Sanda Club and Intelligence (2)

Kobayashi took a sip of coffee, a hint of smugness on his face, then sighed. "Ah, what's the point of rankings? The points are just so-so.

The key is the class! Our Third-Year Class C is in this sorry state, with those meager basic points each month. After deducting club activity expenses, there's barely anything left!"

"Don't remind me!" another Third-Year Member (Member C) grumbled, looking dejected. "It's all that damn Deserted Island Exam from the Second Year! Those useless people in our class dragged us down, and we dropped straight to Class C, unable to climb back up! They made us suffer too!"

Deserted Island Exam? Class promotion and demotion?!

Toudou Shizuka's internal alarm bells went off! This was precisely the crucial information he had been dreaming of! He calmly bought a canned drink himself and stood nearby, feigning the curiosity and a touch of "ignorance" of a freshman. "Senpai, do class ranks actually change? Was the exam that difficult?"

Kobayashi glanced at him. Perhaps thinking this new club member trained diligently and was from the same club, and still feeling the urge to complain, he opened up. "Difficult? More than difficult! It was monstrous! Special Exam, you know? The formats are bizarre! That Deserted Island Survival one was about which class could survive longer and acquire more resources! The rules were incredibly complicated, and other classes interfered! Several idiots in our class were used as pawns without even realizing it, resulting in us being last, and our evaluation dropping directly from B to C! Damn it, our points were halved!"

He grew angrier as he spoke, "What's most infuriating is that with a lower class rank, it costs more points to access high-value club resources, apply for special training rooms, and even redeem some advanced courses! A vicious cycle! It's hard for us old club members to improve ourselves!"

"So, junior," Member C said earnestly, patting Toudou Shizuka's shoulder, "don't just focus on your own training! Keep an eye on your class! Class rank is fundamental! If you fall, no amount of effort will matter! You first-years are starting out with a high starting point, so be careful not to make one wrong step and then every step is wrong, like us!"

Toudou Shizuka put on a shocked and receptive expression, nodding repeatedly. "Thank you for the reminder, senpai! This is so important! Our class leader has also been emphasizing the importance of class unity recently. It seems to be truly wise words!" He offered praise at the right moment, attributing the information to Ichinose's "foresight."

[Kirihara Takeshi, overhearing the conversation from not far away, nodded slightly at Toudou Shizuka's attitude of humbly accepting his seniors' experience. Affection +1. Current: 6 (Neutral).]

Back in the Class B classroom, Toudou Shizuka immediately found Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji.

He did not reveal the specific source of information (senior members of the Sanda Club) but used a more vague yet clearly directed statement:

"Class Leader, Vice Class Leader, I was at club activities earlier and unintentionally overheard some senior students complaining. They mentioned that the school has had Special Exams in the past with extremely complex formats, like 'Deserted Island Survival,' and that the results of those exams directly led to class rank changes!

Classes that were demoted had their monthly basic points significantly reduced and faced restrictions on acquiring in-school resources, creating a vicious cycle! The seniors particularly emphasized that class rank is fundamental and urged us to prioritize the overall strength and unity of the class!"

He deliberately emphasized the key points: "complex formats," "class demotion," "vicious cycle," and "prioritize overall strength and unity," which was enough to raise high alert among the core members.

Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji's expressions instantly turned extremely solemn.

"Class demotion... vicious cycle..." Kanzaki Ryuji adjusted his glasses, his eyes behind the lenses sharp as knives. "This is even more serious than we previously anticipated!

If the class rank drops, not only will points plummet, but even personal ability development will be restricted by resources! This completely confirms the Chairman's cruel 'resource disparity'!"

Ichinose Honami took a deep breath, the sense of responsibility in her eyes burning even brighter. "Toudou-kun, this news is too crucial! Thank you again!"

She turned to the entire class, her voice carrying an unprecedented sense of urgency. "Everyone, listen up! Class rank concerns the vital interests and development space of each and every one of us! For future Special Exams, we must give our all, with the overall interests of the class as our highest goal! Any behavior that could drag the class down must be eliminated! We will forge Class B into an unbreakable fortress!"

[Ichinose Honami Affection +4 (Provided extremely crucial strategic information, greatly strengthening the class's sense of crisis). Current: 35 (Friendly) -> Target 50 (Friendly).]

[Kanzaki Ryuji Affection +4 (Highly recognized the value and strategic significance of his information). Current: 31 (Neutral) -> Target 45 (Recognized).]

[Simulation Points +30 (Acquired key intelligence and successfully guided the class's strategic direction). Current: 120 points!]

[Shiranami Chihiro Affection +1 (Acknowledged contribution to class information work). Current: 21 (Neutral) -> Target 40 (Close).]

Watching the points in his vision finally break the 100 mark, Toudou Shizuka felt a sense of certainty. He did not hesitate and locked his intent onto the Talent Shop.

[Purchase Talent: Deep Sleep (Basic)? Cost: 100 Simulation Points.]

Confirm!

A warm, gentle, and peaceful current instantly surged into the depths of his mind, like the softest feather brushing against taut nerves.

Toudou Shizuka felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation and stability wash over him, as if every cell in his body craved high-quality rest. He could clearly foresee that no matter how intense the virtual training in the future, his body and mind would recover most efficiently through this "Deep Sleep"!

[Simulation Points: 120 → 20.]

Investing in oneself is always the most secure choice.

"Toudou-kun, your face is a little pale. Are you too tired?" Ichinose Honami's concerned voice reached him. "Go back and get some good rest! You worked hard today!"

Toudou Shizuka snapped back to reality, offering a slightly tired but gentle smile. "Yes, I am a bit. Class Leader, Vice Class Leader, I'll head back then. Contact me anytime if you need anything." He skillfully used the "stability" brought by his new talent to display a reasonable hint of fatigue.

Leaving the classroom and walking on the path back to the dormitory, the afterglow of the setting sun stretched his shadow long. Toudou Shizuka felt the cold power of the S-Rank Fighting Style within him, the clear mind brought by [Thought Acceleration], the recovery potential bestowed by [Deep Sleep], and the steadily increasing affection levels on the system interface.

The Sanda Club was the first step. He obtained crucial intelligence and laid the groundwork for future connections with the senior students. Next, he needed to continue "playing" the role of a promising newcomer in the club and solidify Kirihara Takeshi's affection.

At the same time, Shiranami Chihiro's affection level (21) was getting closer to the 40 points needed to unlock the B-Rank Information Synthesis ability, so he needed to keep up the effort. Kanzaki Ryuji's (31) and Ichinose Honami's (35) affection levels were also steadily approaching their targets.