In Classroom of the Elite, My Love Stock Market Only Wants a Full Position Chapter 13

Hashiba Hikaru signaled for Beppu to continue, as it was highly likely that a breakthrough could be found within this information.

"I heard from Oda that when the students in his class saw Ryuen planning to use violence to force others to vote for him, quite a few stood up to oppose him."

"Although most of the students were defeated by him, there are still two students who have yet to bow their heads to him."

After Beppu Ryota accepted Hashiba Hikaru's arrangement yesterday, he took the initiative to practice with Oda Takumi from Class C during volleyball club. While the two were practicing, he feigned casual conversation to probe for information.

"One is Ibuki, and the other seems to be named something like Albert."

Beppu carefully recalled what Oda had said yesterday and added, "That Albert seems to be of mixed heritage."

"There's such a thing?"

Shibata appeared particularly interested after hearing this news and hurriedly pressed, "Mixed heritage? From what country? England? Or France?"

"I'm not sure, but he has black hair and his skin is black as well."

"And he is very strong, taller and more robust than Ryuen, which is why Ryuen hasn't managed to beat him yet."

This crucial piece of intelligence immediately sparked the group's collective imagination; after all, Class C was not yet fully under Ryuen's control, and by seizing the initiative, they still had an opportunity to maneuver.

"Albert is a boy, is Ibuki one too?" Ichinose Honami asked next.

"No, Oda said she is a girl, and she seems quite capable of fighting as well."

"I see."

Upon hearing this, a flash of realization crossed Hashiba Hikaru's eyes, and he hurriedly said, "It seems our breakthrough lies right here."

"Does Hashiba-kun already have a plan?"

"Yes, I have an interesting idea, but it requires the help of a student from Class C," Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the hidden camera above the podium, having already conceived a solid plan in his mind.

"Everyone has read the rules regarding violent behavior in the Student Handbook, right?" the boy smiled lightly.

Kanzaki Ryuji saw the expression on Hashiba's face, immediately recalled the contents of the Student Handbook, and then asked, "Is Hashiba-kun planning to notify the Student Council?"

"Exactly, and we need to obtain perfect evidence first so that we can better restrict Ryuen."

According to the regulations in the Student Handbook, once a violent incident occurs, students can submit an accusation to the Student Council, and the corresponding punishment will be executed after deliberation.

The results of the deliberation can be light or heavy, but for violent behavior, the minimum is a two-week suspension. During this window, there would be enough time for Hashiba Hikaru to recover the points for Class B.

Not only that, but when Ryuen returns to Class C after his suspension, the students of Class C, now aware of the hidden rules, would absolutely not let him act recklessly again; after all, he hasn't completely conquered everyone yet, has he?

Uniting the chaotic Class C and establishing a common enemy is the best strategy.

"I plan to recruit a mole in Class C to film Ryuen committing acts of violence, then submit it to the Student Council for deliberation. Once the deliberation succeeds, Ryuen will be suspended."

Hashiba Hikaru looked at Beppu Ryota and smiled, "Didn't you say there is still a girl in Class C who hasn't bowed to Ryuen yet?"

"Isn't she the perfect candidate?"

Chapter 22: Night, Luring the Cold Girl

When the members of Class B heard Hashiba Hikaru's explanation, they immediately understood the purpose of this plan.

Once a rift is created between Ryuen and the other students of Class C, those he hasn't defeated will unite and will absolutely not allow him to use violence at will again.

Violent behavior is not only dangerous but also results in deductions from the class evaluation points. Unless the students of Class C are fools, they will certainly restrict Ryuen's behavior.

"I see," light flickered in Ichinose's beautiful blue eyes, "As long as we can persuade that Ibuki-san to cooperate with our plan, it will work."

"Whether she acts out of a sense of justice or simply because she dislikes Ryuen, it doesn't matter," Hashiba Hikaru rubbed his chin, his tone somewhat urgent, "We must make contact with that Ibuki-san as soon as possible."

Everyone nodded; the plan was indeed quite feasible.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Hashiba Hikaru looked at Ichinose Honami beside him: "Alright, Ichinose-san, you summarize this group discussion."

He handed this opportunity to Ichinose Honami, as the girl was the nominal class leader of Class B.

"Uh... okay."

Ichinose looked at Hashiba, who was giving her an encouraging look, cleared her throat slightly, and began to summarize the discussion.

"First, our plan to sell the rules to Class C will be postponed. The specific timing will depend on the implementation of Hashiba-kun's new plan."

"I will take charge of the plan to contact Ibuki-san," Ichinose Honami took this task upon herself, "Once I make contact with her, I will synchronize the specific negotiation process with everyone."

"Agreed."

No one had any objections to this. After exchanging glances, they returned to their seats, as class was about to start and they couldn't stay there any longer.

After everyone had left, Ichinose leaned over and whispered into Hashiba Hikaru's ear: "Hashiba-kun, thank you for giving me the task of summarizing the meeting."

"It's nothing, after all, Ichinose-san is the leader of Class B, and I am just your assistant."

"But I just want to thank Hashiba-kun, so just accept it graciously, hehe."

After these few days of getting along, Ichinose Honami and Hashiba Hikaru had become much closer. Although they had only just met, her tone when speaking to the boy unconsciously revealed a sense of intimacy, sometimes even with a hint of playfulness.

"Alright then, you're welcome."

Hashiba Hikaru did not notice any change in Ichinose's attitude; his mind was entirely occupied with the competition between classes, leaving no room to think about other things.

The school day passed quickly. Most of the students in Class B were passionate about learning, so in the blink of an eye, it was time for school to end in the afternoon.

After the teacher finished tidying up the lesson plans on the desk and left, the students dispersed quickly, as they all had tasks assigned by Hashiba to complete every day.

Since Ichinose Honami had taken it upon herself to contact Ibuki, everyone else was happy to let her handle it.

After school, Hashiba Hikaru planned to continue exploring the school; after all, this Artificial Island was massive, and there were many places he had yet to visit.

It wasn't until 7:30 PM, while Hashiba Hikaru was reading in his dorm after a shower, that he received a text message from Ichinose Honami.

Ichinose Honami: Hashiba-kun, I've already made contact with Ibuki-san. We're waiting for you at the cafe in Keyaki Mall.

Following that, she sent a detailed location pin.

Hashiba Hikaru: That fast?

Ichinose Honami: Ibuki-san doesn't seem to have much patience. She said she's only giving me one chance, so you'd better hurry over.

Hashiba Hikaru: ...

Glancing at the time on his phone, he saw there was only about an hour left before the cafe closed at nine. Hashiba Hikaru had no choice but to move quickly, heading straight for his destination without a moment's delay.

By the time he arrived at the cafe, breathless, he immediately spotted Ichinose Honami sitting in a corner. Opposite her sat a girl with short blue hair, who was presumably Ibuki-san from Class C.

"You really know how to give me a hard time. I just finished showering, you know."

Hashiba Hikaru wiped the sweat from his forehead and squeezed into the seat next to Ichinose Honami.

Seeing that Hashiba Hikaru had come over wearing nothing but a short-sleeved shirt, Ichinose Honami hurriedly pressed her palms together in apology: "Sorry, sorry! I'll buy you a drink next time, Hashiba-kun."

"Forget it, you only ever buy oolong tea."

"You don't like it? I think oolong tea is quite delicious."

"It's awful..."

"Hey!"

The short-haired girl opposite them, having watched Hashiba Hikaru chat with Ichinose the moment he arrived while leaving her, the person who had been invited, completely ignored, finally snapped: "Did you call me here just to watch you two flirt?"

"We aren't flirting! Don't say such things, Ibuki-san!" A faint blush instantly stained Ichinose's small face as she hurriedly explained.

Catching the look of anger on Ibuki's face, Hashiba Hikaru immediately apologized as well; after all, he needed her cooperation for his upcoming plan, and leaving a bad impression wouldn't do.

"Nice to meet you, Ibuki-san. Sorry about that just now. I'm Hashiba Hikaru from Class B."

While they made eye contact, he couldn't help but size up Ibuki Mio.

The girl had delicate features and fair skin, with a clean, sharp, short blue haircut that gave her a somewhat boyish look. Because she was angry, her round eyes were flashing with indignation.

"Ichinose-san should have told you about our situation, right?"

"I didn't say anything. I just went to find Ibuki-san to make friends," Ichinose Honami suddenly raised her hand, indicating she hadn't said a word.

"Alright then, I'll get straight to the point."

Hashiba Hikaru made his tone more serious, opening the conversation with a question: "I heard you got into a fight with Ryuen from your class?"

"So what if I did?" Ibuki crossed her arms over her chest, looking indignant. "That guy told me to vote for him as leader without a second thought, and even had the nerve to say, 'Don't think I won't hit a girl.'"

"Hmph, who does he think he is? It didn't take much for me to put him in his place."

"I see. So, Ibuki-san, do you have some background in martial arts?"

"What's it to you? Just tell me why you had Ichinose call me here!"

"I have an idea, but it requires Ibuki-san's help to implement."

Hashiba Hikaru didn't mind Ibuki's hostile attitude; if anything, such a sharp-tongued personality was better. Only then could she be truly effective when it came time to provoke others.

"I know that Ryuen-kun in your class is currently using violence indiscriminately to become the class leader. I heard there are only a few students left who haven't been beaten into submission by him."

"And?"

"Can you accept a man like that becoming the ruler of your class?" Hashiba Hikaru's tone suddenly dropped, as if implying something deeper. "The power of a class leader is quite significant, you know."

"Class leader... so what?"

Of course, Ibuki Mio didn't want someone like Ryuen Kakeru to be her class leader. That man didn't just love violence; he was like a wolf that never let go once it locked onto a target. After being defeated by Albert from their class, he had been obsessively pestering him for rematches, trying to conquer him through sheer willpower.

"For example, Private Points. A class leader has the authority to confiscate everyone's Private Points."

Hashiba Hikaru lied to Ibuki without batting an eye, and after finishing, he signaled for Ichinose to take out her phone.

Having witnessed the clash between Hashiba and Katsuragi, Ichinose Honami understood that the boy was trying to trick Ibuki into believing him. Despite her internal hesitation, she still complied and took out her phone.

"Look, the class leader of our class is Ichinose-san. Take a look at how many Private Points she has."

Ibuki had been skeptical, but when she saw the over one million Private Points displayed on Ichinose Honami's phone, her expression instantly soured.

"If Ryuen really becomes the leader of Class C, he might use his authority to force everyone to live on nothing but free meals every day. Do you think he's capable of doing something like that?"

"..."

After a long silence, the girl opposite them looked up and stared directly into Hashiba Hikaru's smiling face.

"What do you want me to do?"

Chapter 23: The Secret Photography Plan

Inside the cafe at night, Ibuki Mio's expression was incredibly complex.

She had developed a detached, quiet personality from a young age and wasn't interested in interpersonal relationships. After entering the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, she had simply thought that if she could secure her future, graduating from here would be fine.

However, she never expected that on the very first day of school, she would encounter a man in her class whom she found incredibly intolerable: Ryuen Kakeru.

Ibuki Mio had no desire to be a class leader, or rather, she was indifferent to whoever took charge of Class C, but she disliked being forced to do things against her will, and she despised being coerced into decisions through threats.

Therefore, when faced with Ryuen's provocation, she didn't hesitate to strike. Despite her petite stature, the girl possessed martial arts experience and a unique fighting style of her own—kicking techniques.

After Ibuki Mio launched her forceful attack, she discovered that Ryuen's combat ability wasn't particularly impressive; aside from having a bit more raw strength, his fighting experience was no better than her own.

However, it didn't take long for her to realize she had been mistaken. While Ryuen Kakeru's individual combat strength wasn't overwhelming, he possessed a talent no one else had: he didn't fear pain.

Even after being beaten until his face was covered in blood by their classmate Yamada Albert, he refused to admit defeat, choosing instead to patch himself up and continue pestering the other boy for a fight.

Ibuki Mio had no intention of continuing to entangle herself with such a man, so she abandoned the idea of further confrontation.

She figured that once Ryuen had thoroughly beaten Yamada into submission, Class C would belong to him, and in truth, Ibuki Mio didn't really care.

But now, the guy across from her who looked like a pretty boy had actually said that the class leader held the power to control everyone's Private Points, and upon learning this, she felt extremely displeased.

Just the thought of that disgusting man holding the financial power of the class made Ibuki Mio's skin crawl.

"What do you want me to do?" the girl asked, her tone carrying a hint of coldness.

"It's simple. Your classmate Ryuen Kakeru hasn't fully taken control of Class C yet, so he isn't the class leader for the time being." Seeing Ibuki relent, Hashiba Hikaru realized that half of his plan had already succeeded.

The boy looked at Ibuki's face and coaxed, "Although you might not be afraid of Ryuen, others are very likely to succumb to his violence. If he really manages to consolidate Class C, he might force you to vote later on. You wouldn't want to see that happen, would you?"

"That is true."

Ibuki nodded. It didn't matter who became the leader of Class C, but it absolutely could not be Ryuen!

"Ichinose-san, why don't you explain our plan to Ibuki-san?"

Hashiba Hikaru turned his head toward Ichinose Honami, who had been listening quietly, and said, "It would be best if we decide on the execution time for our plan today."

"Understood."