"Mike, when are you planning to leave?"
Georgie asked at the Cooper family dinner table.
"Tomorrow morning." Mike, having gotten his car, naturally wanted to return quickly to secure his inheritance as soon as possible.
"Cool—"
However, Georgie seemed to have misunderstood something; he thought Mike's trip back was simply a road trip.
Still excited from the test drive, Georgie continued with interest, "I wonder what kind of car I can buy with the money I have. I also want to take advantage of this summer vacation to broaden my horizons…"
Georgie had made some money from the crystal ball business last Christmas. Coupled with his usual savings, he probably had around three thousand dollars in hand.
Seeing Mike about to go on such a cool road trip, he couldn't sit still.
Therefore, Georgie also planned to buy a car and embark on a road trip that sounded very cool.
Next, he excitedly discussed the models of used cars he wanted to buy.
Three thousand dollars wasn't a lot, but it was enough to buy a used car.
If he was lucky, he might even be able to buy a used pickup truck or an off-brand SUV that was five or six-tenths new.
"That's enough, Georgie. You don't even have a driver's license yet; we can talk about buying a car later." Mary, already in a bad mood because her younger son had left, felt inexplicably irritated by her older son's topic of discussion.
"I've already asked Robin to help with the driver's license; I should get it in the next couple of days. Now I just need a car…" Georgie, still lost in his road trip fantasy, didn't notice his mother's emotional abnormality.
He kept talking about cars and road trips.
Robin was Pastor Jeff's second wife and worked in the traffic department. Asking her for help with a driver's license would be very convenient and quick.
Mike's current driver's license was obtained through her internal connections.
"Don't talk about cars anymore. You're not allowed to go anywhere this summer." Mary didn't care about driver's licenses or cars. As a mother, she stubbornly refused to accept that her children were all leaving her side.
This feeling is probably something every mother has experienced.
"This is about the car…" Georgie still didn't understand why his mother was acting crazy, but given her long-standing authority, despite his dissatisfaction, he only dared to mumble a few words softly.
…
"Mike, have you made all your preparations for the trip?" Connie asked with concern on the way back after dinner.
"It's all ready. I just need to buy some supplies for the road tomorrow." Mike replied.
There wasn't much to prepare for traveling alone; taking two sets of clothes and buying some food and drinks on the way would be enough.
"Get some rest early. Be careful on the road, and remember to call me anytime if anything happens…"
Back home, Connie was still giving Mike instructions for his trip.
Perhaps seeing Mike and Paige leave one after another, Connie, who had already come to regard them as family, now also seemed a bit down.
"Uh-huh, I know. You should also get some rest early…" Mike accepted her concern and then pulled out the Ferrari key, saying, "Also, for the next few days while I'm gone, please help me look after my Ferrari, Grandma."
"OK, I'll drive… look after the Ferrari. I guarantee there won won't be any problems…" Connie's mood suddenly brightened as she touched the Ferrari key.
Seeing this, Mike smiled and shook his head, then went to the bathroom for a quick wash before returning to his room to rest.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, he received a call from Collins.
"Collins, why are you calling so late?" Mike asked.
Since Mike and Collins talked on the phone with the help of Sean last time, their contact frequency had gradually increased in the following days.
They chatted online and on the phone.
However, this was the first time he had received a call from the girl so late.
"Mike, you know about my brother getting into Mississippi University, right?" Collins asked tentatively.
The girl had mentioned in previous conversations that Michael had worked hard and barely passed to get his university acceptance letter.
Moreover, Mike also knew that Collins had also received an acceptance letter from Mississippi University this year with excellent grades.
Unlike the athletic scholarship students, the girl easily got into the very popular major of Financial Management.
"You told me about this before, so?" Mike couldn't guess her intention, listening to the girl's hesitant tone on the phone.
"Because Michael and I both got into Mississippi University, to celebrate, my father is planning to take our family on vacation to Hawaii Beach…" Collins paused here. Then, as if mustering great courage, she invited, "I'd like to invite you to go on vacation with my family. Do you have time?"
Sunshine, beaches, girls…
This was indeed a good opportunity to get closer.
What's more, Collins was a very nice girl, well-mannered, intelligent, and most importantly, very beautiful.
Plus, her family was very rich; she was completely a treasure girl.
Mike wasn't a block of wood; in their many previous conversations, he had clearly felt the girl's special affection.
It was just a pity that Mike had more important things to do this summer than go on vacation.
"Sorry, Collins. I'm going back to Minnesota soon, so I'm afraid I won't be able to make it for the vacation together." After explaining the reason, Mike said softly, "I wish your family a pleasant vacation."
"This, alright. You go take care of your business first; we'll find another opportunity next time…" A deep sense of disappointment was evident in Collins' voice.
This was not hard to understand; after this summer, the girl would be leaving to attend university in New York.
If nothing unexpected happened, the two, being in different places, might not have a chance to meet again for the next year or even longer.
Collins, just experiencing her first stirrings of love, clearly couldn't accept this situation.
However, the girl couldn't do anything about this situation.
So, after chatting for a couple more sentences, she unenthusiastically hung up the phone.
Mike, on his end, naturally understood Collins' thoughts this time. If conditions allowed, he would have been quite willing to have a deeper interaction with her.
But it was still the same old saying: now was not the time.
"We'll talk about it when the right opportunity comes…"
Mike, who had never really lacked girls around him, briefly lusted after Collins' body before falling asleep, conserving his energy for tomorrow's trip.
At the same time, Sheldon, who had gone to Dr. Sturgis's house, also successfully fell asleep.
He was very particular about where he rested, and this time, he slept very peacefully.
In fact, Sheldon was very satisfied with his newly started life.
Dr. Sturgis, who had been single for many years, had unique habits in dealing with people in his life.
Upon Sheldon's arrival, while welcoming him, he adhered to the principle of not disturbing each other.
Even dinner tonight, they had adopted a separate meal system.
And this lifestyle perfectly suited Sheldon's preferences.
However, two eccentric geniuses with such an eccentric way of getting along were clearly not a long-term solution.
Especially when one of them was a child who needed constant care.
As midnight approached, when Sheldon woke up needing to use the restroom, seeing the unfamiliar surroundings, he couldn't help but feel nervous.
"This is nothing… I can do it… Just need to turn on the light…"
Sheldon, who should have sought help, chose to solve the current problem independently to maintain the undisturbed living habits with Dr. Sturgis.
However, with no real ability to live independently, he fumbled in the dark for a long time. Not only did he fail to find the light switch, but he also bumped his head in a panic.
"This is… blood…"
The sticky liquid on his hand made Sheldon realize he was in big trouble that he couldn't solve.
Fear instantly surged into his heart, and he cried out helplessly, "Help!!! Dr. Sturgis!!! I need help!!!"
Dr. Sturgis, a light sleeper, was awakened by the cry for help. Hearing Sheldon's anxious voice, he groggily ran out.
"What happened? Sheldon—"
Concern made him reckless; in his haste, there was a collision sound in the hallway, followed by Dr. Sturgis's cry of pain.
"My leg! I think my leg is broken!!"
"Don't worry, Sheldon, I'm coming to find you…"
Dr. Sturgis, enduring the pain, still didn't forget to worry about Sheldon.
However, the commotion in the hallway made Sheldon, who was in the dark and confused about the situation, even more scared.
A nine-year-old child, even if he was a super child prodigy, would still cry when scared.
And it was a loud, wailing cry…
For a moment, cries mixed with cries of pain, making Dr. Sturgis's house lively.