Some rejoice, some worry

Ichinose Honami's face bloomed with a smile of relief and pride as she nodded to those around her. Kanzaki Ryuji's tense shoulders relaxed, and he pushed up his glasses, a rational gleam in his eyes, clearly already calculating how to maximize the utilization of these points.

Toudou Shizuka also smiled along with everyone else, understanding dawning on him: Class B's unity and stable performance had earned the school's initial approval. Sixty-five thousand, plus his own nearly three hundred thousand (twenty thousand hush money from Chabashira plus existing savings), his personal fund pool was now quite abundant.

[Class C: Evaluation Rank B]

[Class C: 490 Class Points]

[Base Points: 49,000 points/person]

Displeased boos and complaints echoed from the Class C area. "Only forty-nine thousand?" "Why so much less than Class B?" "Boss Ryuen, what's going on?"

[Class D: Evaluation Rank D]

[Class D: 0 Class Points]

[Base Points: 0 points/person]

"Zero?!"

"Are you kidding me!"

"Not a single cent?!"

The Class D area instantly erupted! Disbelieving gasps, angry roars, and dejected wails mingled together, like a powder keg that had just been detonated. The immense disparity, like being doused with ice water, stunned the Class D students.

Toudou Shizuka's gaze passed through the window, directed towards the opposite Class D classroom. He could imagine the chaos unfolding there at that moment.

Horikita Suzune's lips were tightly pressed together, her expression ashen, her eyes burning with humiliation and anger;

Hirata Yousuke was doing his best to soothe his agitated classmates;

Karuizawa Kei looked bewildered and fearful;

Sudo Ken angrily slammed his fist on the desk;

And Ayanokouji Kiyotaka... Toudou Shizuka's gaze searched, finally catching sight of that figure in the corner. He still showed no expression, merely looking calmly at the "0" displayed on his personal device, as if it were just an insignificant number. But Toudou Shizuka's intuition, honed by his S-Rank Fighting Style, detected beneath that calm surface, an extremely subtle, chilling coldness, like that of a deep, abyssal pool.

Immediately after, the door to the Class D classroom was violently flung open. Chabashira Sae walked out with a blank expression, the clicking of her high heels on the floor echoing starkly in the dead silence of the corridor.

She seemed to be holding something. Reaching the doorway of the Class D classroom, under the gaze of countless angry, desperate, pleading eyes, she suddenly raised her arm!

Swish--!

A large handful of brand-new, blank draft papers, representing "0 points," were fiercely, with an almost cruel indifference, thrown onto the floor at the entrance of the Class D classroom like cold snowflakes! The cards scattered across the ground, silently mocking Class D's failure.

[Scanning Target: Chabashira Sae (Status Refresh)]

Aura Intimidation (Teacher Class): A-rank (Active, Peak)

Rule Enforcement (Ruthless): A-rank (Active)

Emotional State: Cold Anger / Pressure (Hidden)

[Affection: -15 (High Alert) → -10 (Alert, but acknowledges the "efficiency" of her pressure tactics)] -- Toudou Shizuka understood the intention behind her card-throwing action: to stimulate Class D, to ignite a will to survive through extreme humiliation.

(The original text was similar; they were slacking off before and didn't really manage things much.)

The entire teaching building seemed frozen by this silent act of card-throwing. The chatter from other classes abruptly ceased, leaving only the heavy panting and suppressed sobs emanating from the Class D classroom.

Teacher Hoshinomiya's sweet voice broke the silence, tinged with just the right amount of "sympathy" and an irrefutable emphasis on the rules: "Oh my, what a shame for the Class D students.

But everyone, remember, this is the embodiment of the meritocracy principle!

Starting from a low point isn't scary; what's scary is giving up!

As long as you prove yourselves in future special exams and daily performance, your class rank and points can be improved!

Conversely..." Her smile remained, but the chill in her words made everyone's heart tighten, "If you continue to perform poorly, then next month, other classes might face a reduction in points or even a complete zero!

So, please cherish the points you have, regulate your behavior, and strive to earn honor for your class!"

"Regulate behavior," "earn honor" -- like invisible shackles, they instantly bound themselves to every student's heart.

Especially for students in the affluent A and B classes, looking at the numbers ticking on their devices, they felt, for the first time so clearly, how fragile these seemingly abundant points were, how dependent they were on the stability of the entire class's ship.

The atmosphere in the Class B classroom also grew somber. The previous excitement was replaced by a sense of immense crisis and responsibility.

"Sixty-five thousand points are a certainty, and even more so, a spur!" Ichinose Honami was the first to stand, her voice clear and full of power, her A-rank Charisma fully engaged, "Everyone has seen it, Class D is a cautionary tale!

If we become complacent, if internal cracks appear, if we cannot prove Class B's worth in the next special exam, then next month, it might be us standing at the door accepting the humiliation of a 'zero score'!

These sixty-five thousand personal points are not for us to squander! They are a symbol of Class B's unity, and even more so, the capital for our future battles!

I propose that the class establish a point management team, led by Kanzaki, to formulate a reasonable usage and savings plan, ensuring every point is used effectively for future challenges. Do you all agree?"

"Agree!"

"Support our Class Leader!"

"Support Kanzaki!"

Without any hesitation, the entire class unanimously approved. The sense of crisis brought on by the enormous point disparity had elevated Class B's cohesion to an unprecedented level.

Kanzaki Ryuji immediately stood up, pushed up his glasses, and spoke in a steady, powerful voice, "Thank you for your trust.

I will work with Shiranami as soon as possible to review the prices of in-school resources, assess potential future investments (such as Special Exam Supplies, Learning Resources, necessary club expenses, etc.), and draft a detailed budget proposal for the entire class to review.

At the same time, I propose establishing a 'Class Reserve Fund,' where a certain percentage of points will be forcibly saved each month to cope with unexpected situations and major opportunities."

His proposal was clear and visionary, earning widespread approval. Shiranami Chihiro was already rapidly jotting down the key points.

Toudou Shizuka sat quietly, his face showing the same solemnity and agreement as everyone else. He glanced at the system interface:

[Ichinose Honami Affection +2 (Highly recognizes his leadership role and class cohesion during a crisis). Current: 38 (Friendly) -> Target: 50 (Favorable).]

[Kanzaki Ryuji Affection +3 (Highly recognizes his rational planning ability and responsibility). Current: 43 (Neutral) -> Target: 45 (Approval).]

[Shiranami Chihiro Affection +2 (Participated in core planning work, sense of value increased). Current: 37 (Neutral) -> Target: 40 (Close).]

[Simulation Points +15 (Successfully guided the class through the first point shock, established crisis awareness and planning mechanism). Current: 40 Points.]