From the moment Kim started as a mailroom clerk at Howard and Chuck’s law firm, she displayed immense ambition. She knew every case Chuck handled like the back of her hand—nothing like Jimmy, who was always fooling around. It was precisely Kim’s drive that inspired Jimmy to pick up law books and embark on the path to becoming a lawyer.
The same held true now. Kim was still busy with Mesa Verde Bank’s litigation cases, yet her thoughts lingered on those who needed her help more. In her eyes, a lawyer’s true duty was to work as a public defender on pro bono cases, not just profit for big banks. By the time she finished sorting through piles of documents, it was already late at night, and Jimmy was sound asleep in bed.
The next morning, Kim brought up the therapist again. When Jimmy insisted he wasn’t going, she didn’t push further. After breakfast, Jimmy headed to his shop. Bored, he casually designed a sign for the future law firm he planned to open with Kim and inquired about the production cost. Just then, he received a call from Brett, Geraldine’s nephew. Geraldine had helped extensively with the Sandpiper Crossing class-action lawsuit, and Jimmy had even drafted her will. A few weeks earlier, Geraldine had passed away in her sleep, and Brett was calling to sort out the tedious details of the will. Thinking about Geraldine’s death, Jimmy felt a twinge of sadness. But without a law license, he could only refer Brett to Howard’s firm.
As soon as he hung up on Brett, Kim called. When Jimmy arrived at the restaurant she’d specified, Kim announced a major decision. She had just visited Schweikart & Cokely and convinced partner Rich to launch a banking practice group. Kim would oversee the department as a partner—she would drop the Mesa Verde account to free up more time for public defender work. This way, she’d have a steady income and the freedom to focus on what mattered, no longer constrained by Mesa Verde’s demands. But it also meant that even if Jimmy got his law license back, his dream of opening a firm with Kim would never come true.
Since Kim had made up her mind, Jimmy resolved to support her fully. Still, he didn’t want to keep wasting time idly in his shop. He went to Howard’s office, in urgent need of the $5,000 estate settlement check. As he walked through the firm, he noticed many empty desks. It seemed Howard was struggling too, thanks to the compensation payments to Chuck’s estate.
With the money in hand, Jimmy bought over a hundred phones and stockpiled them in the small, unreturned office at the back of the nail salon. That night, he went to the streets to find the three thugs who’d robbed him earlier. Jimmy had hoped to pay them $100 a day for protection, but they cared nothing about long-term gains—they just wanted a one-time payout. When negotiations broke down, Jimmy had no choice but to call in two friends to teach the thugs a lesson.
Mike, meanwhile, was equally busy. Gustavo had built two bungalows in the warehouse for Werner and his crew. Given the project’s extreme risk, he needed Mike’s security expertise. After surveying the area, Mike emphasized that they needed to keep outsiders out and insiders in—only then could they ensure no leaks during the tunnel excavation. Gustavo took Mike’s recommendations seriously: he installed various recreational facilities around the bungalows and implemented full internal and external surveillance. Mike was put in charge of the monitoring, with Gustavo assigning his man Tyrus to assist him.
Werner brought his team to the warehouse as agreed. Everyone cooperated except for one man named Kai, who ignored Mike’s instructions. Mike made his way to the RV outside the warehouse via the double-access control system at the entrance—this served as the 24/7 monitoring center. He warned Tyrus to keep a close eye on Kai.