[Hyde POV]
Eric was so hungry that night, he devoured three portions of meatloaf.
"Why are you so hungry Eric?" Laurie asked teasingly.
I turned to him and added, "Yeah Eric. Did something happen that makes you feel like… I don't know, do you need to replenish your energy?"
Eric looked at me with shock, while Red and Kitty also stared at him.
"You mean… the wedding?" Eric stammered. "That must be it."
"It's fine if he's eating more. He's too skinny anyway." Red added gruffly.
I held back a laugh and said, "Yeah Red. He needed to make himself bigger. Harder too."
"Hyde. Shut it." Eric warned me.
"He's not wrong, you know. You could use a little hardening." Red said to Eric sternly.
"Dad–" He turned to his mom with a whine, "MOM!"
"Red. It's fine. He's not skinny. He's my precious little baby boy." Mrs Forman smothered him.
Eric whined, "I'm not a boy. I'm a man!"
I laughed at him with Red. He rolled his eyes and finally picked up his plate and left.
Then, I turned to Laurie.
"What?" She asked, taken aback.
"Nothing. Surprise to see you here." I added.
"Yeah Laurie. You always go out on a Sunday night." Mrs Forman asked with concern.
"What's the matter? You don't have any money?" Red asked gruffly.
"Your boyfriend went to jail?" I added.
"I just feel like staying home. Geez." Laurie picked up her plate and went to the sink. "Oh yeah, I do need some money. Daddy~"
Red smiled and gave her twenty bucks.
…
[Episode 18: Afterglow.
Old rating: 6.7
New rating: 7.5
Rating point added: 0.8
Total rating point: 5
Top favorability counter: (4/10)]
The system notification chimed in before dinner. The episode ended with Donna asking every girl how their first time went.
Eric managed to convince Donna about the practice, and the Formans bought a motorcycle.
"Great, I can buy another Build Mode. All of the materials are arriving tomorrow—" I yawned and added tiredly, "I can start to do Megan's house."
Even Andy and Ron had started to work on my house. They told me that the addition and renovation could be done in just two months.
"I ate too much at dinner." I yawned and laid down on the bed.
I fell asleep and woke up at four in the morning, feeling refreshed.
"Oh damn it." I cursed as I couldn't even go back to sleep. School would start more than three hours later.
I got out of bed begrudgingly and went to take a shower. Wearing a black Nikey tracksuit and sneakers, I went to Megan's house to accept the deliveries before going to school.
On the way there, I stopped by the autoshop garage and unloaded the cars I bought in Chicago there.
"Nice. The CATs are here."
I accepted the CAT deliveries with a huge grin on my face. The skid steer, excavator, backhoe, and the platform lift all appeared in front of Megan's house.
Then, I cleaned up her house first. Taking her large furniture and putting it into the barn, of course, with a plastic protector on them, I began clearing up her living room so I could store the materials there.
The wood I bought fell from the system with a 'Tak Tak Tak' sound as I arranged everything neatly in the living room.
The drywalls were here too, although now I realized that I bought them too early.
"System, use Build Mode to fix the foundation of the house."
Since I had all the tools now, I wanted to know how long it would take the system to complete it. The Build Mode interface started and I almost clicked on it.
"Wait…"
I paused before starting the build.
"Since the system is going to work down there… I should probably do the crawlspace work first."
I crouched down and shined a flashlight under the house. The crawlspace was a mess.
Dirt floor. Rotten joists. Wet patches near the center beam. Moldy insulation hanging down like wet cotton candy.
"Yeah… This is bad."
In the future, the insulation research told people that having a non-insulated crawlspace was a huge heating leak for the house.
I already bought the insulation and the water pump to ensure that wouldn't happen.
I pulled out my camera and started recording. If I edited the footage right, it would look like a proper renovation series.
"Although, if I want to do it ASMR style, I need a couple seconds of footage showing I was working on the floors myself."
So I did exactly that. I took a crowbar and pried up the floorboards after putting the camera on a tripod.
CRACK.
The rotten wood split easily.
The camera captured the entire thing. Rotting joists, termite damage, and the damp crawlspace below.."
I removed several joists manually for the footage, grunting a bit for the camera.
Then, when the camera angle was off, I simply stored the heavy lumber inside my system storage. That was way easier than I expected.
Soon the entire floor structure was exposed. The subfloors were all pried up. The bathroom was gutted down, and some of the floors were taken out.
Now the real work could begin.
The dirt under the house was leveled first. Uneven soil was graded flat and compacted so moisture wouldn't pool underneath the house.
After that, a layer of gravel appeared across the crawlspace floor.
"That's nice."
Gravel improved drainage and prevented mud buildup.
Next came the vapor barrier.
A thick polyethylene sheet rolled across the entire crawlspace floor like a white carpet.
The plastic stretched wall to wall. The seams overlapped by about a foot, and the system sealed them perfectly.
Even the edges climbed slightly up the foundation walls.
"That'll stop moisture from coming up from the ground."
Ground moisture was one of the biggest reasons crawlspaces rotted in the first place.
With the vapor barrier in place, the crawlspace was finally dry and sealed.
"I used only one minute of Build Mode for this."
It was like I had worked 8 hours a day for a week to do this.
Next up was the structural repair.
The system removed the remaining rotten joists and beams.
The old sill plate sitting on the stone foundation was crumbling like wet cardboard.
That was replaced with a pressure-treated sill plate, with a thin plastic gasket layer between the wood and the stone to prevent moisture transfer.
Then new joists were inserted to the places where the joists were taken out. Perfectly spaced. Sixteen inches apart.
They locked into the beam and rim boards as if an invisible carpenter was working at lightning speed.
I recorded a shot using a laser level to show the alignment.
"Perfectly level." I smiled at the camera.
"This is like… two days of work."
The system did it in 16 seconds.
Then, it was plumbing and septic work. I moved outside the house and started one of the CATs. Before that, I put some oils in it first.
Using the excavator, I recorded footage of myself digging trenches around the house.
I didn't mess with the old septic tank and dug the new one at a more suitable spot the architect I was talking to told me to dig.
The old cast iron pipes were removed and replaced with modern piping.
Inside the crawlspace, the water lines were upgraded to copper pipes.
A new water heater was installed near the utility corner.
Everything connected cleanly through the floor framing. I turned the valve and watched the water run.
"Perfect. Lastly, the floors."
Fiberglass insulation batts were placed between the joists to protect against Wisconsin winters.
Then the subfloor panels appeared. Thick OSB sheets locked across the joists.
Each panel staggered perfectly so the seams didn't line up.
Nails drove themselves into the joists in a tight pattern. The floor became solid again.
When I stepped on it, there was no creaking at all.
"Too bad it's time for me to go to school."
It took around 7 minutes of Build Mode to finish up the house foundation. It was still great, since I didn't really have experience or the skills for that.
Lastly, before I go, I made sure to replace the electrical panel of the house.
That took me only two seconds.
"Wait. I forgot to check what happened on the last video I posted on YouTube."
I checked the video as I drove to the Forman's house for a shower and a change of clothes.
The Mustang race video I uploaded last week now had around 2.5 million views.
There were around 40,000 likes, 300 dislikes, and 2,332 comments.
"Wait. People donated?"
I was surprised to see people giving me money in the comment section. Some gave five dollars, the top one gave around fifty.
I got around $200 in donations, which was really shocking. Most of the people who donated wanted more content like this one.
The ad revenue was even better. With 2.5 million views at $9 CPM, I made $22,500.
The sponsorship was also solid—Snap-On Tools gave me $3,000 for featuring their tools, plus another $5,000 bonus for surpassing 1 million views.
Affiliate commissions added another $800.
On top of that, my older car restoration videos had gained traction thanks to the Mustang video, adding around $9,000 more.
"Although the money isn't comparable to the quarter-million I got from ABC, it's still really nice and can support my other YouTube projects."
Once I was done with final exams, I'd focus on new car videos and renovation projects.
'Let's see if I can hit six figures on YouTube before the year ends.'
I thought about why the video performed so well.
2025 was a weird time. Most content was either repetitive, low-effort, or overly polished but soulless. People were desperate for something authentic. Videos that actually told a story, showed skill, and had personality performed really well on Youtube.
The race had a narrative, a little drama, real editing, and actual care for production quality. It wasn't just cars going fast; it was my hands, my sweat, my mistakes, my victories. That made people feel connected.
"Also, it helped that people have a crush on Megan."
Most of the people in the comment kept asking for her Instagram. Megan wasn't afraid of getting dirty, has a genuine aura, and was quite goofy too in the videos therefore she has an audience of her own.
…
At school today, Kat, Jody, Tara and Madelyn approached me after the first period ended.
"Hey. Do you want to study together at Kat's house today?" Tara asked me.
"Just studying?" I flirted.
Kat blushed and said, "Yes. Study! The finals are tomorrow!"
"I'm screwed!" Jody was frustrated. "I can't repeat grades again. That's too embarrassing!"
"Which grade did you repeat?" I asked her in confusion.
"First grade." She replied. "And fourth grade."
"I repeated the fourth grade too." Tara added shyly.
Kat laughed and said, "I repeated eighth grade! How about you Madelyn?"
Madelyn snorted and said, "I didn't repeat anything because I study unlike you bitches."
Everyone gasped fakely at her words. Jody leaned on my chest and looked up cutely. "Steven. You can teach me, right? I don't want to get held back again. I'm almost twenty."
I laughed and said, "I can't really study with you, but if you really want to pass, I can help you tomorrow."
"Really?" Jody was elated. "Great! So I don't have to study today!"
"How can you help her tomorrow? Are you planning to cheat?" Madelyn looked at me suspiciously.
I just smiled and said dismissively, "who knows."
"Hey, help me too." Tara added meekly. "I'm in the same boat as her. Kat's fine, since she got top ten in the last test."
"Yes. I'm the smartest here." Kat grinned and held my face, forcing me to look at her. "So, you should know by now who you should pick."
"Hey! A dumb girlfriend is better than a bitchy slut." Tara quipped, which made Kat glare at her.
They were fighting at the party, then they were fine, and now they fought again. Their friendship was quite toxic.
I held Kat by her waist, pulling her close with my right hand, and did the same with Tara with my left one. "Now, don't fight. You're turning me on. How about a bet?"
"What bet?" Kat was intrigued.
"Who will get the best score tomorrow? The winner can ask me anything they want."
All three girls were elated. "Wait, but you're helping them cheat." Kat said with realisation.
"I'm not." I smiled again.
Well, I was.
…
After school was over, Jody came with me as I went to grab Ron and Andy. They brought a big truck to Megan's place to grab the excavator and the backhoe.
Tara's eyes glittered as she saw the giant machineries. "What's all this?" She asked.
"Well, I'm starting a construction company." I told her. "Just register it today."
Leslie did it on my behalf, along with my lawyer.
"That's so cool. My brother's in construction." She said giddily. "And my dad too."
"Oh, what do they do?" I asked curiously.
"Roof. They are roofers." Tara replied, leaning towards me and grabbed my arm. "Hey, can I sit on one of those things?"
"Sure. Which one do you want?"
We rode the backhoe and dug the ground to remove a tree stump. It took around two hours, but the roots were cleared out.
"This is amazing!" She squealed. "If I quit school, can I just work with you?"
"I don't mind, as long as you have a licence. Also, keep in mind, I don't date my employees."
"We're not dating now." Tara teased. "We not… anything."
"That's true. Should we go do something?" I asked as I held her hand when she climbed down the backhoe.
"I want to go to DG and play the claw machine." Tara said.
"Great. Let's go."
DG was a short nickname for The Daily Grind. She wanted to go to my cafe.
I drove my Chevelle there, and Harris noticed me as I entered. I made a secret, 'Shut up' gesture at him to get him to leave me alone.
We went to the reserved table, and Tara ordered some food. Then, we played the claw machine together.
"Here. A mouse." I gave her a cute plushie.
"This is SOOO CUTE!" She grabbed the small mouse and said, "I never won anything here. You did it in three tries."
"Really? It's set up to give you something every ten turns. So, just play it ten times."
Tara widened her eyes in shock. I laughed and said, "Did you have fun today?"
"Very fun." She replied with a smile. "So don't call it quits so soon."
I smiled bitterly and said, "Unfortunately. I have a lot of work tonight."
"Damn." She cursed whisperingly. "Okay, I'll just follow you around then."
"It's in my bedroom." I smirked. "And I work naked."
She blushed and said, "You said you're busy, but you still have time for that?"
"Every man would say yes to that question." I nodded slightly.
She scoffed and laughed. "As if! That's not going to work… well, not going to work until after the finals."
"That's too bad."
I drove her home and we talked the entire way. "You should come to my house sometimes. I make mean chicken wings."
"I'd do that when I have time." I said, kissing her slightly. She smiled in contentment and kissed me back, with tongue.
We did the thumb war game, but with our tongue, until the sky darkened.
"Kat is going to be so jealous." She grinned as she grabbed the mouse doll. "You're done with her now that you have… with her, right?" She teased.
"Yup." I agreed with her.
She laughed and said, "Great. So I'm going to drag it out for a long time now before I put out. Otherwise you'll stop calling me too."
I laughed and didn't say anything. She waved me goodbye and got back into her house.
Compared to Kat and Jody, Tara's house was quite small and she had no grass around her house.
I didn't go back home, instead I went to Leslie's office. She was working hard using the laptop and was excited to see me there.
"Sir Hyde." She called politely. "The bank called. They are considering your loan application."
"That's great news." I smiled, like a weight had gone off my shoulder.
I took out a loan for business expansion. For the cafe, and opening a restaurant/cafe in Green Bay.
Also, to open a chain of coffee shops in Chicago.
The cafe wasn't giving me a huge amount of profits per month, but I still got around ten grand from it.
Unlike in a small town, a big city could develop a more intense coffee culture, so that's where I was focusing to do the expansion next.
The loan was also for the print shop, since I already trained the designers. Now, I could open the marketing/printing business in Chicago and have them lead the offices there.
The loan was for a million dollars. That was too much for just the expansion, but my plan was to buy a commercial building in Chicago, renovate it to make it a main office for all of my businesses.
That includes the autoshop, where I would open a car dealership that operated on pre-order, the cafes, the printshop, and make other offices available for rent.
I asked GPT about the building, but the AI answer astonished me.
Unless I bought a building in a riskier area, with a lot of crime, I would need a lot more than one million dollars.
"How about old buildings?"
…
I went back to the basement at night, and saw Kelso there with Fez.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Kelso and I greeted each other curtly. Fez rushed to me and said excitedly, "Hyde! Guess what!"
"What?"
"Patty agrees to be my girlfriend!"
"That red head from the blind date?" I was surprised. "Nicely done!" I swung my hand and clasped Fez's hand.
Kelso said smugly, "And it all thanks to me."
"You didn't do anything." Fez said blankly.
"And that is my contribution." Kelso snickered. "Or else, I would have been making out with her first!"