"Mom, what is going on with my room?"
After dinner, Georgie, ready to head back to his room to rest, voiced his confusion.
Just like Meemaw Connie's house, the Cooper home only had one master bedroom and two smaller bedrooms. It was a case of limited space for too many people.
During the time Georgie was away, Sheldon, needing space for his toys, had moved a portion of his collection from the garage into Georgie's bedroom.
Because Georgie's return was so sudden, there hadn't been time to clean up the toys scattered all over the floor.
Hearing the noise, Mary walked into Georgie's room. She looked at her "disappointing" eldest son, then at her "well-behaved" younger son, and finally said with a stern face:
"Until you fix your relationship with Mandy, you are living in the garage. Consider this your punishment."
Fundamentally, Mary had always favored her brilliant younger son. Plus, Georgie's recent unreliable behavior had given Mary quite the headache.
You could say this was a case of new grievances piling up on top of old ones.
"Dad~"
Not wanting to lose his residency rights, Georgie turned his pleading gaze toward George Sr.
"Do you remember the bet we made? You said you wouldn't consider marriage before thirty. So... until you make up with Mandy, I support your mother's decision."
George Sr. shrugged, indicating there was nothing he could do to help.
Similarly, Georgie's messy maneuver of getting a girl pregnant out of wedlock had given George Sr. a massive headache as well.
So, living in the garage would serve as a lesson for Georgie to remember.
"Fine, living in the garage is no big deal..."
Knowing he didn't have a leg to stand on, Georgie chose to compromise.
To be honest, compared to the cramped bedroom, the garage was actually not bad, aside from the inconvenience of using the bathroom. It was spacious, warm in winter, and cool in summer.
Georgie, who had lived in a garage for a while before, gave it a thumbs up.
"That means Georgie's bedroom is officially mine now!"
Just as Georgie was reluctantly accepting his fate, Sheldon, completely unable to read the room, suddenly burst into cheers.
Sheldon, who was still squeezing into a room with his sister, had long wanted a bedroom of his own.
There, he could be with his toys without interruption. Just thinking about it made him happy.
Just like that, Georgie and Sheldon began the great migration.
---
Meanwhile, at Meemaw Connie's house, Mike was sitting in front of the computer, checking his stocks.
During this period, he had made another fortune in the stock market, and his net worth was approaching the multimillionaire level.
"Mike, regarding the arcade, how do you think I should bring it up to Robin?"
Meemaw Connie, who wasn't good at dealing with officials, was still a little uneasy about the arcade. After all, in people's minds, arcades weren't exactly seen as legitimate businesses.
"Just invite her for afternoon tea and tell her the renovation plan for the arcade. Without the gambling business, I believe she won't give you a hard time," Mike said casually.
Actually, Meemaw Connie knew what she had to do; she just lacked a bit of confidence and needed some encouragement from others.
"OK, I'll ask her out for tea tomorrow afternoon."
Sure enough, after listening to Mike, Meemaw Connie made up her mind.
Then, she looked at the computer screen and asked curiously, "Can these messy squiggly lines really make money?"
Mike hadn't deliberately hidden his stock activities, so Meemaw Connie knew a little about it. The "messy lines" she mentioned were the stock trend charts.
"I don't know about others, but in my hands, they definitely make money."
Mike smiled confidently and continued, "Also, after you make back your principal from the arcade, I suggest you give the money to me to invest in stocks for you."
To put it bluntly, the arcade wasn't a mainstream industry after all. Instead of worrying every day to earn that hard labor money, it would be better to invest the money in the stock market.
With the current market trends and Mike's ability, he definitely wouldn't let Meemaw Connie lose money.
"Let me think about it..."
Compared to the virtual emerging industry, Meemaw Connie was more willing to believe in the tangible real economy. This was a difference in cognition.
---
Time flew by, and three days passed.
Thanks to Ella's spare-no-expense help, Meemaw Connie's arcade at the intersection had taken on a brand-new look.
The old, peeling walls had been repainted and decorated, looking much more comfortable. The dim lights in the basement had also been replaced with warm-toned chandeliers.
Ella, who owned a furniture store, used his resources to build a brand-new cashier counter at the entrance.
In the innermost part of the arcade, a small rest area was specially partitioned off, equipped with a water dispenser and a few simple sofas.
If it weren't for the "slot machines," this place would look more like a "Senior Activity Center."
It was clear that Ella had really put his heart into Meemaw Connie's affairs.
Most of the people who came here to play were elderly people with money and time; the "cozy" decoration style obviously attracted them more.
At this moment, the entrance to the arcade was crowded with elderly people who had heard the news. The arcade was considered one of the few good places for them to kill time.
"Georgie, you greet people and get them inside first~"
Meemaw Connie, wearing a smile, directed her only employee.
Yes, three days ago, Georgie agreed to come to the arcade to "help."
The fact that so many customers came to the grand opening today was also the result of Georgie's promotion over the past three days.
He seemed very suited for this kind of work that involved communicating with people.
Accompanying the bursts of exclamations as customers poured into the arcade, Meemaw Connie also walked in with a large group of people.
Because of the special nature of today, the Cooper family once again followed Meemaw Connie to "show their support."
Besides the Cooper family, Mike, Paige, Ella, and others were also by Meemaw Connie's side.
At the same time, Robin, dressed in casual clothes, was also mixed in the crowd.
"Ella, thank you so much for this."
Looking at the brand-new arcade, Meemaw Connie offered her sincere thanks.
Then, she continued, "Calculate how much those furniture pieces cost and give me a number so I can reimburse you."
Although Meemaw Connie had given Ella a renovation budget of one thousand dollars before, the level of renovation here obviously cost far more than that.
Meemaw Connie, satisfied with the finished product, didn't mind spending a bit more money now.
"No need, that furniture is nothing to me."
Ella had once given a sofa worth over ten thousand dollars to please Meemaw Connie. Giving a few more pieces of furniture now really meant nothing to him.
"Are you free tonight? I'd like to take you out to dinner to celebrate the opening of your arcade."
Taking advantage of Meemaw Connie's good mood, Ella issued a date invitation again.
"I'm afraid not. You see the situation here. I should be very busy for the next while."
Meemaw Connie, who felt no spark with Ella, once again found an excuse to reject him.
However, what she said made sense. The business of the renovated arcade was much better than before.
At this time, many players had finished observing the new environment and went to the gaming machines to play.
Then, the machines with the winning probabilities adjusted back to normal ignited the players' enthusiasm.
"This plush toy with the unique mark is the prize. When you leave, I will use cash to buy it back..."
As someone won a prize, Georgie began his work, explaining the prize redemption matters to the customer.
"I don't want a toy, I want my prize money..."
The lucky winner obviously didn't understand the use of the plush toy and only wanted to get his cash.
"Like this... I give you the prize... you sell the plush toy back to me... here is one hundred dollars for the toy... please take it..."
Georgie, unable to explain clearly with words, went directly for a practical demonstration.
The lucky winner, holding the one hundred dollars, felt relieved and seemed to understand something.
Other customers nearby, although they didn't know why the arcade was doing this unnecessary step, felt relieved seeing that the lucky winner didn't get shortchanged a single cent.
"Very smart move..."
Robin, who had been watching Georgie's operation the whole time, gave a high evaluation of this behavior.
Robin from the Department of Transportation came here today mainly to inspect. After all, she would be considered a guarantor for this arcade in the future.
"I'll go back and tell my colleagues to try not to disturb your business. Of course, you also need to be careful in the future; don't touch anything illegal."
Robin, feeling reassured, didn't mind opening a door of convenience for Meemaw Connie.
"Don't worry. When I'm free, I'll treat you and your colleagues to tea."
Meemaw Connie smiled and reached a tacit agreement with Robin.
Drinking tea was just an excuse; the "tea money" was the key. This could be considered a tribute, or a protection fee if you will.
Spending money to buy peace of mind.
With this, Meemaw Connie's arcade was officially up and running.