Point Consumption and a Chance Encounter at the Supermarket

After the freshman assembly ended, the following days were a gap period for familiarizing themselves with the campus and curriculum. The temptation of those Ten Thousand Points hung like a sweet fruit before their eyes, driving most Class D students unable to resist the urge to spend.

Fūki Ran carefully examined the points system description on his Student Terminal. These Ten Thousand "Private Points" indeed held extremely high purchasing power, usable almost anywhere on campus—from the cafeteria, supermarket, and bookstore to even some entertainment facilities. The system interface was simple, but Fūki noticed a detail: in the personal information section under class, it displayed "Class D" with no additional marks or explanations. Whether this matched what might appear on a Class A student's terminal was unknown for now.

The afternoon sun was just right, and Fūki decided to check out the largest supermarket on campus. On one hand, he needed to replenish some daily necessities; on the other, it was the perfect opportunity to observe his classmates' spending habits.

The supermarket's scale and foot traffic surprised him slightly. The shelves were packed with goods—from food, drinks, stationery, and books to daily necessities and small appliances—everything available, and the quality looked quite good. The point prices, relative to the total of Ten Thousand, indeed seemed rather "cheap."

As expected, he spotted a few familiar figures near the fresh food section. Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji were pushing a shopping cart nearly overflowing with snacks and drinks, excitedly comparing prices on newly released gaming consoles.

"Anyway, we've got tons of points, and there's more next month, so of course we should buy the best!" Yamauchi grabbed an expensive bag of imported snacks and tossed it into the cart without hesitation.

"Right! I've had my eye on these limited-edition sneakers for ages. Never thought I could buy them with points!" Ike proudly showed off the shoebox in his hands.

Not far away, Yukimura Teruhiko appeared much more cautious. His shopping basket held only basic study supplies and simple food. Watching Yamauchi and Ike's behavior, he frowned deeply and finally couldn't help speaking up: "I'd advise you to show some restraint. What if..."

"Oh, Yukimura, you're overthinking it!" Yamauchi waved him off dismissively. "The teacher said they're distributed every month. What's there to worry about?"

Fūki didn't intervene in their discussion. He silently placed a bottle of drinking water and a few simple toiletries into his own basket. His eyes swept across the supermarket, and soon, another solitary figure caught his attention.

Horikita Suzune.

She pushed an empty shopping cart, her pace unhurried, her gaze focused as she scanned the items on the shelves. Occasionally, she would pick something up, carefully examine the ingredient list or price, weigh it for a moment, and only then decide whether to put it in her cart. Most of what she selected were necessities—moderate quality, no luxury or impulsive purchases. Her behavior perfectly matched her rational, self-disciplined personality that refused to rely on external things.

Fūki pushed his cart, moving seemingly casually along the shelves, calculating the timing and route. Just as Horikita picked up a box of tea and prepared to move to the next aisle, Fūki appeared in her path, and they nearly came face-to-face at the corner.

"Sorry." Fūki spoke first, his tone calm.

Horikita Suzune looked up. Seeing it was Fūki, a flicker of barely noticeable surprise passed through her Purple Eyes before she resumed her usual coldness. "It's fine." She replied briefly, turning to sidestep around him.

"A very rational shopping trip." Fūki didn't move aside. His gaze fell on the few sparse items in her cart, his tone unreadable—whether praise or simple observation. "It seems you hold a similar view to mine regarding those Ten Thousand Points."

Horikita's steps paused. Her eyes sharpened as she looked at him. "I simply don't need useless things. As for the points, they're the school's rules. I use them as needed." She seemed unwilling to engage further with Fūki, especially on the topic of points.

"Using them as needed is wise." Fūki, as if ignoring her dismissal, continued. "It's just that when the definition of 'need' becomes blurred, when the relationship between 'reward' and 'cost' hasn't been clarified, relying too much on immediate benefits might cause one to overlook the underlying rules." He glanced meaningfully toward Yamauchi and Ike, still in the midst of their wild shopping spree.

Horikita was silent for a moment. She followed his gaze, a trace of contempt flashing in her eyes, but quickly withdrew it, landing back on Fūki's face. "You always seem to like saying ambiguous things, Feng Qi. The truth of the rules needs to be explored and verified by oneself, not guessed at through speculation and alarmism."

Her words still carried a strong defensive tone, but Fūki could sense that compared to her outright rejection in the hallway last time, she was at least willing to engage in a brief conversation now, even showing a faint, almost imperceptible consideration of his "speculation."

"You're right. Truth comes from practice." Fūki nodded agreeably, not pressing further. He stepped aside and made a gesture for her to pass.

Horikita glanced at him, as if trying to read something from his calm, expressionless face, but ultimately found nothing. She said no more, pushed her cart, and walked away, her back still resolute.

Fūki watched her go, not disappointed. The purpose of this encounter had been achieved—once again planting a seed about the "rules" in her mind and making her realize that he was a "kindred spirit" who continuously observed and thought, not one of the "mediocrities" indulging in the points frenzy.

He continued his shopping. In the stationery section, he ran into Kushida Kikyo, who was carefully selecting notebooks.

"Ah, Feng Qi, what a coincidence!" Kushida immediately flashed a bright smile in greeting. "You're shopping too?"

"Yeah, picking up some necessities." Fūki replied, noticing that Kushida's cart had quite a few items, but mostly snacks and drinks seemingly meant for class activities or sharing with classmates, along with some cost-effective stationery. Her spending behavior clearly had a strong social purpose.

"How nice. Everyone's preparing for their new life." Kushida said with a smile, then lowered her voice slightly, adding a hint of concern. "But I noticed some classmates seem to be buying way too much. I'm a little worried..."

She appropriately displayed concern for her classmates, crafting an image of "kindness" and "helpfulness." Fūki understood in his heart, but on the surface, he only responded lightly: "Everyone has their own choices."

As he checked out and left the supermarket, Fūki saw Horikita Suzune walking alone toward the dormitory with a small shopping bag. On the other side, Yamauchi and Ike were struggling to carry several bulging bags, their faces wearing expressions of satisfaction mixed with exhaustion.

A stark contrast.

Fūki understood. The initial division had already begun. The reckless spenders of points, the cautious conservatives, the rational pragmatists, and shrewd ones like Kushida who used points as a social tool. These different tendencies within Class D would inevitably spark conflict at some point in the future.

And he only needed to wait patiently and, at the critical moment, give a gentle push.

Back in Dorm 129, Fūki put away his purchases. Outside the Window, the setting sun gilded the campus in gold. He took out his notebook and added a new observation record:

"Points spending behavior—initial divergence emerging."

"Horikita Suzune—rational, vigilant, approachable."

"Potential conflict points—resource allocation and cognitive differences."

Closing the notebook, Fūki knew the peaceful days wouldn't last long. When the first month's points were depleted, or when the first real "rule" surfaced, that would be when the real show began.