7
Chapter 7: It's Not About the Car
"What!"
"Boom!"
Almost at the exact moment Locke grabbed Gwen and ran, a corpse fell from the sky, crashing down like an intercontinental missile. It landed with a bang on the Audi R8 that Locke had bought less than seven hours ago.
In an instant...
Boom!
The roof of the Audi R8 caved in.
Then...
With another bang, all four windows of the car shattered, and the shock waves from the explosion sent debris flying in all directions.
"Get down!"
Locke saw the shock on Gwen's face and, with a swift movement, pulled her to the ground.
Puff!
Puff puff!
Back at the house, George Stacy, hearing the explosion, rushed out with his gun.
Then...
George saw the two figures lying by the roadside.
Gwen was on the ground.
Locke was on top of her.
Then...
WTF?
---
**Ten Minutes Later**
The street was filled with the sounds of police cars and ambulances.
In an ambulance, Gwen watched nervously as a doctor cleaned and disinfected the wound on Locke's forehead. "Doctor, is Locke okay?"
Locke waved his hand. "It's fine, just scratches!"
This minor injury couldn't kill him.
At this moment, Sheriff George Stacy and his colleagues were focused on the corpse on the roof of the Audi R8, which now looked like a scrap heap.
No one would believe that the car was brand new seven hours ago.
MMP!
My new car that was only seven hours old...
"Hiss!"
Locke straightened his back and winced.
The emergency doctor, pulling out shards of glass from Locke's back, asked, "Would you like some morphine?"
"No."
Locke refused immediately. "I can manage."
Federal drug abuse is rampant.
Who knows if he might suddenly get addicted to morphine?
After all...
Locke couldn't even quit drinking.
Besides, he had a talent for tenacity.
His level-three tenacity talent ensured that as long as he wasn't fatally injured, he could recover completely.
Actually...
If Locke had been alone, the shock wave wouldn't have hurt him at all.
But Gwen was there.
To protect Gwen, Locke's back was like a hedgehog with glass shards. Luckily, his casual suit jacket's quality held up, blocking most of the fragments.
Otherwise, Locke would be known as Backstab Ke!
"It's my fault!"
"It's fine."
Locke waved his hand. Gwen felt very guilty; if Locke hadn't protected her, he wouldn't have turned into a hedgehog.
Calling him a hedgehog was an exaggeration.
Still...
Both his jacket and shirt were ruined, but even if they weren't, Locke had to wear them.
To put it simply.
There were meat remnants!
"Okay, let's move around and see."
"Alright."
Locke nodded, stood up, and with his shirt off, his eight-pack abs were revealed.
Showing off his strong male charm!
Gwen blinked at the sight of Locke's eight-pack.
Body...is that good?
Helen, who had also come out of the apartment, was stunned seeing Locke's physique.
A sixteen-year-old child with this body...
It's illegal.
Thinking this, Helen lightly tapped Gwen on the head and handed a shirt to Locke. "Here, see if this fits."
Locke was taken aback, moved his limbs, and looked at Helen. "Thank you, but I'll change when I get home."
Helen didn't speak; she simply unfolded the shirt as if she intended to help him put it on.
Locke quickly took it and put it on himself.
It fit quite well.
Locke examined it; aside from the sleeves being a bit long and the size a bit large, it was fine.
"Contact aviation. I want to know about any aircraft that flew overhead within the past half hour."
"Understood."
George, who was nearby, was talking to his deputy. He then approached, patted Locke on the shoulder, and said, "Thank you!"
Clearly, George appreciated Locke protecting Gwen at the crucial moment.
Now, George's view of Locke had improved considerably.
Even...
There was some admiration!
After all, Locke's actions matched George's ideal.
The emergency doctor, seemingly familiar with George, removed his mask. "It's not a big issue, just scratches. They've been treated, and he'll be fine in a few days."
Locke was fine.
But someone else...
Was in trouble!
Goodness.
If Locke hadn't warned Gwen and himself to get away, the corpse falling from the sky could have killed them.
This was murder.
Blatant murder.
Locke glanced at his wrecked new car. Even if repaired, he wouldn't trust it. "Any identification, Mr. Stacy?"
"Not yet."
George shook his head and looked at Locke. "But don't worry, we'll investigate this matter thoroughly."
Investigating on the spot was impossible.
So far, no fingerprints from the meat remnants had been found.
Locke surveyed the scene, not expecting immediate answers, and nodded. "Well, in that case, Mr. Stacy, can I go home?"
George consulted the emergency doctor.
It's best to listen to professionals.
The emergency doctor said, "There's no major issue. They didn't face the shock wave directly. The scene looks scary, but they're just scratches. A couple of days' rest will suffice."
George looked at Locke. "Do you need me to write a leave request for you?"
Locke smiled. "I don't need a leave request. But I might need Mr. Stacy to send an officer to take me home. After all, you know..."
Locke pointed to his Audi R8, which had completed its mission in seven hours and was now destined for the scrapyard.
MMP!
Don't let me find out who did this!
---
**System Notification**
"Ding!"
"A mission is being generated!"
"Mission: Injustice and Debt (1/2)"
"Task completion rewards: Achievement Points*1000, Potential Points*1000, 10% off Treasure Refresh Coupon*1"
"Mission description: This is not about the car!!!"
"..."