"What do you think about Georgie and his girlfriend?" Connie, now free, casually chatted in the living room.
After all, he was her eldest grandson, so it was impossible for Connie not to care at all.
"Overall, I'm not too optimistic..." Mike thought for a moment and said, "If Georgie can settle down quickly, the situation might improve."
Georgie and Mandy were still too far apart in age. Mandy's biggest desire now was to find a good man and live a stable life.
She needed a sense of security.
Georgie was currently in the growth stage from boy to man. Being penniless, he couldn't quite meet Mandy's needs, either financially or emotionally.
Therefore, for the two of them to maintain this relationship, the best way was for Georgie to quickly mature and become a "man" someone could rely on.
"That's too difficult for Georgie..." Connie seemed to think of something and shook her head slightly.
As the saying goes: 'You can tell a person's future at three and their character at seven.'
Georgie's past unreliable behavior made it truly impossible to imagine how he could quickly become a qualified "husband" or even a "father."
Yes, if there were no surprises with Mandy, Georgie, who would still be under eighteen ten months later, would be promoted to a young dad.
This was undoubtedly a strict "test" for Georgie.
"Never mind Georgie. Let's talk about the arcade operating license. Do you have any suggestions?" Another good quality of Connie was her optimism and unwillingness to dwell on problems.
Moreover, ninety-nine percent of unhappiness in the world was due to a lack of money.
Therefore, compared to Georgie's troubles, what Connie cared about more now was how to make money.
"Isn't Robin, Pastor Jeff's wife, working at the Department of Transportation? Maybe we can ask her for help with the operating license," Mike suggested.
The Department of Transportation and the street patrol were part of the same system.
And the most feared thing when opening an arcade was sudden inspections by the patrol.
So, if Connie could build a good relationship with the patrol through Robin, her arcade would avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.
"You're right, we can ask Robin for help." After the reminder, Connie clearly understood the trick.
As for whether Robin would be willing to help, Connie still had some confidence. After all, when it came down to it, Connie had played a part in Robin and Pastor Jeff becoming a couple.
With this layer of connection, Robin and Connie were naturally "insiders."
"Also, after the arcade opens, it's necessary to separate games and gambling," Mike reminded again.
The main reason it was so difficult to obtain a legitimate operating license for an arcade was that the businesses there were often linked to gambling.
This was illegal.
And the favor owed by Robin would eventually run out. If they didn't want to have an unpleasant situation later, the arcade had to become legitimate.
"Do you have a way?" Connie asked back.
Based on her understanding of Mike, Connie knew he wasn't someone who "talked big."
"Yes, it just requires a little flexibility. Add an extra transaction step in the arcade..." Mike summarized his thoughts and said, "Take plush toys as an example. When players win a prize at the arcade, we can give them toys. When the players finally leave, we buy back those plush toys with an equivalent prize money."
Simply put, it was using toys as "currency" in gambling to avoid direct monetary "transactions."
This step seemed redundant, but it could effectively solve the gambling problem in the arcade.
"Let me process that, I think I understand a little, but not completely..." Connie said, feeling a bit dizzy.
In fact, Connie's mind wasn't dull, but her age made her a bit slower in accepting new things.
"Isn't that just 'vouchers'?" Missy, sitting nearby, suddenly spoke, hitting the nail on the head.
"Yes, the toys are 'vouchers'! Why didn't I think of that earlier..." Connie praised happily, as if she had suddenly understood everything, "Missy, you've been a great help this time, Grandma has decided to reward you with another ice cream."
This was a win-win for Missy and Connie.
In the kitchen on the other side, Mary was preparing a feast for Mandy, while also directing her husband to make special brisket.
Adhering to the principle of women not making things difficult for other women.
Having calmed down, Mary had basically accepted Mandy.
More than an hour later, a sumptuous dinner was laid out on the Cooper family dining table. They were just waiting for Georgie and Mandy to return so they could welcome them.
But even when the brisket was almost cold, there was no sign of Georgie and Mandy returning.
"Nothing went wrong, did it!" Mary's face showed a worried expression as she watched the sky outside gradually darken.
"Should I go out and check?" George was also getting restless.
No matter what, the child Mandy was carrying was the Cooper family blood.
This was something George and his wife couldn't help but care about.
Just as George got up, preparing to go out and look for them, Georgie burst through the door in a hurry.
"Why are you alone? Where's Mandy?" George looked behind his eldest son and asked in surprise.
"Mandy rented a room outside..." Georgie, who had returned alone, also looked very down.
"How could you let her live outside by herself?!" George asked in disbelief.
If this situation got out, everyone would just think the Cooper family was bullying someone.
Putting themselves in her shoes, they could imagine how bad the girl's situation was right now.
"Alright, Georgie has been traveling all day, he must be hungry now. Let's talk while we eat..." To prevent the atmosphere from becoming tense, Connie stopped George.
Later at the dinner table, everyone learned what had happened during the past hour that Georgie had been out.
Because of Georgie's previous lie about his age, Mandy, who suddenly learned the truth, was very emotional and ultimately couldn't forgive him.
And Georgie, during the past hour, had been continuously apologizing to the girl. Unable to get her forgiveness, he could only helplessly help her find a place to stay in the town.
"What are you planning to do now?" Connie asked with concern after listening to Georgie's account.
"I don't know either, Mandy seems very disappointed in me." Georgie frowned, his mood very low.
"I completely understand Mandy's feelings. However, your relationship isn't without a chance..." Connie comforted him, "Mandy not leaving town overnight proves that she still has feelings for you. Whether you can win her back now depends on what you do..."
Connie, combining Mike's previous analysis, dissected Mandy's thoughts for Georgie.
To keep the girl, he needed to give her enough sense of security.
"So, Georgie. Have you decided what you want to do?" After a long speech, Connie returned to the initial question.
"I... maybe I should continue my business." To start a family, one must first establish a career. Georgie gradually understood the burden on his shoulders, but his expression was still a bit confused.
After all, in terms of age, he was still a "child."
"How about you come to the arcade and help me..." Connie stated her idea.
According to Mike's suggestion, the arcade's new business model would likely be too much for one person to handle.
If Georgie was willing to help, it would be a good thing for both him and Connie.