Classroom of the Elite, After the Intel Refreshed, They Always Want to Conquer Me! 29

Under the iron-fisted rule of Vice President Nagumo, the second-year students had completely locked down all information; whenever he tried to approach a senior from Class D, he was met with stern warnings from Student Council members who appeared out of nowhere.

The entire upperclassman body seemed to be shrouded in an invisible net, with everyone keeping their lips sealed tight regarding the truth.

Ryuen Kakeru strode through the cafeteria with Ishizaki Daichi in tow. Just as he was about to step out the door, his peripheral vision caught a striking flash of silver-white—

At a table by the window, a silver-haired girl holding an exquisite cane was eating her meal with elegance.

As if sensing his gaze, the girl slowly lifted her eyelids, her eyes locking onto him precisely through the noisy crowd.

Their gazes collided in mid-air. The girl's lips curled slightly, revealing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, much like a chess player examining an unruly piece.

"Ryuen? What's wrong?" Ishizaki asked, looking in the direction of his gaze with confusion.

"...It's nothing." Ryuen withdrew his gaze, his voice carrying a dangerous calm.

That condescending look was supposed to be his trademark, a sharp tool he used to scrutinize his prey.

Yet now, it was being returned to him in full by the girl with the cane, accompanied by an arrogance that even surpassed his own.

(Is that one of those Class A students who think they're elites? Heh, a fragile girl like that... if I punched her, she'd probably cry for a long time, wouldn't she?)

051 A Riddle from Sakayanagi Arisu

"That person is the leader of Class C, Ryuen Kakeru, Classmate Shimizu." Sakayanagi Arisu elegantly withdrew her gaze, a meaningful smile playing on her lips as she explained to her companion sitting opposite her.

Shimizu Akira finally pulled himself out of his thoughts, his eyes thoughtfully tracking the back that had already disappeared.

So that imposing boy was the rumored helmsman of Class C.

"Do you think... he is qualified to be our opponent?" Sakayanagi Arisu used a silver fork to gently spear a piece of green vegetable, frowning slightly as she brought it to her mouth, her movements imbued with an innate sense of nobility.

"That's your idea. I have never considered anyone an opponent."

"I see. So you view everyone as trash? You really are high and mighty, Classmate Shimizu."

"Cough..." Shimizu Akira choked on this remark, nearly spitting out the noodles in his mouth.

He looked at the girl opposite him with resignation—how exactly did this Classmate Sakayanagi twist his original meaning so thoroughly?

He had clearly just been stating a fact, so how did it get interpreted as such an arrogant sentiment?

"Hehe... just a joke." Sakayanagi Arisu covered her mouth and chuckled, her laughter sounding like silver bells. "Of course I understand what you meant."

Shimizu Akira didn't respond, simply focusing on enjoying his lunch.

On Wednesday morning, the three pieces of information that refreshed were all garbage, so he had decided to try his luck in the cafeteria.

Unexpectedly, he had run into Sakayanagi Arisu dining alone.

This mastermind of Class A was actually eating the free set meal. He had intended to take the opportunity to ask about her methods for obtaining information on the S System, but by a twist of fate, he had witnessed a well-orchestrated scene by Class C.

"Speaking of which," Shimizu Akira put down his chopsticks, "what special channel did Classmate Sakayanagi use to obtain that key information?"

"On the first day of school, a kind person told me all the information." Sakayanagi Arisu wore a mysterious smile. "Classmate Shimizu, you only have three questions. My answers will only be 'yes', 'no', or 'irrelevant'."

Shimizu Akira frowned slightly. These clever people were always obsessed with these riddle games; they insisted on wrapping things that could be explained straightforwardly into obscure puzzles.

But he decided to play along; after all, the information itself was worth it.

After a brief moment of thought, he posed his first key question: "Did the act of the other party revealing this information violate current school rules?"

"No." Sakayanagi Arisu smiled slightly, as if appreciating his deductive process.

This answer immediately narrowed the range down to four most likely possibilities: a first-year freshman who had just enrolled, an alumnus who had already graduated, a former faculty member, or a dropout who failed to complete their studies.

Strictly speaking, none of these four types of people would be violating school rules even if they disclosed information.

Shimizu Akira pondered for a moment, his gaze locking sharply onto her expression: "Did this person... graduate from this school successfully?"

Sakayanagi Arisu paused for a rare moment before slowly nodding: "...Yes."

This question eliminated three of the possibilities in one go.

"I see." Shimizu Akira's eyes suddenly cleared. "On the day school started, you met a graduate senior who returned for an event and obtained the complete school information system from them?"

"Exactly right." Sakayanagi Arisu clapped her hands happily, her voice as crisp as silver bells. "Because they are alumni who have already graduated, they are neither bound by current school rules nor are they faculty members. More importantly—they all successfully completed their studies." She leaned forward slightly and added, "These seniors often understand the school's... unspoken rules better than the current teachers."

"Using the information channels of graduates... this angle is truly unexpected." Shimizu Akira couldn't help but show a look of admiration.

As expected of Sakayanagi Arisu.

He had truly never imagined this angle for obtaining information.

"Hehe... didn't expect that, did you?" Sakayanagi Arisu keenly captured the fleeting admiration in his eyes. Two shallow dimples appeared on her cheeks, and her tone carried undisguised pride. "Then, what channel did Classmate Shimizu use to obtain your information?"

"Me?" Shimizu Akira shrugged. "I just bought it with points from a certain senior girl in the second year."

"It seems my method was superior this time." Sakayanagi Arisu elegantly sipped her miso soup. "Classmate Shimizu has completely lost to me this time."

"Who is competing with you..." Shimizu Akira glanced at her and lowered his head to continue eating his noodles. "Fine, if you think you won, then you won."

"However..." Shimizu Akira suddenly looked up. "I am curious, why would that senior be willing to reveal such important information? What did you use in exchange? They are already prospective university students, after all; they wouldn't just give it to you for free!"

The fingers Sakayanagi Arisu used to hold her spoon paused imperceptibly.

This subtle change did not escape Shimizu Akira's sharp observation.

It seems I've touched upon a sensitive topic.

Could it be that money was involved? Or perhaps...

However, Shimizu Akira did not continue to probe, simply continuing to enjoy the food in front of him as if nothing had happened.

Sakayanagi Arisu asked, seemingly offhandedly: "Speaking of which, Shimizu-kun seems to be getting quite close to Kamuro-san from our class."

"Indeed," Shimizu Akira replied without looking up, "she is very easy to get along with, and her personality is right up my alley."

"Oh?" Sakayanagi Arisu raised an eyebrow slightly, "Kamuro-san is always so cold and aloof. Furthermore..." her voice dropped a few decibels, "you and I have both witnessed her behavior at the convenience store. Shimizu-kun's standards for friends are truly... unique."

As the last mouthful of noodles went down, Shimizu Akira stood up, ready to leave, "It's just right for me. No one is perfect; who doesn't have a few flaws?"

Sakayanagi Arisu watched his retreating back in silence, her thoughts drifting back to the afternoon of the first day of school—

"Why should I give you information? What's in it for me? Points? Hah... I'm not a student anymore! That stuff only works inside the school! Once you're out in society, it's no different from mere numbers." That senior waved his hand impatiently, a high-end watch peeking out from his suit cuff, "Money? Save it, little girl. I graduated from Class A, my family is loaded, and I'm heading to Todai soon..."

"But... you say you're the Chairman's daughter? Chairman Sakayanagi really did pour all the resources into Class A. Fine! For your father's sake, I'll tell you everything I know!"

"This tastes awful..." She glanced at the remaining free food and curled her lip.

If she hadn't seen Shimizu Akira at noon today, she wouldn't have deliberately ordered this vegetable set to elicit pity. As it stood, it seemed to have been completely useless.

052 Karuizawa Kei: I won't pay the class fees! I want to offer them to Shimizu Akira.

Ryuen Kakeru radiated the kind of hostility typical of a hardened adult; he didn't feel like a high school student at all, and the farce in the cafeteria earlier was the best proof of that.

Although he couldn't hear the specific content of their conversation, the rough act of grabbing the collar and the undisguised verbal abuse were pure thug behavior.

The whole scene felt like a carefully choreographed double act—one playing the bad cop, the other the good cop.

He speculated that Ryuen might have been trying to extract key information from seniors in other classes, but judging by the disheveled way the other party left, he had clearly hit a wall.

"It's time to make a move..."

He decided to sell information about the S System to someone in Class C.

But for the sake of caution, he decided to test the waters with a burner account first.

The most urgent task right now was to get Ryuen's contact information.

Fortunately, he had met Ichinose Honami, who possessed maxed-out interpersonal skills, on the second day of school.

Shimizu Akira's fingers tapped lightly on his phone screen, sending a carefully designed friend request using the alias "Yueqing."

The other party accepted the request almost instantly—that was just how Ichinose Honami was.

Yueqing: I'm a student from another class. I'd like to purchase some information from you.

Ichinose Honami: Eh? Which student are you? Though, I'm not sure if I have any valuable information... Is there something specific you want to ask?

Shimizu Akira couldn't help but chuckle; Ichinose Honami was as gentle and kind as ever.

He deliberately paused for a few seconds before continuing to type:

Yueqing: I need the contact information for Ryuen Kakeru of Class C. Can you help me with an introduction?

Ichinose Honami: Ryuen-kun, huh... I don't have his direct contact info, but I do know someone in Class C! Just a moment~

In less than five minutes, a contact recommendation popped up. The efficiency was enough to surprise even Shimizu Akira.

Ichinose Honami: This is Ryuen-kun! But... what do you need him for, if you don't mind me asking?

Yueqing: Thanks. I've transferred 2,000 points to you as a token of appreciation.

Ichinose Honami: Ah! You don't have to be so polite! It was just a small favor...

Shimizu Akira ignored her refusal and cast the real bait:

Yueqing: By the way! Is Ichinose-san interested in the truth about the S System and the class sorting? You must have noticed these past few days that the school is deliberately hiding something, right?

Ichinose Honami: ...What do you mean? What are you trying to say?

Yueqing: I have the complete information, enough to change your class's situation. The price is 1 million points.

After sending this message, Shimizu Akira tossed his phone aside, not caring in the slightest how she would react.

He added Ryuen Kakeru as a friend and forwarded the entire conversation he'd just had with Ichinose Honami.

The chat interface fell into a brief silence; the two messages were like stones dropped into the ocean.

However, Shimizu Akira was in no rush.

He had always been best at this kind of game that required patient waiting.

Just as he was about to put his phone down, the screen suddenly lit up repeatedly.

Messages from his homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, popped up one after another, piling up like a small mountain on the lock screen.

Chabashira Sae: Following your suggestion, I called those two to the office at noon.

Chabashira Sae: The collection of class fees is also proceeding as planned; the two of them will decide this month's class representative based on the number of people they recruit.

Shimizu Akira raised an eyebrow slightly, his fingertips hovering over the screen.

He hadn't expected this homeroom teacher to execute the plan he'd mentioned offhandedly last night so meticulously—though he didn't remember asking for such a detailed report.

He thought for a moment and typed two lines into the dialogue box:

Shimizu Akira: Teacher Chabashira, please handle it according to your own judgment.

Shimizu Akira: There is no need to specifically inform me about such routine matters.

Shimizu Akira: After all, you are the homeroom teacher, aren't you? I am merely a student.

After sending this message, Shimizu Akira turned his phone to silent mode and placed it face down on the desk.

The moment the school bell rang, Kushida Kikyou hopped lightly onto the podium, pressing her palms together with her signature sweet smile.

"Everyone~" Her voice was crisp and pleasant, "Please consider this class fee collection as a small show of support for Hirata-kun and me! Of course—" she winked playfully, "it's perfectly fine if you don't vote for me. As long as everyone can participate happily, that's all that matters!"

A few good-natured cheers erupted from the back of the classroom, and Kushida gave a slight bow.

At the same time, Hirata Yosuke was leaning against the doorframe. Once Kushida finished speaking, he naturally picked up the conversation: "Just as Kushida-san said, this is merely a standard class activity." He smiled and spread his hands, "Regardless of who you support, please follow your own thoughts. After all—no matter who becomes the class representative for this month."

He paused, "What we hope for most is that Class D can become a collective where everyone feels comfortable."

The air in the classroom seemed to split into two distinct currents.

After a full night of careful consideration, coupled with the influence of the two core figures of the class, Hirata Yosuke and Kushida Kikyou, as well as their highly persuasive explanation from yesterday—

The vast majority of students in the class had already accepted the proposal to collect class fees.

After all, it was only a quarter of their individual points, and it was a one-time payment, not a monthly requirement.

Most students had already pulled out their phones, their fingertips tapping lightly on the screens.

Transfer notification sounds rang out one after another—twenty-five thousand points was not a small sum for an average student, but at this moment, it felt like an invisible ticket to secure a place within the collective.

Yamauchi Haruki and Ike Kanji were currently hovering around Kushida Kikyou, their faces plastered with fawning smiles as they obediently handed over their twenty-five thousand points.

Shimizu Akira thought to himself that the reason those two had opposed it so fiercely yesterday was likely just because they didn't like the look of Hirata Yosuke.

However, not everyone was buying it.

Kouenji Rokusuke hummed an unknown tune, his long fingers elegantly spinning a keychain as he strolled out of the classroom as if no one else existed, acting as though this class meeting had absolutely nothing to do with him.