445-448

Chapter 445: Missy’s Call 

At the medical center. 

Joey: slaps forehead Hey, maybe I should go after them!

Adam: claps hands Brilliant! You could start a whole family—wives, kids, the works! I’m totally behind you on this.  

Joey: grinning Right? You get it! Whichever one says yes, I’m good. 

Adam: holding back laughter Let’s go, I’ll take you to them. 

Joey: excited Let’s do it! 

Monica and others: speechless Wait, are you guys for real?

Joey: waves hands dramatically Dead serious! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.  

Everyone stays silent.  

Adam: smirking silently 

Joey: triumphant See? Nothing!  

Joey feels like he’s glowing with paternal pride, a totally new vibe for him. He’s on cloud nine.  

Outside the ward, Joey peeks through the glass window. His “dad glow” vanishes, and he looks deflated, ready to bail.  

Adam: blocks Joey Where do you think you’re going?  

Joey: bitter smile They’re the real deal. I’m out.  

Adam: serious But they’re your kids’ moms. What, you don’t like them?  

Joey: speechless

Thinks: Come on, man, don’t call me out like that. Are we still buds?  

Adam: chuckles and pats Joey’s shoulder Alright, I’ll stop messing with you.  

Sometimes, looks matter, and you can’t force love.  

Later, after Christina and the others rest, Adam works until 9 p.m., then heads to New Jersey.  

At Peggy’s apartment, Adam walks in and sees Peggy on the phone, not calculating for once.  

Peggy: annoyed …Here, talk to Adam. hands phone to Adam 

Adam: Who is it? 

Peggy: Missy. goes back to her desk 

Adam: Hey, Missy!  

Silence on the line.  

Adam: Missy?  

He can hear faint breathing, so the call’s still on.  

After a pause, Missy speaks, sounding upset.  

Missy: It’s late. Why are you at Peggy’s?  

Adam: laughs Is there a problem? 

Missy: I knew you were after Peggy! And now you’ve got her.  

Missy remembers the good old days with Peggy, when they were like sisters. Those were the best times. Peggy, smart like Sheldon, actually hung out with her, making Missy feel special, unlike how Sheldon always made her feel dumb. To Missy, Peggy was more than a friend; she was like the sister she wished Sheldon could be. When Peggy started rebelling because of family issues, Missy was thrilled. Peggy was cooler and took her on adventures, even shoplifting, which was scary but exciting. At ten, ignored by everyone, Missy loved it. But then Adam came along, gave Peggy a big talk, and Peggy changed, becoming another Sheldon—distant and all about knowledge. Missy never got to hang out with her again. Deep down, she still loves Peggy and misses those sisterly days. She even hoped Peggy and Sheldon would end up together, so they could support each other in their quirky ways. But now, Adam’s messed that up too!  

As Missy fumes, she glances at her computer screen, where she’s been reading stories on pat-reon:belamy20, a creator who writes about complicated relationships. It’s like her life right now.

Adam: defensive Hey, don’t make it sound so bad. It was all a mix-up; I didn’t plan this.  

Truth is, he didn’t see this coming. He always thought Peggy would be Amy’s rival, not his… well, you know. But Peggy came after him, and honestly, she’s stunning now. Who could say no? Except maybe Sheldon.

Missy: spits Pfft! George was right—you’re a total player. He told me to steer clear of you.  

Adam had helped George with his tire shop, and they were grateful, but George still warned Missy about Adam’s ways, saying she should avoid him. He even handled all the communication with Adam to protect her. Back then, she didn’t care, but now she sees George was spot on.  

Adam: laughs That’s just George being salty because I dated Veronica. 

Missy: shocked Ah!!! You jerk! I always pictured Peggy as my future sister-in-law, and now you’ve not only been with Veronica but also taken Peggy. What’s next?  

Adam: clears throat You’re reading too much into it. Sheldon won’t be interested in that stuff for at least another decade, and do you really think George will stay with Veronica forever? Not my fault.  

Missy’s words make him feel a bit guilty. The Cooper siblings: George’s wife had a fling with him, Sheldon’s “future wife” is with him now, and Missy… well, she’s safe for now. But if something happened, he’d feel bad. Plus, he’s gained a lot from Sheldon’s smarts—photographic memory, cosmic brain power. Maybe he’s taken too much from the Coopers.  

Adam: So, how’s Sheldon doing these days?  

PS: Ding! Who ordered Sheldon?  

Chapter 446: There’s Always Someone Out to Get Me 

At Peggy’s apartment, Adam was on the phone with Missy. 

“Not so great—did a train derail over there and kill a bunch of people?” Missy asked. 

“Hmm.” Adam replied with a nod. “You saw it on the news too?” 

“I wasn’t really watching. It was Sheldon,” Missy scoffed. “Remember when he got choked on his food as a kid?” 

“Of course I remember,” Adam said, laughing. “In the end, it was the X-Men who saved him.” 

When Sheldon was nine, one morning at breakfast he choked and nearly suffocated. His dad rushed from behind, gave him a few solid slaps on the stomach, and finally dislodged the food from his throat. For weeks afterward, little Sheldon—more timid than a scaredy-cat—would just sit there, staring at his food, too afraid to eat . 

His dad’s booming shouts and his mom’s soothing words did nothing. As Zhou Shuren once said, “When faced with fear, a person has two choices: fight or flee.” Naturally, Sheldon always chose to run. 

Eventually, his beloved grandma took matters into her own hands. Every meal, she’d blend his solid food into a mushy drink for him to sip through a straw. That’s the only way he made it through that rough patch. But doing so made the food’s flavor utterly indescribable—so much so that whenever Sheldon saw Adam and the gang snacking, he couldn’t help but drool . 

After discovering the X-Men comics, he felt he had a lot in common with these unconventional heroes. If they could overcome endless challenges, then so could he! Then, one day, he grabbed a spicy snack stick and started chewing it vigorously—as if Professor X were beaming telepathic signals, Magneto were unleashing his magnetic power, and Cyclops were firing laser beams from his eyes. From that moment on, he became Chew-Man! 

pat-reon:belamy20 

Okay, maybe he was just really, really into food! 

After conquering his fear of choking, Chew-Man’s new list of fears became almost endless: dogs, birds, insects, bacteria, hugs, button-fly pants, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceans, fuzzy lamp cores, root vegetables, the squeaky sound of balloons, and even windows covered in heat-insulating film… 

Emmm… I’ll spare you a million more words! 

Missy then brought up the train derailment story, and Adam immediately caught on. “So, Sheldon’s too scared to ride trains now?” 

“Exactly. Today he was supposed to take a train from Pasadena to the University of Chicago for an academic exchange. Then he saw the news about a train derailment in New York and got so scared he wouldn’t even board his favorite train. The school called us, but no amount of persuasion worked—so I called Peggy, hoping she could talk some sense into him.” 

“If he’s afraid of trains, why not just fly?” Adam joked. 

“You really don’t know him, do you?” Missy replied with a huff. “Sure, train derailments happen more often than plane crashes, but their death rate is much lower. The first time he flew, he literally shrank into the airplane bathroom and almost got kicked off!” 

“That’s not entirely wrong,” Adam conceded with a smile. “Airplane accidents are indeed rare—but when they do happen, the fatality rate is nearly 100%. Honestly, if I weren’t forced to, I’d almost never fly either. With my current physique, as long as I stick to ground transportation, I can dodge any mishap in time. Now, I wouldn’t even consider flying without proper, professional parachute gear.” 

He added, “Back then, I wasn’t so careful—first, I hadn’t had any training, and even if I had, it wouldn’t have mattered. And second, I wasn’t a billionaire yet. Imagine a regular person carrying professional parachute gear on a plane—they’d be 100% flagged as a terrorist! But now that I’m one of the richest men in America, it’s totally fine. Rich people can be scared of death too, you know . Plus, rich people really can do whatever they want.” 

Missy sighed, “I’d rather have him be the old Sheldon—the one who’d go on and on about trains at the mere mention of them. Remember when he even volunteered at a train museum and got kicked out by the curator?” 

Adam couldn’t help but laugh. “Haha.” 

That whole incident happened after Sheldon graduated high school at age eleven—yes, he was that precocious—and before he headed off to college. The local train museum was recruiting volunteer guides, and who could possibly love trains more or know them better than Sheldon? As soon as he saw the ad, he called up the museum and bombarded the curator with an hour-long monologue of his ridiculously detailed train knowledge. Despite being just an eleven-year-old kid, he convinced the curator to overlook that fact and accept his application. 

Then the curator started to understand exactly what Sheldon’s high school teachers had experienced. Sheldon was a true train aficionado—what the curator knew, Sheldon knew; and what the curator didn’t know, Sheldon knew too! At first, it seemed fantastic—a free expert on trains! But then Sheldon’s need to show off grew. Soon, he began testing the curator with tricky questions and traps—like the newest mini-speech that debuted in “69 Book” (yes, you read that right . When the curator managed to dodge Sheldon’s traps and answer correctly, Sheldon lavished him with praise, making it seem as though the curator was the real expert and he was merely the interviewee. 

Whenever visitors arrived, Sheldon would launch into endless lectures about trains—even when they were in the restroom, he’d explain things through the door. When the curator handed out self-written pamphlets on train trivia, Sheldon would call them out in public, pointing out errors. When the curator later asked him to stop, Sheldon took it as a chance to “privately instruct” the curator—just like he used to correct his high school teachers’ mistakes (because, let’s face it, teachers are all about saving face). After his teachers collectively complained to the principal countless times, Sheldon seized that little trivia point! But to the curator, this overly show-off kid was just too much. In the end, he was shown the door. 

Sheldon later counted that fiasco as one of the top ten tragedies in his beloved train chronicles. 

“Adam, is there anything you can do?” Missy asked. 

“All I can do is let time dull the fear,” Adam replied with a chuckle. “For now, just have someone drive him there.” 

Back when Sheldon’s apartment had been burglarized, he was so shaken that he not only installed a load of security gadgets but also started imitating DC’s Rorschach—hiding under his bed every night to record his impressions of the sinful city of Pasadena. At every little sound, he’d jump in terror. Eventually, he decided to move out of Pasadena in search of a safe haven. But even in a vast country like America, he couldn’t find a truly safe spot. He once picked a “perfect” place only to have his luggage snatched right in broad daylight as soon as he got off the train—forcing him to return home in defeat. And yet, somehow, he ended up living contentedly afterward. 

Time, after all, is the best healer—even for someone as quirky as Sheldon. 

“We’ve thought of everything,” Missy continued. “Little George is opening a store, I’m in college, my grandma is busy with her own love life, and my mom could help—but Chicago is so far away that she’d have to fly to Pasadena first and then drive him. There just isn’t enough time.” 

“Then why not hire someone to drive him?” Adam suggested. 

“Is this the first time you’ve met Sheldon?” Missy grumbled. “At times like these, to him, everyone except family and friends looks like a villain. According to him, on such a long journey, what if he gets murdered halfway? Or even kidnapped and sold into slavery?” 

“Can’t the school send someone?” Adam asked, half-amused, half-exasperated. 

“Too late now,” Missy sighed. “He didn’t apply in advance.” 

Adam was left speechless. Sheldon’s quirks truly knew no bounds. 

Chapter 447: I Have a Deal with Channing 

At Peggy’s place. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this handled,” Adam said with a grin. 

You can’t just keep milking the Coopers dry, right? Gotta toss something back their way now and then—it’s only decent. 

“You’ve got a plan?” Missy asked, her eyes popping wide in surprise. 

“It’s actually super simple,” Adam explained. “I’ll just hire someone to dress up as a cop and drop it off. Sheldon’s terrified of strangers and sketchy folks—pretty much everything—but if they flash some official-looking ID, he’ll be cool as a cucumber.” 

“Damn!” Missy smacked her forehead. “How did I not think of that? With Sheldon’s robot brain, you could sell him to the highest bidder, and he’d still be chill as long as you handed him the right paperwork!” 

Adam let out a laugh. 

Sheldon was a stickler for rules. He’d sign a receipt for a random letter like it was a binding contract, closing the loop on the postal gods’ sacred ritual. Buying a ticket from a scalper? He’d sweat bullets, paranoid it was an undercover cop sting. His wallet was stuffed with membership cards—Justice League, museums, you name it. When it got too full, most people would just chuck the extras. Not Sheldon. He’d painstakingly call each place to cancel them properly. If a card said “carry this with you,” he’d haul it around forever like it was a holy commandment. 

Back when Howard and the gang brought up the three laws of robotics, Sheldon got all dreamy, wondering what he’d be like as a robot. Howard and Rajesh didn’t miss a beat: “Dude, you already are.” They ran him through the laws, and he matched every single one. Raj even smirked, “I can smell the machine oil from here.” 

Handling a guy like Sheldon was a breeze if you didn’t mind playing dirty. With a little setup, Adam could have him laughing or bawling on command, like clockwork. 

Missy, with her sky-high emotional smarts, didn’t miss the trick because she wasn’t clever enough—she just couldn’t afford to dream that big. Hiring an actor and faking documents on the fly? That’s the kind of move you need deep pockets for. Only someone like Adam—a billionaire who still acted like your friendly next-door neighbor—could cook that up and pull it off without breaking a sweat. 

“Thanks a million,” Missy said, genuinely relieved. 

“No sweat, we’re pals,” Adam replied with a smile. “So, how’s life treating you? School’s back in session, yeah?” 

“Yup,” Missy nodded. She owed it all to Adam—getting into Wharton, the numero uno business school in the States. Her SAT scores were a total dumpster fire, and she knew even a big-shot billionaire like Adam had to move mountains to get her in. She couldn’t pay him back yet, but she tucked that gratitude deep in her heart, promising herself she’d make it up to him someday. 

“Wharton’s in Philly, not too far from New York or Jersey. You should swing by sometime,” Adam tossed out casually. 

“Oh yeah? To see who?” Missy shot back, rolling her eyes with a teasing smirk. “You or Peggy?” 

“Uh…” Adam faltered, caught off guard. Missy had already thrown some shade about George Jr. earlier, and now this invite felt like it had strings attached. He glanced at Peggy, who was straight-up ignoring him, and shook his head. 

“Hmph,” Missy huffed. “I’m over here drowning in debt just to study, all so I can learn enough to work for you and pay it off someday. Fun’s not even on the menu. You think I’m living it up like Caroline Channing?” 

Adam chuckled. “You know Caroline Channing?” 

Missy didn’t hold back. “We’re at Wharton, man—ground zero for money and power games. Who doesn’t know the Channing heiress with her $800 million trust fund? People swarm her like flies—looking for investments, sponsorships, whatever. Some want to weasel into her dad’s foundation to rake in more cash. Others—get this—even try to date her to snag a spot as the Channing family’s golden son-in-law. Way better ROI than any business deal. Even the young, hotshot professors are in on it. She’s the brightest star at Wharton, zipping between New York and Philly like it’s nothing, chartering planes for vacays with her crew. She’s graduating next year, and half the alumni are gonna need tissues.” 

“You jealous?” Adam teased, leaning in. 

“Who wouldn’t be?” Missy said flat-out. “She’s the ultimate life winner. Buy whatever, do whatever. If I had that kind of cash, I’d be living large too.” 

“You’ll get there,” Adam said, his tone upbeat. “George Jr.’s tire company’s got legs—Doctor Tire, right? With my money behind it and his hustle, plus your management chops, you’ll build something huge. (Oh, and if you’re loving this story, why not toss some support to the creator at pat-reon:belamy20?) Then you can live that high life on your own terms. Way more satisfying than inheriting it.” 

“More satisfying? Sure,” Missy conceded, then jabbed right back. “More fun? Please. I’d have to grind my whole life just to sniff Caroline’s starting line. Lying back and winning from birth—that’s the real good stuff.” 

Adam’s mouth twitched. Ouch. That hit way too close to home, stirring up memories from his past life. Some TV show laid it bare: the “struggling” hero only wins with a powerful adoptive dad and a surprise billionaire bio-dad pulling strings. Real strivers? They get their girl stolen, take society’s punches, and limp away bruised. If you can kick back and coast to victory, who’d choose the grind? Struggling’s only “fun” if you’ve never tasted the sweet life of winning without trying. Cashing in and chilling—that’s the real joy. 

“Wait a sec,” Missy’s eyes narrowed. “You know Caroline Channing?” 

“Yeah,” Adam admitted with a grin. “We’ve got a little agreement.” 

“Ew!” Missy groaned, wrinkling her nose. 

Adam opened his mouth to explain, then stopped. What was there to say, really? 

Chapter 448: Worrying Too Much 

Peggy's Apartment 

"You're such a player!" Missy exclaimed, rolling her eyes. 

Missy didn’t even know what to say anymore, and Adam was completely speechless. Sure, he’d been joking around with Max back then, and Max and Caroline had taken it as a laugh, but if he actually spelled it out loud, people would totally get the wrong idea about him. 

Sigh. Being a guy isn’t easy—especially for a guy like Adam, who often feels like life’s dragging him along for the ride. 

Adam stared off into space, lost in his gloomy thoughts. 

"Why’d you go quiet? Did I nail it or what?" Missy teased, jumping on his silence like a hawk. 

Adam tilted his head back at a dramatic 45-degree angle, trying not to let the sadness get to him. But Missy, like any other girl, wasn’t letting up—she kept pushing. 

"So, how many girls have you messed up, huh?" 

"Why do you even wanna know?" Adam shot back, glancing at Peggy. He was done with this topic and decided to flip the script. "What, you interested or something?" 

"Hmph!" Missy let out a scornful snort and hung up the phone. 

Beep beep. Beep beep. 

Hearing the dial tone, Adam’s lips curled into a slight smirk as he set the phone down. His mind drifted to Sheldon. He stepped out, crossed the hall, and knocked on the opposite door. 

"Boss," Lisa, his assistant, said as she opened the door and waved him in. 

"Those six female bodyguards—did you hire them yet?" Adam asked straight up. 

"Yep, they’re all set up in the apartment downstairs. Want to check it out, boss?" Lisa replied, all business. 

"Yeah, but hold off for a sec," Adam said with a nod. "You and Ada handled the security company together?" 

"Uh-huh," Lisa said. "Ada made the call, and I helped pick ‘em out. They’re the real deal—fighting skills as good as any guy, and they’re all legally packing heat." 

"Does the company have a branch in California?" Adam asked. 

"Should do," Lisa said, caught off guard for a second. "They’re one of the top outfits in the U.S. With all those Hollywood stars in LA needing protection, I’d bet they’ve got a spot there." 

"Cool, then get on it," Adam said, filling her in on the plan to hire security to escort Sheldon to Chicago. "One male guard to keep things safe on the road." 

It’s over 2,000 kilometers from Pasadena to Chicago, cutting through a ton of states and counties. Who knows what could go down? In The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon’s paranoia about horror movie tropes is just for laughs, but in this wild mashup of TV worlds, anything’s possible. 

"Oh, and this guy’s gotta have a good vibe," Adam added. "Plus, he needs a happy family—wife, kids, the whole deal." 

It’s a long haul, and babysitting someone like Sheldon? If the guard’s got a short fuse, Sheldon’s weird demands might push him over the edge. Forget running into some deadly curve—he’d probably take Sheldon out himself, like Sun Wukong offing Tang Seng in A Chinese Odyssey. Even a chill dude might not cut it; he’s gotta have a family to keep him grounded. 

No kidding— not everyone’s built like Leonard! Even Adam, who’s gotten so much out of Sheldon, sometimes wants to deck him. Leonard’s patience? That’s years of training from his mom, Beverly, turning him into the ultimate Ninja Turtle. Given half a chance, even Leonard’s got limits. Remember that time in The Big Bang Theory when they were waiting for the Nobel Prize call? Sheldon was dozing off, and with his okay, Leonard hauled off and slapped him silly. Everyone was jealous—they’d all dreamed of landing that hit. 

Adam smirked to himself, recalling a story he’d read on pat-reon:belamy20 about a guy with quirks just like Sheldon’s. It was funny as hell and oddly spot-on. 

"Also, throw in a female companion," Adam went on. "Doesn’t need to be a pro guard, but she’s gotta be super patient—like nanny or kindergarten teacher-level patient." 

Even with all the rules for the guy, it’s still dicey. A woman could keep Sheldon in check and buffer him from the guard, avoiding any… unspeakable drama. Women just handle Sheldon better. Think about it: aside from Leonard, the big players in his life—his mom, grandma, Penny, Amy—they’re all ladies. 

"Bonus points if she’s into science, comics, movies, or games," Adam mused. "But if that’s tough to find, just make sure she’s got a saint-level temper. Oh, and no matter who you hire, they’ve gotta be really nice." 

"…" Lisa just stared, dumbfounded. Who is this Sheldon guy? It’s like the boss is terrified someone’s gonna snap and take him out. 

Still, she grabbed the phone and dialed up the security company’s contact. "Got it, boss. I’m on it." 

The second the call connected, Lisa’s vibe shifted—total boss-lady mode. Working for a guy like Adam, who’s got cash to burn and loves splashing it on stuff like this, toughens you up fast.  

She rattled off Adam’s laundry list of weird requests, and the company didn’t blink—promised to nail it. For a price, of course. 

"Get it done right; money’s no object," Lisa said coolly. That’s the kind of flex you get around here. 

"All set, boss," she said, hanging up and switching back to regular mode. 

"Nice work," Adam said, satisfied. "Come with me to check Peggy’s security setup." 

"Sure thing," Lisa agreed, leading him downstairs. 

Thanks to some serious cash flow, the downstairs apartment was now a full-on security hub—close enough to protect Peggy without cramping her style. 

"Six female guards total, two per shift, round-the-clock coverage," Lisa explained. "We’ve got micro cameras at the building’s entrances and on Peggy’s floor. If anyone sketchy gets close, they’ll spot it and deal with it ASAP." 

Adam eyed the two tough-as-nails women and didn’t doubt their skills for a second. He told them to stay sharp, keep it tight, and tossed in a fat bonus for good measure. They lit up—money talks.  

Later, back at Peggy’s place, she griped, "Hey, what’s this? I’ve still got calculations to run!" 

"You can crunch numbers anytime, but sleep’s non-negotiable," Adam shot back. "Bedtime’s now—my call!" 

Peggy tried to fight it, but she didn’t stand a chance. He shut her down quick. 

An hour later, while they were… let’s say, deep in conversation, Adam’s phone buzzed. He ignored it—too busy. But then the apartment door swung open, and unfamiliar voices hit his ears. Adam froze solid.