Paige took one last look at her parents, who were finally getting along in the living room, then turned and followed Mike outside.
After walking side-by-side for a bit, Paige couldn't help herself and said it again: "Thank you."
Mike's plan had essentially pulled the young girl back from the edge of a cliff and, in the process, saved her entire family.
"We're friends," Mike said with a smile. "Besides, you've already thanked me."
[Intelligence Main Attribute +3]
As the knots in the girl's heart finally unraveled, Mike got exactly what he was waiting for: a massive attribute orb.
After all this effort, this was the moment he had been looking forward to. Strictly speaking, this was a total win-win. Having received such a satisfying "payment," Mike truly didn't feel the need for any more verbal gratitude.
He couldn't wait any longer and immediately crushed the large orb in his palm.
As the energy surged through him, Mike's Intelligence attribute hit 182, successfully smashing through the 180 threshold.
In his system, every 20 points in Intelligence marked a significant breakthrough. Now that he had surpassed 180, Mike was officially a genius on the same level as Sheldon and Paige.
As his intellect spiked, it felt like an electric current was surging through his brain. The sensation was so euphoric he almost let out a shout.
Countless bits of information flashed through his mind, eventually organizing themselves into crystal-clear images. Each image was like a high-capacity flash drive, storing massive amounts of data.
Indeed, after crossing 180, Mike had gained an eidetic memory—a photographic mind.
His enhanced mental processing and spatial reasoning allowed him to simulate the universe with incredible clarity. From the vastness of the Milky Way to the microscopic dance of atoms, he could construct 3D models in his mind and manipulate them at will just by thinking about it.
The feeling of absolute control was intoxicating. For a fleeting moment, Mike felt like an all-powerful "god."
---
"Mike? Are you okay?" Paige noticed Mike had gone stiff and called out to him softly.
"Hmm?" Mike snapped out of the trance. Recalling that surreal feeling, he shook his head to clear his mind. "I'm fine. Actually, I feel great."
The rush of an intellectual breakthrough was far more intense than any physical limit he had ever pushed.
"Are you sure?" Paige asked worriedly. "You just stopped walking and had a really strange look on your face."
Usually, that kind of reaction was a warning sign for a stroke or something equally scary.
"I'm really okay. I just thought of something happy," Mike lied, offering a quick excuse to calm her down.
"If you say so," Paige said, though she didn't look entirely convinced. She could sense a shift in him, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what had changed.
"It's getting late, we should head back," Mike said, changing the subject. "Do you know where your sister is? We should probably grab her, too."
Tonight was a crucial night for Paige's parents to reconcile. It was best if no one was around to interrupt them.
Paige caught his drift immediately. "Actually, my sister usually stays out all night on the weekends."
"Better safe than sorry," Mike reminded her.
Paige might think her sister wouldn't go home, but you never knew. If an unexpected variable popped up, all their hard work could go down the drain. To Mike, it was better to nip any potential problems in the bud.
"Alright, I know a few places she hangs out. Let's go look..." Paige realized the seriousness of the situation.
The two of them hit several spots before sunset and finally tracked down Erica at a private party. She was reeking of alcohol, blending into the crowd to the beat of heavy music.
Even in the middle of a loud party, she looked like an abandoned soul. It seemed Paige wasn't the only child in that family who needed saving.
"Erica, how much have you had to drink?" Paige was shocked. She hadn't paid much attention to her sister's social life before, but seeing her like this was a wake-up call. She grabbed Erica's arm. "Come on, I'm taking you out of here."
"Paige? What are you doing here?" Erica mumbled, her speech slurred. "Where would I go? The house has one 'perfect' daughter... that's enough..."
Hearing her sister's drunken rambling, Paige knew she was wasted. She didn't bother arguing and tried to pull her toward the exit, but Erica was bigger and stronger.
"Need a hand?" Mike stepped forward.
"You're that... Cooper guy..." A blurry-eyed Erica actually recognized him. They had met briefly once before at the Coopers'.
"Paige, I didn't know... you act like such a good girl... but you hooked such a hot boyfriend..." Erica continued to babble, a silly grin plastered on her face.
Paige's face flushed red at her sister's nonsense, and she looked at Mike with a plea for help.
Mike didn't hesitate. He grabbed Erica and started leading her out.
Of course, a guy with Mike's looks had attracted plenty of attention since the moment he walked into the party. Seeing him walk off with Erica, several girls in the room looked disappointed.
"Erica, aren't you going to introduce us to your new boyfriend?"
"Yeah, what's his name?"
Since they couldn't have him, the girls started teasing Erica. Mike didn't give her a chance to respond, pulling her straight out into the cool evening air.
The breeze seemed to clear Erica's head a little.
"Where are you taking me?" Erica asked. Then she looked at Mike's face again and giggled. "If it's with a hottie like you, I guess I don't mind..."
She shot a mischievous look at her younger sister. She clearly wasn't fully sober yet and was definitely thinking some "not-so-wholesome" thoughts.
"I'll leave her to you. Explain the situation," Mike said, looking exasperated. "I'm going to call a cab."
Erica was pretty enough, but right now, she was covered in heavy "goth" makeup, wearing a studded leather jacket, and smelling like a brewery. She looked like a total rebel. Mike definitely wasn't interested.
By the time Mike hailed a taxi, Paige had finished explaining the situation. A slightly more lucid Erica had finally quieted down.
---
Half an hour later, the cab pulled up in front of Meemaw Connie's house.
"Go get cleaned up. I'll take you guys across the street for dinner in a bit," Mike said. Since Meemaw wasn't home, he took charge of the two girls.
---