Lionel shot her a sideways glance. “Too obvious. No class.”
Hogan flicked his hair dramatically. “Exactly. I mean, look at me – I’m a total heartthrob. Acting all shady like this? I’d get reported to security for sure. Maybe try being a little more natural?”
“Yeah, seriously,” Gordon added, rubbing his temples. “Who else besides you wraps their head in a scarf in broad daylight? It’s seriously weird.”
Melissa glanced at George.
George shifted his gaze away and cleared his throat. “I think we can just show up naturally. Besides, with so many people here, it’s not like they’ll necessarily notice us.”
Melissa took a deep breath and yanked off her sunglasses. “Fine! We’ll split up from here. Remember, find a way to stall Ethan and give Square Root A and Square Root B a chance to be alone!”
The others exchanged glances.
Lionel looked baffled. “Who’s Square Root A? Was that from last night’s lecture? I didn’t study that part – did you?”
“Well… Professor Melissa, you didn’t even mention that,” Hogan muttered, feeling frustrated. He’d been dead tired last night but still tried his best to stay focused – like a kid cramming for an entrance exam.
Melissa pushed her sunglasses back up. “I just made those code names up on the spot! Show some discipline! Who else could they be? Don’t ask dumb questions like that again. Now, move!”
“Wait! Let’s split the map first so no one gets lost. Remember – separate Ethan!”
George glanced in the direction of their targets, then grabbed Melissa’s hand just as she was about to distribute the maps. “Actually, there’s no need to rush just yet.”
Melissa, “?”
“Why not?”
“Well… because I think a little healthy competition could be pretty entertaining too.”
******
“Go, Dad!”
“Go, Dad!”
On the field, a group of middle-aged men – some chubby, some lean and bookish – were lining up to receive their number tags.
Contestants could win big prizes for their kids based on how many challenges they completed – including a chance to take photos with popular characters.
There was even a VIP balcony on the castle rooftop for the fireworks show that night.
Jasmine was thrilled. Sure, they could just pay for it, but today, her dad had to show off.
The little girl dragged Lillian to the front of the crowd, waving her tiny arms like crazy. “Go, Dad!!!”
Quincy stood beside her, also standing on tiptoe and shouting, “Dad, you have to win too!”
The moment Conrad walked onto the field, his aura and physique instantly outshone the other men.
If not for the adorable little girl calling him “Dad,” and the warm smile he gave her in response, the surrounding single ladies might’ve started making their move.
Lillian pressed her lips together – what was he so smug about?
He was a dad now, yet he still enjoyed hogging the spotlight.
“Mom, doesn’t Dad totally not look like someone who already has kids?” Jasmine babbled on. “Last time Dad took me out, those ladies kept saying they thought he was my brother! They kept asking me to admit it! Hmph! But Dad ignored them – he was just waiting for you!”
Jasmine never missed a chance to highlight her dad’s loyalty – he wasn’t just some guy handing out his number to random women.
Conrad narrowed his eyes as he examined the kiddie-level obstacle course. Compared to rookie training drills, this was practically child’s play.
He glanced back at Ethan, who had just arrived. “Mr. Ethan, are you joining in too?”
“Quincy wants to,” Ethan replied casually. “Wouldn’t feel right to rely on Mr. Conrad’s win.”
Conrad smirked. “Sounds good.”
“Lillian, could you hold my glasses for me?” Ethan asked, handing them over.
“Sure.”
Conrad clenched his jaw and rolled his neck.
Now there wasn’t just one charming, refined gentleman on the field – there was also a rugged, masculine type joining the mix. Together, they instantly stole the show.
The kids’ shouts of “Go, Dad!” were deafening – Lillian’s ears were starting to hurt.
The referee blew the whistle, and the two figures shot out like arrows from a bow.
Conrad shot ahead, leaving a considerable gap between him and Ethan. Ethan kept close behind, but Conrad leapt forward, extending his arm and clearing the three-meter obstacle with ease. He grabbed a single rope, swung forward on one leg, rolled smoothly on the ground, and crawled under the metal wire tunnel. After scaling two walls in quick strides, he reached the rolling wheel zone – with the park’s artificial river just beneath it. Many participants ended up falling straight into the water there.
Without a second thought, Conrad jumped right onto the wheels. For him, this so-called challenge felt like something designed for toddlers. He breezed through it so effortlessly that it was as if the course had no difficulty at all.
When he reached the final checkpoint – a car station – participants were required to drive a go-kart to the finish line. Unfortunately, the kart Conrad chose refused to start.
At that moment, a figure dashed past him – Ethan had already jumped into his own kart and sped off. Without hesitation, Conrad hopped right onto the back of Ethan’s kart. With the combined weight of two grown men, the kart still managed to keep moving.
Ethan couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. “Mr. Conrad, seriously? Have you no shame?”
“Luck is part of success, but a smart mind is what really counts. Let’s go, Mr. Ethan!” Conrad grinned.
By now, the two of them had left all the other parents – still stuck at the second challenge – far behind. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the big screen, eager to see how these two would claim today’s family prize.
The cash reward wasn’t the main attraction – the real prize was the best table at the park’s scenic restaurant, plus a full day of their kids’ favorite mascots hanging out with them.
You couldn’t put a price on making kids happy.
“Conrad’s really something,” Gordon muttered in awe.
“You don’t get it,” Hogan smirked. “In competitive man-battles, stamina’s one of the most crucial factors.”
This was practically Conrad’s home turf.
Ethan’s kart reached the next station – a basketball shooting challenge. The goal was to sink 100 baskets as fast as possible to advance.
“Go, Dad!!!” Jasmine’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Go, Dad!” Quincy chimed in right beside her.
Both men jumped out of their karts and hit the start buttons at nearly the same time. Conrad shot hoops like it was second nature.
“Wow, is your husband a pro basketball player or something?” a mom beside Lillian gawked. “He’s so tall and athletic. My husband used to be in decent shape before we got married, but now? He’s not much better than I was at seven months pregnant.”
Jasmine proudly tilted her chin. “My dad works for my mom – he’s not a basketball player! But my dad’s amazing! He can do anything!”
In a kid’s world, Dad was the strongest person ever, and Mom was the most beautiful.
Quincy quickly added, “My dad doesn’t play basketball either!”
Conrad’s score climbed fast, and he shot a glance at Ethan. “Not bad, Mr. Ethan. You’ve got some stamina.”
Keeping up with him was impressive enough.
“Yeah, back in school, I was on the team,” Ethan replied casually. “All-around development – academic, physical, and moral excellence.”
“Mr. Ethan, I heard your ex-wife was your old classmate?” Conrad remarked casually.
At the mention of his ex-wife, Ethan’s pace noticeably sped up. “Mr. Conrad, you seem awfully fixated on my marriage. Even Lillian doesn’t care – are you being a bit too obvious?”
“I’m not planning to marry you – why would I care?” Conrad shot back. “Actually, the fact that you’re divorced is a plus for me. If you could rack up a few more marriages, even better.”
BEEP-
Conrad finished first, outscoring Ethan by eight baskets and hitting the perfect score record. Without hesitation, he rushed to the next challenge.
The final task? Advanced math problems.
Hogan clicked his tongue. “Who’s running this thing? They clearly don’t want anyone to win the reward. Do they really think Conrad can handle this?”
“Are you losing it? You think military academies don’t have cultural exams?” They hadn’t even finished talking yet.
The victory music started playing, and Conrad had already gotten the final passcard.
“Yay! Dad’s awesome!!!”
Ethan wasn’t far behind; both of them solved the question as soon as they saw it.
“Mr. Conrad, you’ve got some skills.”
“Mr. Ethan, you’re too polite. But you’d be better off using that strength to chase after your own wife.” Conrad patted his chest. “Let’s go.”
“My dad was so close!” Quincy pouted.
Lillian, holding a happy Jasmine in her arms, reassured him, “It’s okay, your dad did great!”
“Yeah, but my dad still won. Mom, when you pick a boyfriend, make sure he’s the best. That way, the baby will have good genes, just like me – smart, cute, and beautiful.” Jasmine said happily.
Quincy was upset. Why did his dad have to lose?
When Conrad and Ethan returned, Jasmine immediately ran up to them.
“Dad, Dad, you’re so amazing! Tonight, I get to sit at the top of the castle and watch fireworks! I must be the happiest little princess ever!”
“The next person is going to be out of luck,” Conrad replied, “They’ll have to break my record to win.”
If he hadn’t been riding in Ethan’s kart, he could’ve gone even faster.
After speaking, Conrad looked at Lillian, wagging his “tail” like a large dog waiting for praise.
How had she never realized Conrad was so competitive?