Class A Goes on the Offensive / Kakeru Ryuuen's Unexpected Tactic

The girl stood at the front of her classmates, signaling that they could begin to think about the answer to this question.

Chie Hoshinomiya stood quietly to the side. As the homeroom teacher, most of her responsibilities were related to supervision, and she couldn't proactively offer help to her classmates.

Hashiba Hikaru stood to the side, head bowed in thought. After settling into the camp, he had been pondering a question: how to maximize his points in this Special Exam.

From the rules set by the school, there are actually three different approaches.

The first point is to minimize the consumption of the basic 300 exam-specific points. If the class is united enough and can work harder in terms of patience, a lot of points can actually be saved.

The second option is to capture strongholds. According to the rules, a stronghold refreshes every eight hours and there is no limit to repeated captures. Therefore, you can get 21 extra points for a stronghold every seven days. However, you need to calculate the Good Time and grab the position as quickly as possible.

However, this presents a serious problem, which is inextricably linked to the third approach: the final mechanism for guessing the class leader.

Hashiba Hikaru believes that this mechanism may be the school's real way to test everyone's abilities, since whether it's capturing strongholds or saving base points, the points gained won't create a significant difference in skill level.

However, the way of guessing the leader is outrageous. You get 50 points for guessing the leader of a class correctly, and the class whose leader you guessed loses 50 points. That means guessing the leader of a class correctly can result in a difference of 100 points, which is a terrifying calculation method.

If you guess three classes correctly, how many points can you gain in the lead?

It's exciting just to think about it.

Conversely, the act of capturing a stronghold is directly linked to the selection of a leader, as there are very detailed restrictions in the rules.

To capture a stronghold, Key Card is required, and only the class leader can use the Key Card. Therefore, during the repeated capture of strongholds, the identity of the leader is at risk of being exposed.

After all, the leader's name is to be engraved on the Key Card. If it is seen by students from other classes, not only will they lose all the extra points for capturing the stronghold, but they will also lose an additional 50 points, which is a very risky operation.

If they were to use the strategy of capturing strongholds, they would need to find a way to prevent the class leaders from being exposed, otherwise everything might be in vain. He had not yet seen what the strongholds actually looked like, and he needed to think more about how to make a decision.

Just as Hashiba Hikaru was deep in thought, he heard a familiar voice beside him.

"Um, Classmate Hashiba?"

It was Ichinose Honami. The girl had already stood in front of the boy, staring intently at Hashiba Hikaru's face.

"What's wrong? Has everyone chosen a leader yet?"

"The results are in! Everyone's thinking is pretty simple; after all, everyone saw how well Classmate Hashiba performed." Ichinose Honami winked with a smile. "You got the most votes, Classmate Hashiba."

"Well..."

Although the result wasn't entirely unexpected, the boy already had a preliminary idea in mind: he wanted to see it for himself before making a decision.

"Actually, I just thought of a question, could you all hear me about it?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the students in Class A immediately turned their attention to them.

"Classmate Hashiba, have you come up with a plan yet?"

"It's just a basic idea; if we want to actually implement it, we need everyone's cooperation."

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the pink-haired girl beside her and said to everyone in Class A, "Everyone has just understood the rules of this Special Exam set up by the school, so you should understand how to get more points."

"Our most basic strategy is to conserve our 300 exam points through patience. The real deciding factor will be capturing strongholds and guessing the class leader at the end."

"But these two methods are closely linked and influence each other," Hashiba Hikaru paused, then slowly said, "Just like in a duel, when you draw your sword, you also expose your weaknesses."

"I believe these two approaches can be pursued simultaneously. Whether it's capturing strongholds or guessing the class leader, these are both options we need to consider, and we might even lean more towards the latter."

"Does Classmate Hashiba mean we can try to find out who the leaders are in other classes?"

"That's right, everyone remember what I just said? I found several different locations on the Cruise Ship, but this one has now been confirmed not to be the base," Hashiba Hikaru smiled and pointed to the ground, "But there are still two or three locations I remember, and those places might be the base."

"Several hours have passed since the exam started, and there could be two different scenarios in these places."

"In the first scenario, the stronghold has already been occupied. I think we can try to find out who the leader of the opposing class is. After all, once a class discovers a stronghold, they won't leave easily if they know the rules."

"What if it hasn't been occupied yet?" Ichinose Honami then asked.

"That would be perfect for testing the method I just came up with: studying the situation near the base and figuring out how to minimize the risk of exposure."

"Another approach is to wait and see. According to the rules, you can't use a stronghold occupied by another class without permission. So if we arrive first, the later classes will need to check the stronghold's machine to determine if we've successfully captured it."

"This way, we'll have the initiative in our hands. What I want to do is find out who the leaders of the other classes are. What do you all think of this plan?"

Chapter 146 Class A Takes the Initiative

After Hashiba Hikaru revealed her thoughts, Ichinose Honami and the other students in Class A immediately fell into deep thought.

Everyone understands that if they want to get more Class Evaluation Points in this exam, they definitely need to participate in the final class leader guessing round. After all, even if they can occupy several strongholds at the same time, the points they can get after seven days won't be many.

Guessing the leaders of other classes offers extremely high rewards, but the risks are equally high; guessing wrong will result in a deduction of points.

"Is this the core plan that Classmate Hashiba came up with?" Kanzaki Ryuji reviewed it in his mind and asked aloud.

"Yes, I've just thought about it. The best way to help our Class A gain an overwhelming advantage in this exam is to guess who the leaders of the other classes are."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone gathered there. Standing at the very front were naturally the students who had more influence in the class Kanzaki Ryuji, Shibata, Ando, and Ichinose Honami.

"Of course, if anyone has a better plan or any additions to my plan, please feel free to share them now. After all, this is just my personal idea, and this exam concerns everyone's future, so I can't force everyone to follow my arrangements."

"Then what should be done about the selection of a leader?"

Ichinose Honami went through the boy's thoughts in her mind and asked him this crucial question.

"Regarding this, I actually wanted to tell you all just now that I'm not very good at being a leader, and the same goes for Ichinose."

Hashiba Hikaru shook her head and explained to everyone, "Don't forget, everyone, Ichinose and I were quite active during the first month of school."

"When we went to sell the rules, we went to three other classes together. They all know that Ichinose and I are core members of Class A. If we were to become the class leaders, wouldn't we be giving up the initiative?"

"After what happened before, the students from other classes might pay special attention to my and Ichinose's movements during this exam. Even if the Key Card isn't exposed, if they blindly guess about me and Ichinose, wouldn't the chances of them being right be quite high?"

"We can't predict what the other classes are thinking right now, so it's best not to take any chances. Choosing other students is the best solution."

After this explanation, the students immediately understood the source of their concerns. If they wanted to firmly grasp the initiative, they certainly couldn't choose the two most prominent students in Class A as leaders.

"Indeed, Classmate Hashiba's considerations are indeed reasonable."

"Yes, in any case, we can't predict how the students in other classes will choose. What if they really intend to take a gamble?"

"So, who do you think we should choose, Classmate Hashiba?"

"Yes, since neither Classmate Hashiba nor Ichinose are quite suitable, who would be the best leader for our class?"

After accepting Hashiba's answer, everyone looked around, pondering who the most suitable candidate was.

"Who do you think would be more suitable, Classmate Hashiba?"

The pink-haired girl had already moved closer to Hashiba Hikaru. Having just agreed with Hashiba Hikaru's considerations, she intended to support his idea.

"Ideally, it should be a student who isn't too noticeable in the class, but this person needs to be capable enough and not too careless, otherwise they won't be able to keep the Key Card safe." Hashiba Hikaru stroked her chin, her gaze sweeping over the students in the class, thinking about who would be the most suitable candidate.

"In that case, I think the student from the South is pretty good."

Ichinose Honami uttered a name. It was a girl who was usually very quiet in Class A. Her full name was Minami Kozue. Because she had few hobbies and was not very enthusiastic about interpersonal communication, she didn't have many classmates she could talk to.

However, Ichinose, as the class leader, had talked to her quite a few times. Although she liked quiet, she was quite good at academics and sports. She wasn't the kind of person who was silent and shy; she simply liked being alone.

After hearing the girl's explanation, Hashiba Hikaru thought she was indeed a very good candidate.

Guided by Ichinose Honami, he glanced at the girl named Minami Kozue. She had short hair and delicate features. She was wearing sportswear and standing in the crowd. At first glance, she wasn't the type to attract much attention.

"Yes, I think she's a good fit."

Hashiba Hikaru snapped his fingers and spoke up while everyone was still thinking.

"Regarding this, we actually have a very good candidate recommended. Could you all tell me about it?"

"Hey, Classmate Hashiba decided yet? Who do you think you should choose?"

"Yes, who did Classmate Hashiba choose as the leader?"

When everyone's attention turned to her, Hashiba Hikaru didn't answer directly. Instead, she gestured to Ichinose Honami beside her to take action. Upon receiving her signal, the girl quickly walked to the side of the Minami student.

"Southern student, Classmate Hashiba thinks you are the perfect candidate to be our class leader."

"Eh, me?"

After Ichinose Honami took her arm, Minami Kozue was clearly taken aback. After all, she thought that such an important matter should be handled by the most active and influential people in the class, and it was unlikely that it would be her turn.

"It's actually a classmate from the South?"

"Now that you mention it, I think I understand what Classmate Hashiba meant." Someone looked at this usually quiet student and suddenly realized the logic behind her choice.

"Hehe, there's really no need to hide this from you. You should all understand my thoughts quite easily."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled gently, and after walking over to Minami Kozue, he looked up and explained to the other students, "The safekeeping of the Key Card is very important. Based on the idea I just mentioned, we can't choose someone too conspicuous to be the leader."

"It may be a bit rude of me to say this, but Nanfang, you seem to be the kind of person who doesn't really like socializing, right?" the boy said gently.

"Yes, but it's just my personal habit, there's no particular reason for it." Minami Kozue nodded slightly.

"That's enough. In these seven days, we may encounter various unexpected situations. No matter what plan we execute, the safekeeping of the Key Card must be the highest priority."

"As for Nanfang, you don't usually like socializing, so you don't need to stand out too much. Just keep your usual pace and get along with everyone. This way, you can minimize your presence."

"If students from other classes come to spy on our camp, trying to find out who the leader is, it won't be so easy for them to target you. Do you understand what I mean?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, a glint of light flashed in Minami Kozue's eyes, and she replied softly, "I understand what you mean, but is it really okay to entrust such an important task to me?"

What do you all think?

Hashiba Hikaru looked at his classmates' faces. This decision was important, so he wanted to hear what others thought.

However, as an incredibly united group, the students in Class A immediately accepted this excellent idea after figuring out what the boy meant, and everyone trusted each other's decisions.

"I think it's a good idea. As the class leader, Nanfang will surely be able to keep the Key Card safe."

"Yes, I agree with this decision."

After everyone had expressed their opinions, Hashiba Hikaru glanced at Minami Kozue's expression and said quite calmly, "What does Kozue-kun think?"

"Since everyone trusts me so much, I'll agree. I'll work hard for the class." The pretty, short-haired girl nodded earnestly, indicating that she could take on this important task.

"Okay, I believe that the student from the South can give a perfect performance."

After exchanging a glance with Hashiba Hikaru, Ichinose Honami smiled and said to her, "Ichinose, please take Minami-san to Hoshinomiya-sensei to make Key Card."

"Uh-huh."

A few minutes later, the two girls returned from the teacher's side, and Minami Kozue held the Key Card with their names engraved on it in her hand.

"Would you like to take a look, Classmate Hashiba?"

"No need. When you don't need the Key Card, it's best to keep Key Card hidden and never take it out."

"Yes, I understand."

After resolving the issue of the class leader, the remaining discussion returned to the solution the boy had just mentioned.

"Now that our class leader has been decided, all that's left is to continue discussing the plan I mentioned earlier. Does anyone have anything to add?"

Hashiba Hikaru's gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the class. Although he currently held a very high level of authority in the class, he couldn't abuse it casually. That wouldn't fit his usual way of thinking. If he could get everyone to accept the plan, it would be easier to arrange the personnel later without encountering any resistance.

"I agree with Classmate Hashiba's proposal."

The first to raise his hand was Kanzaki Ryuji, who had just asked the question. After so many class plans, he was quite impressed with the boy's abilities, and in his opinion, this exam was clearly an opportunity to gain a lot of Class Evaluation Points, so it was definitely worth taking the initiative.

"Although our class has maintained its first place ranking, Class B in second place is always very close. If we choose a more conventional strategy for this exam, we may not be able to widen the gap with them in the end, which would be a waste of this opportunity."

"Classmate Hashiba's plan is a completely proactive one, which I think is excellent. After all, just guessing one leader's spot correctly would result in a 100-point score difference, which is a very high return." "That's right, I also think Hashiba's plan is very good. Based on the last ranking, our main opponent right now is actually Class B. The scores of the other classes are too far behind ours, so we don't need to worry about them too much right now. As long as we can widen the gap with Class B, we can ensure that our advantage is more stable." Shibata, as a self-proclaimed Hashiba Faction supporter, immediately followed up with the second opinion.

After these two influential boys in the class spoke up, many other students expressed their approval of the plan.

"I also agree with Classmate Hashiba's plan. Since he has already observed several different locations, it means we have gained the upper hand. Why not take advantage of it?"

Ichinose Honami had actually already agreed to Hashiba Hikaru's plan, but she felt that it needed the right time to bring it up. Now that she had seen many people nod in agreement, she was speaking up at this moment.

Seeing that Ichinose Honami had already expressed her opinion, the other classmates who were still debating the risks and benefits of the plan naturally understood the class's thoughts and agreed to carry it out.

Seeing everyone nod, Hashiba Hikaru smiled slightly and said, "In that case, we can begin our operation now."

Chapter 147 Long Yuanxiang's Surprising Move

After obtaining everyone's consent, Hashiba Hikaru began to execute her plan.

The first step is to select the right people.

"I remember there are three remaining spots, so when we set off, we can choose three small teams. Each team doesn't need too many people, about two or three will suffice."

Hashiba Hikaru stood in front of everyone and explained her plan, detailing her thought process at every step.