Man With Super Medical Skill (Matthew)

Bloodfang Viper, Mortis Spider... Matthew mused as he gazed at the dishes laid out on the table in his room on the third floor.

If Shaun had overheard Matthew's thoughts, he would have been shocked, for Matthew had named every ingredient correctly. These were precisely the poisons Shaun had extracted for this attempt.

"Well, seems like someone's getting impatient. His restraint isn't as impressive as I thought."

Without hesitation, Matthew dumped the food into the trash can and then focused on planning the next day's fight.

Agreeing to Garrett's proposal to face Shaun hadn't been a spur-of-the-moment decision. His primary objective was to investigate Shaun's connections with the Marine Corps' shipment—and to take control of the Viper Crew once he was done.

As for Garrett... Matthew hadn't yet decided what to do with him.

Next day's fight would undoubtedly involve some dirty tricks from Shaun's side. But Matthew wasn't worried about whoever faced him in the arena. No matter how skilled Shaun's fighter was, unless he managed to bring in a grandmaster-and not just any grandmaster, but one of the elite-there was nothing to fear.

That said, there was no point dwelling on what-ifs. Whatever came his way, he would deal with it.

...

In Garrett's room, he sat at the edge of the bed, his expression plain as he gazed at Lenny standing before him.

"Shaun's already made his move, hasn't he?"

Lenny nodded and respectfully reported, "Yes, sir. Based on my observations, a member of the Viper Crew approached the bartender earlier and added something to the food. That dish was then delivered to Mr. Larden's room."

Garrett's lips curved into a faint smile tinged with amusement. "Looks like Shaun's getting nervous Matteo hasn't even fought his third match yet, and Shaun's already resorting to underhanded tactics. Did you warn Matteo?"

"I did," Lenny replied quickly. "I feared Mr. Larden might not notice the poison, so Inoveldrama

informed him as soon as the food was delivered."

Garrett nodded slowly, pleased with

Lenny's initiative. After a moment, he added, "Make arrangements. Shaun will definitely try something during tomorrow's fight. Just make sure Matteo isn't taken out by any unexpected, underhanded tricks."

"Yes, sir." Lenny bowed slightly, committing the instructions to memory.

"That's all-you may go." Garrett waved his hand, dismissing Lenny. But the latter seemed hesitant, as if something was bothering him.

Ultimately, he voiced it. "Sir, your health has been deteriorating lately. Should I call for a doct-"

Before Lenny could finish, Garrett's expression darkened instantly. His eyes, cold and venomous like a serpent's, locked onto Lenny. "That's none of your business."

Still, worry was etched on the subordinate's face. "I only thought that maybe-"

"Thought?!" Garrett's voice suddenly exploded with fury. He shot to his feet, eyes blazing with madness as he roared at Lenny.

"Who do you think you are?! You thought!

"If you hadn't thought, would I have lost tens of millions in goods? If you hadn't thought, we wouldn't have been hunted down after letting those people go! If you hadn't thought my parents were thieves, they wouldn't have died! If you hadn't thought, would I be living like a stray mutt right now?!"

Garrett's deranged shouting echoed through the room, leaving Lenny standing

motionless, his expression heavy with unspoken words.

In the end, all he could say was, "I'm sorry."