America 1982-Chapter 220 - 77: Tommy Returns Home_3

"Son, you look like you’ve lost a lot of weight," Colin observed his son with a hint of emotion. "The food in California must be terrible, but don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get back to your old self now that you’re home."

"How does this car drive?" Tony approached and playfully punched Tommy’s chest. After a year, Tony looked much more mature, having started to grow a beard, and even the skin on his face and hands seemed rougher than before.

Tommy glanced at the yellow barracuda that had been with him for a whole year in California: "It’s fantastic, the shipping cost to bring it back from California was almost enough to buy another one."

"Tommy, I saw on TV that you published a book and became somebody important," Mr. Wilson, always straightforward, began, "A big shot drives a car like this?"

"Of course, I’m a big shot. I made a million!" Tommy declared confidently, then shouted toward the direction of the bar, calling the owner and bartender, Keith: "Mr. Keith!"

The owner of the small bar, Keith, came out: "What’s the matter, Tommy?"

Without even looking, Tommy tossed a check from his pocket to Keith, then yelled to everyone present: "From now on, for a week, all drinks are unlimited for the customers on the house of the Hawk Family! What the hell are you waiting for, get the word out to all the boozers in town to come and empty out Mr. Keith’s stock!"

Keith glanced at the check, which clearly showed it was an immediately cashable check for twenty thousand: "Twenty thousand, that’s enough for them to drink themselves to death here. Alright! Come on in, drink whatever you like! The Hawk Family is picking up the tab!"

Hearing the conversation between the two men, the neighbors immediately rushed excitedly toward the bar, and in the blink of an eye, only the Hawk Family remained on the street.

"Isn’t it much quieter now?" Tommy said with a smile, hugging Bessie, "Ashley, your and Aunt Melanie’s gifts are in the backseat, go ahead and grab them yourself. It’s a bit difficult with Bessie in my arms."

"What is it?" Ashley walked over, opened the rear car door, and took out two beautifully wrapped gift boxes, asking Tommy curiously.

"Each box contains a seven-day luxury shopping trip for two in New York and several shopping cards from New York’s major department stores."

"Cool! Can I only take Tony?" Ashley said happily upon hearing Tommy’s words.

Tommy replied, "If you take another guy, I won’t mind, but Tony might not be too happy about it."

"Thanks, bro," Tony said to Tommy.

Tommy shook his head: "No, no, no, that’s Ashley’s gift, not yours. That over there is for you."

After speaking, he freed one hand and waved toward the distance. An engine roared to life, and then before the eyes of the Hawk Family, a brand-new, shiny red Corvette C4 sports car slowly pulled up next to Tommy’s C2.

The smiling car salesman stepped down from the car and extended the keys to Tommy, who passed them to Tony: "Everything about that car is yours, except for the driver. I want you to drive it to Connecticut, just like you had me drive the one you gave me all the way to California."

"I will," Tony clasped Tommy in a brief hug, "The Hawk Family’s first college student is truly something else, now a big shot with a published book."

"Tommy~ where’s my gift?" Bessie asked seriously when she saw everyone else had received a gift.

Tommy looked at the youngest member of the Hawk family and said solemnly, "Bessie, your gift is very, very expensive, more than anyone else’s."

"Really?" Bessie immediately became excited, her pretty eyes carefully scanning the surroundings, "Did you hide it nearby?"

"No, the American Education Reform Initiative started a campaign to increase the amount of homework for primary and secondary students in the United States, and as your brother, I donated a hundred thousand dollars to them. In gratitude, they’ve found you an excellent tutor in Rhode Island for the new school term. She’ll come home with you every day after school with homework tailored to your age and progress and won’t leave until you finish it all," Tommy explained with a smile to Bessie:

"Tony’s new car didn’t cost that hundred thousand dollars."

Bessie was stunned for a moment, then resignedly lowered her head and rested it against Tommy’s face, heaving a big sigh: "I’ve missed you every day for the past year, Tommy, I swear I’ll never do it again, I was wrong."

"No need to thank me, this gift will last until you graduate high school, and by then, Stanford University, which your brother worked his butt off to get into, will just be your safety school," Tommy patted Bessie’s back and whispered comfort to his sister, whose mood had plummeted, "I actually also got you the complete series of ’Diaper Gang’ and ’Miss Betty,’ you can have a blast watching them until the new school term starts after the summer break."

Only then did Bessie’s happy smile return, and she planted a big kiss on Tommy’s face.

"Let’s go home, Dad will remind you of the taste of your hometown cooking," Colin said, his eyes sparkling with pride and contentment as he saw the joy of his children, "After I finish the cooking, I’m heading to the bar to boast to those fools, to let them know that they can enjoy unlimited drinks because of my son."

"Dad, your gift isn’t ready yet," Tommy looked at his father and said with a smile, "but trust me, your son is seriously preparing it."

"Of course," Colin stepped forward and embraced Tommy, "I’m proud of you, son."