But out of more than a dozen assembled computers, almost all the customers were introduced by Brian Carter and Megan. Whether he earned 20, 50, or 100 yuan per order afterward, without the introductions from Brian Carter and Megan, he wouldn’t have developed his own client base.

Previously, he promised to live nearby so it would be convenient to help out with repairs if anything happened, which was only right.

He rented for one month first, and didn’t even need to pay the usual three months’ deposit plus one month’s rent upfront—thanks to Brian Carter’s connections.

At the very least, the one-bedroom over there included a private bathroom and kitchen. If you go live in a basement or a shared apartment, where would you even have space to practice your cooking skills?

For Eric Bennett’s big move, both Megan and Brian Carter helped out—Megan provided her private car, and Brian Carter pitched in with manual labor...

The place he rented was right above Brian Carter’s, with the same layout: one bedroom, one living room, one kitchen, and one bathroom. This was the smallest unit in Xuante District, aside from the basements.

As he gradually settled into his new place, Eric Bennett smiled and said, “Thanks for all your hard work, everyone. Tonight I’ll cook a homemade meal to thank you all.”

Christmas Little Reindeer... no, it’s sister-in-law, Emily Thompson. At this moment, even Emily Thompson was surprised and said, “You can cook?”

Eric Bennett waved his hand with a smile. “Nothing special, just some home-cooked dishes, enough to get by.”

At this time, the Christmas Little Reindeer was really young and fresh, with a kind heart—though not as much as in the future—but her big eyes were still very bright. “That’s not bad! I didn’t expect that after four years of studying architecture, you’d be so good at assembling and repairing computers, and you’ve even solved your job problem.”

“I’m the unlucky one. After four years of fashion design, the best opportunity I’ve found is a job at an advertising company, with an intern salary of 700 yuan. I’m still hesitating whether to take it.”

Brian Carter shook his head. “That’s not bad. Huazi went to sell used cars, Adam Clark has been looking for a job for ages and still can’t find one, so his dad has started arranging things for him.”

“In our department of several hundred people, I haven’t heard of anyone who’s managed to get a job as an architect yet—not even as an intern.”

The rich and beautiful Megan was all fired up. “What’s the rush? We’re all still young, there’s plenty of time to find a job in the future...”

Eric Bennett nodded. “No rush. Once I tidy up, I’ll go buy groceries.”

Emily Thompson exclaimed, “You just got here—do you know where to buy groceries?”

Seeing Eric Bennett shake his head, Emily Thompson smiled. “Want me to take you? I’m the best at discovering what good stuff is in every place.”

It was only their second meeting, and she had a good impression of Eric Bennett, but they were just ordinary friends. She didn’t want to stick around and watch Brian Carter and Megan flaunt their love!

Eric Bennett also smiled. “Sure, thanks a lot.”

He wasn’t interested in the Christmas Little Reindeer either. Even though the young and fresh sister-in-law was prettier than his ex-wife before he traveled back in time, he was still in a phase of missing his children and parents.

No point overthinking it—survival comes first.

He needed to get a foothold in this world of struggle in 2007. Once his survival skills were solid, he could think about other things.

A middle-aged man who’s traveled back in time—his main goal is to keep a low profile for a while.

He still had a mountain of debt.

Chapter 4 Master Bennett, Sorry to Trouble You

A few more days passed in a flash. It was getting close to July 2007, and the temperature in Beijing was steadily rising, getting hotter and hotter.

When Eric Bennett returned to his rental with a bunch of fresh vegetables in the morning light, he unexpectedly saw Emily Thompson walking out of the building Megan rented, looking dazed. He asked curiously, “Emily Thompson?”

He called her name twice before Emily Thompson snapped out of it. When she saw him, she gave a wry smile. “Morning. Are you really a stay-at-home cook now? The veggies look pretty fresh.”

Eric Bennett walked over. “Something happened?”

Emily Thompson hadn’t planned to say anything, but after thinking it over, she vented, “That jerk Brian Carter cheated—not only did he cheat, but he did it with Megan’s best friend and classmate. They got caught red-handed in the apartment.”

“Megan has cried her eyes out these past few days.”

“I don’t really want to talk about this mess, and I’m not one for gossip, but now I can’t even look at Brian Carter and Lauren Harris. By the way, Lauren Harris is a classmate and good friend of both me and Megan.”

“You live upstairs from them, so you’ll find out sooner or later.”

Eric Bennett thought for a moment, then shook his head. “That’s enough to mess with anyone’s head. But you’ll get over it—time heals all wounds.”

As for Brian Carter and Lauren Harris, that was a case of a turtle falling for a green bean—love at first sight for both of them at their very first meeting, which was a dinner arranged by Megan. The two of them hooked up right after.

And he had a girlfriend, and she had a boyfriend.

But for Lauren Harris, it really was love at first sight. When it came down to it, as for Brian Carter... hard to say. At least later on, when everyone was jobless and broke, Lauren Harris took the initiative to propose to Brian Carter, wanting to marry him, but Brian Carter turned her down.

That led to even more messy drama afterward.

Thinking of this, Eric Bennett lifted the vegetables in his hand. “How about I cook something tasty for you? Turn your grief into appetite?”

Emily Thompson widened her eyes, looking from the vegetables to Eric Bennett. “Are you trying to hit on me? I’m not that easy.”

Eric Bennett was speechless. “No, don’t get me wrong. I just want to get to know more clients through you. I still don’t have next month’s rent covered.”

Emily Thompson laughed. “That’s easy. There are so many people wanting to buy computers now, and probably even more in the future. With your skills, you don’t have to worry about paying rent.”

“You make more in a month than I do in several.”

Eric Bennett was doing pretty well. After regaining his youth, he was 1.85 meters tall, with no beer belly or receding hairline. Standing next to Brian Carter, Old Wang was the more handsome one.