Fortunately, Medford was a sparsely populated small town. Although the road conditions were very poor in the bad weather, luckily they didn't encounter large-scale traffic jams.
More than half an hour later, amidst the violent storm, Mike and the others arrived at the big villa.
Helen and Alan were looking out at the door.
"Thank God, you came back safely~" Helen stepped forward to hug her returning daughter.
This violent storm came so suddenly, obviously frightening Helen, the single mother.
"Alan, arrange for someone to get dry towels and clothes; Mia and the others need to clean up..." Helen, relieved, arranged the work.
Before long, Mike and the others, having dried the rain off their bodies and changed into new clothes, gathered in the villa's large living room.
At this time, this place had been decorated into a temporary banquet hall. The table was filled with various foods, small desserts, and hot tea.
Also, because the temperature dropped sharply, Helen arranged for someone to light the fireplace.
On the TV in front, reporters' outdoor interviews about this special weather were being broadcast.
It could be seen in the video that outside, the rain was pouring down, the wind was howling, and reporters and passersby were already unable to stand steady.
Compared to the bad weather outside, being able to nestle in a warm sofa and drink a sip of hot tea was a rare enjoyment.
Before long, there was a commotion at the villa entrance.
Accompanied by cold air and raindrops, Georgie and Meemaw Connie walked into the villa, protecting the pregnant Mandy in the middle.
Dry towels, hot water, warm clothes...
After another round of cleaning up, the three including Georgie also came to the living room and sat on the sofa.
Looking at Mandy's comfortable appearance, this storm didn't seem to have affected her much.
Or rather, Georgie and Meemaw Connie protected her very well.
"Do you know how bad the weather outside is right now?" Georgie, having eaten something, shared: "I felt our car was almost blown away just now. Luckily my driving skills are excellent..."
The comfortable environment allowed him to completely relax.
"By the way, Mike. Do you know how much money the small shop made today?" Georgie, having just opened the repair shop, hadn't lost his novelty yet.
"How much?" Not wanting to spoil the fun, Mike chimed in.
For that comprehensive repair shop, from site selection to decoration, Mike invested a total of more than fifty thousand dollars.
In return, he got sixty percent of the shop's shares at once.
Of course, for Mike, whose net worth had exceeded ten million now, this investment was more about helping Georgie; making money was just a bonus and not worth too much attention.
"More than four hundred dollars in a single day; we're going to be rich." Georgie said with a hint of emotion: "I really never thought before that a repair shop would be so profitable."
Making a week's wages of an ordinary white-collar worker in one day was indeed worth Georgie being happy for a while.
But this was understandable. America, currently in a period of economic development, saw the proportion of labor service fees gradually increasing.
Even taking a towel to wipe cars for drivers at traffic lights, with good luck, one could earn tips of over a hundred dollars a day. Not to mention Georgie integrating car washing and repairing, belonging to skilled labor.
"Good income, keep up the good work. When we open branches in the future, you can also be a boss." Mike smiled and encouraged the motivated Georgie.
Just as the two were imagining the future, George Sr., drenched in rain, also walked into the villa protecting his youngest daughter Missy.
"You are all here~" Seeing Georgie and the others, a smile appeared on George Sr.'s face.
Missy, the little girl, happily jumped into Mike's arms.
Looking at this girl's liveliness, this storm didn't seem to affect her much either.
"Ms. Helen, thank you for providing shelter for me and my family." After cleaning up, George Sr. came to the living room and first expressed gratitude to the villa owner.
"It's nothing; the house hasn't been this lively for a long time." Helen responded with a smile.
Then, a group of people sat around in the living room, playing board games while chatting about the weather.
Compared to the storm outside, this was finding peace in chaos.
"By the way, where is Mary? Why don't I see her?" George Sr., playing cards with his eldest son, suddenly asked.
"Oops, I almost forgot. Mom probably has a problem." Georgie froze on the spot.
Various situations before made him forget about Mary.
"What happened? Didn't Mary come with you?" George Sr. asked worriedly.
"When we left earlier, Mom was still out busy with church work. On the phone, she said she would drive over, who knew she hasn't arrived after so long..." Georgie explained guiltily.
Because Mandy was pregnant, Georgie was anxious to send her to the villa earlier, so he didn't wait for Mary to act together.
"What's wrong, George?" Meemaw Connie, chatting with Ms. Helen nearby, saw George's expression was wrong and asked.
"It's Mary; she might be trapped at home or on the way..." Thinking of his wife still outside in this weather, George inevitably worried.
As the saying goes: a day as husband and wife means a hundred days of grace.
Moreover, George still had deep feelings for Mary.
"What should we do?" Knowing the truth, Meemaw Connie also worried about her daughter.
Meemaw Connie wasn't aware of Georgie calling Mary earlier.
"Don't worry, let's call Mary again and confirm the situation first." Mike, sitting on the other side, also learned what happened.
"Right, call~" George took the phone from Mike.
After a few rings, the phone connected.
"Mary, where are you now? Is everything okay?" As soon as the phone connected, George asked anxiously.
"George, I'm at home. The rain outside is too heavy for me to go out, and the house is leaking..." Mary spoke intermittently, her emotions very unstable.
Thinking about it, as a woman, staying alone in a leaking house in such bad weather, the situation definitely wouldn't be good.
"Don't be afraid, take care of yourself..." George tried his best to comfort his wife.
Suddenly, a scream came from the phone.
"What happened? Mary." George's heart also lifted at this moment.
"The window was blown away, the lights at home aren't working..." On the phone, before Mary finished speaking, the call was forced to hang up amidst buzzing static.
Obviously, following the circuit, the telephone line at the Cooper house also had problems.
"No, Mary needs me now~" After the phone call, George worried about his wife even more.
Then, he got up ready to go back to find Mary.
"Calm down, George. Mary will be fine at home; going out now is more dangerous." Meemaw Connie persuaded George.
Outside the window, it had completely darkened. The lightning flashing occasionally in the sky and the deafening thunder demonstrated the power of nature.
"Don't persuade me; I can't leave Mary behind." Worry for his wife allowed George Sr. to overcome his fear of nature.
"Mike, Meemaw Connie, I leave the children to your care. And Georgie, take good care of Mandy." After finishing instructions, George Sr. walked firmly towards the door.
Here, Amy, under Ms. Helen's instruction, quickly went to the room to get a set of waterproof warm clothes, a strong flashlight, and a reinforced helmet.
Before George walked out of the villa, she handed them to him.
Then, wrapped in warm clothes, George Sr. walked into the dark night.
Back in the villa, everyone lost the mood for fun they had before.