After an unknown amount of time, Reeves finally regained consciousness.

A slight pulling sensation in the chest and abdomen, but no severe pain.

The smell of disinfectant...very faint. And then there's the almost unfamiliar fragrance of grass and soil warmed by the sun. Birdsong. Crisp, melodious, one after another.

Ribs slowly opened his eyes and turned his neck with difficulty.

What I see before me is a clean white ceiling and simple wooden furniture.

Sunlight streamed in through the thin beige curtains, casting warm patches of light on the hardwood floor. Outside the window was a rich expanse of green.

“Squeak—”

The door was gently pushed open, and more sunlight poured in, outlining a tall figure.

Familiar outline, familiar pace, even though he couldn't see his face clearly, Ribs recognized him immediately.

"Ao... watching the sea?"

The figure approached, revealing Ao Guanhai's face, which was marked by time and wind and frost, but more resolute and calm than in his memory.

He saw Reeves open his eyes, and a light of surprise suddenly flashed in his eyes. He strode to the bedside.

"Brother! You woke up so soon?! I told you, your physical condition is really terrible!" Ao Guanhai's voice was loud and clear, with a simple but sincere smile on his face. He patted his thigh vigorously. "The doctor said that based on the location of your gunshot wound and the amount of blood loss, it was a blessing that you didn't die on the spot. You will be in a coma for at least two or three days. It's only been a day and a night! Wow, awesome!"

Ribs did not immediately respond to Ao Guanhai's admiration and joy.

He struggled to stand up, and Ao Guanhai quickly reached out to support his shoulders: "Don't worry, big brother, go slowly! The wound has just been sutured!"

Ribs used his strength to slowly but firmly sit up straight.

"Guan Hai..." He began slowly, "I thought... you had left America a long time ago, and lived a peaceful life somewhere no one could find you." After a pause, he turned his head, his gaze as sharp as a torch, looking directly into Ao Guan Hai's sincere eyes: "I didn't expect that you hadn't gone far. You had been secretly..."

The smile on Ao Guanhai's face faded slightly. He raised his hand, not patting his chest, but gently waving it, indicating that Ribs didn't need to say anything more. His eyes were full of understanding and a sense of responsibility that was almost tacit:

"Brother, I understand." His voice deepened, carrying the certainty of someone who saw through everything. "In the end, you insisted on taking it all on your own, going after that old dog Sterling alone. It wasn't to be a hero, nor did it mean you didn't care about your brothers' lives..."

He turned his gaze to the window: "You are doing this for the brothers."

These words were like a key, accurately unlocking the heaviest lock in Ribs' heart.

Alfred asked everyone to be patient and wait for the signal, the butcher's unwilling roar, Eugene's shock and dissuasion when he heard that he wanted to deal with Sterling alone... all the scenes instantly came back to his mind.

Yes, his crazy and determined final sprint was not so much the end of revenge as it was a way to cut off the fatal shackles for his remaining brothers.

As long as Sterling is alive, the hunt led by the IRS will never end. Alfred, Fox, Heisenberg, the Butcher, Eugene... all those who have had contact with him will live under the endless shadow and purge of federal power.

Only Sterling's death can deprive the core of the storm of its source of power, and allow the IRS and all its subordinate forces to divert all their resources to hunting down him, the only and certain source of "death", and thus... give those brothers a glimmer of hope.

Ribs turned himself into a giant, burning target, drawing all the fire in an attempt to create a relatively safe zone for his brothers.

Ribs also came to the bedside, and the two brothers stood side by side.

In front of me is a quiet road, with tall, lush, unknown trees on both sides. Weeds and wild flowers grow freely under the trees. In the distance, the outline of rolling hills can be faintly seen. The sky is high and clear, a blue that has never been seen above the steel forest of New York.

"Where are we now?" Reeves' voice was much calmer, but with a sense of exploration after surviving a disaster.

Ao Guanhai stood beside him and also looked outside, with a sense of peace of mind that belonged to a "settler" on his face:

"We're not in New York anymore, bro. It's a long way off," he said firmly, with a hint of barely perceptible ease. "This is a small town you can't even find its name on a map. It's remote, quiet, and there's not even a police dog, let alone an FBI probe."

He pointed out the window in the direction of a simple sign and a repair ramp not far away. "I've been hiding here for almost half a year. I bought a small auto repair shop that was about to go bankrupt, and called it 'Lao Hai's Auto Repair.'"

He grinned, a smile that held a down-to-earth simplicity. "I've kept my skills. I fix old pickup trucks and tractors for the mountain folks and the occasional truck driver who passes by. It's not much money, but it's a stable job. No one knows who 'Ao Guanhai' is, let alone who might be hiding here. Now, there's this 'distant cousin recuperating from illness'."

The wind rustled the leaves outside the window, mixing with the chirping of birds.

The dull pain in Reeves' chest reminded him that he had just crawled back from hell.

He looked at Ao Guanhai - the brother who once urged him "enough, it's time to stop" in Chicago, but now saved his life and gave him a place to hide and breathe.

Once upon a time, Ao Guanhai’s simple yet sincere words echoed in my ears—“…Earn enough money, enjoy life…Fighting with dirty American politicians is a waste of life…”

Ribs was silent for a while, and finally heaved a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

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