After Mike finished washing up and had something to eat, he went to the side hall and saw the two little geniuses, but the atmosphere there seemed a bit off.
[Intelligence Attribute +1]
After picking up another orb of light from Sheldon, Mike, in a great mood, said with a smile, "What are you discussing? Are you going to play computer games? I can recommend a few fun ones."
Seeing Mike arrive, Sheldon turned his gaze towards him, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Clearly, as a super little genius, Sheldon was very bothered by what Paige had just said.
As a result, he even developed some "hostility" towards Mike.
"We don't want to play games." Paige looked at Mike, who appeared even more handsome after tidying up, and interjected, "It's Sheldon; he thinks he's smarter than you."
Here, Paige wasn't exactly misinterpreting Sheldon's meaning. However, the slight curl of her lips suggested she was enjoying the drama.
Mike glanced at his intelligence of one hundred and seventy-three. From a certain perspective, his current IQ was indeed not as high as Sheldon's.
However, that might not be the case in the future.
Feeling very confident, Mike wasn't too bothered by what Paige said. So, he admitted, "Sheldon is indeed smarter than me; I can't deny that right now."
Hearing Mike say this, Sheldon's expression softened, and he felt a little apologetic.
Ever since that math test, Sheldon had always wanted to prove he was smarter than Mike, but he had never succeeded.
Now, suddenly hearing Mike admit it himself, that he wasn't as good, gave Sheldon a very subtle feeling.
Triumphant? Not really. Sympathetic? That didn't seem to fit either, as Mike was already outstanding enough.
"No, Mike, you're wrong." Paige, who was waiting to watch the show, said, "The level of intelligence can only be known after a competition."
"I agree." Sheldon immediately chimed in. On one hand, he wanted to help Mike resolve the awkwardness. On the other hand, he also wanted to compete with Paige.
Seeing Sheldon's fighting spirit, Paige knew his intentions without needing to think much.
So, she said, "The three of us can take this opportunity to have an intelligence competition."
Mental arithmetic and speed memorization were too basic for super geniuses.
Moreover, Mike, who possessed the Memory Palace, and Sheldon, who possessed the Photographic Memory Method, really couldn't determine a winner in terms of speed memorization.
As for tackling academic problems, that wouldn't be very fair to Sheldon, whose current knowledge reserves weren't yet extensive enough.
"How about playing chess?" Sheldon's eyes lit up, and he suggested.
Chess has various playing styles, and it heavily tests one's mental calculation abilities during a game.
In a way, how well one plays chess can also indirectly prove whether a person is smart or not.
Moreover, Sheldon had secretly played a trick to win against Paige in terms of intelligence. After all, he had previously participated in the school's chess club, and no one there, including the instructor, was his match.
So, his suggestion of using chess to test intelligence was a bit of a head start.
"Chess?" Paige thought for a moment and agreed, "Although I don't play much, this activity certainly tests intelligence, so I agree."
As a prodigy, Paige had her pride. She actually vaguely sensed that Sheldon's ability in chess might not be low.
However, defeating an opponent in something they are good at also seemed quite satisfying.
Yes, that was exactly what Paige was aiming for.
Seeing that the two little geniuses had already planned the competition on their own, Mike spoke up helplessly, "Can I not participate?"
Mike had played chess with Sheldon before, and the process wasn't exactly pleasant.
No one feels good when they keep losing. Yes, in a game, Mike might only win one or two out of ten matches.
And that was only if he was in top form.
"No—" x2
Sheldon and Paige simultaneously rejected Mike's request.
Sheldon's reason was that Mike was one of the few opponents in chess who could make him feel enjoyment.
And this competition, for him, was a win-win: enjoying the game while also proving, through his skill, that he was smarter than Mike.
On the other hand, Paige's reason for objecting was even simpler. She just wanted to truly gauge Mike's intelligence level.
"I'll go get the chessboard!" Sheldon didn't give Mike another chance to object. After speaking, he hurried out.
...
In the Cooper family living room, the parents of the two young prodigies were also chatting.
Ms. Linda, Paige's mother, politely praised the Cooper family's home decor. It was clear that she had done her homework for this visit.
And Ms. Linda's praise created a very relaxed atmosphere for the exchange between the two families.
Immediately, Mary, thinking she had found a kindred spirit, also eagerly served Mr. and Mrs. Barry some specialty snacks.
Everything was developing in a positive direction.
"Excuse me, would anyone like a drink other than black tea and coffee?" George, who was about to get drinks, also made a witty remark with a smile.
"Me." Barry raised his hand, indicating, "If possible, could I have a Lone Star beer?"
Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Barry's cooperative behavior, Mary chuckled and teased, "George can fulfill your request; after all, he's also a fan of Lone Star beer. That factory hasn't gone out of business, thanks at least in part to him..."
"Yes, I love it so much." As the atmosphere became more harmonious, Georgie smiled, smoothed things over for his wife, and then happily went to get the beer.
In his opinion, Mr. Barry, who liked Lone Star beer, would definitely become his friend. To be honest, since he started working at the sporting goods store, George hadn't made any new friends in a long time.
Mary, who remained in the living room to host Mr. and Mrs. Barry, continued to chat with them: "Barry, I heard Linda say you're a dentist?"
"Yes, I actually have my own small clinic in town..." Mr. Barry briefly explained his situation, then added with a touch of pride, "You know, Paige started filing taxes for my clinic when she was very young."
In America, filing taxes is a very complex matter. If planned reasonably, one can cleverly save a lot of money through tax filings.
For example, the tax rates for household shopping and business unit shopping differ greatly. Additionally, some purchases deemed luxury items can also be used for tax deductions...
In this situation, there is a lot of room for manipulation in tax filing.
"Really?" Mary felt like she had found a kindred spirit, and she happily revealed, "Shelly also started filing taxes for our family when he was very young."
Mr. and Mrs. Barry, hearing Mary's sharing, also felt like they had met kindred spirits. So, Mr. Barry continued, "When Paige used to file taxes for me, I only needed to pay her with small things like stickers and notepads. But this year, she's started asking me for money."
Mr. Barry's words sounded like a complaint, but his face showed a proud expression.
There was no denying it; having a little prodigy in the family was just such a source of pride.
At this moment, George, who had returned with the beer, also heard Mr. Barry's statement. He chuckled and chimed in, "Hey, don't let Shelly hear about this. We're still paying him with bookends."
At the same time, George's face also held a hint of a boastful smile.
Afterward, the two pairs of parents, who also had prodigy children, smiled knowingly.
"Dad, I heard you just mentioned me. Is something wrong?" Sheldon, who had returned home to get the chessboard, happened to see the two pairs of parents laughing together.
"Cough! We were just discussing some interesting things." George awkwardly cleared his throat, then changed the subject, "Didn't you go to Connie's house? Why are you back alone?"
"I came back to get the chessboard..." Sheldon briefly explained that he was going to compete with Mike and Paige.
"It seems Paige is getting along very well with you all." George didn't grasp the main point his youngest son was trying to convey. He just assumed that he had already made friends with Paige.
So, after instructing his youngest son to get along well with his new friend, George let him go get the chessboard.