When Jay regained consciousness, his mind was still a bit foggy. For a moment, he thought he had just overslept.
Otherwise, how else could he explain why there was a woman beside him?
He'd heard of people getting frisky after drinking.
But he'd never heard of someone passing out and still getting it on.
Not sure what strange thoughts crossed his mind, but Jay instinctively lifted the blanket for a peek.
Whew, thank goodness.
He was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, completely covered in bandages. The moment he lifted the blanket, he could smell the thick, unpleasant scent of medicine.
Then he took a look around the room.
A big, soft princess-style bed with a canopy.
White walls, luxurious decorations, antique vases that clearly cost a fortune, an absurdly large vanity, and a fluffy carpet...
This wasn't a hospital. And it definitely wasn't the base.
That could only mean one thing...
"You're awake! You're finally awake! That's great~"
The woman beside him suddenly threw herself into his arms, her eyes still glistening with tears.
Her long hair draped to either side, and Jay finally saw her face clearly.
It was none other than Miss Tessa, the spoiled princess herself?!
"Ow ow ow ow ow…"
"Ah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! Doctor! Doctor!"
Seeing Tessa run out in a panic to call the doctor, Jay was left speechless.
Wait… did he lose his memory or something?
But no, he clearly remembered that just before passing out, his last interaction with Miss Tessa was slapping her across the face.
Oh, right. He also told her to cough up more money.
Not only did she not come after him for that afterward, but she actually stayed to look after him?
It was obvious now, he was currently in Miss Tessa's room.
And she had been taking care of him all this time.
"Don't tell me this woman fell for me? A masochist?"
Jay touched his handsome face, feeling a little troubled.
He was in the business of selling skills, not his body.
Even for extra cash... well... maybe it's not completely off the table.
Before long, the doctor arrived.
After checking on him, the doctor looked stunned and said Jay was recovering amazingly well. At this rate, he'd be back to normal in just a few days.
Then they changed his bandages again, using only the finest medicine available.
Credit where it's due, Bark really stayed true to Jay's will.
He not only brought the best doctors but also made sure they used the best meds.
Miss Tessa, of course, fully supported that.
After all, Jay had fought to the death with the assassin and gotten seriously injured, all to protect her.
Jay could've totally abandoned her and fled.
But he didn't.
At first, Tessa had thought he was just in it for the money.
But when she heard Bark calling for help, and came back to see Jay lying on the ground, covered in blood and wounds, she couldn't stop thinking about the way he stood in front of her and told her to run.
If it was just for the money, he never had to go that far.
Even if he had run midway through the fight, no one would've blamed him, not with all those injuries. In fact, people would've understood.
After all, risking your life isn't worth a paycheck.
When the doctor first rushed in and saw Jay, he gently suggested there might be no hope.
Over thirty knife wounds, and the floor soaked in blood.
A normal person would've been dead already.
But Bark pointed a gun at the doctor's head and forced him to start treatment. The doctor, terrified, did it, started a transfusion and began stitching Jay up.
And somehow, this man who defied the definition of "normal" survived.
The doctor called it a miracle.
Given everything, how could Tessa not be moved?
She convinced herself of all sorts of reasons to justify Jay's behavior.
For instance, demanding more money? That was just to stop her from feeling guilty and to ease her fear.
That slap? Oh, that wasn't just any slap, it hit her right in the heart. She couldn't sleep for days just thinking about it...
So she had Jay moved into her room to recover, personally tending to him.
Until he finally woke up…
"You've been the one taking care of me while I was out, huh? Thanks."
After getting dressed, Jay casually thanked her.
She was the client, after all, and this concerned his ten million Beli fee.
He didn't know how much she spent on doctors, but whatever it was, it better not come out of his pay. This was clearly a workplace injury.
But who would've thought, right after he spoke, Miss Tessa turned bright red and started stammering.
"N-no need to thank me. Um... are you hungry? I'll go get someone to bring you food!"
Watching her flee the room in a fluster, Jay couldn't help but pull a "???" face.
Shortly afterward…
"What the heck is this?"
"Oh, those are all animal organs. The doctor said you lost a lot of blood and need to restore your energy. So I had them bring back everything that's good for replenishing blood and qi."
Jay stared at the table full of "heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys," completely dumbfounded.
"Actually, this really isn't necessary..."
"Come, try this red date pig liver."
"Uh..."
"And this one, black sesame stewed with black fungus. How's the taste?"
Terrible!
All in all, this meal left Jay utterly unimpressed, though it certainly opened his eyes.
If he had to sum it up in one phrase: utter madness!
By the end, he really felt like throwing up.
Once he finally found an opportunity to temporarily send Lady Tessa away, he immediately had someone summon Buck.
"Jay bro, you're finally awake. At the time, I really thought you..."
"Alright, cut the crap. I'm asking, how did the thing I asked you to do go?"
Buck immediately thumped his chest and promised, "No problem at all! I rounded up all the most famous doctors in the city. That young lady covered all the medical expenses. You don't need to worry."
Jay's face darkened. "Not that. I meant the other thing."
"The other thing? Oh! Right, I remember now. That assassin is still alive. I tied him up from head to toe with a chain this thick, and just like you ordered, threw him in water to soak."
"Take me to see him."
"Sure, this way."
Buck was really something else. When Jay saw Daz Bonis again, his eyes immediately widened.
This future Mr. 1 was wrapped in chain after chain, leaving only his head exposed.
Even more amusingly, the guy had been tossed into the fountain in the garden outside.
Faced with Jay's surprised question, Buck scratched his head and said, "Boss, you said he had to be kept in water. I looked around and figured this was the best spot."
"It's close by, has a wide field of view, if anyone tries to rescue him, we'll spot it right away."
"Plus, I've got men stationed over there and over there."
Jay looked up, and sure enough, there were two gun barrels aimed right at the fountain.
"You little bastard, you're a damn genius! Well done!"
Jay couldn't help but laugh and gave Buck a pat on the shoulder.