turned his head and muttered, "You're truly born for this line of work. I have nothing to say... Uh, now I feel like I'm just..."

He didn't finish the sentence, but the ringing of a phone saved him from the awkward situation.

John answered the call, then quickly said, "I'm on my way back to the hospital. It's not like I'm trying to skip out. Why are you worried? I'll be back at the hospital soon."

Huffing, John raised his gun, pointing at Mike, "Go convince him!"

Arthur approached Mike and said very seriously, "My partner thinks you are not quite suitable because you have a criminal record and a tendency for violence, so you can't apply for a concealed carry permit, which means you can't engage in our legal work."

Mike looked desperate, clasping his hands together humbly, "Boss, I can do illegal work!"

This response was not quite what Arthur had expected.

Can't go along Mike's line of thinking, or it will lead them astray, so Arthur calmly said, "If you don't have a concealed carry permit, the most I can pay you is $500 per day."

Mike immediately looked pained, "I don't care if the police catch me with illegal guns! Give me $1,000!"

Now the discussion has shifted to the matter of price, so whether to include him or not is no longer the issue.

Arthur smiled and said, "But I run a legitimate company, so I have to operate legally. Since you don't have a legal gun permit, you can't use guns. But don't worry, I'll still pay you $1,000 per day because I appreciate you and I'm willing to offer a rate far above the market."

Mike looked extremely grateful, "Thank you, you're such a good boss!"

Giving the full amount at once creates a greater impact. Arthur had already set Mike's expectations and surprise level very high, and now he's just emphasizing that Mike is getting a great deal, letting him know Arthur is paying a super high rate.

If it had been an incremental increase from $200, $300, $500, $600, or $800, it wouldn't have had the same shock value. John just doesn't understand this principle.

Arthur smiled and said, "It seems you haven't asked what kind of work I do."

Mike quickly said, "I don't care what you do, as long as it's legal, I'm not worried!"

Arthur said very seriously, "I'm a PMC, a private military contractor, a private security company. Now I have a job that requires a bodyguard. That means I'll be carrying a gun to protect my client, and you, wearing body armor, will be protecting me. Wherever I go, you go. Whatever I do, you stand by my side. That's all you need to do. How's that?"

"That's it?" Mike's eyes grew wide, and he spread his hands, speaking loudly, "That's all?"

"Uh, it could be dangerous. You might encounter gunfire."

Mike looked at him curiously and asked, "Will it be more dangerous than what I ran into today?"

Arthur thought about it for a moment and shook his head, "No, it definitely won't be as dangerous as what you went through today."

"Then why discuss it? Give me a thousand, and I'll go with you now. I have no place to live, no food to eat, and it would be even better if you could provide me with a place to stay."

Arthur unhesitatingly said, "No, I'll only pay you after you start working formally. For now, I can provide you with food and shelter, and I'll even buy you some medication."

Mike slapped his hand and then extended a fist towards Arthur, gritting his teeth as he said, "It's settled then. You'll take care of buying the bulletproof vest, right?"

Arthur bumped fists with Mike, and then, following Mike's lead, they completed a series of complex handshake rituals that are only used among black people.

Mike released Arthur's hand and said in a serious tone, "Boss, I'm with you now, and those packages are yours. Can we go eat now? I'm hungry, I mean, really, really hungry!"

"No rush. What's your height, weight, and waist size? I need to get you outfitted with some heavy-duty bulletproof gear."

Mike said proudly, "I'm 6'2" tall, 200 lbs, with 2.3% body fat. My weight is a bit light for a running back, but I'm fast. 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, 31 reps on the 225 lb bench press, 43-inch vertical jump, 12-foot standing broad jump, 4-second 20-yard shuttle, and 11.3-second 60-yard shuttle. Those are my test results."

"Whoa." John's mouth made a light sound, and then he said with astonishment, "He's a monster!"

Arthur did the conversions and realized that Mike was about 1.9 meters tall, around 90 kg, with a 102 kg bench press of 31 reps, a 1.1-meter vertical jump, a 3.6-meter standing broad jump, a 4-second 18-meter shuttle, an 11.3-second 55-meter shuttle.

Over 110 meters in 11.3 seconds? With those kinds of athletic abilities, he should be on the track team, aiming for the Olympics or something.

Explosive, and his physical abilities are just off the charts. Monstrous, an absolute physical freak.

Glancing at his lanky frame, Arthur sighed inwardly for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll order the bulletproof vest to fit your measurements. Then, let's go get your medication first."

The better Mike's physical condition, the more important it was for Arthur to first stabilize his mind. If Mike were to get upset and explode, it could be deadly, truly deadly.

John softly said, "You should call the police... No, never mind, let's just go to the hospital, have me checked in, and then find a doctor to write him a prescription, before getting the medication. I think a follow-up is necessary."

After saying that, John told Mike, "You take the front passenger seat, I'll sit in the back."

Without letting Mike take the medication first, John didn't dare put his gun away yet.

Mike happily sat in the passenger seat, then fidgeted impatiently as he waited for Arthur to start the car.

He seemed quite restless.

Arthur had been observing Mike the whole time, and when he noticed Mike clenching and unclenching his fists, letting out muffled sounds of suppressed frustration, he finally couldn't hold back.

"Mike, do you want to take a swing at me?"

Mike slowly exhaled, then after hesitating for a long time, suddenly said, "Boss, are you a newbie driver?"

"What?"

"You're a new driver, right? Can I drive instead?"

Arthur was taken aback, and John in the backseat perked up, loudly saying, "Stop the car, let him drive."

Arthur thought about it and realized that if they needed to get to the hospital quickly, Mike's driving would be faster.

So Arthur pulled over and let Mike take the wheel.

A cheap family car couldn't give the feeling of a sports car, but at least Mike could fully utilize the performance of a regular car. Plus, Mike rolled down the window.

"Go to hell!"

"Bastard, get out of the way!"

"Don't block the road, you crawling turtle, tch, even turtles are faster than you, move aside, you snail driving that car!"

Mike kept cursing as he overtook other cars, but Arthur felt like he was just venting his previous frustrations.

Unable to hold back any longer, Arthur finally turned around and said to the ferocious-looking Mike, "Buddy, are you cursing at me? Are you just venting your previous anger now?"

"I've always been like this!"

Mike denied that he was directing the curses at Arthur, and John in the backseat murmured, "No, that's how all experienced drivers are."

Arthur didn't say anything more. The car sped along, arriving at the hospital much faster than Arthur had planned.

Next, John returned to his room, while Arthur maintained a high level of vigilance, practically nervously watching as Mike went to the psychiatric clinic, saw the doctor, got a prescription, and picked up the medication. Only then did Arthur's heart finally relax a little.

He spent time with Mike to see the doctor and get medication, but after getting the drugs, Arthur felt his life was finally secured.

As they left the hospital, Mike immediately opened the medication packaging and poured all four pills into his palm. Arthur didn't know the proper dosage, but when he saw Mike toss the entire handful into his mouth and swallow them down with his head tilted back, he couldn't help but say, "Isn't that an overdose?"

Mike rolled his eyes a few times, then looked at Arthur and said, "It's better to take more. I need to control my emotions. Just give me a moment, once the medication kicks in, we can go. I can't afford to lose another boss willing to give me money."