“Just… get it out,” he rasped.
Noah didn’t respond. Words wouldn’t help now.
He picked up the scalpel and made the first incision.
The skin parted cleanly, revealing a deeper layer of tissue marred with crimson.
Blood welled up immediately, and Noah pressed gauze against it, his hands working with pinpoint accuracy.
“Keep that light steady!” Noah snapped at Lionel, whose hand trembled slightly.
“Yes, Boss,” Lionel stammered, his knuckles white as he gripped the flashlight.
The flashlight felt like a barbell in Lionel’s hand.
The wound was deep, and the bullet was buried near the lower ribcage.
Noah’s mind worked in overdrive, visualizing the anatomy beneath.
‘Liver, diaphragm, intercostal muscles…’ He pushed all thoughts aside, as he focused on the procedure.
As he deepened the incision to explore further, Leo let out a sharp cry, his body jerking against Ryker’s hold.
“Hold him still, damn it!” Noah growled, at ryjer who let Leo move.
Ryker gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on Leo’s shoulders.
“I’m trying, Boss, but he’s too damn strong for someone bleeding out! Heck he’s even stronger than usual.”
“Then try harder,” Noah shot back, his eyes never leaving the wound.
He picked up the tweezers, carefully probing the opening.
Blood pooled faster now, spilling over his gloves and soaking the towel beneath Leo. Noah’s jaw clenched.
‘Where is it?’ his mind hyper-focused.
“Come on, come on…” he muttered under his breath, pulling back a layer of muscle to reveal the shiny edge of metal lodged deep within the tissue.
“There you are,” he muttered.
It was dangerously close to a vein, the pulsing movement just visible.
‘It’s too close to the vein. One wrong move, and he’s done.’
“Noah,” Lionel said, his voice cracking, “is he… is he gonna make it?”
“He won’t if you don’t keep your mouth shut,” Noah snapped, his tone colder than the room’s air.
He inhaled deeply, forcing himself to block out everything else. ‘Steady hands. I should be able to do it with the system skill.’
Using the tweezers, he gently gripped the edge of the bullet.
Leo let out another pained groan, his body arching against Ryker’s weight.
“Stay down!” Ryker yelled, his own face filled with sweat.
“I’m trying!” Leo rasped, his voice weak.
Noah tuned out their voices, his focus narrowing to the minuscule space between the bullet and the pulsing vein.
He moved with painstaking precision, the world around him fading into a blur. Slowly, he began to pull the bullet out, millimetre by agonizing millimetre.
“Almost there,” Noah muttered.
Suddenly, the bullet dislodged, slipping free with a sickening squelch. Blood spurted briefly, and Noah immediately pressed gauze against the wound, applying pressure.
“It’s out,” he said, his voice calm despite the chaos around him.
Leo’s groan of pain softened into a ragged breath, his body sagging against Ryker’s grip. Ryker let out a shaky laugh.
“Boss,” Lionel breathed, his hand still trembling as he held the light. “You actually did it.”
Noah didn’t respond. He knew that Leo was at his weakest right now, any infections contracted now could be fatal.
He cleaned the wound with more alcohol, ignoring the stinging smell and Leo’s sharp inhale.
Picking up the stitching needle, he threaded the medical string.
“This part’s going to sting too,” Noah warned, though Leo was too weak to respond.
His eyelids fluttered, his body limp.
Noah’s hands worked quickly, stitching the wound shut.
The room fell silent except for the sound of his breathing and the occasional groan from Leo.
Ryker and Lionel watched in awe, their nerves fried from the tension they had been experiencing.
Once the final stitch was in place, Noah tied off the string and covered the wound with a clean layer of gauze, securing it tightly.
“He’s stable for now,” Noah said, pulling off his gloves and tossing them aside.
“But he’s not out of the danger yet. Lionel, you guys need to keep an eye on him for the next week.”
” I will also visit often to check on him, but you need to do it regularly. Understand?”
“Yes, Boss,” Lionel said.
Noah turned to Ryker, who was still holding Leo upright. “Keep an eye on him. If his breathing changes or he starts bleeding again, call me immediately.”
Ryker nodded, though his hands still trembled.
“Got it, Boss.”
Noah took a step back, his gaze remaining on Leo’s pale face.
‘They really think I am a pushover, huh?’ he thought grimly, as a smirk slowly appeared on his face.
He turned to the sink, washing the blood off his arm as the water ran red, swirling down the drain.
As the sound of water filled the room, Noah’s thoughts were on his revenge.
After washing his hands, Noah stared at his reflection in the mirror.
a few minutes later… he turned around and left the toilet.
Inside the living room, Noah looked at Lionel who was standing in front of him.
“So, tell me…” Noah began, his tone chillingly calm. “What happened?”
Lionel swallowed hard, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.
“Boss, we were going about our usual business of selling gold,” he started.
“You sent us a gold bar yesterday with Jackson, and today it was Leo’s turn to handle the sale.”
“We decided to rotate the gold bars among the three of us—me, Ryker, and Leo.”
Nodding his head, Noah gestured for him to continue.
“Leo was meeting with a potential buyer,” Lionel said, his tone darkening.
“The spot was quiet, off the main road in K-block on High Avenue Street—a dead-end alley. It’s usually a safe area with no other gangs because of the low traffic, no bystanders.”
“As the deal was being discussed, a group of four masked me got out of a four-by-four and ambushed them,” Lionel continued.
“Luckily Leo wasn’t alone, he had Johnathan with him. They fought back and held their ground at first. The attackers didn’t have firearms initially…”
Lionel paused, his jaw tightening as his hands clenched into fists. “But when the attackers realized they couldn’t win against them, one of them pulled out a gun sneakily.
“And…he fired, hitting Leo in the side.”
