Lemis has to establish his cover because what he's got to do is get like recruited and brought in as an asset by the East German spy people. He'd like immediately after this conversation happens, you start seeing him like becoming discontented at work and dropping into alcoholism. And it's not made immediately clear to you, the, the reader that he's trying to establish a cover story. There's an element of like you wonder whether you are watching Lemis actually just live out his life as it continues after he comes in from the field and has to sign people's checks instead.