Chapter 261: I'm Competing Against Myself - Assassination Classroom: I Have a Life Simulator

Just as the two were talking, Kanzaki suddenly remembered something and lowered his voice to say to Sakayanagi Narimori beside him:

"Is it the one from Naoe Lane?"

Faced with Sakayanagi Narimori's questioning gaze, Kanzaki simply shrugged and shook his head.

"I only heard the name before, but you're the one who's with this child, aren't you?"

As a member of a zaibatsu (financial conglomerate), Kanzaki was also aware of the current situation. The rivalry between the Naoe Faction and Onigashima Faction over the position of the next prime minister was visibly intensifying, and the Sakayanagi Family, represented by Sakayanagi Narimori, was an important bargaining chip that both sides wanted to control.

Sakayanagi Narimori's father was a member of the Onigashima Faction, and Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School was a project he built with Onigashima's support, which has provided Onigashima himself with tremendous exposure and prestige to date.

The bustling scene outside Class 3-A is actually a microcosm of the entire country. Education has always been one of the most eye-catching areas, and the rise of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School in the past two years has undoubtedly helped Onigashima.

Therefore, in a sense, the White Room Project was seen by the Naoe Faction as being comparable to the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School Project of the Onigashima Faction, with the same educational field, the same elite training, and the same slogan of supplying talent to society.

Initially, Sakayanagi Narimori did not show any clear inclination to take sides, which is why Naoe Jinnosuke instructed Ayanokoji Atsuomi to bring him into the White Room Project. However, as Sakayanagi Narimori himself became resistant to the White Room Project, he also began to distance himself from the Naoe Faction.

What truly signaled his semi-break with the Naoe Faction was his appointment this year as chairman of the Chairman of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, an important project of the Onigashima Faction. This undoubtedly subtly indicated Sakayanagi Narimori's own attitude.

That's why Kanzaki found Sakayanagi Narimori's actions somewhat strange.

"I don't know what Liang means either. This child... just watch quietly."

Sakayanagi Narimori shook his head, seemingly wanting to say something but not quite sure. He seemed to have guessed Kitagawa Ryo's meaning, but he wasn't sure.

Just then, Izumiya, completely unaware of the complicated situation, happily took out a mysterious gift he had prepared from the classroom. All he knew was that Class 3-A had made a fortune this time, and Kitagawa Ryo's gimmick had greatly boosted their popularity. Although he didn't know the specific revenue of each class, Class 3-A should have no problem securing first place.

Furthermore, since Kitagawa Ryo achieved a perfect score, he was essentially confirmed as the number one on the leaderboard in advance, and Izumiya promptly handed the gift box to Kitagawa Ryo:

"Ta-da!"

Although most guests expected a deluxe, hardcover workbook before the gift was revealed, what was ultimately presented was a gleaming gold trophy, with the name "[Liang]" already temporarily engraved on the base.

Congratulations on winning first place!

The students of Class 3-A pulled out all sorts of celebratory props from somewhere, and colorful ribbons rained down, followed by cheers and applause.

The guests applauded politely while secretly memorizing the name "White Room," planning to inquire about it after the Cultural Festival ended.

How was today's Cultural Festival? Would you like to study at ANHS in the future?

Finally, the interviewer, as was customary, asked one last question.

"Fine."

Kitagawa Ryo, holding the gold-painted iron trophy, replied:

"But I probably won't come to ANHS to study."

"Because the students here are still too weak, and not competitive enough."

Even more pointed than Sakayanagi Arisu's earlier remarks, the host's smile froze on his face, and many of the onlookers unconsciously frowned.

Most of the guests attending the Cultural Festival here today are family members of people associated with Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, so they can be considered half family. It's understandable that they would be dissatisfied to hear Kitagawa Ryo belittle Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, which has gained a good reputation in the past two years.

"Our Ayanokoji's father, once said that the White Room is meant to cultivate ordinary people into top-notch geniuses. Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School conducts rigorous Written Exam and oral examinations for admissions every year. Even if these students become successful in the future, it may not all be due to the school."

Kitagawa Ryo, arms crossed and looking defiant, looked up at Izumiya beside him and asked:

"How were your grades in junior high, brother?"

"Um... first in the grade."

Izumiya scratched his head. Wasn't that obvious? He was, after all, the Leader of Class 3-A; how could his grades be bad?

"Yes, that's it."

Kitagawa Ryo shook his head and declared with considerable confidence:

"Having such an excellent pool of students and investing such a huge amount of money every year to cultivate dozens or even hundreds of talents, wow."

If it weren't for the fact that Kitagawa Ryo was just a child, someone probably would have already intervened. However, bullying a younger person is not honorable, so Sakayanagi Narimori, as the Chairman of ANHS, had no choice but to step forward and say:

"Individual cases can never determine the whole. Even if we win first place today, it doesn't mean that the White Room method is superior to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School."

He also discerned some nuances in the Kitagawa Ryo dialect.

"Besides, the White Room is still just something you talk about. Who knows if it's something a child made up? You know, when I was your age, I also liked to think about all sorts of random things every day."

With a kind smile, Sakayanagi Narimori secretly clenched his fist, staring intently into Kitagawa Ryo's pupils.

He was waiting for Kitagawa Ryo's answer.

Although every word Kitagawa Ryo says sounds like he's been brainwashed and obsessed by the White Room's philosophy, Sakayanagi Narimori still feels that something is amiss.

"The White Room certainly exists. Ayanokoji's father said long ago, if the White Room had the same level of investment and promotion as Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, it would have developed much faster and cultivated more talent."

"Ayanokoji's father also said, the White Room is the only practical plan that can truly improve the national education level, Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School is just a facade."

"Furthermore, I came here on Ayanokoji's father's orders, to prove that the White Room is better than ANHS!"

Kitagawa Ryo raised his head high and declared with immense pride.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi was awakened from his sleep by the shrill ring of his cell phone. Naoe Jinnosuke's first secretary berated him, implying that he should prepare for his death and not burden his family.

Completely bewildered, Ayanokoji Atsuomi hung up the phone amidst the other party's angry shout, "Handle this yourself!" Only then did he notice his inbox was overflowing with emails. Opening his social media, he immediately saw several trending topics and news headlines:

What is the White Room? And who is the Ayanokoji's father mentioned by the mysterious genius? Experts provide online analysis!

Ayanokoji Atsuomi felt a sudden ache in his teeth.

What happened?

I have a cold

I'm not sure if I'm positive; I'm feeling a bit unwell.

Hopefully things will get better tomorrow.

Wishing every reader good health.

One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words One hundred words

Chapter 99: I Roll Myself In

"You are a smart child."

"It even makes me wonder if the educational philosophy behind the White Room is truly effective..."

Sakayanagi Narimori rubbed his temples, looking at Kitagawa Ryo across from him with a complicated expression.

"The educational philosophy of the White Room doesn't hold water. If I had to say, I'd Arisu —a genius?"

As Kitagawa Ryo spoke, he glanced at Sakayanagi Arisu sitting next to him. Since the Cultural Festival ended today, he could sense that the other person's interest in him seemed to have doubled exponentially.

Sakayanagi Arisu was clearly pleased with what had just been said; sitting on the sofa, she lightly swung her slender, fair legs, appearing to be in a good mood.

"I agree with Ryo. His excellence is simply due to his innate talent. If the White Room's educational methods were correct, he wouldn't be the only one to stand out."

"No, no, no, there are still many friends in the White Room who are no less capable than me..."

"You don't need to act anymore, right? You just want to protect the few people you know, don't you?"

Sakayanagi Arisu. It only took her a moment to understand Kitagawa Ryo's intention in inexplicably pointing out the names of the two people in the White Room, especially the detailed description of their hair and eye colors.

She casually clicked on a few trending posts on the forum, and with the help of some people and the active cooperation of the Sakayanagi Family, the rankings of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School and the White Room became popular almost overnight.

Ultimately, Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School has become a highly sought-after prestigious school in Tokyo and even nationwide in the past two years, and to some extent, the White Room is simply riding on its coattails.

Due to the unique characteristics of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, including but not limited to the very limited number of admissions each year, the near 100% college and employment rate, the massive investment and support, and the fully enclosed management system, it can be said that in recent years, there are both supporters and detractors of ANHS Advanced ANHS High School. The online confrontation between these groups is costless, and the popularity of the school has naturally increased.

For many in the upper echelons of society, the whole incident seemed more like a signal.

Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School has always been a prized achievement of the Onigashima Faction. The previous Chairman of Tokyo ANHS, Old Man Sakayanagi, who came from the Sakayanagi Family, was also a capable figure in the Onigashima Faction. Therefore, the high investment and high exposure of ANHS in recent years is essentially a two-way cooperation.

Onigashima needs a good-looking, superficial project like ANHS, while ANHS needs the support and backing of the capital behind Onigashima Faction.

It's worth noting that the issue of Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School occupying too many social resources has been discussed repeatedly every year for the past few years, yet Tokyo ANHS still exists today.

As for the White Room, many people did not have any impression of this abruptly appearing name, but the surname [Ayanokoji], which was exposed at the same time, was not difficult to find. It was easy to pinpoint the rising politician Ayanokoji Atsuomi, who was a junior Naoe Jinnosuke Ayanokoji Atsuomi, the leader of the Naoe Faction.

Considering the overt and covert struggles between Onigashima and Naoe over the position of Prime Minister over the past few years, the whole matter suddenly becomes quite intriguing.

However, these two factions are ultimately just two of the more powerful factions in the country. Adhering to the principle of "the more the merrier," many people outside these two factions don't mind to lend a hand and see how things develop.

Because of the excellent secrecy, many members of the Naoe Faction were hearing about the plan for the first time. What Kitagawa Ryo didn't expect was that a naive young man from the Naoe Faction thought it was a chance to rise to the top in one step. Without knowing the inside story of the White Room, he made some rather ambiguous hints about the White Room in order to win votes. His words implied that ANHS was not as good as the White Room.

The true and false news spread rapidly on online forums, and the video of Kitagawa Ryo, which was used as a memento by Class 3-A, also spread widely. Various tabloids and marketing accounts were racking their brains to analyze every word in Kitagawa Ryo's speech, as if they were determined to capitalize on this popularity.

The two people in the White Room that Kitagawa Ryo mentioned were naturally brought up as well, and a well-known tabloid quickly used this as the basis for a rather sensational article:

Kitagawa Ryo found it somewhat amusing to see the news headlines displayed on the phone that Sakayanagi Arisu handed him.

However, for him, this was also the goal that Kitagawa Ryo had hoped to achieve from the very beginning.

This is the question posed to the White Room.

By leveraging public opinion to build a guarantee of fame, and crowning themselves with their own names, as long as Kitagawa Ryo causes a big enough sensation, the two of them can continue to attract people's attention, just like the content and headline of this news article.

But...

Many of the guests at the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School Cultural Festival were political and business figures like the Kanzaki father and son. Although this was something he had considered when he made the decision on the spur of the moment, the commotion he caused still exceeded Kitagawa Ryo's expectations.

"Actually, I only realized what it meant when I heard that."

Sakayanagi Narimori patted Kitagawa Ryo on the head. At first, he had some doubts about whether Kitagawa Ryo had been brainwashed by the White Room's philosophy, but he came to his senses then.

Kitagawa Ryo harbored hatred for the White Room from beginning to end, but he still felt a lingering attachment to some of the people inside.

Sakayanagi Narimori thought this was a good thing, because it meant that Kitagawa Ryo, who grew up in the White Room, still retained strong emotions, love and hate, basic but enough.

"There's nothing we can do about it."

Because he would still need the Sakayanagi Family's help later, Kitagawa Ryo decided to speak frankly at this point:

"I don't actually have the ability to destroy the White Room. Although I believe that one day I can personally end this project, no one can guarantee what the White Room will look like by then, or how many test subjects like me will have been destroyed."

Kitagawa Ryo didn't have that much time, and the children in the White Room couldn't wait that long either.

"If I were to expose this plan directly through my own experience, regardless of whether it succeeds or not, one thing is certain: everything related to me in the White Room will be destroyed and erased."

Kitagawa Ryo, whose talents related to his identity have been sealed, does not have a distinguished background in this simulation. The [Marriage Contract] item has not yet shown any corresponding effect. If this approach is adopted, it is very likely that it will not make a splash at all.

At most, they would have that man come out, bow, and apologize, and then seal away all the experimental subjects and data related to that past without hesitation.

The purpose of the White Room was to ensure that they would be made public in the future, which meant that the initial phase of early sample collection had to be erased.

A project like the White Room, if successful, would be a genuine achievement; if it failed, it would be a genuine scandal.

The one who controls the White Room is a man who cannot accept failure and has poured his golden ten years of life, even his own son, into this plan, resorting to any means necessary.

"Therefore, Ayanokoji Atsuomi cannot deny it."

"And they have to cooperate with me to finish this scene."

"His background determined that he had no second chance to turn things around; he had already staked everything on the White Room plan."

Based on the actual timeline, Ayanokoji Atsuomi devoted a full twenty years to this plan, which is the golden age for a politician, from thirty to fifty years old.

This is also why he is so obsessed with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

Only this near-successful prototype can prove his efforts, prove the White Room project, and prove his... success.

Sakayanagi Narimori nodded, giving Kitagawa Ryo a look of great appreciation:

"Actually, he has never changed since I first met Ayanokoji's father."

"He was a man who was always ambitious, with boundless aspirations."

I'm Competing Against Myself

Explore the wiki

Comments