Leon signed up for the competition at the new store.
Sure enough, the first prize was the Jade Dew Dragon Fruit the shop owner had just promoted.
Not many people had signed up. Although the dragon fruit was rare, it was ultimately just a supplement for pregnant women. For most dragons, eating it was no different from eating an ordinary fruit.
The rules of the competition weren't difficult either. After all, it was just a promotional event for the store's opening; the main goal was to create a lively atmosphere.
The competition was divided into three rounds, each with different mini-games. The first two rounds were elimination rounds, and the final round, with only two contestants left, would decide the ultimate winner.
After hearing the rules, Leon's eyes lit up.
"These rules seem so familiar. But why are you dragons so persistent about these 'three-round fun competitions'?" Leon pointed out that the final event at the St. Heath Academy sports festival had also been a three-round fun competition.
Back then, he and Rossweise had transformed into a special forces team, blazing through the challenges with a single goal: to win the championship.
And of course, they had gotten what they wanted in the end.
Rossweise crossed her arms and shrugged. "Well, isn't this perfect? You're a school sports festival champion. Don't embarrass yourself in this small competition."
Leon chuckled and adjusted his collar. "Humph, let me show you what the highest mountain and the longest river are."
"The most stubborn prisoner of war," Rossweise interjected timely.
"Shut up!"
Amidst the banter, the shop owner announced the start of the competition and asked all participants to take their positions.
Leon stepped onto the stage.
Rossweise cheered him on from behind, "Come on, defend your championship! The whole world is waiting for you to become a double champion."
Leon didn't turn around; he just raised his arm and made an OK gesture.
Along with a few other contestants, he arrived at the venue. Leon stood on the far left, quietly observing the other dragons around him. They were mostly male dragons, with their wives cheering for them from outside the competition area.
"Go, honey!"
"You're the best, darling! If you win, I'll cook you something delicious!"
"Beat them, my dear!"
The wives had special VIP seats right in front of the venue, where they cheered fervently. It seemed the dragon wives were more excited than the contestants on the field, each cheer louder than the last, as if the loudest voice could directly lead to victory.
Meanwhile, Rossweise stood calmly with her arms crossed behind them. Leon couldn't help but notice her tall figure.
How could a queen's way of cheering be the same as those noisy fans? She didn't need to open her mouth or use any body language. Just by exchanging glances, Leon could understand her message.
As the couple locked eyes across the bustling competition venue, they seemed somewhat out of place. Yet, they didn't mind, because in a sense, when their eyes met, there was only room for each other.
After a brief gaze, Rossweise's lips curved into a gentle and generous smile. Then, she silently mouthed three words to Leon:
"Go~ for~ it~"
Leon nodded in acknowledgement.
"Oh, sorry, there's one last contestant here. Please come up quickly; we're about to begin."
The last contestant?
Leon looked towards the entrance of the venue. When he saw the so-called last contestant, his eyes widened in surprise.
It was a tall figure dressed in a long black trench coat, wearing a black hat and a pair of sunglasses perched on the bridge of her nose, covering most of her face and revealing only a delicate nose and captivating red lips.
Even though she was dressed conservatively and not showing her face, this last contestant still exuded an aura of a "cold beauty."
"Hey, what are you looking at, you rascal! I'll gouge your eyes out if you keep staring!" A dragon wife in the audience expressed her discontent.
With that remark, a contestant immediately lowered his head nervously.
Leon put his hands in his pockets, silently observing this mysterious woman in the trench coat.
Among the male dragons, she stood out as the only female, making her particularly unique.
Could it be that the one at home is a professional freeloader? Does he have to rely on his wife to play a game?
Looking back at Leon, who even as a prisoner of war took the stage, it's clear that the judgment between families is straightforward~
But what intrigued Leon the most was what was behind this trench coat woman—
Like him, she hadn't revealed her tail.
Dragons could judge each other's race and age by their tail characteristics. Generally, dragons who hid their tails were mostly from extinct small tribes.
However, judging by the woman's demeanor, she seemed more like an elegant and mysterious noble.
Leon withdrew his gaze, deciding not to dwell on it further. The competition began promptly.
The first round was "Jump Seven."
The contestants formed a circle and took turns counting. Whenever a number contained 'seven' or was a multiple of 'seven,' they had to say "jump," and the counting would continue with the next contestant.
There was no time or round limit for this round. After eliminating five people, the game would end, and the remaining contestants would advance to the second round.
After hearing the rules, Leon and the other contestants formed a circle.
The mysterious woman in the trench coat stood opposite Leon, her face still obscured.
"Alright, contestants, get ready. Let's start with the gentleman who was standing on the far left just now, then continue counting clockwise," the announcer said.
The far left was Leon.
Leon looked left and right, pretending to be oblivious. But the next moment, he unexpectedly called out a number:
"6!"
"7!… Huh? Wait a minute."
The male dragon on his right paused, clearly not expecting Leon's trick. "Hey, who starts counting from 6? That's against the rules."
Leon shrugged. "The rules didn't say we had to start from 1."
The other contestant was left speechless.
Indeed, the rules only mentioned "counting in order," without specifying it had to start from 1. So Leon began with 6, catching the other off guard, who almost reflexively said 7.
Although somewhat embarrassed to be eliminated in the first round, the male dragon decided to gracefully accept defeat and quietly stepped down.
"Shall I start again?" Leon asked the shop owner.
"Sure, please go ahead," the shop owner replied.
Leon glanced at the smaller male dragon on his right. The dragon, though petite, met Leon's gaze with a slight tilt of his head.
This guy who doesn't want to show his tail seems a bit clever. I can't afford to underestimate him. Leon made a mental note to think carefully before responding after his turn.
After a brief eye contact, Leon smiled faintly, causing the dragon to panic inwardly.
Is he going to count now?!
The dragon's pupils trembled as he stared at Leon's mouth, trying to anticipate what number he would say.
"Sneeze!" Leon suddenly exclaimed.
The dragon was taken aback.
Just… a sneeze? Bro, are you kidding me—
"44," Leon declared suddenly.
"Ah… 44… If it's 44… then, jump, jump! I jump!" the dragon stuttered.
"You should have said 45, why are you jumping?" Leon glanced at him and then looked away.
"Hey, you!"
Leon's playful move drew laughter from the other contestants.
However, the wives in the audience weren't pleased.
"Ah, why is it like this? Isn't this against the rules?" The wife who spoke was probably the wife of the eliminated dragon.
"I don't think so. After all, the boss didn't say anything," another wife replied.
"Damn, what a cunning guy, he's exploiting the loopholes in the rules."
The wives were too engrossed in their discussion to notice the presence of the 'cunning guy's' wife nearby.
"Mind your words, miss."
A cold and indifferent voice came from behind.
The two dragon wives turned to see a silver-haired beauty.
"How does my husband's reasonable use of the rules become exploiting loopholes?" she said.
Hearing her words, the dragon wives felt aggrieved but couldn't find a reason to refute. They could only turn back reluctantly and keep quiet.
Moreover… the aura of this silver-haired beauty was definitely not that of an ordinary wife. It was best not to provoke her.
During the conversation, Leon on the stage eliminated another contestant.
Two more eliminations, and we can proceed to the next round, Leon thought, while silently calculating what trick to use next.
"For the next round, let's have this lady in the trench coat start," the shop owner suggested.
Realizing that if they let this guy continue, the promotional event would be over in less than ten minutes, what would be the point of the promotion?
Leon shrugged, indicating he had no objections. Those familiar with the game understood why the overpowering player was being reined in.
It was the mysterious woman in the trench coat's turn to count first. She slightly parted her crimson lips, her voice slightly husky.
"26."
"Uh ... Jump! Jump!" Almost fell for it.
The next contestant: "28."
The woman in the trench coat tilted her head slightly. "You're wrong, 28 is a multiple of 7, so you should jump too."
"What? Darn it! So that's how it is!"
With that, as long as one more contestant was eliminated, the rest could proceed to the next round.
The woman in the trench coat was about to count again, but a contestant suddenly raised his hand. "I… I'm not playing anymore! I quit!"
I thought it would be a fierce and evenly matched duel, but unexpectedly, we got a sly guy and a shrewd lady. Who would want to continue playing after that?
For the sake of a Jade Dew Dragon Fruit, it's not worth it! Not at all!
The shop owner scratched his head. Although he wanted to prolong the competition a bit, if a contestant voluntarily withdrew, he couldn't force them to continue.
"Alright, let's start the next round!" he announced.
Leon silently stared at the woman in the trench coat in front of him. There was something undeniably familiar about her… the subtle tilt of her head, the cadence of her voice. It tugged at a memory, one associated with a knowing, teasing smile that usually preceded some form of gentle mischief.
[It was a familiarity that spoke of shared secrets and gentle mischief, a presence that always seemed to appear when least expected yet somehow always right on time.]