"Refusing to be a Puppy Lover: My Journey begins with Confronting a Scheming Belle"

Chapter 7: The First Step to Earning $500

At this moment, Wu Yang could see Carver's seriousness. Although he wasn't sure if Carver had the confidence, he still stepped forward to support him:

"That's right, Uncle Guang. Trust my brother just this once!"

Seeing Wu Yang speak up, the bald man furrowed his brows and relented slightly. He then waved his hand, making way, and said:

"Alright, young man, give it a try."

"Got it!"

Carver hurried forward, but instead of starting the main unit, he went straight to the large CRT monitor. Using a screwdriver, he opened the back cover. After rummaging through a thick layer of dust and seeing a few melted wires, Carver rejoiced inwardly:

"Just as I thought!"

Having identified the problem, Carver replaced the damaged wires with new ones, connected the power, and turned on the main unit. After the whirring of the fan, an antiquated Windows loading screen appeared on the monitor!

"Wow, it's really fixed?!"

Seeing this scene, the young men were stunned. They had initially thought Carver was just showing off, but he had truly accomplished it!

"Carver, you're amazing! Can you teach me how to fix computers?"

Beside him, Wu Yang excitedly hooked his arm around Carver's shoulder and said.

"It's quite simple, just a matter of replacing a few wires."

Carver shrugged nonchalantly. After all, this was child's play for him. Before being reborn, he had done numerous jobs to make money, and repairing a computer was just a trivial task.

"Kid, you've got some skills!"

The bald man, still skeptical, moved the mouse and confirmed that the computer was indeed fixed. A smile appeared on his face, and as if struck by an idea, he patted Carver on the shoulder and said, "Young man, I have a few more broken computers here. How about you take a look at them?"

Realizing his request might be a bit much, the bald man quickly added, "I'll give you a membership regardless of whether you fix them or not. For every computer you repair, I'll add thirty dollars. If you can fix them all, you can play on all the machines here for free, how about that?"

Hearing the bald man's offer, Carver was tempted. In 2006, thirty dollars was a significant amount for a student. If he could save that money, it would be worth it!

Considering the current cost of living, Carver could buy breakfast for four people and make thirty dollars last half a month!

"Alright, I'll give it a try."

Carver nodded in agreement. The bald man then led him to a corner of the internet cafe, where five or six computers covered in dust had been neglected for a long time.

"Those computer repair guys are really shady. They took a look and told me the motherboard was broken. It would cost over two hundred for each one, which is enough to buy a new one..."

The bald man grumbled, recalling some infuriating past experiences. He continued, "My name is Liu Guangyao. You can call me Uncle Guang."

"Carver, a student at Linhai No. 3 High School."

After a brief chat, Carver picked up the toolbox and began inspecting and repairing the computers one by one based on Liu Guangyao's descriptions of their issues. Wu Yang squatted beside him, watching.

After nearly two hours of hard work, Carver finally fixed all the computers. When the last one powered up successfully, Carver wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Good job."

Liu Guangyao handed over two bottles of iced cola. Carver didn't hesitate and took a big gulp.

Refreshing!

Having repaired all the computers, Liu Guangyao saved a significant amount of money and was in high spirits. He immediately offered to treat the two to a barbecue.

However, Carver declined, noting that it was already past midnight. With school the next day and his parents waiting at home, he didn't want to worry them by coming home too late.

Wu Yang, also needing to head home, suggested they go back together.

Though slightly disappointed, Liu Guangyao pulled out several red bills from a drawer and insisted on giving them to Carver as a token of gratitude.

"Oh, I can't accept this..."

Carver reluctantly pocketed the bills, causing Wu Yang's face to twitch with envy.

"Come by often! I, Liu Guangyao, keep my word. From now on, you can play on my computers for free."

They reluctantly said their goodbyes, mainly to Carver.

On the way home, Wu Yang excitedly grabbed Carver's arm, eager to ask:

"Carver, is this the money-making method you mentioned?! When did you learn to fix computers? I don't remember you having a computer at home!"

"No, it was just a coincidence." Carver replied calmly. Unlike the excited Wu Yang, he remained composed.

The first sum of money had unexpectedly fallen into his hands—five hundred dollars. Though it might not seem much, for Carver, it was a significant amount, sufficient for his next plan.

"Can you teach me how to fix computers?"

Wu Yang, feeling envious, watched Carver earn a considerable sum from the internet cafe owner with minimal effort. As someone who always spent his parents' money, he couldn't help but feel jealous.

"It's not that difficult, but it requires a lot of learning and hard work."

Carver replied expressionlessly. Wu Yang shivered and shook his head, grumbling:

"Forget it, I'm not cut out for studying..."

"Sometimes, I really envy you smart guys." Wu Yang said, clasping his hands behind his head, his tone mixed with an inexplicable emotion.

"Dad, Mom, I'm home!"

Carver opened the door to see his parents, Li Ping and Carver Guoqiang, still awake. Carver Guoqiang glared at him:

"You rascal, why are you back so late?"

"Oh, I was studying at a classmate's house and lost track of time." Carver scratched his head, finding an excuse. Carver Guoqiang wanted to say more, but Li Ping pulled on his sleeve and said:

"Alright, go to bed. Don't be this late next time."

Lying on his small bed, Carver reflected on the day's events and touched the money under his pillow, forming a plan in his mind.

"Forget it, I'll sleep first and conduct an on-site inspection over the weekend..."

...

Early the next morning, Carver left home.

Riding Amaris's bicycle along a familiar road, he arrived at the breakfast stall and bought breakfast for four as usual. This time, he chose fried dough sticks and tofu pudding instead of steamed buns.

Looking around, he noticed that Chelsea and her group were absent. Clearly, Chelsea was upset with Carver's previous actions and was waiting for him to apologize.

If it were the old Carver, he might have eagerly tried to make amends. But now, he had no interest in Chelsea.

Carrying the breakfast, he walked straight into the classroom. Entering the class, he saw Amaris sitting at her usual spot, reading a book under the lamp, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, exuding a youthful charm.

"Good morning."

Carver greeted with a smile, sitting in front of Amaris and placing the breakfast on the table.

"I got a new flavor today. I hope you like it."