In the New Forest, Steve visits Gary Gough to complain that Gary’s daughter, Lauren, has taken money from a frightened girl and is bullying her. Steve says someone from London overpaid him for finding a dog, so he has already covered the £300 himself, but he wants Gary to tell Lauren to leave the girl alone. Gary refuses to treat the matter seriously, jokes about paying Steve to go away, and defends Lauren’s behavior as part of the “law of the streets.”

Steve pushes back, telling Gary that Lauren is not a poor child fighting her way up but a rich bully with advantages Gary never had. Steve leaves feeling that he has at least tried, even if Gary may not have listened. The encounter reminds Steve how much he hated the criminal world he once dealt with and how much he prefers his quieter life of dogs, errands, and the pub.

Afterward, Steve messages Amy to ask when they can talk. Amy’s replies are delayed and unusually short, which immediately worries Steve because she is normally more open with him. When Steve asks whether she knows a man called Andrew Fairbanks, identifying him as “the shark influencer man,” Amy answers only “Yes,” confirming the connection but offering no explanation.

Steve also reflects on his own research into Krusher Energy Drink. He has found that the company appears barely functional online and, more importantly, that its registered head office shares an address with Vivid Viral Media. The overlap makes Steve suspect a link worth pursuing, and he briefly considers going to Letchworth Garden City to investigate, but tells himself it is not his business. Even so, Amy’s curt messages leave him unsettled, and he plans to check in with her again.