Unexpected Visitor

The next afternoon, while Class D was reinforcing their camp and gathering resources according to plan, an unexpected visitor appeared.

At the time, Hanyu Xiuyi was discussing how to improve the alert system with Hirata Yousuke, while Horikita Suzune stood nearby with a cold face, recording suggestions. Suddenly, the alarm at the southern edge of camp went off—triggered by a person, not wind or small animals.

"Someone's coming!" Sudo Ken immediately grabbed a wooden stick at hand.

"Don't rush." Hanyu Xiuyi held him back. "Let's see who it is first."

The bushes rustled, and a figure stepped out. It wasn't a Class C student as expected, but a girl—Ichinose Honami from Class B.

She was alone, wearing a clean tracksuit, her pale pink long hair gently swaying in the breeze. Seeing Class D's wary expressions, she revealed a warm smile and raised both hands to show she meant no harm.

"Ichinose?" Hanyu Xiuyi was somewhat surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to find Hanyu." Ichinose's smile was warm, but her eyes were serious. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you alone."

Horikita Suzune immediately frowned. "What can't be said here?"

Ichinose looked at Horikita, still maintaining her smile. "It's about Class C intel. I think Hanyu would be interested."

Hanyu Xiuyi thought for a few seconds. "Alright. Horikita, Hirata, continue the camp work. Ichinose and I will talk over there."

He pointed to a shaded spot at the camp edge. Ichinose nodded and followed him over.

"Can you talk now?" Hanyu asked once they sat down.

Ichinose's expression turned serious. "This morning, Ryuen Sho from Class C came to find us in Class B."

"What did he want?"

"He proposed a 'deal'." Ichinose said. "He promised not to target Class B during the exam, on the condition that Class B 'cooperates' with them once on the last day."

"Cooperate how?"

"He didn't specify, just said he'd give a signal when needed." A trace of worry flickered in Ichinose's eyes. "I refused. But Ryuen said if Class B didn't cooperate, he'd make us an attack target."

Hanyu Xiuyi frowned. "He threatened you?"

"Yeah." Ichinose nodded. "And he put it bluntly—'Either become an ally, or become an enemy.'"

That was indeed Ryuen's style. Hanyu Xiuyi thought it over. "You came to me to..."

"Warn you to be careful." Ichinose said earnestly. "Ryuen is clearly planning some big move. He came to Class B, and he'll probably approach Class A too. If he can convince other classes to cooperate, he might launch a sudden attack later in the exam."

"Thanks for the warning." Hanyu said sincerely. "What are you planning to do?"

Ichinose smiled, a hint of determination in it. "I won't cooperate with someone like Ryuen. Class B will complete the exam our own way. But..." She paused. "If Class C really targets us, I hope we can support each other with Class D when necessary."

"Is the verbal alliance we made earlier still valid?"

"It is." Ichinose affirmed. "I just felt it was necessary to confirm it in person. After all..." She looked toward Class D's busy camp. "You all look very well-prepared."

Hanyu Xiuyi followed her gaze. Sudo Ken was teaching a few boys how to set new tripwires, Hasebe Haruka was leading the girls in sorting collected plants, Hirata Yousuke was discussing the map with Yukimura Teruhiko, and Horikita Suzune stood nearby with a cold face, taking notes.

Indeed, compared to the chaos of the first day, Class D now looked like an organized team.

"We're doing our best." Hanyu said. "But there are still many shortcomings."

"It's already impressive." Ichinose said sincerely. "Honestly, I didn't expect Class D to get into gear so quickly. It seems Hanyu's leadership ability is quite strong."

"It's not just my credit." Hanyu said modestly. "It's the result of everyone's joint effort."

Ichinose looked at him, her gaze somewhat complex. "Hanyu, you really are different from other Class D students. I wonder... if you were in Class A or Class B, you might achieve even greater things."

"But I chose Class D." Hanyu said calmly. "And I think the achievements I make in Class D will be more meaningful than in any other class."

Ichinose was taken aback, then smiled. "You're right. I won't disturb you anymore. Remember to be careful of Ryuen—he's definitely planning something."

"I will. Thank you for coming all the way to warn me."

After Ichinose left, Hanyu Xiuyi returned to the camp center. Horikita Suzune immediately walked over, her black hair swaying with the movement.

"What did she say?"

Hanyu briefly recounted the conversation. After listening, Horikita frowned deeply. "So Ryuen is indeed plotting something. But what exactly does he want to do?"

"I don't know." Hanyu said. "But one thing's for sure—he won't be satisfied with normal competition."

"Then what should we do?"

"Continue acting according to plan." Hanyu said. "But we need to strengthen information gathering. Ayanokoji!"

Ayanokoji Kiyonaga walked over from where he'd been checking the water source, his face still wearing that expressionless look.

"Take Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki to scout the south." Hanyu ordered. "Don't get near Class C's camp. Just observe their activity patterns from the periphery. Stay safe, and if you notice anything unusual, come back and report immediately."

"Understood." Ayanokoji nodded, then went to call the two boys who were slacking off.

Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki were reluctant at first, but after Hanyu promised them extra food rewards, they followed Ayanokoji and set off.

Around four in the afternoon, the scout team returned. Ayanokoji's expression was unusually serious.

"Something's off." He said. "Class C spent most of the day at their camp, but every so often, a few people left, heading in different directions. It looked like... they were surveying the terrain."

"Surveying the terrain?" Horikita was puzzled. "What are they planning?"

"Probably preparing for later actions." Yukimura Teruhiko analyzed. "Like ambushes, sneak attacks, or setting traps."

This speculation made everyone tense. If Class C was really setting traps, then Class D's next moves would be very dangerous.

"Then should we still continue exploring outside?" Hirata asked worriedly.

Hanyu Xiuyi thought for a long time. In the end, he made a risky decision.

"Not only continue, but expand the exploration range," he said. "But we'll change the strategy—split into more groups, no more than three per group, taking different routes. That way, even if one group encounters danger, the others can support or call for help in time."

"Wouldn't being too scattered be more dangerous?" Horikita questioned.

"So we need better communication and coordination," Hanyu said. "Don't we have walkie-talkies? Each group takes one, stay in constant contact. Also, each group must have one person who's physically strong and one with a good sense of direction."

A new grouping plan was quickly drawn up. Hanyu Xiuyi divided the class into six groups of three, covering six different exploration directions. He himself, along with Horikita and Ayanokoji, formed a mobile team on standby at the camp, ready to support at any time.

During the grouping, Hanyu noticed some interesting combinations: Sudo Ken and Sakura Airi were in one group, that shy girl almost burying her head in her chest; Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei were in one group, the two girls seeming to get along well; Yukimura Teruhiko and Matsushita Chiaki were in one group, two rational people who should cooperate well.

"Remember," Hanyu emphasized before departure, "safety first. Report any anomalies immediately, don't take risks. Must return to camp by six in the evening."

After the groups set out, only Hanyu, Horikita, Ayanokoji, and a few students responsible for camp work remained at the camp.

The wait was long. Hanyu Xiuyi paced around the camp, occasionally checking the walkie-talkie. Horikita Suzune sat in the shade studying a map, but Hanyu noticed she looked up toward the forest every few minutes.

"Worried?" Hanyu walked over and asked.

Horikita didn't deny it: "This scattered operation carries great risk. If Ryuen really sets a trap, we might not be able to support in time."

"I know," Hanyu said. "But if we don't take risks, we'll always be on the defensive. With someone like Ryuen, the more you back down, the more he pushes."

Horikita gave him a look: "You're a lot like him."

"What?"

"Neither of you plays by the rules," Horikita said. "It's just that he chooses to use malicious methods, while you choose... constructive ones."

This assessment caught Hanyu off guard. He was about to say something when the walkie-talkie suddenly crackled.

"This is Group 3." It was Yukimura Teruhiko's voice, sounding a bit tense. "We found something. Southeast, about two kilometers from camp, there's a... strange marker."

"What kind of marker?"

"Looks like an arrow made of stones, pointing west. Seems man-made, and very fresh."

Hanyu and Horikita exchanged a look. A man-made marker? Who left it? What was the purpose?

"Don't approach," Hanyu ordered. "Mark the location, then return to camp. Keep an eye out for anything unusual around you."

"Understood."

Over the next half hour, other groups also reported findings: some found broken branches that looked like traces of human activity, some heard strange sounds in the distance, and others noticed odd dragging marks on the ground.

But the most unsettling report came from Sudo Ken's group.

"We ran into Class C people!" Sudo's voice came through the walkie-talkie, laced with obvious anger. "Three guys, they saw us and laughed, said 'the game is about to start'! What does that mean?"

"You didn't get into a conflict, did you?" Hanyu asked immediately.

"No, they left after saying that," Sudo said. "But Sakura got scared, she..."

The walkie-talkie picked up Sakura Airi's soft sobbing, along with Sudo's clumsy attempts to comfort her: "Don't, don't cry, I'm here..."

"Return to camp immediately," Hanyu ordered. "All groups, stop exploring, return immediately."

After the groups trickled back, the atmosphere at camp was noticeably tense. Sakura Airi's eyes were red, hiding behind Kushida Kikyo. Sudo Ken looked indignant, cursing the Class C people nonstop.

"What exactly are they trying to do?" Hirata Yousuke asked worriedly.

Hanyu Xiuyi gathered the core members for a meeting. Horikita, Ayanokoji, Yukimura, Hirata, and Kushida sat in a circle, sharing their findings.

"From all the intelligence analysis," Yukimura Teruhiko said, organizing his notes, "Class C seems to be setting up a large-scale... scheme. They're scouting terrain, placing markers, and deliberately showing themselves in front of us. This is clearly psychological pressure."

"But what exactly do they want to do?" Kushida asked, her sweet smile gone for the first time.

Ayanokoji Kiyonaga spoke up: "I think they might be trying to create an 'incident.'"

"Incident?"

"For example, a group 'accidentally' gets lost, or 'accidentally' gets injured," Ayanokoji said. "Then, during the rescue or search process, they create chaos and seize the opportunity to steal our supplies or points."

This speculation was terrifying, but it fit Ryuen's style.

"So what should we do?" Hirata asked.

Hanyu Xiuyi was silent for a long time. The afterglow of the setting sun filtered through the leaves onto his face, giving his expression a deep, contemplative look.

"Turn the tables," he finally said.

"What?" Horikita didn't understand.

"Since they want to create an incident, we'll give them one," Hanyu said. "But it'll follow our script."

He explained his plan in detail. After hearing it, everyone showed shocked expressions.

"That's too risky!" Hirata was the first to object.

"But it might be the only way," Horikita analyzed calmly. "Passive defense will only make us more passive. Taking the initiative at least puts the advantage in our hands."

"I agree," Ayanokoji said.

"I agree too." Yukimura pushed up his glasses. "Logically speaking, although this plan is risky, the probability of success isn't low."

Kushida Kikyo hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "If everyone agrees..."

The minority yielded to the majority. The plan was set.

During dinner, Hanyu Xiuyi announced part of the plan to the whole class—not all of it, because the fewer people who knew, the easier it would be to succeed.

"Starting tomorrow, we're changing our approach," he said. "No more scattered exploration. We'll concentrate our efforts on one goal—finding the Special Supply Point at the Island Center."

"Isn't that dangerous?" a student asked with concern.

"That's why we need everyone to work together," Hanyu said. "We'll spend one day getting there, claim the reward, and then return. We might face various difficulties along the way, but as long as we stay united, we can overcome them."

The goal was clear and challenging. Unexpectedly, most students expressed support—the tense atmosphere over the past two days had made everyone crave a clear objective to shift their focus.

"Then it's settled," Hanyu said. "Rest well tonight. We set out at dawn tomorrow."

After nightfall, Hanyu Xiuyi stood at the Camp Edge, gazing at the Starry Sky. The forest night was quiet, but he knew that beneath this stillness, undercurrents churned.

Tomorrow, the real contest would begin.

"What are you thinking about?" a voice came from behind. It was Ayanokoji Kiyonaga.

"Thinking about what Ryuen is really planning," Hanyu said. "And whether our plan will succeed."

"It will succeed," Ayanokoji said. "Because you've considered something Ryuen hasn't."

"What's that?"

"Human hearts." Ayanokoji said flatly. "Ryuen only thinks about using fear and control. But you think about building trust and unity. In a long-term confrontation, the latter is stronger."

Hanyu turned to look at Ayanokoji. Under the starlight, this ordinary classmate seemed to possess an unusual aura.

"Ayanokoji, who are you really?"

Ayanokoji was silent for a long time. Just as Hanyu thought he wouldn't answer, he spoke:

"Someone... who wants to see how far an ordinary person can go."

With that, he turned and walked back to camp, leaving Hanyu Xiuyi alone in the Night Scenery to ponder.

An ordinary person?

Hanyu Xiuyi looked at his own hands. He had never considered himself ordinary. But neither did he think he was a genius.

Perhaps he was just someone who knew more clearly than most what he wanted—and was willing to put in the effort to get it.