"Mom, what's going on in my room?" Georgie, who was about to go back to his room to rest after dinner, asked.
Similar to the layout of Connie's house, the Cooper family house also had only one master bedroom and two side rooms.
It was a one-to-one fit.
During the time Georgie was away, Sheldon, to make it easier for his toys, moved some of the toys stored in the basement to Georgie's bedroom.
And because Georgie's return was sudden, the toys scattered all over his room hadn't been tidied up yet.
Mary, who went to Georgie's room after hearing him, looked at her "disappointing" elder son, then at her "well-behaved" younger son, and finally said with a stern face, "Before you sort things out with Mandy, you'll stay in the basement. This is your punishment."
Fundamentally, Mary favored her intelligent younger son in this family.
And Georgie's unreliable behavior this time indeed gave Mary enough headaches.
This wave could be said to be a piling up of "new grudges and old hatreds."
"Dad—!" Georgie, who didn't want to lose his living rights, turned his pleading gaze to George.
"Do you remember a bet we made before, where you said you wouldn't consider marriage before you turned thirty? So... until you reconcile with Mandy, I support your mother's decision." George shrugged, indicating he couldn't help.
Similarly, Georgie's move of getting the girl pregnant before marriage also gave George a huge headache.
Therefore, living in the basement was a way to teach Georgie a lesson.
"Alright, living in the basement is no big deal..." Georgie, knowing he was in the wrong, chose to compromise.
And to be honest, compared to the small side rooms, the basement, aside from the inconvenience of washing up and using the toilet, was otherwise quite good.
It was spacious and warm in winter, cool in summer.
Georgie, who had lived in the basement for a while, expressed his approval.
"So, Georgie's bedroom is now officially mine!" Just as Georgie was being reluctant, Sheldon, who didn't understand the atmosphere, suddenly burst into cheers.
Sheldon, who was still sharing a room with his sister, had long wanted his own bedroom.
There, he could freely be with his toys.
Just thinking about it made him happy.
And so, Georgie and Sheldon began their big move. Meanwhile, at Connie's, Mike was sitting in front of the computer, checking his stocks.
During this period, he had made another large sum of money in the stock market, and his net worth was about to reach the millionaire level.
"Mike, what do you think is the best way for me to talk to Robin about the arcade?" Connie, who wasn't good at dealing with officials, was still a little worried about the arcade.
After all, in people's minds, arcades were not considered a legitimate business.
"Just set up a tea time in the afternoon and tell Robin about the arcade's rectification plan. Without the gambling business, I believe she won't make things difficult for you," Mike said casually.
Actually, Connie knew what she needed to do, but lacking some confidence, she needed a little encouragement from others.
"OK, I'll ask her out for tea tomorrow afternoon." As expected, after hearing Mike's words, Connie made up her mind.
Then, she looked at the computer and asked curiously, "Can these messy lines really make money?"
Mike had not deliberately hidden the stock market matter, so Connie had some understanding of stocks.
The messy lines she referred to were the stock trend charts.
"I don't know about others, but in my hands, it can definitely make money." Mike showed a confident smile and continued, "Similarly, after you recover your capital from the arcade, I also suggest you give me the money to help you trade stocks."
To put it bluntly, an arcade was ultimately not a legitimate business.
Instead of earning that hard-earned money while constantly worrying, it would be better to invest the money in the stock market.
Taking advantage of the current stock market boom and Mike's stock trading ability, Connie would certainly not lose money.
"I'll think about it..." Compared to the virtual new industry, Connie was more willing to trust tangible, brick-and-mortar businesses.
This was a difference in perception.
Time flew by, and three days passed.
With Ira's help, regardless of cost, Connie's arcade at the street entrance was now completely renovated.
The old, peeling walls were repainted and redecorated, looking much more comfortable. And the dim lighting in the basement was replaced with warm-toned pendant lights.
Ira, who owned a furniture store, even used her position to create a brand new cashier counter at the arcade entrance.
And at the very back of the arcade, a small resting area was specially partitioned off, 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."
From this, it could be seen that Ira was indeed attentive to Connie's affairs.
Most of the people who came here to play were wealthy and idle seniors, and the "cozy" decoration style obviously attracted their attention more.
At this moment, the entrance of the arcade was crowded with seniors who had heard the news and rushed over. The arcade was one of the few good places for them to pass the time.
"Georgie, you go ahead and greet people inside," Connie, with a smile on her face, directed her only employee.
Yes, three days ago, Georgie agreed to "help" at the arcade.
And the reason so many customers came for the arcade's grand opening today was also the result of Georgie's promotion over these three days.
He seemed very suited for this kind of communication work.
As customers poured into the arcade, exclamations of surprise erupted.
Connie also led a large group of people into the arcade.
Due to the special nature of today, the Cooper family once again accompanied Connie to "stand by" her.
And besides the Cooper family, Mike, Paige, Ira, and others were also by Connie's side.
At the same time, Robin, dressed in casual clothes, was also mixed in the crowd.
"Ira, thank you so much for this time." Looking at the brand new arcade, Connie sincerely expressed her gratitude.
Then, she continued, "How much did those pieces of furniture cost? Tally it up and give me a number so I can reimburse you."
Although Connie had previously given Ira a thousand dollars for the renovation, the extent of the renovation here was clearly far more than a thousand dollars.
Connie, who was very satisfied with the finished product, didn't mind spending a little more money at this time.
"No need, those pieces of furniture are nothing to me." Ira had once given Connie a sofa worth over ten thousand dollars to please her.
Now, giving a few more pieces of furniture was indeed nothing to him.
"Are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you out for dinner to celebrate your arcade's opening." Taking advantage of Connie's good mood, Ira once again extended a date invitation.
"I'm afraid not, you've seen the situation here. I'll probably be very busy for a while." Connie, who was no longer interested in Ira, found another excuse to refuse him.
However, what she said also made sense. The renovated and reopened arcade's business was much better than before.
At this time, many players had already observed the new environment in the arcade and gone to the game machines to play.
Then, the game machines, whose winning probabilities had been readjusted, also ignited the players' enthusiasm.
"This plush toy with a unique mark is the prize. When you leave, I will buy it back from you with dollars..." As someone won, Georgie also began his work.
He started explaining the prize redemption matters to the customers.
"I don't want the toy, I want my prize money..." The lucky winner obviously didn't understand the purpose of the plush toy and only wanted to get his money.
"Like this... I'll give you the prize... and then you sell the plush toy back to me... Here's a hundred dollars for selling the toy... Please keep it..." Georgie, unable to explain clearly, directly demonstrated with a practical operation.
The lucky winner, who received a hundred dollars, felt relieved and seemed to understand something.
The other customers nearby, although they didn't know why the arcade was going to such extra lengths, also felt relieved when they saw that the lucky winner didn't receive a single cent less.
"A very clever approach..." Robin, who had been closely observing Georgie's operation throughout, gave this action a high evaluation.
Robin from the Department of Transportation came here today mainly for inspection. After all, in the future, she would also be the guarantor for this arcade.
"I'll go back and tell my colleagues to try not to disturb your business. Of course, you also need to be more careful in the future and avoid making mistakes." Robin, who now had a clear understanding, didn't mind giving Connie a little convenience.
"You can rest assured. When I have time, I'll invite you and your colleagues for tea." Connie smiled and reached an unspoken agreement with Robin.
Tea was just an excuse, the tea money was the key. This was considered a tribute payment, or protection money, if you will.
Paying for peace of mind.
At this point, Connie's arcade was truly up and running.