The next day, Westlake Restaurant posted an announcement stating that due to the robbery the previous night, they would temporarily close for cleaning and maintenance. Local news outlets gave a brief mention of the incident, mostly because it turned out that the chef who saved Matthew Grimm was also skilled in martial arts. No wonder he was able to drag the world’s richest man out of the way of a truck in time—his reflexes were exceptional.

Lone Star City, located right next to Texas, is known for its daily robberies—some successful, others thwarted. Most of them don’t make the news, and only those who have experienced it firsthand can truly understand the feeling. Commenters on the news site were quick to suggest various rifle models. As for the robbery last night, it was highly unusual that Nemo and the others didn’t even grab a kitchen knife—something that baffled everyone!

Boss Liu learned from his wife the source of her distress and decided that they couldn’t continue this way. It was better to address the issue sooner rather than later, so he gathered Nemo and Tolya to brainstorm solutions. After all, their days in Lone Star City had started with just Sunny Jie and three outsiders in the restaurant.

"The decision is ultimately up to you and Sunny Jie, since you're the ones running the restaurant. Sunny Jie is concerned about everyone, so it might be good to have a chat with the staff. If most of them want to keep working, we can stay open and just shorten the hours. If most want a break or a change in position, we could all take a long vacation together. We could also follow what they did in Taiwan during the pandemic and only offer takeout to reduce the pressure of running the restaurant. Honestly, I have no objections," Nemo said.

Boss Liu pondered Nemo’s suggestion.

"I second Nemo's idea," Tolya added decisively. "But Boss, you really need to get your leg fixed. Otherwise, Sunny Jie will be too busy taking care of you to even discuss whether to keep the restaurant open."

"Sigh," the manager rubbed his right knee. After a year of hard work, boss Liu could clearly feel his old ankle injury flaring up. The robbery incident last night before had made him realize that his leg injury was worse than he thought; even running back to the restaurant from the alley had been difficult. "I’ll discuss it with my wife. I’ll let you know the result in the next few days. She was so shocked, and she’s still resting now."

"Boss, do you and Sunny Jie blame me for taking action? If I’d just cooperated with them, we could’ve gotten through it," Nemo asked.

"Idiot. You were the one taking the risk. My wife was worried you’d get hurt. If you hadn’t locked the door, I’d have beaten those bastards to a pulp," Boss Liu said. "Sometimes not enduring is the right thing to do. You might get through it on the surface, but deep down you won’t be able to move on. My wife said she felt really good seeing you all take down the robbers. It helped her get over some of the unpleasant things that happened before, like when those small-time crooks threatened her. She wanted me to tell you that if she was afraid of death, she wouldn’t have taken in three stowaways in the first place."

Nemo scratched his head, and Tolya grinned foolishly.

The three of them glanced upstairs, where the important woman in their lives was quietly resting. They felt a little more at ease.

"Sunny Jie was really scared. She’s just trying to be strong," the Russian suddenly said.

"The problem isn’t entirely with the robbers... Don’t tell anyone, but the reason she got divorced is because her ex-husband used to hit her. She moved abroad to escape that madman. She really hates men using weapons to threaten her into obeying. That was a long time ago, but she never forgot," Boss Liu clenched his fist, as if trying to crush the scumbag who had hurt her.

"Damn it," Tolya cursed in Russian.

Nemo lowered his head, thinking that if he ever returned to Taiwan, his to-do list would have one more item added to it.

"Well, as for the restaurant, let’s leave that for now. Nemo, after your performance last night, did it trigger any memories for you?" Boss Liu asked, he and Tolya were always blunt about Nemo’s amnesia, treating it like a health issue. They cared about it as casually as someone confirming whether a friend caught a cold after hearing them sneeze.

Nemo sometimes remembered fragmented pieces, which seemed to be slowly coming back, but at the end of last year, everything had suddenly been wiped clean and reset. Boss Liu and Tolya had known from the start that getting anxious was useless. They could only ask him questions when signs of memory changes appeared, helping him retain important information in case Nemo lost his memory again.

"I think I used to practice mixed martial arts, but I wasn’t very specialized. Back then, it was mostly just a matter of throwing caution to the wind," Nemo said half-jokingly. Before his reincarnation, he had never been in a fight.

"Even so, pulling off those moves isn’t easy!" Boss Liu mimed the move Nemo had used to disarm one of the robbers in the footage.

"I’ve always been working out—bodyweight exercises and such—because you never know when you might run into an incident like last night. Even with the amnesia, from my body’s condition, it doesn’t seem like I’ve been slacking off. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I didn’t want to waste such a solid foundation, so I just kept at it," Nemo said.

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When he first crossed over to this body, Nemo had hesitated when it came time to shower, surprised at how toned and flexible it was, even with some old scars. He had assumed his predecessor loved street dancing or parkour. Since being found by Boss Liu after his injury and amnesia, he hadn’t consciously trained, but his body still retained obvious muscle definition and flexibility, which showed that the previous owner had been very disciplined.

For example, after stretching, he could now perform a split—a feat he never even dreamed of in his previous life. His body instinctively knew how to engage core muscles for squats and pull-ups. Who said only Tolya could have a body that looked great in clothes and even better without? It’s just that Nemo’s muscles weren’t as imposing as his Russian roommate’s or Matthew Grimm’s, and because he was always cold, he kept his body tightly wrapped.

"That's true. You suggested early on that we should find escape routes and set up safe points. You're the one who understands the importance of preparation the most." Boss Liu looked at his round belly, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

After being confined for so many years, he couldn't help but seek psychological comfort through food. This deeply ingrained bad habit was impossible to change.

"Boss, you said we should talk about our plans, but what about your part?" Nemo noticed Boss Liu hesitating to speak.

"I was thinking of getting a hunting license while I’m healing from my injuries and learning how to use a gun. Now that I’m a U.S. citizen, I’m qualified to apply for a gun permit, but I need to pass a background check." Coming from a different background, when Boss Liu mentioned "gun," it felt like a Muggle mentioning a magic wand.

"That’s great. Tolya and I only have green cards, and we still have to wait another three and a half years to apply for citizenship. During that time, we can’t own guns. If you know how to use a gun, our shop will have more protection. You can even ask Tolya to teach you." Nemo gave a thumbs-up.

"When did Tolya learn to use a gun?" Boss Liu turned to the blonde server.

The Russian, betrayed by his roommate, looked embarrassed. "The situation is different in our country. We can legally own rifles, even grandmothers use AK-47s as walking sticks. After coming to the U.S., my friends from back home taught me a few other things."

"Nemo, you can use a gun too?" Boss Liu noticed from Nemo's tone that he wasn’t unfamiliar with firearms.

"I’m not familiar with handguns, but I have a vague memory of using a rifle. Some American friends taught me, I think they were from Texas? I remember shooting bottles outdoors, the sunlight was blinding, and the weather was very hot." Nemo couldn’t exactly say he had military training, since that would be too specific for someone with memory loss—it would be out of character.

Nemo wasn’t lying, though. His WoW guild friends had taught him how to shoot various guns. In fact, he was more skilled at cleaning and maintaining guns than actually shooting them, but he couldn’t bring himself to call it "being good with guns." He could only admit that he had cultivated solid habits in using them.

"You really don’t know how to fight with your fists?" Tolya asked about Nemo’s comments in front of the reporters. Although his punches seemed amateurish, Nemo often surprised people.

"I don’t have signs of knowing boxing, and I think my fingers are important—at least they shouldn’t get in the way of using a keyboard or mouse." Nemo made a fist and then stretched his fingers.

"That statement really fits your lifestyle." Tolya remarked thoughtfully.

"I’m not fond of fighting with my bare hands. If tools can do the job, there’s no need for specialized weapons."

"We fully understand that." Tolya said, likely thinking of the thugs Nemo had attacked with chili powder and chopping boards.

"God help us, I wish someone would become a local hero in Lone Star City. They don’t need to be anything special, just someone who patrols every day and beats up bad guys with a stick." Nemo sighed.

"But you knocked down three robbers by yourself yesterday. You might actually be our hero. There are heroes who don’t have superpowers but still punish evil, right? Like a person blinded by chemicals but able to sense the pulse of the entire city..." Tolya wasn’t giving up, even though Nemo stayed in his room every night. Who knows, maybe when Tolya was working or out at the bar, Nemo turned into a completely different person! It was all Tolya’s fault for not being home often. Thinking carefully, his roommate seemed quite suspicious.

"That would be a superpower." Nemo concluded quickly.

"Using high-tech equipment to make up for the body’s shortcomings, like grappling hooks..."

"Cash ability is stronger than superpowers."

"But you fight so well."

Nemo rolled his eyes. "That's not fighting. Please call it self-defense boosted by adrenaline. I don’t want to injure my hands! I work in the kitchen, and constantly getting wet is painful!"

The curly-haired young man showed the scraped skin on his fingers.

Last night, because he was enraged by the gunman who insulted Sunny Jie by pressing the gun to her head, Nemo took several punches before subduing the man. The police agreed it was self-defense, but viewers on the news thought he didn’t hit hard enough. It seemed he really did need more practice.

"You disarmed him, you should have restrained him first, then used the gun’s butt to strike. That way you wouldn’t have hurt your hand while punching his face due to lack of experience," Tolya’s advice was almost professional and very tempting. Even boss Liu nodded approvingly.

"The security cameras were recording, how could I dare? I still need to apply for citizenship, I can’t go around doing illegal things. Tolya, you better be careful too, don’t let anything slip." Nemo’s response was pragmatic.

The Russian made a face.

"I’ve gotten rusty lately, you reminded me, I should find a new martial arts school." Nemo stretched lazily.

"Don’t waste money, I can train with you. Those trained in martial arts only know how to fight in controlled environments; they wouldn't last a minute in a street brawl," Tolya said.

"You think I’m obedient?" Nemo smiled.

"Your face is too deceiving. But there are many different realities. Being vicious doesn’t always mean you’ll win. The real winner is the one who survives. I have more experience in that area than you. You rarely confront people head-on. It’s obvious you act impulsively. The time you saved me was the same," Tolya hit the nail on the head.

"Tolya’s right. I’ve fought and been beaten in prison, all to survive. There were no ring rules or referees back then. It turned a keyboard warrior into a boss." The Chinese manager’s expression darkened as he recalled bad memories.

"Wait, pay attention to this news." Nemo gestured for silence and turned toward the TV screen. Tolya and boss Liu focused on the report as well.

Even when they were discussing serious matters, the TV in the dining area was left on to catch breaking news updates.

The robbers who attacked Westlake Restaurant had just been bailed out. Less than two hours later, they were shot down by unknown assailants with submachine guns. The gunman fled in a car, and all three were killed on the spot.

"It wasn’t my friends from back home," Tolya quickly sent a text to confirm after hearing the news.

Nemo felt uneasy, but also had the sense that something big was about to unfold.

Perhaps a gang boss trying to dominate Lone Star City had begun setting an example, but why kill the robbers who attacked Westlake Restaurant? There were plenty of local gangs fighting for turf and drug markets they could target.

"Do you think the mastermind might be trying to win favor with your childhood friend? Saying, ‘I won’t touch your territory, and I’ll even clean up the trash for you.’ After all, from a man’s perspective, she is quite attractive." Nemo whispered to his Russian roommate while boss Liu was on the phone with his wife.

Tolya shrugged and whispered back, "I can’t guarantee it’s a man. There are plenty of women who like Veronika."

"Although it’s good not to worry about retaliation after they get out, three people dying just like that is too scary." Boss Liu, scratching the goosebumps on his arms, had just finished comforting Sunny Jie after seeing the news and quickly called her husband.

"It’s also possible that the robbers, who targeted Asians in their robberies, inadvertently offended someone they shouldn’t have. Mafia secret meeting places are often disguised as grocery stores or restaurants. Countries like Cambodia or Laos… They may not have the deep roots of Japanese, Korean, or Chinese gangs, but to establish a foothold, they’re especially ruthless. It’s best not to interfere." Tolya said gravely.

The Russian’s hypothesis was much more grounded, no doubt from his friends back home.