Opening Ceremony (End)

[Kushida Kikyo Favorability +1 (Initial Contact Impression: Acceptable). Current: 16 (Neutral).]

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Kushida Kikyo, citing the need to meet other classmates, fluttered away like a butterfly, leaving behind a faint floral scent.

Toudou Shizuka watched her retreating figure, his gaze narrowing slightly. Kushida's A-rank skill set, especially [Expression Management and Emotional Camouflage A-rank], was a perfect camouflage and social weapon. However, the 60-point trust requirement meant that to unlock her core abilities, one would need to delve deep into her meticulously crafted social network, possibly even touching upon her hidden true self... Risks and rewards coexisted.

He withdrew his gaze and said to Kanzaki and Kobashi Yume, "Let's go too. Shall we check out the library first?" The immediate priority was to increase his presence and value within Class B, steadily gain favorability from Kanzaki, Ichinose, and others, unlock those practical B-rank skills, and accumulate points to purchase the next talent ([Deep Sleep] was his next target). As for Kushida, Horikita, and the top-tier skills of Class A's S-rank big shots... the road was still long.

Sunlight streamed through the glass windows of the corridor, illuminating the path ahead and casting long, intertwined shadows on the floor. Toudou Shizuka walked among his Class B companions, a gentle smile gracing his face—the smile of "Toudou Shizuka." His mind raced, planning how to make the most of every class collaboration opportunity, how to subtly showcase his value, and how to, in a silent, imperceptible way, polish the key called "favorability" into shape, bit by bit. The path of intense competition truly required careful planning at every step.

The library of Kōdo Ikusei High School was a standalone modern building, its massive glass curtain walls providing excellent natural light. Towering bookshelves stood like silent giants, and the air was filled with the quiet scent of paper and ink. Unlike the clamor of the opening ceremony, here, only the rustling of turning pages and occasional hushed conversations could be heard.

Toudou Shizuka, Kanzaki Ryuji, and Kobashi Yume entered the library. Kanzaki had a clear objective, heading straight for the historical documents and school yearbooks section. He adjusted his glasses, his sharp eyes beginning to scan. Kobashi Yume, on the other hand, was captivated by the dazzling array of fashion magazines and popular novels, her eyes lighting up as she rushed towards them.

"Toudou-kun, look! The latest issue of Vivi! And this..." she exclaimed softly.

Toudou Shizuka smiled at her. "You look first, I'll go find some materials over there." He gestured towards the section with regulations and educational management books. This was his target.

His [Accelerated Thinking (Basic)] talent turned his gaze into a precise scanner, quickly flicking over the classification labels and book titles on the spines: <Kōdo Ikusei High School Student Handbook (General Edition)>, Campus Facility Usage Regulations, Club Management Rules... These were all public, well-known basic rules.

What he needed was something deeper.

His fingertips brushed across rows of book spines, his mind rapidly sifting through fragmented memories from his past life: short video clips, discussions about fan-made settings... What were the keywords? "Special Exam," "Class Evaluation," "Points Rule," "Dropout Mechanism"... The Chairman had mentioned these, but vaguely.

In an inconspicuous corner, a few slightly worn, plainly bound booklets caught his attention. The titles read: <Kōdo Ikusei High School Internal Management Regulations (Reference Appendix · Annual Supplements)>. They weren't prominently displayed, seeming more like archived materials.

Toudou Shizuka's heart stirred, and he pulled one of them out. The paper was slightly yellowed, and the printed font was small. He quickly flipped through it.

Most of the content was still a detailed explanation of the public rules. But when he reached the middle section, a small, bolded heading caught his eye:

[General Principles and Potential Consequences Regarding "Special Exams"]

His spirits lifted. His [Accelerated Thinking] was fully engaged, his gaze like lightning sweeping over the clauses below:

Purpose: To comprehensively assess students' individual abilities (Leadership, Decision-making ability, Execution ability, Cooperation ability, Adaptability, etc.) and the overall strength of the class.

Format: Highly diverse, encompassing Academic Competition, Sports Competition, Survival Challenge, Strategy Game, Social Practice, etc. Specific content and rules will be announced by the school temporarily.

Evaluation Core: Results-oriented. Process performance is for reference only.

Consequences: ...(Vague, smudged by Xiao Ming getting the math textbook dirty)

Class Level: Exam results directly and significantly impact the class's monthly evaluation grade (S/A/B/C/D), which in turn determines the basic point distribution amount (a huge difference). In extreme cases (e.g., continuous last place with extremely poor performance), there is a risk of class demotion (System Prompt: This point is a highly confidential inference, not explicitly stated in the manual).

Individual Level: Those who perform outstandingly in exams can receive massive personal point rewards and preferential access to special resources (e.g., one-on-one tutoring from teachers, permission to use special equipment, etc.).

Those who commit serious errors or cause significant losses to the class may face a massive deduction of personal points, or even... expulsion (this point is vaguely mentioned in the manual and needs to be understood in conjunction with the general school rules).

Expulsion!

Toudou Shizuka's pupils contracted slightly. Although the Chairman had hinted at it, the relatively clear indication in the manual's appendix, combined with the strong impression of "expulsion" from fragments of his past life's memories, instantly confirmed the reality and brutality of this rule. This was no longer a vague warning, but the Sword of Damocles hanging over his head!

He quickly noted the key points, especially "results-oriented" and "risk of expulsion." The manual didn't provide specific exam examples, but this was already an extremely valuable clue.

"Toudou-kun, find anything?" Kanzaki Ryuji appeared out of nowhere, holding two yearbooks, his brow furrowed. "The school history's records on teaching models are very vague, only emphasizing 'competition' and 'practice,' with no specific details."

Toudou Shizuka calmly closed the booklet and put it back in its place, putting on an expression of "having found something but being unsure." "Kanzaki-kun, I found an appendix to the management regulations. It mentions that the core of the 'Special Exam' evaluation is 'results-oriented,' and... it seems to mention that if an individual makes a serious mistake, it could implicate the class or even... there are very severe penalties."

He deliberately used vague but cautionary words like "seems" and "very severe penalties," without directly mentioning "expulsion."

Kanzaki Ryuji's glasses instantly reflected light, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp. "Results-oriented? Severe penalties?" He immediately grasped the key points. "Where is the manual? Can I see it?"

"It's over here." Toudou Shizuka led him over, re-drew the booklet, flipped to the crucial page, and pointed to the clause vaguely mentioning expulsion. "Look here. Combined with the clauses regarding major misconduct in the general school rules, the penalty seems... very severe."