American TV series: Starting with exploiting young Sheldon

Simply put, toys are used as "currency" in the game, thus avoiding direct monetary "transactions".

This step may seem redundant, but it effectively solves the problem of gambling in arcades.

"Let me sort this out. I think I understand a little bit, but I don't think I fully understand..." Grandma Connie said her head was a little dizzy.

Actually, Grandma Connie isn't stupid; it's just that her age makes her less able to accept new things.

“Isn’t that just a ‘voucher’?” Missy, who was sitting next to me, suddenly spoke up and got to the point.

“Yes, toys are like ‘vouchers’. How come I didn’t think of that just now…” Grandma Connie seemed to have suddenly realized something and happily praised, “Missie, you’ve been a great help this time. Grandma has decided to reward you with another ice cream.”

In this round, both Missy and Connie's grandma are in a win-win situation.

In the kitchen, Mary was preparing a feast for Mandy while also directing her husband to make a special roast meat.

Based on the principle that women shouldn't make things difficult for other women.

After calming down, Mary had basically accepted Mandy.

More than an hour later, a sumptuous dinner was laid out on the Cooper family's table. They were waiting for little George and Mandy to return so they could welcome them back.

They waited until the barbecue was almost cold, but still didn't see George and the other boy return.

"I hope nothing goes wrong!" Mary looked worried as she watched the sky outside the window gradually darken.

"Should I go out and take a look?" Old George was getting restless too.

Regardless of the circumstances, Mandy is carrying Cooper's bloodline.

This left George and his wife with no choice but to take it seriously.

Just as George's father got up to go out and look for someone, little George burst in through the door.

"Why are you alone? Where's Mandy?" Old George asked, glancing behind his eldest son with a surprised look.

“Mandy rented a house outside…” Little George, who came back alone, also looked very unhappy.

"How could you let her live alone outside?" Old George asked incredulously.

If word gets out that this is happening, people will just think the Cooper family is bullying people.

If you put yourself in her shoes, you'll understand how terrible her situation is.

“Alright, little George has been traveling all day, he must be hungry now. Let’s eat and talk…” To avoid making the atmosphere tense, Grandma Connie called out to George.

Later at the dinner table, everyone learned what had happened during the hour or so that little George had been gone.

Mandy was extremely emotional when she suddenly learned the truth about George's lie about his age, and ultimately could not forgive him.

For the past hour or so, little George had been apologizing to the girl repeatedly. Unable to gain her forgiveness, he could only helplessly help her find a place to stay in town.

"What are you planning to do in the future?" Connie's grandmother asked with concern after listening to little George's story.

“I don’t know either. Mandy seems very disappointed in me.” Little George frowned, looking very downcast.

“I understand how Mandy feels. But your relationship isn’t hopeless…” Grandma Connie comforted her. “The fact that Mandy didn’t leave town overnight proves she still has feelings for you. Whether you can win her back depends on what you do next…”

Based on Mike's previous analysis, Grandma Connie explained Mandy's thoughts to little George.

To keep a girl, you need to give her enough security.

"So, little George. Have you decided what you want to do?" After rambling on for a while, Grandma Connie returned to the original question.

"I...maybe I should continue with my business." Knowing that establishing a career is the first step to starting a family, young George gradually understood the responsibilities on his shoulders, though he still looked somewhat lost.

After all, he is still a "child" in terms of age.

"Why don't you come to the arcade and help me out..." Grandma Connie suggested.

Following Mike's advice, the new business model for the arcade would probably be too much for one person to handle.

If little George is willing to help, it would be a good thing for both himself and Grandma Connie.

Chapter 314 The Opening of the Arcade

"Mom, what's going on in my room?" George asked, as he prepared to go back to his room to rest after dinner.

Just like the layout of Connie's grandma's house, Cooper's house also has only one master bedroom and two side rooms.

It's a matter of one person, one job.

During the time George was away, Sheldon moved some of his toys from the basement to George's bedroom so that he could have more toys.

And because little George came back so suddenly, his room was still full of toys that hadn't been tidied up yet.

Mary, who went to George's room after hearing the noise, looked at her "good-for-nothing" eldest son, then at her "well-behaved" youngest son, and finally said with a stern face, "Until you sort out your relationship with Mandy, you'll be living in the basement. This is your punishment."

Ultimately, Mary favored her clever youngest son in the family.

Moreover, George's unreliable behavior this time has indeed given Mary quite a headache.

This wave can be described as a combination of old and new grudges.

"Dad~" Little George, not wanting to lose his right to live, turned to his father for help.

“Do you remember that bet we made before? You said you wouldn’t consider getting married before you turned thirty. So… until you reconcile with Mandy, I support your mother’s decision.” Old Man George shrugged, indicating that there was nothing he could do.

Similarly, George's actions of getting his girlfriend pregnant out of wedlock have also given his father a major headache.

Therefore, moving to the basement was meant to teach little George a lesson.

“Okay, it’s not a big deal to live in the basement…” Knowing he was in the wrong, little George chose to compromise.

And to be honest, compared to the cramped side room, the basement is pretty good in every way except for the inconvenience of washing up and using the toilet.

It is spacious and cool in summer and warm in winter.

George, who had lived in a basement for a while, said he loved it.

"That means George's bedroom is now officially mine!" Just as George was feeling reluctant, Sheldon, who was oblivious to the atmosphere, suddenly burst into cheers.

Young Sheldon, who currently shares a room with his sister, has long wanted his own bedroom.

There, he could freely spend time with his toys.

Just thinking about it makes me happy.

And so, George and Sheldon began their big move. Meanwhile, at Connie's grandma's house, Mike was sitting in front of the computer, checking his stock holdings.

During this period, he made a lot of money in the stock market, and his net worth is about to reach the level of a multi-millionaire.

"Mike, based on your opinion, how should I approach Robin about the arcade situation?" Grandma Connie, who wasn't good at dealing with government officials, was still a little worried about the arcade.

After all, arcades are not considered a legitimate business in people's minds.

"Just arrange an afternoon tea time and tell Robin about the arcade's renovation plan. Without the gambling business, I'm sure she won't give you any trouble," Mike said casually.

In fact, Grandma Connie knew what she should do, but lacking confidence, she needed some encouragement from others.

“OK, I’ll ask her out for tea tomorrow afternoon.” Sure enough, after hearing Mike’s words, Grandma Connie made up her mind.

Then, she looked at the computer and asked curiously, "Can you really make money with all these messy lines?"

Mike didn't deliberately hide the fact that he was involved in stocks, so Grandma Connie knew a little about them.

The messy lines she described were actually stock charts.

“I don’t know about others, but I can definitely make money with you.” Mike smiled confidently and continued, “Similarly, after you get your money back at the arcade, I also suggest you give me your money to invest in stocks.”

To put it bluntly, arcades are ultimately not a legitimate industry.

Instead of living in fear and anxiety every day to earn that hard-earned money, it's better to invest it in the stock market.

With the current stock market boom and Mike's stock trading skills, Grandma Connie is sure to avoid losing money.

"Let me think about it some more..." Compared to emerging virtual industries, Grandma Connie prefers to believe in the tangible real economy.

This is a difference in perception.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Thanks to Ella's generous help, Connie's grandma's arcade at the street corner has been completely transformed.

The old, peeling walls were repainted and renovated, making them look much more comfortable. The dim lighting in the basement was also replaced with warm-toned pendant lights.

Ella, who owns a furniture store, took advantage of her position to create a brand new cashier counter at the entrance of the arcade.

At the very back of the arcade, a small rest area was specially partitioned off, furnished with a water dispenser and a few simple sofas.

If it weren't for the slot machines, this place would be more like a senior citizens' activity center.

This shows that Ella really cares about Grandma Connie's situation.

Most of the people who come here are wealthy and have plenty of free time, so the "cozy" decor style is obviously more likely to attract their attention.

At this moment, the entrance to the arcade was crowded with elderly people who had rushed over after hearing the news. The arcade was one of the few good places for them to pass the time.

"Little George, you go in and let them in first," Grandma Connie said with a smile, directing her only employee.

Yes, three days ago little George agreed to come to the arcade to "help out".

The fact that so many customers came to the arcade today is a result of George's promotion over the past three days.

He seems well-suited for this kind of job that involves communicating with people.

As customers poured into the arcade, their gasps of surprise filling the air, Grandma Connie led a large group of people into the arcade as well.

Because of the special nature of today, the Cooper family once again joined Connie's grandmother to "support" her.

Besides the Cooper family, Mike, Peggy, Ella, and others also stayed with Connie's grandmother.

Meanwhile, Robin, dressed in casual clothes, also mingled in the crowd.

"Ella, thank you so much this time." Looking at the newly renovated arcade, Grandma Connie expressed her sincere gratitude.

Then she continued, "How much did those furniture cost? Please calculate it and give me a figure so I can give you a reimbursement."

Although Connie's grandmother had previously given Ella a budget of 1,000 US dollars for renovations, the extent of the renovations here clearly requires far more than 1,000 US dollars.

Connie's grandmother was very satisfied with the finished product and didn't mind spending a little more money.

“No need, those pieces of furniture mean nothing to me.” Ella once gave Connie’s grandmother a sofa that cost tens of thousands of US dollars.

Giving him more furniture now wouldn't be a big deal for him.

"Are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you out for dinner to celebrate the opening of your arcade." Taking advantage of Grandma Connie's good mood, Ella extended another invitation.

"I'm afraid that won't work. You've seen the situation here. I'll be very busy for the next while." Grandma Connie, who was no longer interested in Ella, once again made up an excuse to refuse her.

However, what she said makes sense; the arcade, after renovation and reopening, is doing much better business than before.

By this time, many players had already finished observing the new environment of the arcade and were heading to the game machines to play.

Then, the game machines whose odds of winning were readjusted also sparked the enthusiasm of players.

"This plush toy with the unique mark is the prize. I'll bring it back for a dollar when you leave..." As someone wins a prize, little George begins his work.

Explain the prize redemption process to the customer.

"I don't want the toy, I want my prize money..." The lucky winner clearly didn't understand the purpose of the plush toy and only wanted to get his mane.

“Okay… I’ll give you the prize… and you sell me the plush toy… here’s 100 dollars for the toy… please keep it safe…” Little George, unable to explain further, went straight to the point of taking action.

The lucky person who received 100 yuan seemed to understand something as they breathed a sigh of relief.

The other customers nearby, though they didn't know why the arcade was going to go through all this trouble, were also relieved to see that the lucky winner hadn't lost a single penny.

"A very clever move..." Robin, who had been watching George's actions closely the whole time, gave this behavior high praise.

Robin from the Ministry of Transportation is here today mainly for inspection purposes. After all, she will be considered the guarantor for this arcade from now on.

“I’ll tell my colleagues when I get back to try not to bother your business. Of course, you’ll also need to be more careful in the future and avoid making any mistakes.” Robin, now that she had a clear idea of ​​what was going on, didn’t mind making things easier for Grandma Connie.

"Don't worry, I'll treat you and your colleagues to tea when I have time." Grandma Connie smiled and reached a tacit agreement with Robin.

Drinking tea is just an excuse; the real issue is the tea fee. It's like a donation, or you could call it protection money.

Paying money buys peace of mind.

At this point, Connie's Grandma's arcade was officially open.

Chapter 315 Organizing the Math Olympiad Team

As November approached and Halloween was just around the corner, Mike finally convinced Mia to agree to cosplay as a gothic princess with Lina.