After eating and gaining some biomass again, Nero turned on the TV and sat down on the couch. It occurred to him what to do with the girl.
The first thing to do is to separate things somehow, whether it's items or food and so on, if she does stay here. Naturally, he doesn't want to cause the other party any inconvenience. After thinking for a while, he got up and went to his room, taking some food with him.
When he opened the door, a small black and white dog in a cage caught his eye. He walked over to the cage, then opened it and let the dog out. It started barking at him as if to show its indignation. It looked very cute at first glance, being a puffy dog.
Nero squatted down in front of it, and then taking off his black gloves, reached out and gently began to stroke it. The dog finally stopped barking and gradually began to enjoy the stroking. This brought a smile to Nero's face, though he was still wearing his mask.
Placing a bowl in front of the dog, he poured food into it. Watching him begin to eat, Nero thought, "Will they give him the dog back or kill him?" Although it is cruel, he still has to decide, for if the dog is infected, he needs to get rid of it as soon as possible.
He can't just take the blood to be tested because if someone detects the virus, it will be harder and more dangerous.
With a little thought, he shook his head. He thought about how quickly the virus infected the hero of the game. By his estimate, it was pretty quick, though it was impossible to say for sure. But it still seemed like no problem. All that was left to do was to prepare some things, although he didn't bring it to such an exodus. But it couldn't be helped. He couldn't expose himself. After thinking about it, he looked at the dog again.
After waiting until the dog had finished its meal, he shoved it back into its cage, from which he received another disgruntled bark. Soon after taking the last of his money, he left the house and returned a short time later with a bag.
When he opened it, without taking off his gloves, he took out the cutlery and some other things he needed. Soon, he had everything ready. After freeing the dog, he lay down on the couch and began to think about what to do in the future. He couldn't sleep, so his thoughts were constantly flying. Some time later, he got up and went towards the kitchen.
He needed to absorb biomass in order to become stronger, in case it would be a guarantee. So, putting the meat in front of him, his hand rested on the meat. Soon, as before, red and black semblance of tentacles began to stretch out from his hand under his eyes.
The meat began to shrink and disappear before Nero's eyes. He could feel changes in his body. Throwing the bag into the trash, he took out another piece of meat.
This time, he did not consume it directly. He began to cook it. Although he didn't need to eat, cooking and eating were at least some way to keep up with the fact that his mind was still human. Soon, when he finally cooked the meat, he brought it to the chair and began to eat slowly. The main thing for him was taste, not quantity, so he didn't make a big portion. Though he wasn't that good at cooking, it was still satisfactory.
After doing all the chores, he went back and lay down on the couch. Pulling out his phone, he started reading a book. He noticed that his memory was getting so good that he could remember what he had glimpsed, so he also started reading books.
He chose biology because he wanted to understand how the virus works on him. Although he had basic knowledge from school in the past, he couldn't remember anything after graduation, so he had to start over. But it didn't take him long to go from the very basics to a level between middle school and high school.
Also, consider that although his memory is perfect, it's not a sign of his genius. Yes, he can memorize all of this material, but it would take him a long time to deduce anything from that information.
Realizing this, he just read and memorized it, maybe it would come in handy someday.
So it was about two hours until he almost finished the book.
He got a message on his phone from the bank showing the charges.
And then he remembered that the original owner had blocked some people.
Opening the menu of blocked contacts, he looked at the names. There were several names, Michael, Emily, Catherine, and Joseph. Judging by them, two belonged to women and the other two to men.
Thinking that he didn't recognize his new cousin's name, his fingers moved and unlocked two people at once. As expected as soon as he did, a call came.
Answering it, a familiar voice was heard.
"Ha... You finally got the lock off, I sent the money so I'm hoping for you. Ava will be in touch with you in a little while. I'm on my way back now, and again, please take care of her. And if anything happens, call me right away, okay?" Nero couldn't get a single word in when finally the other party didn't ask one last time. "... Okay."
The call ended. Nero immediately went into his contacts and blocked out the other girl. It seems his new cousin's name is Catherine.
After some time had passed, another call came in. Nero answered it and heard the voice of a young girl. He had to go downstairs to attend to her. As soon as he came down, he saw a slender girl with brown hair and black eyes, who looked about 19 years old, standing near the counter.
She wore simple jeans with a padded sweatshirt. She was already waiting and glanced at Nero as he stepped out of the elevator. When he got closer, he noticed that her gaze was fixed on him, or on the mask covering half of his face. Ignoring him, he looked at the girl at the counter and requested, "Can you give me a second key to my apartment?"
"Yes, sir. As you said earlier, I have it ready," she replied. Speaking, she took out a plastic card from her desk and handed it to him.
Nero looked at Ava and said, "Take it." After looking for a few seconds, she reached out and took the card from the girl's hands. "Let's go," he said, and headed towards the elevator.
After taking a few steps, he stopped as he heard Ava dragging her luggage. From Nero's observation, the bag had wheels, but she didn't use it, which puzzled him.
"Why don't you drag?"
"One of the wheels broke."
The answer was very quick.
"Why don't you give the staff to bring-"
"I can do it myself so let's go."
Asking the second question completely failed as Ava interrupted him and started dragging again. There were only a few phrases in Nero's head, it seemed like it was going to be hard. Sighing, he went back, and before Ava could react, he grabbed the bag easily, lifted it, and walked toward the elevator. Realizing she wasn't following, he had to remind her again.
It was quiet in the elevator. They didn't speak until they reached the floor where Nero's apartment was. Opening the door and going inside, Nero went towards one of the rooms. He put his bag down and then came back and sat down on the couch. At this time, Ava was looking around, as if assessing what was going on here.
"So, let's talk about some things first, okay?" Hearing his words, she closed the door and sat down across from him.
"What do you want to talk about?"
Nero wondered about the steadiness of Ava's voice as she asked the question. He spoke up without thinking too much about it, "Let's talk about the rules."
"What rules?" Ava asked.
"The first one is never touch my stuff, and I won't touch yours. Even though your mother asked and paid for you to stay here, these rules must be followed. Otherwise, there's no need to talk so much nonsense."
After looking at Nero's face for a few seconds, Ava remained silent until she finally opened her mouth. "First, the answer to my question about why you always wear a mask and gloves."
"Second rule: don't ask me unnecessary questions. You can ask me for help with something, but don't ask me anything else, okay?"
Without answering Ava's question, Nero immediately started talking about the second rule. It seemed that by not answering her question, Ava became more detached. Ignoring her behavior, Nero continued, "And the third rule: since I also work, and my schedule is from 9 p.m. to morning hours, you have to tell me where you're going and whom you're with..."
"Absolutely not," Ava interrupted.
"That's not for you to decide. Either that, or I'm calling your mother now, and we'll discuss again whether or not you'll live here. I understand that you're uncomfortable, but I'm responsible for you, so you should know."
As he spoke, Ava's face grew darker.
"So, are we calling your mother or not?" Nero asked, watching as Ava shook her head after a few seconds. He thought for a moment and added, "One more thing- your mother said your last class ends at 9 p.m.
Add to that last rule that after class ends you go straight home, which is here. And there's no no. If you agree, we'll live together at that time. And if not, I'm calling right now to settle the matter." Speaking, he leaned back on the couch and watched her.
At this point, he also acted as tough as possible so that there would be no problem if a girl stayed with him. And if not, there was nowhere better to go. Time passed as Nero watched her and she watched him too. Finally, she sighed and said, "Okay, I agree."
With a nod, Nero stood up and pointed first to the room. "This room is yours." Then he pointed to the kitchen. "There's my cutlery on the top left and yours on the right side. Remember never to touch mine." His finger moved toward his room. "And this is my room you're not allowed in.
There's a doggie I'm getting rid of today. Again, I also promised your mother if you need help, tell me."
Saying that, he went into his room and closed the door while Ava watched.
After a while, the door opened again, and he stepped outside. In his hand was a small cage that held the dog, and when he saw Ava watching, he got up and started barking.
Walking to the door, he looked at Ava who was still on the couch and said, "After I let this dog out, I'm going to work. And you'll be here since it's almost nine. Don't think I won't know if you come out." Saying that, he opened the door and went out.
At this point, Ava looked at the closed door and clenched her fist. "Damn arrogant bastard! Even though Mom said he wasn't very friendly, he still has a private nature. I don't think so." She looked around, then went to the window and looked out from below.
Even though it was already dark, she could still see clearly because of the street lights. Opening the window, she looked down, and after a while, she saw a familiar figure coming out. "And why is he always wearing a mask? Isn't it hard to breathe?" With a snort, she left the window open and went toward the kitchen, where soon the sounds and aroma of cooking were coming from.
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As he left the building, Nero had already decided what to do with the dog. Although he would like to get rid of it quickly, he thought of another idea. He could leave it somewhere else, and if after a while, it's still okay, then he will return it to where he bought it.
Nero checked the coordinates of the hotel and walked towards it. Along the way, he had to find a place to leave his dog. After buying food and water, he paid for a small storage unit.
The owner assured him that it was soundproof, so Nero made sure there were no escape routes for his dog before letting him out, placing toys on the ground and pouring some food. After closing the gate tightly, Nero left and continued his walk to the hotel.
The building looked ordinary from the outside but was quite elegant once Nero was inside. For a moment, he thought he may have come to the wrong place, but he soon realized he was in the right place when he saw William, dressed impeccably in a suit, walking towards him.
William greeted Nero with a smile and said, "Welcome, Mr. Nero. Follow me, I will show you where you will be working and explain what you will be doing." They didn't go into the interior of the hotel, but to the side. Passing through several doors, they finally came to a location after descending.
There was an iron door. William stepped forward and opened it with a key card. Entering, he invited Nero, who had doubts, to come inside. Immediately, the door closed. Turning his head, Nero saw a big man in a suit standing outside the door.
The room wasn't very large, but it held everything needed for business meetings and problem-solving. A massive wooden table was in the center of the room, surrounded by high-quality leather armchairs. Pictures hung on the wall, and between them were shelves with bottles of rare and expensive liquor.
Several men in suits were seated at the table, discussing various business matters. Behind them hung expensive suits and coats, and on the table was a set of expensive accessories: gold watches, fountain pens, lighters, and more. In a corner of the room was a small kitchen, where there was always hot coffee and snacks for guests.
There was a soft carpet on the floor, and the walls were decorated with expensive fabrics and fabric wallpaper, which gave the room an aristocratic chic. In another corner of the room was a small bar with shelves for bottles and chairs for guests. Here, one could always find rare alcoholic drinks and cocktails prepared by real professionals.
Nero had only one thought in his head: was he in some kind of mafia movie?
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