An hour later, when a certain big-bottomed desktop computer restarted and entered the system, Eric Bennett tried operating it for a bit and nodded, “Alright, it’s working now.”

“I’ll help you download an antivirus program, a free one.”

This was just a minor matter of reinstalling the system. While operating, he explained a few things. Eric Bennett took a sip of plain water. “No big deal, the fee is 20 yuan, including the house call.”

“What do you think?”

A girl with an even more exotic vibe than Emily Foster hurriedly nodded, “Okay, here’s 20 yuan, Master Bennett, please take it. Now I can pull an all-nighter playing Audition at home again.”

“This is perfect timing. The crappy keyboards at the internet café are just impossible to use.”

Another girl rushed to sit in front of the computer. “Let me play KartRider for a bit first, then you can dance…”

Eric Bennett, “……”

He politely accepted the money, gave a few tips about daily computer issues, and left. Even though he got to see eighteen-year-old Grace—no, Emily Foster—up close, he almost embarrassed himself as an old man saluting.

After all, this was a rental apartment in Beijing, three girls living in such a tiny place. On his way to the bathroom, he even saw some clothes hanging out to dry.

But he kept his composure. Years of being a seasoned driver helped a lot. He almost forgot that his pre-transmigration phone still had plenty of… Let’s just hope the phone self-destructs.

Back in his own rental, Eric Bennett went to take a cold shower, then got back to doing push-ups and sit-ups.

Youth is great—so easy to get fired up!

Before transmigrating, after browsing countless teacher groups from Japan and the West, he rarely felt this kind of excitement.

In the days that followed, Eric Bennett kept up his routine: cooking three meals a day, at least two dishes, three if he was in a good mood.

He ran all over the school and the neighborhood, trying to find clients and save up some cash.

But whether he was coming or going, busy or idle, his forty-year-old mindset still couldn’t help it—he’d occasionally glance at the building where Emily Foster lived…

Privately, Eric Bennett could only complain to himself: this definitely wasn’t some sp explosion, he just wanted to save people—saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda!

With that mindset, things were different.

To put it simply, in Police Story 2013, Emily Foster’s brother James Foster returned from Southeast Asia to investigate the cause of his sister’s death five years ago, in the winter of 2008, and stirred up a big mess.

That incident happened when Emily Foster was living in Beijing, fell in love, got a boyfriend, and accidentally got pregnant. But her brother James Foster was a tough guy from the chaotic regions of Southeast Asia, a place where underground fights could easily turn deadly.

James Foster looked down on ordinary young men, and even more so on the boyfriend Emily Foster had chosen. He threatened to go back and beat the guy to death, which scared Emily Foster’s boyfriend into wanting to break up…

At the mention of breaking up, Emily Foster, heartbroken, went to a pharmacy to buy sleeping pills to commit suicide, but ended up being taken hostage by someone. With a knife to her neck, she saw the police had sealed off the pharmacy, and her boyfriend had arrived outside.

In a moment of rashness, she slit her own throat with a fruit knife.

She had originally gone to buy pills to kill herself anyway…

Once again, Eric Bennett was jogging in the neighborhood, working up a sweat, feeling his fitness stats gain a few more experience points, and his mood improved again.

On the way home, he happened to run into Emily Foster heading out. He greeted her with a smile, “Emily, how’s the computer working lately?”

Emily Foster smiled and nodded, “Oh, it’s Brother Bennett. The computer’s working much better than before, the internet is way faster. Thank you so much.”

Eric Bennett laughed, “That’s good. If you need anything, just call me. If you or your friends want to buy a computer, build a custom one, or need repairs, you can always come to me. I guarantee you the lowest price and the best deal.”

Emily Foster blinked, “We actually do want to buy another one. My two roommates are always fighting over who gets to play games, it’s about to get physical.”

“What’s the cheapest computer that can run Audition and KartRider? How much would that cost?”

Eric Bennett grinned—business was coming his way. He wasn’t trying to let down the kid from before transmigrating; he just wanted to save a life, which is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. As for his ex-wife, well, it’s been three years since the divorce…

Legally and morally, there was nothing holding him back.

Speaking of the divorce, it was actually related to the pandemic. During his period of unemployment, the pressure of supporting the family was overwhelming, and daily arguments would escalate over the smallest things.

Eventually, they split up. Even after that, there was no hatred or animosity. His beloved daughter stayed with his ex-wife, but he still visited often, and he treated his ex-wife’s parents almost like his own family.

“If that’s all you need, I can put together a generic machine, using second-hand refurbished CPUs, memory, and so on.”

“For one or two thousand yuan, it’ll work great, and last two or three years, no problem.” All over China, in internet café chains filled with big old desktop computers, which owner would use brand-new, top-of-the-line parts?

Across the country, from north to south, people ride tricycles collecting old computers and phones—there’s a huge second-hand and refurbished parts market behind it.

A second-hand CPU that’s fifty percent new, taken apart and sold for a few dozen or a hundred yuan, then passed off as new at the computer mall and sold to customers for four or five hundred—it’s all too common.

Emily Foster was surprised, “No way, that cheap?”

Eric Bennett nodded, “We’re neighbors, I’d never rip you off. Otherwise, if you block my door and curse me out, my reputation would be ruined.”

“Usually, if you ask me to help assemble a computer, it’s just a 20-yuan errand fee to start with.”