Could not upgrade my SSD, please help

So I have the G16 2024 model, I just bought the lexar nm790 (1tb), and i was planning on putting that into the 4 lane m.2 slot, and switching the oem ssd into the 2 lane m.2 slot, turned out that the standoff screw on the 2 lane m.2 slot is so tight i couldn't remove it no matter what, idk what they use, because the screw itself was of very poor quality, it became stripped after a few turns using a PH0 head (which didn't wiggle at all ), but the screw on the primary m.2 slot was super easy to remove?

I'm just so bummed out because this is supposed to be such a straightforward upgrade

So I put the OEM ssd back into the primary m.2 slot and my new ssd is back in it's box.

I have a few questions;
Is it safe to just plug the SSD in without screwing it down?
Is there any way to remove the screw? I dont mind ruining the screw itself as I have a spare, and idk about needle nose pliers because the screw was in really tight

Thank you