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In the conference room of Stark Pictures, several old acquaintances—whom Henry hadn't seen in over five years—had arrived.
Naturally, he greeted them warmly, shaking hands one by one.
"Bryan, Sam, Mark, Bernie—long time no see."
"Mr. Brown," Bryan Mills replied on behalf of the group, still carrying that same cautious professionalism.
"Come on, Bryan. No need to be so formal. We've been through a crisis together—we're practically comrades."
"But you called us here for work, didn't you?" Bryan's stern expression suddenly relaxed into a smile. "Still… we didn't expect you to end up as CEO of Stark Pictures."
Henry gave a helpless grin. "And that's exactly why I've run into trouble that requires your help."
Then he added sincerely, "Honestly, I'm glad you came. When I made the call, I wasn't even sure you'd take this kind of job."
Bryan nodded. "We just don't take long-term protection contracts. And our last job ended a while ago—we were looking for something new anyway.
"As for your request, we agreed to come hear you out. If we're not a good fit, I can recommend a team that is."
"That alone is already a big help," Henry said. "You know me—I've got… trust issues."
Bryan nodded knowingly. "I understand. Which is why we're even more curious—what kind of people could possibly cause you trouble?"
Henry gave a wry smile. "More than you'd think."
---
He then explained everything: being targeted by the Arden family, the bounty placed on him through the Continental.
At the end, he asked, "You've heard of the Continental, right?"
Bryan and the others exchanged glances before nodding.
"We know about it," Bryan said. "Just didn't expect you to get dragged into something like this. Can't kill, can't be killed… well, the second part probably doesn't concern you."
Henry shrugged. "It's not that I can't kill. If people are already pulling guns and throwing explosives, tying my own hands doesn't help.
"But the main goal is deterrence—drive them off, intimidate them. If someone gets themselves killed, that's on them.
"As for me… you all know my situation. Being bulletproof is hardly a secret anymore. If it comes down to it, I don't need anyone taking bullets for me.
"That said, there's one key point—I don't want unnecessary casualties. No harm to people around me, no innocent bystanders getting caught up in this.
"Of course, that depends on what methods the assassins use. I can only say we try to avoid it—not that I'll compromise if someone uses hostages."
---
Bryan asked, "You said the contract duration is one month?"
"Right. That's the Continental's usual window before a bounty gets canceled. If they want to keep going after that… I have other ways to escalate. At that point, simple protection won't be the solution."
The words were calm.
But to Bryan and the others, they carried a chilling edge.
Bryan knew very well—someone who could carry a plane in flight and hear conversations from outside its hull… what kind of things that person could do.
Even without knowing the full extent of Henry's abilities, what he had already demonstrated was enough for Bryan to devise multiple operational plans—ones that could eliminate targets cleanly while ensuring safe extraction.
The fact that this man sat behind a desk running a film company?
That was probably the world's greatest stroke of luck.
---
The four men exchanged a glance and silently reached an agreement.
Bryan spoke for them.
"Henry, we'll take the job.
"We've spent too long working overseas anyway. A domestic contract like this? Consider it a break.
"And honestly, your situation isn't that serious. Mostly just posturing and probing, right?"
Henry nodded. "Exactly."
"Do you need 24-hour close protection? What about home security?"
"No need," Henry said casually. "I've got a tabby cat at home… well, okay, a tiger. If anyone's bold enough to break in, then we're way past 'just posturing.'"
"A tiger… you're serious?" old Bernie asked, stunned.
"Found it abandoned a couple years ago. Took it in. Works great as anti-theft security."
The four men stared at him, speechless.
Finally, Bryan wrapped it up. "Alright. That at least means your home security is… solid. I assume bugs and surveillance won't be an issue for you either."
"Correct."
Then Henry added, "There's something else I want your opinion on."
"Go ahead."
"My girlfriend—should she be included in the protection plan?"
---
"Your girlfriend?" Bryan recalled. "Charlize Theron, right? A minor actress?"
"Yeah. She's had some recent buzz, but not exactly high-profile yet."
Bryan considered this carefully before answering.
"In that case, I don't recommend giving her visible protection.
"In executive protection, aside from the principal, there are only two types of additional high-priority individuals: a current spouse—not an ex—and biological children.
"They must be family, with clear inheritance ties, to justify the resources.
"If you suddenly assign heavy protection to someone who appears unrelated, it raises suspicion. Enemies start asking—who is this person? A hidden heir? A weakness?
"That kind of attention creates danger."
He paused, then continued.
"But that applies to high-profile elites.
"You're single. She's just a girlfriend with no major background. To your enemies, she's not a valuable target—no reason to focus on her.
"I assume you already have some private safeguards in place for her. If not, set up something basic. I can draft emergency response protocols.
"But publicly? Don't draw attention. Our job is simply to ensure no accidental harm when you're together."
---
Everything Henry had been worried about—Bryan had already addressed.
So he nodded. "Alright. We'll go with your approach. I'll just remind Charlize to stay alert."
"Then let's talk about fees."
Henry smiled. "I'm doing alright these days. No need to go easy on me. If spending more makes things smoother, it's worth it.
"Name your price."
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