Tolya had to extend his treatment due to a 'surgical accident.' He was living a pure lifestyle—no smoking or drinking—and spending his days with a male nurse. He vented his frustration by roaring into his phone at Nemo, threatening to break out of the hospital if Nemo didn't come and suffer with him.

Nemo, who had only been a bodyguard for a week, felt that Tolya was nowhere near escaping the mafia life yet. It was still within the normal hospital stay period, and Tolya was already close to going crazy.

So, once Nemo finished his companion duty with Angie, he seamlessly transitioned to the hospital to calm his Russian roommate.

At the same time, he also read some interesting forum posts to help Tolya practice his English listening skills. Otherwise, two men in a single patient room wouldn’t have much to do to pass the time.

" Sunny Jie and boss Liu have already spread the word about your surgery accident. You have to stay long enough in the hospital to collect your insurance and compensation. Otherwise, people might get suspicious. A private deluxe room! You even have free movies to watch!" Nemo said. He really couldn’t understand why Tolya was so dismissive of such a comfortable life.

Nemo had originally planned to take advantage of the empty apartment and relax for a few days, leveling up his new character in WOW and enjoying the new version—though by now, it wasn’t exactly "new" to anyone else.

The The boss couple also knew the truth behind Tolya’s "surgery accident." Once they heard that Tolya might be forcibly recruited by the gang, they fully supported him pretending to be disabled to avoid trouble. As long as Nemo and Tolya were safe and had some income to support their lives, that was all that mattered. Westlake Restaurant was just a backup, a minor source of income, not something they had to rely on.

"You dragged me here and then left me to go on vacation with a supermodel in a cabin! Even with something as big as the Bohai Sea Kaiju r incident, I have to watch the news alone!" Tolya grumbled.

The most outrageous part was that Nemo even asked the light aircraft pilot to pass along a photo of him in a remote mountain cabin to Tolya, to prove that there was no signal on his phone. But the photo—Nemo half-turned with a frying pan, cooking fish, looking back at the camera with a gentle expression—was incredibly cozy and sweet, unmistakably a "girlfriend’s perspective." It was obvious who took the photo, and even if it was just a work shot, it was still too much!

Tolya looked at the male nurse, a burly guy who seemed like he had just retired from a special forces unit, and the intern doctor with a gun holster under his white coat. Everything felt way too planned out!

"You’re one of the bribes Matthew Grimm used to get to me. I’m quite enjoying it!" Nemo bit into an apple, casually saying.

"Why did he bribe you?" Tolya asked.

Nemo felt that revealing a little truth to Tolya at this point might help with future actions, especially since something like Tolya helping his countryman and nearly getting himself killed could never happen again.

"Do you also find it rather odd that the Grimm Group’s leader is intentionally flattering me? Actually, he knows my previous identity. It’s our mutual friend who asked him to help me recover my memory, and that’s why he’s been trying to befriend me," Nemo said calmly.

"What was your previous identity?" Tolya immediately pressed.

"I can’t tell you. I only listened to a little of it before I gave up on memory treatment. I don’t want to recall the past because it involves the safety of many anonymous companions. It’s better if I don’t remember."

Nemo’s words were so dramatic that Tolya was left speechless, his mouth opening and closing as he struggled to come up with something to say.

"So, is that why you hate the idea of me joining the gang?" Tolya finally mumbled.

" I was indeed attacked by a gang, lost my memory, and almost died, all of which Matthew confirmed. I know that life is dangerous, and I don’t want you to be forced to do things to someone that happened to me," Nemo explained.

As long as Tolya wasn’t insisting on leaving the hospital, Nemo decided to let the Russian's thoughts wander freely.

"Matthew promised not to force me to recover my memory, but he wants me to treat any injuries or illnesses at his headquarters. He also wants me to train with him so I can become stronger and avoid dangers and being controlled by others," Nemo continued, sticking to the truth.

"That... sounds good," Tolya paused and then asked, "Was the first time you saved Matthew Grimm’s life intentional on his part?"

"I think part of it was Matthew’s own fault. He probably had someone follow my hiking route, hoping to have a paragliding encounter, and then he got kidnapped on the plane. The second time, he learned his lesson and came straight to Westlake Restaurant," Nemo replied, as if recounting the events casually.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Isn’t it possible for that rich guy to send his secretary to talk to you directly in the office?" Tolya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Trust me, I’d prefer that too, but that’s Matthew Grimm. Are you surprised?" Nemo chuckled.

"Uh..." After a pause, Tolya answered honestly, "It doesn’t feel that weird, especially when you add the whole bet about whether he can land right in front of you."

This Russian was really good at coming up with excuses, Nemo thought.

"In any case, now that we’re friends, he keeps pulling me into these weird errands," Nemo said.

"Being a bodyguard for a supermodel—what kind of bodyguard gets his calves and shoulders sunburned? You should teach me your ways!" Tolya teased.

"Do we really need to argue about this? Angie was just short a chef and someone to chat with in Chinese. What’s wrong with me going to the wild to fish and gather ingredients? If you can do the same thing, I can recommend you too!" Nemo shot back.

Tolya immediately sulked.

" I’ve been hanging out with you most of the time, except when I’m at Matthew’s headquarters for training or getting treatment. I’ll stay with you until you’re discharged. Is that okay?" Nemo said.

"That’s more like it." Tolya grabbed Nemo’s right arm, inspecting his wrist. The pink scar had scabbed over, though it still looked vicious.

"It’s much better than when it first happened, but it’s still not completely healed. It’s about the same as a week ago. Did you neglect your wound care while working as a bodyguard?" Tolya asked.

Nemo didn’t dare admit that he’d been fishing, killing fish, and doing a lot of outdoor physical work. It was really Matthew’s high-tech medical equipment that helped the wound heal instead of worsening.

"It’s just a flesh wound. Who cares compared to a job that can earn money? I’m not working full-time at the Westlake Restaurant anymore. I can’t make Sunny Jie worry about my living expenses," Nemo said, pulling his arm back after Tolya finished inspecting it, then taking another bite of his apple.

"And what about me?" Tolya asked instinctively. Were they really going to part ways like this?

"Are you not planning to go to college to get a degree or a professional certification, find a decent job, and integrate into society? That would take several years of hard work, right? Even native-born Americans have to juggle part-time jobs, school, and internships, struggling under huge student loans. Now that your tuition and time are covered, don't you want to?!" Nemo narrowed his eyes, and the sudden drop in his tone sent a chill down Tolya's spine.

"Of course, I want to," the Russian responded obediently.

"There are schools in Lone Star City too. If you're not picky about your degree, you could continue living with me and save on rent, focus on studying. But you'd have to be careful about being too close to your countrymen—keep up the act," Nemo said.

"Is that possible?" Tolya hadn’t considered that there might be a way to have the best of both worlds.

"I'm not asking you to sever ties with your friends, but it's impossible to keep everything separate. If they coerce you into crime or drag you into something—like the New Orleans swamp factory—then I'd prefer if you had no contact with them. But today, if they’re just in Lone Star City, just victims of a monster attack, I encourage you to save them. That’s what happened with the bloodsucking giant mosquitoes, right?" Nemo said.

Tolya recalled the charity gala night when Nemo had reminded him to save even his gang friends, and he nodded.

"The real problem is that you're alone. You don't have the luxury of saying 'NO' when it comes to the gang," Nemo continued.

Those words felt like heavy snow, clouding Tolya's vision and nearly making it impossible for him to see his friend before him. Nemo would never know how deeply his words, turned into icy thorns, pierced the heart of the person named Anatoly.

"If I had the right to say 'NO'...?" Tolya murmured softly in Russian, almost inaudible, but Nemo didn’t hear him, thinking he was just quietly complaining.

" I’m moving forward and don’t want to see you standing still. By the way, Matthew says my real age is 30, so call me 'big brother'!" Nemo had been waiting a long time to reveal this reversal of roles, practically puffing up his chest in excitement.

Tolya's first reaction was to burst out laughing. "Wait until you update the info on your social security card! Look at that baby face! Ha!"

Nemo’s fingers immediately dug into Tolya’s side and twisted, making Tolya’s laughter quickly turn into turn into a scream of pain..

Tolya begged him to stop, and unable to hold back, he threatened to ring the nurse for help. Only then did Nemo finally release his grip.

"So, are you planning to stick with Matthew Grimm?" Tolya asked seriously.

"Does he have the qualifications to be my boss? Of course, I’ll do things my own way, as always," Nemo replied.

Perhaps in the past, the former Nemo had a leader in the secret group, but that leader had clearly given up on him. Even if that person appeared again one day, Nemo had no interest in obeying a stranger and had decided that, from now on, he would be the one to take control of his life.

"That's exactly what you'd say," Tolya said, relieved.

"All-for-Free has been popular in New York for over six months now. California prisons are overcrowded, and many major crimes have been downgraded to minor offenses, releasing a lot of criminals. This kind of situation will only get more common in America. Like the robbery at the restaurant last time—next time, if the criminals don't have guns or if the city government passes legislation saying that stealing under a thousand dollars is a minor crime, I guarantee the police won't handle it anymore," Nemo said, putting down the apple core and pressing his finger on the stem as if signaling this is the result."If that happens, places like Sunny Jie 's restaurant will have to shut down, no matter how hard they try. Even with gang protection, it’s amazing if they even pay attention. Gangs won’t be that diligent about protecting businesses. And Westlake Restaurant can't just join a gang."

Tolya furrowed his brows. Nemo had already thought of a future he hadn't considered, and the crisis didn't seem far off.

"So, what should we do?"

"If Sunny Jie and the others can work for the Grimm Group, they should have good benefits and protection. Matthew lost a lot of employees during the Meteor Shower Event. If they have good character and skills, I think he would welcome them. After all, working for money can’t be considered charity," Nemo explained.

Tolya imagined chaotic robbery scenes and photos of closed businesses in other states, comparing them to the orderly and tightly-controlled atmosphere of the Grimm Group’s headquarters. He realized Nemo had a point. Matthew Grimm’s face suddenly didn’t seem so glaring, and the golden-green antlers on his head seemed to shine brighter.

"There's no rush for now. Westlake Restaurant can still operate, but it wouldn't be surprising if it all collapsed one day. After all, we live in an era where monsters roam," Nemo clarified, reassuring Tolya not to worry too much about Sunny Jie and boss Liu for the moment. After all, they couldn’t make decisions for The boss couple. It was already hard enough to manage their own lives.

"But for now, I still have to train with Matthew, because I do want to have the strength to be a bodyguard. I need to learn everything, and he’s an experienced person being protected, who can teach me a lot of techniques beyond just fighting. Plus, I haven’t even knocked you down yet!" Nemo punched Tolya’s shoulder lightly.

"You might be waiting for that in your next life!" Tolya grinned arrogantly.

That may not be the case. Little did Tolya know that his Taiwanese roommate had just awakened superpowers. All in all, Tolya was still easy to handle. Nemo continued browsing the forum and asked, "Should I keep reading articles to you? It's easier for me to just read them myself."

"Of course you should! I’m the patient!" Tolya insisted.

When Nemo read articles, he not only recited the content but also added sharp comments and other online gossip, making it more interesting and easier to understand than if Tolya read the news himself. Talking for too long wore Nemo out, so he'd usually read a couple of articles and call it a day. But Tolya? He could listen non-stop.

Tolya also knew a little trick: as long as the news or rumors were related to Taiwan, Nemo would eagerly discuss them. So he searched for strange news with the keyword "Taiwan" and asked Nemo for his thoughts.

He had a few urban legends in his phone that he knew would definitely pique Nemo’s interest.