You don't need to hold back, just compete seriously.

``` [Triggered Task: Win First Place in the Parent-Child Activity]

[Task Reward: 100 Mysterious Power, 1000 Points]

[Task Failure: No Reward]

Upon arriving at the kindergarten, Li Ran triggered the task.

"Quite a crowd."

Li Ran noticed quite a few people standing on the playground.

It felt as if he had returned to the real world.

However, he was well aware that those were all monsters infected by the virus.

"Li Ziyang, so this is your dad."

At this moment, a chubby boy walked up to the school gate, eyeing Li Ran with extreme rudeness.

Behind the chubby boy followed a burly man standing 1.9 meters tall.

Li Ran frowned slightly, scanning the boy and the burly man.

(Pang Hu)

(B-rank Mental Infector)

(Mysterious Power: 70)

(The little bully of the kindergarten, lawless, takes pleasure in tormenting children weaker than himself.)

(Defeating him once will crush his arrogant and domineering spirit.)

(Pang Hu's Dad)

(B-rank Mental Infector)

(Mysterious Power: 330)

(A hardcore fitness enthusiast who relies on protein powder in the gym, priding himself on pursuing a perfect physique.)

(However, you need not worry; your strength can easily handle him.)

Seeing Pang Hu, Li Ziyang's small frame shuddered, and he hid fearfully behind Li Ran.

"Li Ziyang, it's useless even if your dad is here. My dad can take down your dad with one hand."

Pang Hu laughed arrogantly, looking at no one.

Pang Hu's Dad glanced at Li Ran with disdain, not taking him seriously at all.

Seeing this, Su Bingyao said angrily, "This child really has no upbringing at all; he just needs a good lesson."

"It doesn't matter. I'll make sure they can't laugh later during the competition." A cold glint flashed in Li Ran's eyes.

They waited on the playground for a while.

"It is an honor to have all the parents participate in this parent-child activity at Happy Kindergarten. Next, we will begin the two competition events. Please participate actively, parents and children; there are rewards for taking first place."

At this moment, a woman wearing a shirt and a skirt stood on the platform at the front of the playground. The woman wore high heels, which made her legs appear even longer and straighter.

The shirt on her upper body was stretched tight, revealing a very curvaceous figure.

Li Ran's gaze swept over her, and he felt surprised upon seeing the prompt.

(Teacher Zhang of the Kindergarten)

(A-rank Mental Infector)

(Mysterious Power: 160)

(Su Bingyao's former best friend; their relationship gradually drifted apart after marriage.)

(During her tenure as a teacher, she has been moody and extremely strict with the children, frequently using corporal punishment.)

(Reminder: She is the one who sent the Little Bastard.)

The prompt from his golden finger left Li Ran feeling utterly stunned.

When Su Bingyao saw Teacher Zhang, her beautiful eyes also revealed a complex expression.

In fact, Li Ran had been harboring doubts all this time.

He did not understand why his son's teacher would give him a Weird Infant, calling it a nutritional supplement.

That Little Bastard was still sitting on the bookshelf in his son's room.

Li Ziyang's drawings had also previously revealed information about the teacher using corporal punishment on students.

The day I first entered the Weird World, my son was kept after school for corporal punishment.

Corporal punishment is one thing, but what was the meaning of sending a Weird Infant?

Could it be that Su Bingyao didn't notice the abnormality of the Weird Infant? Didn't she suspect anything?

Teacher Zhang on the podium was introducing the competition events for the day.

Li Ran looked toward Su Bingyao and asked, "Does she still keep sending things to our house?"

"Yes," Su Bingyao replied, her brows slightly furrowed.

So that was it; no wonder Su Bingyao hadn't sensed anything wrong with the Weird Infant.

Because she had already grown accustomed to it—accustomed to the strange, bizarre items Teacher Zhang kept sending to their home.

"Why does she send us things?" Li Ran asked.

Su Bingyao parted her pearly teeth as if to speak, then hesitated, finally shaking her head. "I'm not entirely sure, but I always feel she harbors great hostility toward me now."

"Hostility?"

Li Ran couldn't quite grasp how two once-close best friends had turned into bitter enemies.

Just as he was about to ask more, Teacher Zhang's voice rang out: "Let us begin the first event: the Balance Bridge."

"Each family will form a group, select two members to draw numbers, and step onto the Balance Bridge. The four winning families will advance to the final round."

"The game begins!"

The crowd followed Teacher Zhang toward the interior of the kindergarten.

Soon, they arrived beside a swimming pool.

The pool was only about a third the size of a standard one, and in its center sat a swaying wooden beam. During the match, the two opposing contestants would stand at either end of the beam; once the match started, they would each exert force to shake the beam, aiming to knock the other into the pool to claim victory.

It was worth noting that the pool was teeming with countless terrifying Piranhas. They looked famished, their massive maws filled with dense, jagged teeth floating everywhere on the surface.

Seeing this, Li Ran's scalp tingled.

Yet, apart from him, not a single person showed any signs of panic; instead, they looked excited and eager to jump in.

"Will each family please send a representative forward to draw a number?" Teacher Zhang shouted, while her assistant brought over a box.

Everyone stepped forward to draw their numbers, and Li Ran drew No. 8.

Paired off, he was set to face No. 7.

The first family stepped onto the wooden beam.

At the signal, the two families on the beam instantly transformed into four terrifying monsters, tearing into each other.

The scene completely shattered Li Ran's perception of what a parent-child game should be.

"The fish will have a hearty meal again today," the assistant beside Teacher Zhang said excitedly.

Just then, Family No. 1 proved no match for Family No. 2 and fell into the water.

Instantly, the entire pool began to boil, and within moments, blood stained the water red.

Family No. 1 had lost, and they were defeated so thoroughly that not even a scrap remained.

Li Ran couldn't help but gulp.

Soon, it was the third group's turn.

Pang Hu and his father were Group No. 5.

With almost no suspense, Pang Hu's Dad used his own strength to crush the heads of the father and son from Group No. 6, winning easily.

As Pang Hu's Dad stepped off, he fixed a provocative gaze on Li Ran and drew a finger across his own throat. "Soon, your head will burst open just like a watermelon."

Li Ran naturally ignored the provocation from Pang Hu and his father.

"No. 7 and No. 8, please prepare," Teacher Zhang shouted.

Li Ran patted his son's head. "Son, let's go."

The two walked toward the wooden beam at one end.

Just then, Teacher Zhang stepped forward to block them.

Li Ran asked, puzzled, "Teacher Zhang, what is this?"

"The previous groups were all father-son matches, with no couples participating. Doesn't everyone want to see a duel between couples?" Teacher Zhang's eyes locked onto Su Bingyao as she shouted out, acting as if it were nothing.

"Yeah! Let's have something different, otherwise it's not very interesting," one parent chimed in.

The assistant beside Teacher Zhang added, "Both No. 7 and No. 8 are families of three, why not have them all go up together?"

"Whoa, that would be fun! The fish will be able to eat their fill, too."

Cold light flickered in Teacher Zhang's eyes as she turned to Li Ran and said, "Li Ziyang's father shouldn't have any objections, right?"

Heh!

Only now did Li Ran understand Teacher Zhang's "painstaking efforts."

Su Bingyao had said Teacher Zhang held hostility toward her; at first, he hadn't fully understood it, as they had been close friends—how much hostility could there really be?

Now, he finally realized just how deep that hostility ran.

She was trying to send his entire family to their deaths!

Seeing this, Pang Hu began heckling from the sidelines: "Li Ziyang's dad is too scared~"

The other children immediately joined in the jeering.

"Li Ziyang is trash, his dad is trash, their whole family is trash!"

Upon hearing this, Li Ziyang and Su Bingyao's expressions turned icy.

Teacher Zhang watched Li Ran with a mocking smile and asked again, "You don't have any objections to the whole family going up together, do you?"

"I have no objections," Li Ran replied in a cold tone.

Su Bingyao looked at Li Ran with concern. "Don't push yourself."

Li Ran whispered, "It'll be fine."

Li Ziyang's mood was terrible; his entire face began to crack.

"Son, do you trust your dad?" Li Ran said, patting his son's head.

"I do!" Li Ziyang looked at Li Ran with a firm gaze.

Under Li Ran's encouragement, his wife and son's expressions improved significantly; what mattered most was that they unconditionally believed Li Ran could secure victory.

"Will both families please prepare!" Teacher Zhang shouted.

The Family No. 7 had already taken their places at one end of the Balance Bridge.

Li Ran walked in front, Li Ziyang was in the middle, and Su Bingyao was at the back.

Only after stepping onto the Balance Bridge did they realize how narrow it truly was—only a shoe's width wide, requiring them to alternate their feet to maintain balance.

Moreover, countless dense swarms of Piranha were waiting below.

They crowded together frantically, their massive, tooth-filled maws agape, waiting for the food on the bridge to fall.

After steadying himself, Li Ran turned to his wife and said, "Wife, protect our son; leave the rest to me."

"Okay."

Li Ran cast his gaze toward the Family No. 7.

The entire family consisted of B-rank Mental Infectors.

The father and mother both had a Mysterious Power of 180, while the son had 60.

Father No. 7 swept a disdainful glance at Li Ran. "Last year, I took first place in this Balance Bridge event."

Son No. 7 looked at his father with adoration. "Dad, go easy on them later. Li Ziyang is a weakling, and his dad must be one too, otherwise it won't be any fun."

Li Ran stared at the No. 7 family coldly. "You don't need to go easy on us; just compete seriously."

"He told me not to go easy—isn't that hilarious?" Father No. 7 said loudly to those around him. "If I get serious, I doubt their family will last even three seconds."

"Where does Li Ziyang's dad get his confidence?"

"Father No. 7 is a master of the Balance Bridge. Besides my own dad, who would dare claim they can definitely beat him?" Pang Hu said with his nose in the air.

"Maybe Li Ziyang's dad is a master too, haha!"

The people around them were all just watching the show, wearing expressions of schadenfreude.

Looking at the mocking faces of those around him, Li Ran finally understood why his son's heart had become so dark and twisted.

In a school filled with hostile teachers, corporal punishment, and bullying everywhere, even a physically and mentally healthy child would eventually turn into a deformed monster.

"Hurry up and start; I can't wait to see them fall into the water and get torn to shreds," Father No. 7 said, beckoning Li Ran with a provocative gesture.

Their family was almost entirely crouched low, striking a tense, ready-to-strike pose like beasts prepared to pounce, their eyes radiating a terrifying, murderous glint.

They looked at Li Ran provocatively, hoping to make him realize the gap in their professionalism.

To their surprise, Li Ran let out a disdainful snort. "Hmph, putting on a show!"