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

"...Um, I don't really have a plan for the moment. Could everyone give me a little more time?"

"Let's leave it at that, then. We're heading out."

"Yeah, Hirata, let's call it a day."

Seeing that Hirata couldn't come up with a solution, and since class was already over, the students of Class 1-D quickly dispersed.

Watching their attitude, Hirata could only offer a helpless, bitter smile. He understood the situation in Class 1-D all too well; the fact that Hashiba Hikaru had just called them the worst class in the school was proof enough of that.

"Don't worry, Hirata-kun, I believe in your abilities."

Kushida stepped in at the right moment to comfort the dejected Hirata, though her mind was already racing.

Hashiba Hikaru had just said that if one could gather 20 million Private Points, they could transfer classes at will. That would guarantee her a graduation from Class 1-A, but collecting points was a long process, and she needed to plan carefully.

Kushida didn't believe Class 1-D had the strength to challenge for Class 1-A, so she felt it was better to make other arrangements early.

Meanwhile, Horikita Suzune, who had been watching the crowd with cold eyes, didn't hesitate. After packing her things, she picked up her bag and walked out of the classroom.

Although the girl was furious about being assigned to Class 1-D, there was nothing she could do about it now. How she proceeded would depend on the content of the upcoming special exams; that was what truly deserved her serious attention.

Her desk mate, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, also packed his bag. His expression remained as calm as ever, and even though he had just spent a large sum of Private Points, he didn't feel it was a loss.

Hashiba Hikaru, what a flashy person. That's not something I could pull off.

However... learning the Deep Rules of this school has made things much easier.

The boy walked slowly out of the classroom. He had many reasons for coming to this school: pursuing freedom was one, seeking the true meaning of equality and strength was another, and gaining experience in society was a third.

After all, in "that place," he had absolutely no contact with the outside world, and attending this school was the perfect opportunity.

In the Student Council office on the fourth floor, Horikita Manabu was staring at the documents before him in silence.

Tachibana Akane stood in front of him, looking at the man with anticipation. For the past few days, she had been trying to gather information on the first-years—specifically, all kinds of details about that student named Hashiba—as per Horikita Manabu's instructions.

"Acquiring Private Points by selling rules?"

Horikita Manabu pushed up his glasses, a hint of admiration in his tone: "To think of using contracts to restrict the actions of other classes—that's quite a clever move."

"Yes, it seems Hashiba-kun's plan is to recover three million Private Points, and he has already finished with two classes."

"Which two classes?"

"Class 1-A and Class 1-D."

"Class 1-D?"

Horikita Manabu's heart skipped a beat. The next moment, he stood up from his chair. He wanted to see someone, and it couldn't wait.

"Is there something the President needs to do? Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No need, it's a personal matter."

Horikita Manabu didn't let Tachibana Akane follow him. What he had to do next was a bit troublesome, but it was something he had to do!

Chapter 49: Wow, the Student Council President is hitting someone!

After leaving Class 1-D, Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose Honami strolled through the campus. They planned to have dinner together.

"Although there were some twists and turns, I'm glad the final result was good. We still achieved today's goal," the boy smiled, looking at Ichinose's profile.

"That's true. I didn't expect the students of Class 1-D to be like that. I was actually quite nervous just now."

Although Ichinose Honami hadn't been happy when Kushida and Hashiba Hikaru exchanged contact information, the thought that they had successfully completed the plan to recover one million points today offset that uncomfortable feeling.

The girl knew very well that all of Hashiba Hikaru's actions were for the sake of the class. As long as it was for Class B, she could endure these things.

Besides, he was always by her side, and they were going to have dinner together soon, so Ichinose Honami didn't want to show any displeasure.

"Since the school assigned them to Class 1-D, it must mean there was deep consideration behind it," Hashiba Hikaru nodded. The information conveyed by what they saw today was quite clear: "The students of Class 1-D are likely in for a very rough time."

"I have that feeling too. Even though Hirata-kun and Kushida-san are trusted by everyone in Class 1-D right now, they aren't able to integrate the class well when it comes to major decisions."

"I'd say they can integrate them to an extent, but it's not very stable. A class as united as our Class B is rare; that's all thanks to Ichinose-san."

"Not at all, it's Hashiba-kun who has put in more effort."

Hearing the praise, a blush spread across the girl's pretty face. She now knew that whenever the boy said things like that, he was actually teasing her.

"Oh, in that case, is Ichinose-san treating me today? I want to have a luxury dinner."

"Sure! I'll satisfy any request Hashiba-kun has." Ichinose gazed earnestly at Hashiba Hikaru's face, indicating that everything was fine.

"...Never mind, I was joking. Let's just have the regular set meal."

"Hehehe."

Knowing that he wouldn't take advantage of her, Ichinose Honami laughed softly, but she couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. She felt that her relationship with Hashiba was already very good, yet she still hadn't reached his heart.

The boy's attitude was always like this; although he would tease her, he would never actually do anything. There was a distance within his gentleness, and that was certainly not what Ichinose wanted.

"Let's go," Hashiba Hikaru said casually, not noticing the fleeting expression on the girl's face. "But if you're not treating me to dinner, you can't escape buying me a drink. I want a cola."

"Copy that! I'll buy it right away!"

The two walked side by side into the school cafeteria to enjoy their dinner together.

After finishing his meal, Hashiba Hikaru parted ways with Ichinose Honami. He didn't want to return to the dormitory just yet; he wanted to continue wandering around the school. For the past few days, he had been checking the locations of the school's security cameras, and he was now nearing the completion of his full collection.

As the sky darkened, streetlights flickered to life along the paths. Hashiba Hikaru strolled through the quiet streets with a serious expression.

Security cameras were a crucial link in the chain. He had to master the locations of key cameras to prepare for the future.

His time at the school so far had made it clear to Hashiba Hikaru that by building the entire artificial island as a completely enclosed environment, the school authorities were likely trying to simulate a more realistic social structure. They wanted to force the students to compete to the greatest extent possible within this environment, ultimately selecting the outstanding individuals who could rise above the rest.

And a society could not exist without a dark side. This was his recent discovery: while some places had a camera every few steps, others were completely empty, with not a single one in sight.

This couldn't be a mistake by the school; it had to be an intentional design. It was meant to allow everyone to utilize these camera-free zones to execute more covert plans.

"Hmm... no cameras here. This is a perfect spot to set up some underhanded schemes."

Hashiba Hikaru observed his surroundings. He had reached the corner of a building, where a narrow walkway sat between it and another structure partitioned by boards, with a vending machine placed to the side.

He didn't see any standard cameras here, so he silently committed this information to memory.

But just then, Hashiba Hikaru suddenly heard voices coming from up ahead.

"Suzune, I didn't expect you to actually chase me all the way here."

"I... I am no longer the useless person I was before. I came here to follow in your footsteps, Brother."

"?"

Upon hearing these two voices, Hashiba Hikaru's expression shifted, as both were people he recognized.

The male voice seemed to belong to the highly capable Student Council President, Horikita Manabu, while the female voice belonged to Horikita Suzune, who had just spent a large sum of Private Points in Class D.

"Brother? They share the same surname. I can't believe I didn't make the connection. Good grief."

The boy sighed and continued to lean in to eavesdrop. After all, this was a shocking piece of gossip, and he might even be able to gather some useful intelligence.

"Hmph, to follow in my footsteps? You truly still haven't realized your own flaws," Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses, his tone cold. "You've already learned about the Deep Rules of this school today. Do you really think you have the ability to catch up to me?"

"I will be promoted to Class A soon. Please believe in me, Brother!" Horikita Suzune's tone was somewhat urgent.

"No, you cannot do that. I know that much clearly."

"I will work hard, I will work hard to reach Class A..." The girl wanted to continue arguing, but in the next second, the man in front of her reached out, grabbed her arm, and slammed her against the wall.

"If people find out that the person assigned to Class D is my sister, the one who will ultimately lose face is me," Horikita Manabu stared coldly at the girl before him. "Do you not understand what this represents?"

"I..."

At this moment, Horikita Suzune was far from the strong, imposing figure Hashiba Hikaru had seen in the Class D classroom. She looked incredibly weak, her pretty face filled with a desire to defend herself, yet she was too anxious to speak.

"Drop out, Suzune!"

"Otherwise..."

Horikita Manabu delivered these words like a verdict, then raised his palm, seemingly intending to slap his sister.

"..."

Hashiba Hikaru felt he couldn't just watch the show anymore, so he quickly stepped forward.

"Um, if it got out that the Student Council President was bullying a girl here at night, wouldn't that be a bad look?"

"Hmm?"

Hearing this familiar voice, Horikita Manabu immediately looked to the side and spotted a figure.

"It's you, Hashiba-kun."

"That's right, it's me, Senior Horikita. I didn't expect you to have such a nasty hobby."

"You saw all of that?"

Seeing Hashiba Hikaru, Horikita Manabu immediately released his grip on Horikita Suzune and asked in a calm tone, "What do you want?"

"Don't worry, I don't want anything. I was just surprised to find out she is Senior Horikita's sister."

"Hmph, just a useless sister. I will have her drop out soon enough."

"Brother?"

Horikita Suzune's expression became complex the moment she was released. She looked at Hashiba Hikaru, who had suddenly appeared before her. He had just taken her Private Points earlier, and now they were meeting again.

Moreover, he seemed to be quite familiar with her brother. What was going on here?

Wasn't he just a first-year freshman?

"May I ask for the reason? Why must Horikita-san drop out?" Hashiba Hikaru looked at Horikita Manabu, feigning curiosity.

"..."

Horikita Manabu remained silent for a moment, glanced at Horikita Suzune, and his expression became a bit more serious.

"I can tell you, but you must do something for me."

"Go ahead. If it's within my power, I will."

Chapter 50: Nagumo's Ambition

Bathed in moonlight, Hashiba Hikaru looked at Horikita Manabu. Even though the man had been caught in the act of coercing his sister, he showed no signs of anxiety, instead calmly beginning to explain his thoughts.

"Hashiba-kun, you should be aware that after the second semester ends, I will be handing over the position of Student Council President to Nagumo." Horikita Manabu adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose; his expression shifted noticeably when he mentioned Nagumo's name.

"I am aware. As the vice president of the Student Council, Nagumo-senpai is naturally the best successor after you, Horikita-senpai. Hasn't he already recruited quite a few people to his side?"

"You actually observed that? It seems you truly haven't disappointed me."

Horikita Manabu glanced at the young man before him with a hint of surprise and continued, "Nagumo is different from me. His policy is to turn this school into a true meritocracy. Do you understand what that implies?"

"A true meritocracy?"

Hashiba Hikaru rubbed his chin, unable to help but recall the information he had seen earlier regarding students in the second year already dropping out. If this was Nagumo's doing, then his intentions were quite clear.

The youth's expression changed abruptly as he looked at Horikita Manabu's face and said, "Do you mean to say, Horikita-senpai, that Nagumo-senpai's plan is to force people to drop out?"

"That man has already gained control over the entire second-year cohort and completed his experiment, using a system of elimination to expel those who were holding the group back."

As he said this, Horikita Manabu cast a subtle, almost imperceptible glance at the black-haired girl beside him, who was completely stunned into silence.

Horikita Suzune was utterly bewildered; she couldn't grasp what these two were talking about—the Student Council handover, and a name she had never heard before: Nagumo.

More importantly, that classmate of hers, Hashiba-kun, didn't look like a junior at all in this moment; he was communicating with her brother as an equal. She even heard her brother seemingly asking for his help with something.

Why is it like this?

What on earth has happened to my brother when I wasn't looking?

"I see. So he intends to kick everyone who lacks ability out of this school?"

After hearing Horikita Manabu's explanation, Hashiba Hikaru's expression grew a bit more solemn. After Horikita Manabu graduated, Nagumo Miyabi would serve as Student Council President for approximately one year.

If he truly intended to implement his policy, given the authority held by the Student Council President, it was not impossible for him to coordinate with the school administration to establish entirely new methods of elimination.

As evidenced by the recent deliberation process regarding the accusations against Ryuen, the Student Council's scope of authority in school management was truly vast, allowing them to accomplish things that ordinary students could not.

"He has already shown signs of this, and he continues to gather followers."