Classroom of the Elite, After the Intel Refreshes, They Always Want to Conquer Me!

"...I owe you one." She spoke stiffly, her gaze drifting elsewhere.

"It was nothing, don't give it a second thought." Shimizu Akira waved his hand dismissively.

After all, buying the beer was merely for his bet with Sakayanagi Arisu; helping her out of a tight spot was just a side effect.

"Give me your contact info." The girl ignored his reply, pulling out her phone with her eyes locked firmly onto his.

Shimizu Akira was slightly taken aback, only then realizing that the person before him was an egoist through and through.

After taking out his phone, he added her as a contact.

"Using your real name as your ID? What a textbook example of a boring man."

"It makes it harder to get things mixed up."

"If you have something important, you can ask me for help. But you only get one chance..."

Once she finished saying this, she picked up her phone and turned away with crisp, decisive movements.

Shimizu Akira had to admit that Kamuro Masumi was indeed a person full of contradictions—despite being covered in thorns that warned others to keep their distance, she still frankly admitted that she owed him a favor.

While she appeared to be a law unto herself on the surface, she was unexpectedly principled at her core.

"This awkward honesty... it isn't half bad."

He looked down at the new contact on his phone; compared to those hollow, insincere pleasantries, he actually appreciated this sharp, straightforward nature more.

However, his contact list contained only two lonely names—Kamuro Masumi and Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Perhaps... I should try interacting with my classmates in Class D?"

Although he wasn't against socializing, he was the type who would only choose to initiate a conversation when he encountered someone who genuinely interested him.

On the second day of school, his friend list still held only two names.

His gaze drifted downward, and the second piece of intelligence caught his eye:

[Intelligence 2: Ichinose Honami of Class 1-B—In just one day of school, her contact list has already exceeded three digits, including many upperclassmen.]

"Others already have over a hundred friends..."

He stared at the bag of leftover beer on the table; dealing with this beer had indeed become a pressing problem.

As someone who didn't drink, he secretly pondered the most appropriate way to handle it.

Perhaps gifting it to an adult would be the best strategy? For instance, their homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, would be a suitable candidate.

As his thoughts wandered, he recalled another important matter—that upperclassman named Yamamura, who seemed to be hiding some kind of secret.

Trading ten thousand private points for information on some of the S System rules seemed like a bargain no matter how you looked at it.

"Excuse me, student! You can't drink if you're under 20~"

While he was lost in thought, a sweet, clear voice came from his side.

The moment he turned around, a beautiful girl with long pink hair came into view, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at the beer on the table.

Shimizu Akira was slightly startled; the person was none other than the leader of Class B. "Actually, I don't drink. I was just worrying about how to get rid of this beer."

"Really?" The girl's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Our homeroom teacher happens to love drinking~ If you don't mind, why don't you let me handle this beer?"

She tilted her head, thinking for a moment, and added, "By the way, how much did this cost? I'll transfer the points to you."

"No need," Shimizu Akira hurriedly waved his hands. "It would be a huge help if you could take it off my hands."

"That won't do!" The girl shook her head vigorously. "That wouldn't be fair to you at all. At least let me do you a favor in return!"

"But before that, let me introduce myself!" The girl said with a smile, "My name is Ichinose Honami, from Class 1-B. Hello there~"

Shimizu Akira's pupils dilated slightly, and for a moment, he felt a bit dazed.

--Ichinose Honami?

According to the intelligence, the "interpersonal genius" whose social circle had exceeded three digits in just one day of school?

He steadied himself and responded politely, "I'm Shimizu Akira from Class D. Nice to meet you."

"Eh? Class D!" Ichinose's eyes brightened. "What a coincidence! I know your classmate, Kushida; we just exchanged contact info yesterday!"

Shimizu Akira couldn't help but take another look at her.

--Second day of school, and she's already connected with someone from Class D?

(...This social ability is truly... terrifying.)

(Wait!... This might be an excellent opportunity!)

Shimizu Akira's eyes lit up slightly, and he took the initiative to say, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Ichinose! Actually, I was looking to speak with a senior from Class 2-D. Could I ask you to help me arrange an introduction?"

"Class 2-D? No problem, leave it to me~" Ichinose Honami patted her chest readily, a smile as bright as a sunflower blooming on her face.

(Is this person an angel sent to this school?!)

Despite it being their first meeting, she not only offered to help him deal with the troublesome beer, but she also agreed to help him with an introduction without hesitation.

This kind of defenseless kindness was something he hadn't felt in a long time.

019 Partial Rules of the S System

After Shimizu Akira finished his meal, he happened to run into Ichinose Honami in the hallway as she was handing a beer to her homeroom teacher.

They walked toward the second-year classrooms one after the other.

Ichinose suddenly spoke up: "Shimizu-kun... if I remember correctly, you're the student who almost got into a fight with a classmate at the entrance ceremony, right?"

"That's me." Shimizu Akira admitted it frankly, though he felt a bit surprised inside.

He hadn't expected that incident to be noticed by students from other classes.

"Really?!" Ichinose's voice suddenly turned lighthearted. "After all, that Yamauchi-kun said some very terrible things to the girls in his class. I think your stance was completely correct! It's just..." She tilted her head slightly, revealing a kind smile, "as high school students, perhaps you could consider solutions other than resorting to physical force?"

Shimizu Akira couldn't help but feel secretly astonished.

It was only the first day of school, yet Ichinose from Class B already had a thorough grasp of the specific situation in Class D.

Was it something she heard by chance, or... was it part of a plan?

He couldn't help but re-evaluate the bright-smiling girl in front of him.

Unlike the coldness of Horikita Suzune, who kept everyone at a distance, Ichinose Honami seemed naturally gifted at weaving a network of interpersonal relationships, grasping every detail with perfect precision.

This innate social talent was truly impressive.

Her way of speaking was also quite sophisticated—instead of directly criticizing his impulsiveness, she first affirmed his position before gently offering a suggestion.

It didn't make one feel offended, yet it skillfully conveyed her own thoughts.

She was practically the living embodiment of "high emotional intelligence."

"Hmm, you're right." Shimizu Akira nodded in agreement.

"Really?" Ichinose Honami said in a light tone. "Shimizu-kun, why don't we exchange contact information? We might need to get in touch in the future."

She proposed this suggestion naturally, as if it were just a trivial matter mentioned in passing.

Just like that, Shimizu Akira obtained the contact information of his third classmate.

The two slowly arrived at the entrance of Class 2-D.

On the way, Shimizu Akira had taken the opportunity to tell Ichinose Honami the name of the senior he was looking for.

It was lunch break, so there were only a few scattered students in the classroom.

"Oh my, isn't this Ichinose-kouhai?" A female student walked up with a smile.

"Senpai!" Ichinose responded cordially. "Actually, I came to your class because I wanted to find someone named..."

Before Shimizu Akira could even collect his thoughts, the girl referred to as "Yamamura-senpai" was already standing in front of them—she was exactly the person he was looking for.

"Yamamura-senpai, could we step aside for a moment?" Ichinose smiled and led the other girl to a quiet corner of the hallway, her movements so natural it was as if she had planned it all along.

"Well then, Shimizu-kun, I'll leave the rest to you." She nodded gently at Shimizu Akira and turned to leave without waiting for his thanks, her departure clean and decisive.

Shimizu Akira looked at his phone.

From the moment he bumped into Ichinose until now, not even twenty minutes had passed.

Subtracting the time she spent dealing with the beer, it had taken her less than ten minutes to help him find the right person.

This terrifying social efficiency made him click his tongue in wonder.

The smoothness with which she handled things didn't seem like that of a high school student at all.

She didn't even need him to hint that he needed a private space to talk; she had withdrawn at the perfect moment, helping him out without making it feel like she was overstepping.

(It's almost as if she can read minds...)

Shimizu Akira watched the direction she left in, truly experiencing for the first time what the art of "silent, nourishing" social interaction meant.

However, business came first.

Shimizu Akira's gaze swept over the female senior calmly, lingering for a moment on the rather meager lunch in her hands.

"Senpai, the points allocated to your class this month... aren't quite enough, are they? Are you interested in making a deal?"

Yamamura-senpai's fingers stiffened slightly, and she looked up abruptly, a flash of surprise in her eyes: "You... you're just a freshman, right? To have figured out the point rules by the second day... are you from Class A?"

Her voice was a mix of surprise and vigilance, her gaze instinctively scanning the surroundings to ensure no one else was paying attention to this conversation.

Shimizu Akira keenly noticed the senior's tense expression and softly reassured her: "Are you worried about being seen, Senpai? Please rest assured, there is no one else nearby."

"It's not just that..." Yamamura-senpai lowered her voice. "The school's surveillance system is everywhere. If it's discovered that we're conducting this kind of transaction, our class points will be deducted directly."

"Class points?" Shimizu Akira put on a perfectly timed expression of confusion.

The female senior suddenly lifted her chin. "If you want to know the details, transfer 30,000 personal points first."

"Ten thousand." Shimizu Akira countered without changing his expression.

"I'm taking a risk here!" She whispered excitedly. "At least twenty thousand!"

"Ten thousand." Shimizu Akira maintained his calm tone.

"...You freshman..." Yamamura-senpai glared at him through gritted teeth, eventually letting her shoulders slump in defeat. "...Deal. Transfer the points first, and I'll tell you everything I know."

In the end, Shimizu Akira successfully obtained key intelligence from Yamamura-senpai.

Beyond the basic class division system and the point distribution mechanism, he compiled five core rules:

First, the school implements a "Class Point" ranking system, where a dynamic promotion and demotion relationship exists between classes. For instance, when Class D's points surpass Class C's, the two classes will automatically swap ranks.

Second, Class Points are directly linked to the personal interests of the students. The school converts Class Points into Private Points at a 1:100 exchange rate, distributed on the first of every month.

Third, at the start of the school year, each class is granted 1,000 Class Points by default. During the first month, a code of conduct is enforced—tardiness, absenteeism, and classroom misconduct, once captured by surveillance, will serve as the basis for point deductions at the end of the month.

Fourth, although the punishment mechanism is strict, avenues for improvement also exist. The school periodically holds exams and events, and those who perform exceptionally can earn extra points for their class. However, when mentioning this, Yamamura's tone became noticeably bitter—for Class D, these opportunities are often just a futile exercise.

Fifth: Disclosing the S System to newly enrolled students is strictly prohibited on the surface—once discovered by surveillance, the party who leaked the information will have a certain amount of Class Points deducted.

Therefore, students from Class A, Class B, and Class C usually keep their lips sealed about this.

But the situation in Class D is completely different: when personal survival is in question, the collective seems much less important.

A small portion of Class D students will even take risks, selling information in secret.

If not for the school's explicit prohibition, given the predicament of Class D students, they would likely have cornered every freshman by now and sold every piece of information they knew.

After all, the school wants students to discover the rules through independent exploration, and selling information directly would disrupt this cultivation process.

As long as they avoid surveillance and conduct small-scale transactions in hidden corners, the school often turns a blind eye.

020 I don't want to be a blood bag, I'd better work hard to earn Private Points

There is an old saying in China: once you enter Class D, it's as deep as the sea.

Before Shimizu Akira learned about this S System, he had naively thought that as long as he achieved good grades at the end of the month, even if he couldn't get 100,000 points, 30,000 or 50,000 should be well within his reach.

Now he finally understood—he was still too young.

The reality that Private Points and Class Points are forcibly bound together felt like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

He subconsciously looked around, and the scene before him made his heart tighten:

Even though it was the third period on the afternoon of the second day of school, and it was even the class of the homeroom teacher Chabashira Sae, several students in the classroom were already secretly playing with their phones.

And in the corner of the classroom, a conspicuous surveillance camera was silently recording it all.

(They wouldn't have already deducted all the class points by the second day of school, would they...)