Complicated

That was Hoshino Kanade's own terminal. In the dimly lit surroundings, the screen emitted a bright, piercing, cold blue light, clearly displaying the points he possessed.

Hoshino Kanade flipped it over casually and held it out in front of Matsushita Chiaki, the glow instantly occupying a corner of her field of vision.

Matsushita Chiaki's gaze was drawn to the light, focusing on the most prominent information in the center.

The next instant, her pupils contracted sharply—on that cold screen, the number following the "Point Balance" column was reflected clearly, almost with a burning sensation, in her blue irises, which had dilated from shock.

3,021,300

That seven-digit number hung deep within her eyes like a brand.

Three million points!

The intense visual impact, combined with the sheer magnitude of the number and the harsh glare of the terminal, left her brain buzzing in a blank void.

For a fleeting moment, she thought she was experiencing some kind of visual distortion, and that the number before her was merely an illusion created by the light.

But the outline of the number reflected in her eyes was so clear, the digits so distinct, standing there cold and hard as if crushing her existing perception of reality.

At a time when Class D's points were at zero and everyone was pinching pennies for a few dozen survival points, the amount before her was astronomically large, like a heavy bomb detonating on the calm lake of her thoughts! How on earth was this achieved? Or... did he have some unimaginable resources behind him?

She jerked her head up to look at Hoshino Kanade, her eyes filled with incredulous shock. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide with astonishment, clearly reflecting both that terrifying string of numbers and Hoshino Kanade's calm, ripple-free face.

Three million points! What did this mean? It meant absolute freedom; it meant that in this closed world where everything was measured by "points," he possessed resources and room for maneuver that ordinary people couldn't even imagine!

He was fully capable of changing many situations in an instant!

Yet, he chose to hole up in Class D like an ordinary student—aside from those strange interactions with Kiyona, and sitting across from her right now, looking at her with a gaze so calm it was terrifying.

The massive influx of information made her mouth fall slightly open, her elegant facade completely torn away in this moment, revealing the raw astonishment and bewilderment beneath.

"Why... how did you..." Her voice trembled uncontrollably; the previous shyness and wild thoughts were completely washed away by the shock of being crushed by pure power.

In the face of the massive tip of the iceberg this man had revealed, those little girlish thoughts seemed so insignificant.

Hoshino Kanade calmly took back the terminal, as if he had just put away an ordinary object.

"How I obtained them is not important," he said flatly, clearly not intending to answer the question, his tone carrying the composure of someone in a superior position. "What matters is that this number proves two things: First, I have the ability to fulfill my promise and provide you with substantial support in the muddy waters of Class D; second, I have no interest in the superficial glory of Class A. I stay here for my own purposes." He looked at Matsushita Chiaki's shaken face and added, his gaze possessing a piercing quality, "This purpose has nothing to do with you for now. What you need to care about is whether the 'mutually beneficial' relationship we just reached can hold."

Matsushita Chiaki's brain raced.

The impact of the massive amount of points was immense, completely subverting her perception of Hoshino Kanade.

He possessed power, unfathomable and deep, yet he lay low in Class D.

His "transaction" terms did not truly harm her core interests; on the contrary, they might provide her with an invisible, powerful backing.

The risk of exposing her facade was huge, but refusing Hoshino Kanade? She had a gut feeling that it might mean even greater unknown dangers.

More importantly, his remark that "being neither here nor there is the easiest way to be torn apart" struck her deepest fear like a needle.

Ever since Class D's points hit zero, that feeling of living on the edge had never truly vanished.

Hoshino Kanade offered a path, a path to trade her own abilities for security, and this path, paved by such a hidden powerhouse, seemed... exceptionally reliable?

Matsushita Chiaki took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the last trace of awkwardness caused by her previous assumptions.

At this moment, in the face of absolute strength and a clear analysis of pros and cons, those emotions had to give way.

She looked at Hoshino Kanade, the panic in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a complex light mixed with decisiveness, submission, and a hint of having found something to lean on.

That light made her blue eyes appear exceptionally bright and deep, like a calm sea after a storm, shimmering with the luster of wisdom and realization.

She nodded solemnly, her movements elegant yet firm. The confident charm that belonged to her, regained after a brief moment of chaos, reached its peak:

"I understand. What do you need me to see? And where do you need my hands... to reach?" Her voice no longer trembled, carrying the clarity of executing a task and a hint of imperceptible compliance.

The acknowledgment of her "hands" was proposed by her voluntarily, marking that she not only accepted the deal but was also beginning to adapt to this new, more proactive role on a psychological level.

Hoshino Kanade watched the focus and obedience beginning to coalesce in her eyes and gave an imperceptible nod.

The goal had been achieved.

Using both kindness and severity, he had demonstrated absolute power to make Matsushita Chiaki understand the futility and risks of resistance, while also acknowledging her value and providing protection and a relatively independent space for cooperation.

More importantly, at the moment her greatest fear—her "facade" being punctured—was realized, he pointed out a new path that could both preserve her facade and utilize it to gain security.

Matsushita Chiaki was a clear-headed, smart person; once she weighed the pros and cons, she would understand that this was the optimal solution.

Willing? Perhaps it wasn't quite full loyalty yet, but at the very least, it was a rational choice.

Her observation and analytical skills would become a pair of reliable eyes for him in the complex ecosystem of Class D.

Hoshino Kanade did not need her admiration or affection; he only needed her efficiency and obedience.

Deep within those calm, ripple-free eyes, a hint of satisfaction appeared as the plan succeeded.

The young girl before Hoshino Kanade, currently displaying a posture that blended elegance, wisdom, resilience, and the unique beauty of someone who had been tamed, was undoubtedly more valuable than any simple beauty.

That was Hoshino Kanade's own terminal. In the dimly lit surroundings, the screen emitted a bright, piercing, cold blue light, clearly displaying the points he possessed.

Hoshino Kanade flipped it over casually and held it out in front of Matsushita Chiaki, the glow instantly occupying a corner of her field of vision.

Matsushita Chiaki's gaze was drawn to the light, focusing on the most prominent information in the center.

The next instant, her pupils contracted sharply—on that cold screen, the number following the "Point Balance" column was reflected clearly, almost with a burning sensation, in her blue irises, which had dilated from shock.

3,021,300

That seven-digit number hovered deep within her pupils like a brand.

Three million points!

The intense visual impact, born from the combination of such an astronomical figure and the harsh glare of the terminal, left her brain buzzing in a complete blank.

For a fleeting moment, she thought she was experiencing some kind of visual distortion, that the number before her was merely an illusion created by the light.

But the outline of the digits reflected in her eyes was so sharp, the place values so distinct, standing there cold and hard as if crushing her existing perception of reality.

At a time when Class D's points had hit zero and everyone was pinching pennies for a few dozen survival points, this amount was so vast it felt like an astronomical figure, detonating like a heavy bomb in the calm lake of her thoughts! How on earth was this achieved? Or... did he have unimaginable resources backing him?

She jerked her head up to look at Hoshino Kanade, her eyes filled with incredulous shock. Those beautiful blue eyes were wide with disbelief, clearly reflecting both that terrifying string of numbers and Hoshino Kanade's calm, unruffled face.

Three million points! What did this mean? It meant absolute freedom; it meant that in this closed world where everything was measured by "points," he possessed resources and room for maneuver that ordinary people couldn't even imagine!

He was fully capable of changing many situations in an instant!

Yet, he chose to hole up in Class D, acting like an ordinary student—aside from those strange interactions with Kiyona, and the way he sat across from her now, watching her with eyes so calm they were terrifying.

The massive shock of information made her mouth fall slightly open, the elegant mask she wore completely torn away in that moment, revealing the raw astonishment and bewilderment beneath.

"Why... how did you..." Her voice trembled uncontrollably; the previous shyness and wild fantasies were completely washed away by the shock of being crushed by pure power.

In the face of the tip of this massive iceberg the man had revealed, those little girlish thoughts seemed so insignificant.

Hoshino Kanade calmly retracted his terminal, as if he had merely put away an ordinary object.

"How I obtained them is not important," he said flatly, clearly not intending to answer that question. His tone carried the composure of someone in a position of power. "What matters is that this number proves two things: first, I have the ability to fulfill my promise and provide you with substantial support in the muddy waters of Class D; second, I have no interest in the superficial glory of Class A. I stay here for my own purposes." He looked at Matsushita Chiaki's shaken face and added, his gaze possessing a piercing quality, "This purpose has nothing to do with you for now. What you need to concern yourself with is whether the 'mutually beneficial' relationship we just reached can hold."

Matsushita Chiaki's brain raced at high speed.

The impact of the massive points was immense, completely overturning her perception of Hoshino Kanade.

He possessed power, unfathomable and deep, yet he lay low, lurking in Class D.

His "transaction" terms did not truly harm her core interests; on the contrary, they might provide her with an invisible, powerful backing.

The risk of exposing her disguise was huge, but refusing Hoshino Kanade? She had a gut feeling that it might mean an even greater, unknown danger.

More importantly, his remark that "being stuck in the middle is the easiest way to be torn apart" struck like a needle into the deepest fear in her heart.

Ever since Class D's points hit zero, that feeling of living on the edge had never truly vanished.

Hoshino Kanade offered a path, a path to trade her own abilities for security, and this path, paved by such a hidden powerhouse, seemed... exceptionally reliable?

Matsushita Chiaki took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the last trace of awkwardness caused by her previous associations.

At this moment, in the face of absolute power and a clear analysis of pros and cons, those emotions had to give way.

She looked at Hoshino Kanade, the panic in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a complex light mixed with decisiveness, submission, and a hint of having found something to lean on.

That light made her blue eyes appear exceptionally bright and deep, like a calm sea after a storm, shimmering with the luster of wisdom and realization.

She nodded solemnly, her movements elegant yet firm. The confident charm that belonged to her—the one that allowed her to regain control of the situation after a brief moment of chaos—reached its peak at this moment:

"I understand. What do you need me to see? And where do you need my hands... to reach?" Her voice no longer trembled, carrying the clarity of someone executing a mission and a hint of imperceptible compliance.

The acknowledgment of her "hands" was something she offered voluntarily, signaling that she not only accepted the deal but was also beginning to adapt to this new, more proactive role on a psychological level.

Hoshino Kanade watched the focus and obedience beginning to coalesce in her eyes and gave an imperceptible nod.

The goal had been achieved.

By using both kindness and severity, he had demonstrated absolute power so that Matsushita Chiaki understood the futility and risk of resistance, while also validating her value and providing protection and a relatively independent space for cooperation.

More importantly, at the moment her greatest fear—the shattering of her "disguise"—was poked, he pointed out a new path that allowed her to both preserve that disguise and use it to gain security.

Matsushita Chiaki was a clear-headed, intelligent person; once she weighed the pros and cons, she would understand that this was the optimal solution.

Willingly? Perhaps it wasn't quite full loyalty yet, but at the very least, it was a rational choice.

Her observation and analytical skills would become a pair of reliable eyes for him in the complex ecosystem of Class D.

Hoshino Kanade didn't need her adoration or affection; he only needed her efficiency and obedience.

Deep within those calm, unruffled eyes, a hint of satisfaction appeared at the success of his plan.

The young girl before Hoshino Kanade, currently displaying a posture that blended elegance, wisdom, resilience, and the unique beauty of someone who had been tamed, was undoubtedly more valuable than any simple prettiness.