As Connie and Pastor Jeff departed, the atmosphere at the dining table quieted down.
Looking at Georgie, who was eager to leave, George suddenly said, "Oh, Georgie. There's something I need to tell you. Ms. Ingram is preparing a math test this Wednesday.
If you don't pass, you will lose the qualification to play in next Monday's football league."
"Are you serious?" Georgie looked at his father, who had a serious expression, in surprise, feeling a bad premonition.
"Of course." George expressed his helplessness regarding his eldest son's resistance. He explained, "This is a right Ms. Ingram directly applied for from the school, and there's nothing I can do."
In fact, in George's heart, he also didn't understand the school's actions this time.
"It's over—" Georgie, who had received the answer, slumped into his chair as if he had lost his soul. Then, he complained, "How can they do this to me? I helped the team get into the state's top ten..."
Yes, in Georgie's heart, this surprise math test from the school was specifically aimed at him.
If it were other requirements, Georgie might have chosen to give it his all to participate in the football league.
But when it came to studying, there was simply no possibility of struggling.
Georgie understood his own level; ever since he entered middle school, his math scores had never passed.
His talent wasn't there, and effort was useless.
Just as Georgie was sinking into distress, Sheldon, sitting opposite him, found a unique angle and analyzed, "Data shows that your performance on the field, Georgie, influences less than five percent of the team's wins and losses.
The school football team can operate normally without you. Therefore, you don't need to blame yourself for not being able to participate in next Monday's game."
At a time like this, it was hard to say whether Sheldon made such a statement to comfort Georgie or to mock him.
The only thing that could be confirmed was that Georgie did not want to hear these words right now.
His face flushed red as he retorted, "What do you know? Football is a team sport. As a wide receiver on the team, I have a share in all the honors the team receives."
To enhance his credibility, Georgie continued, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Mike."
Mike nodded upon hearing this.
In fact, wide receivers have a strong tactical position in football games.
The Medford Football Team only made their wide receivers seem dispensable due to special strategic needs.
From another perspective, Georgie made great sacrifices for the team's victory.
"Uh-huh—"
Facing Georgie's rebuttal, Sheldon shrugged indifferently, seemingly disagreeing with Georgie's statement.
"Damn it!" Georgie felt depressed, and after roaring, he said enviously, "If only I could understand what the teacher taught in class."
All the troubles Georgie was experiencing now stemmed from his poor studies.
If he could, he also wanted to be like Sheldon and Mike, a top student who found studying as easy as drinking water.
"If you used all the time you normally spend looking at magazines for studying, your grades wouldn't be as bad as they are now." Sheldon mercilessly exposed Georgie's excuse.
"Shut up—" Georgie reprimanded Sheldon, somewhat vexed and embarrassed.
"Everyone quiet down—"
Seeing his two sons about to argue again, George promptly stopped them.
"You calm down for a bit." George glared at his youngest son, then looked at Georgie and comforted him, "This isn't the end of the world, Georgie. What you need to consider most now is how to pass Wednesday's test."
"What can I do?" Georgie threw caution to the wind, continuing to wallow.
"Perhaps you don't." George smiled, hinting, "But don't forget, there are two smart people still in the room."
George's meaning was already very clear: he wanted Georgie to ask Sheldon and Mike for help.
He thought that with the help of two good students, Georgie might have a chance to pass this test.
But before Georgie could make a move, Sheldon was the first to refuse, "I'm not willing to waste my time on an upright ape that hasn't fully evolved yet."
Sheldon, as always, expressed his doubts about Georgie's intelligence.
Compared to teaching an upright ape arithmetic, Sheldon preferred to play with his toy train in his spare time.
"How about a toy car?" George offered a price in the form of temptation.
"What?" Hearing "toy," Sheldon's interest was indeed piqued.
"If you can help Georgie pass Wednesday's math test, I'll give you a toy car," George promised.
"Then can I go to the mall and personally choose the style I like?" Sheldon inquired carefully.
"Of course."
George, who had a good grasp of his youngest son's interests, showed a satisfied expression. Then, he turned to Mike and asked, "What reward do you want? How about a brand new football?"
"No need..." Mike generously stated that helping Georgie pass the test was also helping the football team, and he didn't need any reward.
The actual situation was that, after gaining the [Moonlight] trait which could continuously enhance his physique, Mike had lost most of his enthusiasm for football.
The reason he joined the football team in the first place was that he valued this high-contact sport's ability to help him quickly improve his physique.
But now, after the initial bonus period, it was already very difficult for Mike to improve his physique through exercise.
And Mike's most genuine thought now was that instead of hanging out with a bunch of men every day, it would be more worthwhile to engage in more two-person activities with Karen or Lina.
George, unaware of Mike's true thoughts, still thought he was considering the team. So, he said with relief, "Alright, your reward is temporarily stored with me. When the time comes, you can tell me anything you want."
Mike nodded noncommittally, without much explanation. Anyway, he didn't intend to ask George for a reward.
On the other side, Missy's eyes darted, and she came to Mike's side, grabbing his arm and shaking it, cooing, "Mike, if you get a reward slot, can you give me a pink Aisha?"
Looking at the little girl's expectant eyes, Mike asked doubtfully, "Aisha? What is that?"
"Aisha is the eldest princess among the twelve ballet princesses. Recently, she released a pink Barbie outfit, and it's so pretty!" Missy explained, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Girls Missy's age are precisely at the age where they love bright pink Barbie dolls.
It took Mike a while to understand that Missy was talking about a toy Barbie doll.
Afterward, he naturally agreed to Missy's request. He solemnly promised that once he received the reward share, he would immediately give her a pink June.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go study!" Missy cheered, she had never been so enthusiastic about studying.
Of course, Missy was the supervisor of the study this time; the one who truly needed to study was the long-faced Georgie.
The family had already planned Georgie's study schedule without seeking the consent of the person involved.