The moment he finished speaking, the system's notification sounded...
[Shiranami Chihiro Affection +1 (highly approves of his Rational Analysis and insight into risks). Current: 45 (Approval)!] [Unlocked Target Skill (Kanzaki Ryuji): Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank Simulation Privilege!] [Shiranami Chihiro Affection +1 (provided additional information and expressed agreement). Current: 41 (Closeness).] [Simulation Points +5 (provided key risk analysis and guided the class's understanding). Current: 50 Points.]
Kanzaki Ryuji nodded firmly. "Toudou's analysis is right. Borrowing money, especially with interest, is strictly forbidden on campus. Class D's predicament is sympathetic, but this approach is tantamount to digging their own graves. I hope their homeroom teacher discovers what's going on and puts a stop to it in time."
He thought of how coldly Chabashira Sae had tossed down the materials, and his brow furrowed even more.
Shiranami Chihiro quietly jotted down the key points, then said softly, "This reminds us how necessary the Class Reserve Fund is. At least it ensures that, even in extreme circumstances, our classmates won't have to take desperate risks just to meet their basic needs."
"Yeah! That's why we have to manage our points even more carefully!" Kobashi Yume nodded vigorously. Thanks to Vitality Infection, her Sense of Belonging and responsibility toward the class had grown stronger.
Toudou Shizuka listened to her classmates' discussion, understanding the situation. Class D's lending scandal was an inevitable blight born of the pressure of having Zero Points. Word of it would soon spread through all kinds of channels.
How would Chabashira Sae handle it? Would she crack down ruthlessly, or use the incident to put even more pressure on Class D? Or... was this itself part of some kind of "test"? Of course, someone like her might also be indifferent. After all, when it came to the class, she cared more about whether "Ayanokouji, their trump card," could take Class D to greater heights.
He recalled Miyazawa-sensei's warning about "Class Behavior." Class D's chaotic lending was undoubtedly extremely negative Class Behavior, and would only make their evaluation worse.
Class B had to learn from their example, ensure stability within the class, and seize every opportunity to demonstrate "positive Class Behavior."
After lunch, Toudou Shizuka politely declined Kobashi Yume's invitation to go to the library and headed alone toward the relatively secluded Old School Building. He needed a quiet place to immediately simulate learning the two newly unlocked B-Rank skills: Kanzaki Ryuji's [Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank] and Shiranami Chihiro's [Information Synthesis B-Rank]. Combined with his existing [Thought Acceleration], these abilities would greatly improve his strategy development and information processing, making them key weapons for handling future "Major Events."
He sat on a bench partly screened by vines and closed his eyes.
His thoughts first locked onto [Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank].
[Enter the Virtual Training Ground to simulate learning the Target Skill: Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank?]
Confirm!
His consciousness sank into the simulation.
Scene: A projection of a virtual Class B Meeting Room. The atmosphere was tense, and the projected images of "Ichinose," "Kanzaki," "Shiranami," and the others wore furrowed brows. Scene information: [Simulation Scene: The class faces a sudden crisis (for example, an important member is framed for cheating and faces Penalty Points).
Information is fragmented and difficult to verify, while public opinion rages. Training objective: Within 15 minutes, use limited fragments of information to analyze the central conflict and potential risks, develop the optimal decision, and persuade the Core Members.]
A flood of jumbled information poured into Toudou Shizuka's mind: fragments of an anonymous report, a proctor's vague testimony, the accused student's anxious denials, and other students' baseless speculation... It was a tangled mess.
Toudou Shizuka forced himself to stay calm, trying to imitate Kanzaki Ryuji's way of thinking: carefully untangling the threads and getting straight to the heart of the matter. He tried to sort out the timeline, analyze the logical flaws in the report, and assess the reliability of the proctor's testimony...
[Failure: Information processing was disorganized, and the key conflict was not identified. Swept along by emotional public opinion, the decision (demanding that the school investigate the accuser) made too many enemies and was ineffective.]
Scene reset.
He tried focusing on the accused student's actions and whether their motives made sense...
[Failure: Focused too narrowly on one point and overlooked the potential damage to the class's overall reputation and morale. The decision (protecting the individual at all costs) failed to resolve the class crisis.]
Again and again...
Toudou Shizuka repeatedly hit dead ends in the flood of information. His poor decisions plunged the Virtual Class into deeper Trust Crises or cost it resources.
He came to understand just how difficult B-Rank Rational Analysis and Decision Making was. How could he pinpoint the core issue with so little information?
How could he weigh the pros and cons amid complex variables and find the path with the lowest risk and highest return? How could he stay absolutely calm under pressure, setting aside some of his emotions to focus more fully?
When the scene unfolded again, Toudou Shizuka was like a program running as designed. His gaze instantly locked onto a tiny discrepancy in the timeline of the report!
Using that as his breakthrough, he combined it with the vagueness in the proctor's testimony and quickly pieced together a chain of logic suggesting that the accusation might be fabricated. At the same time, he assessed the feasibility and risks of "investigating the accuser" (it could provoke even greater suspicion), as well as the limitations of "protecting the individual at all costs" (it could not repair the damage to the class's reputation).
In the end, he proposed a compromise: on one hand, they would ask the school to review the evidence again according to procedure, upholding procedural justice; on the other, the Class Core would publicly vouch for the accused student's past conduct and abilities, rebuilding trust. Meanwhile, they would secretly gather Counter-Evidence, striking on both fronts.
[Success: Identified the key conflict. The decision balanced procedure, reputation, and a substantive counterattack, earning the Core Members' approval.] [Comprehension: Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank: 22.18%... 58.74%... 89.36%... 99.99%!]
The Information Flow merged! Countless fragments of knowledge about Logical Deduction, risk assessment, optimizing plans, and weighing pros and cons combined with the painful lessons of his countless failed decisions! A cold clarity, like precisely interlocking gears, entered the core of his mind.
[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully mastered the skill: Rational Analysis and Decision Making! Rank: B-Rank!] [Simulation Points gained: 20!] [Current Simulation Points: 70!]
Without pausing, he immediately locked his thoughts onto [Information Synthesis B-Rank]!
[Enter the Virtual Training Ground to simulate learning the Target Skill: Information Synthesis B-Rank?]
Confirm!
The scene changed: a Virtual Information Center piled with disorderly paper reports and flickering streams of electronic data. Scene information: [Simulation Scene: Within 30 minutes, from a vast amount of redundant rumors, historical fragments, and Rule Interpretations regarding the "Special Exam," with unknown sources, synthesize three core pieces of information that are most likely true and most valuable for guiding action.]
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