Mrs. Jenkins intended for Anthony to demonstrate his talent first.

After all, knowing the opponent was crucial for victory. Mr. Barnes could have the time to come up with a contingency plan if Anthony displayed exceptional talent.

However, Anthony unexpectedly said, “Sorry, I'm a bit nervous. Let him go first."

“What?” Mrs. Jenkins, Mr. Barnes, and Barbara were taken aback. With his confident demeanor and imposing presence, Anthony claimed to be nervous? He must be kidding!

It seemed more likely that he realized going first would be disadvantageous, and he cleverly wanted to seize the upper hand.

Despite his youth, Anthony was proving to be quite shrewd.

Mrs. Jenkins was about to object, but Roy, the Barnes family's playboy, stepped up confidently, saying, “Alright, alright, I'll start."

Mrs. Jenkins and the others couldn't help but silently call Roy a fool. It was too late for them to recognize Roy's arrogance and recklessness.

“Roy, wait," Mr. Barnes interjected. With no other choice, Mr. Barnes prepared to adopt his unique acupuncture therapies on Roy. He called Roy over and whispered his strategy.

Initially surprised, Roy quickly grinned. As a hedonist, he was more interested in victory, fame, and women than in fair competition.

Learning that Mr. Barnes' unique acupuncture therapies could temporarily boost his talents and help him win, he saw no reason to decline.

"Alright. Please go ahead," Roy eagerly responded. He turned away from Anthony and Maria, cautious not to raise their suspicions.

“Give me your hand and roll up your sleeve," Mr. Barnes instructed in a hushed tone. Roy quickly obliged.

Wanting to divert Anthony's and Maria's attention, Mrs. Jenkins laughed artificially and remarked, “Are the young ones always this jittery? Anthony's nervous, and now Roy too? It's good that Mr. Barnes is here to reassure Roy."

Observing from a distance, Canaan couldn't help but be skeptical of this thinly veiled distraction.

"They're up to something shady," he thought.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Jenkins had strategically positioned Canaan where he could only see Roy's back, keeping Canaan unaware of the clandestine acupuncture.

"Oh, it feels hot and a bit painful," Roy murmured through clenched teeth, feeling the needles in his forearm, arranged in a pattern akin to the Big Dipper.

“Endure this little discomfort, and you'll gain what you desire. You want that, right?" Mr. Barnes said coolly.

"I won't easily adopt these unique acupuncture therapies to anyone. Consider yourself Lucky."

“Alright. Of course, I want that!" Roy replied, eager for any advantage.

Mr. Barnes acted with swift precision, performing his unique acupuncture therapies on Roy with finesse.

The silver needles were promptly withdrawn from Roy's arm, leaving behind only a slight redness at each site.

Roy felt an overwhelming energy flood his being, a raw power that seemed limitless. It was as if he had reached the zenith of his potential.