"How are you doing here?" Jiang Hai, lounging on a jade-colored chair, wearing sunglasses and soaking up the sun, asked Connorson, who was diligently doing push-ups beside him.
"Very good." Connorson replied in a muffled voice, continuing his push-ups and allowing the sweat to pour off him.
"Are you getting along well with Harriman?" Jiang Hai asked, still relaxed.
"Very good." Connorson answered without pausing his workout.
"How about with everyone else?" Jiang Hai inquired further.
"Very good." Again, Connorson's response was the same.
"Seriously, can you say something else?" Jiang Hai sat up, adjusting his sunglasses and giving Connorson a frustrated look. This guy only knew how to say "very good"?
"Not bad." After a moment of hesitation, Connorson offered a slight variation to his usual reply.
"Tsk~" Jiang Hai waved him off and returned to his previous position, resuming his sunbathing. It was still quite comfortable out here.
Today was August 22nd, marking the fifth day since Connorson had arrived at Jiang Hai's villa.
At first, Connorson had been somewhat reserved. He would follow Jiang Hai everywhere, claiming that, as his bodyguard, it was his duty to stay close. But Jiang Hai had no intention of having him tag along everywhere, so on the third day, Jiang Hai told him that he didn't need to follow him around and could do as he pleased.
Not having much to do, Connorson had noticed the unused training room in the villa. He asked if he could borrow the equipment, and Jiang Hai, happy to have him occupy his time, agreed. He even drove Connorson into town to buy a few sets of sportswear—Nike, of course, since the prices were reasonable.
Connorson, however, was unwilling to use the equipment inside and instead took some sandbags and dumbbells to the lawn. He began training there, right next to Jiang Hai's usual sunbathing spot.
Normally, Bernice liked to sunbathe there, but with the recent heat, she hadn't come around much. As a result, Connorson now practiced while Jiang Hai enjoyed the sun. It was a bit funny, but Jiang Hai had to admit he was adapting to the situation.
It seemed Jiang Hai couldn't change Connorson's mind. Since that was the case, he figured he might as well adjust himself.
"Jiang Hai, aren't you leaving tomorrow? Shouldn't you prepare your luggage?" Bernice, who had just picked some fresh vegetables from the garden, asked, her voice tinged with a hint of dissatisfaction.
Recently, Bernice seemed to be spending more and more time at Jiang Hai's manor. She worked at a research institute as large as one in Miami, but preferred staying here with Jiang Hai. He didn't mind her staying, of course.
Xiaoya's condition had significantly improved. Though her appearance remained pale and vampiric, she could now spend entire days in the sun in her room. Bernice allowed her to go outside in the early mornings and evenings, but from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., she was confined indoors—a small but significant improvement.
Since Bernice no longer had to watch over Xiaoya, she began wandering the manor, much to everyone's curiosity. Her relationship with Jiang Hai was widely known, though no one dared provoke her—especially the close-knit staff like Darlene, Marian, and Aphra, who respected her medical expertise, which commanded a great deal of authority in the U.S.
Yet, when she saw Jiang Hai lounging around, she couldn't help but feel frustrated.
"Hey, what's there to pack? I'll only be gone for two or three days. If I leave the same day, it'll be rude to make others wait. They're royalty, right? Then I'll do things the next day. If there's a cocktail party in the evening, I'll come back the third day. If not, I'll return right away." Jiang Hai replied lazily, his voice full of weariness.
"That's terrible! If you have nothing else to do, won't you at least check on the town? You brought these tour groups here, aren't you worried about disputes? What about the income from your shooting range or the villas?" Bernice pushed, focusing on financial matters.
Unfortunately, bringing up money didn't faze Jiang Hai in the slightest.
"Hey, what's mine is mine. If it's not mine, I'm not going to stress over it. Even if I go, won't the disputes still happen? Moses Adams has people watching the villa and shooting range. I'm not a professional, so what do I need to check?" Jiang Hai responded slowly, looking at her with an unbothered expression. His laid-back attitude only seemed to make her more frustrated.
"Don't care about it!" Bernice muttered and walked back into the villa.
With her gone, Jiang Hai stretched out again, but just as he got comfortable, he noticed Connorson's large face looming over him.
"What's going on?" Jiang Hai, startled, asked.
"Boss, you're going to Atlantic City. I'll go with you." Connorson said seriously, his expression unreadable.
Jiang Hai couldn't help but laugh. If he didn't know Connorson well by now, he might have thought this was a confession.
"No need. Stay home and guard the place." Jiang Hai waved him off.
"But I'm your bodyguard," Connorson insisted, his tone serious. "It's my job to protect you."
"If I say no, then no. Or do you want to fight about it?" Jiang Hai raised an eyebrow, his tone now serious. If Connorson wasn't getting it through words, maybe a little physical persuasion would work.
"Fight?" Connorson was surprised. "What do you mean?"
"Yes, fight! Here's the deal: if I win, you listen to me from now on. You're my bodyguard, so you do whatever I tell you. If you win, then it's up to you." Jiang Hai sat up, excitement in his voice.
"Really? Then I can go to Atlantic City with you?" Connorson's eyes lit up, his excitement palpable. His aggressive nature, a result of his past in black boxing, made him eager for a challenge. Though he'd hold back against Jiang Hai, he wouldn't back down from a fight.
"Of course." Jiang Hai grinned, and Connorson, eager as ever, stepped forward.
On August 1st, as Jiang Hai drove along the highway from Boston to New York, he hummed along with the radio. His car was empty, but he sang with gusto as the scenery passed by.
Meanwhile, Connorson was hard at work training in the manor. The bruises and purple marks on his body were a testament to his battle with Jiang Hai the previous day. Although Connorson had a brutal past and a dangerous aura, Jiang Hai's superior physical abilities made the fight one-sided.
In the end, Jiang Hai had overwhelmed him, leaving Connorson at home while Jiang Hai set off for Atlantic City once more. He hadn't had the chance to enjoy the city during his previous visit, but this time, he intended to make the most of it.
However, as Jiang Hai's car neared Atlantic City, something unexpected happened—a car suddenly swerved in front of him, forcing him to slam on the brakes.