Yuefeng's Considerations

Days passed unhurriedly, and the brief ripples from the exam seemed to have settled.

But Yuefeng knew that beneath the calm surface, the undercurrents had never ceased.

He didn't squander the 50,000 S Points reward recklessly.

Cautiously, he divided them into several portions: one for daily life and emergency reserves, another for purchasing some practical reference books and short-term access to an online database.

With the small remainder, he made an "investment."

Through a reliable anonymous channel, he bought a non-public document titled "Analysis of Ryuen Kakeru's Pre-Enrollment and Recent On-Campus Behavior Patterns."

It stung to spend the points, but it was worth it.

The document showed that Ryuen had been notorious in middle school for violence and controlling small groups.

After entering Advanced Nurturing High School, he quickly consolidated Class C—those who admired strength or were easily intimidated—establishing absolute dominance.

His goal was clear: use every means to boost Class C's evaluation and points, resorting to violence, threats, and even... cheating, if necessary.

But at the same time, the document noted that Ryuen wasn't a mindless brute.

He had a certain grasp of the bigger picture and the ability to assess situations. Toward those who were truly "useful," he would show some tolerance—provided they stayed under his control.

"Useful pawns..." Yuefeng murmured, staring at the summary in the document, lost in thought.

By earning points for the class through the exam, he had likely upgraded in Ryuen's eyes from "a somewhat unusual transfer student" to "a pawn that might be somewhat useful."

This "upgrade" was soon put to the test.

One day during a break, Ishizaki approached again with his trademark, unpleasant grin.

But this time, he didn't bring up the exam or pick a fight. Instead, in a tone that bordered on "discussion," he said, "Hey, Ayanokoji, next month's grade-level Sports Festival—each class has to field a team for group events.

The boss said you've got quick reflexes and decent balance, so you're in for the Obstacle Relay."

It wasn't an order, more like a "notice" and "arrangement."

Clearly, the "value" Yuefeng had shown in the exam—something Ryuen could exploit—had earned him a tiny sliver of participation rights in "class affairs," or rather, the "qualification" to have his labor exploited.

Yuefeng rolled his eyes internally. The Obstacle Relay? It sounded like a tiring, injury-prone event, and it was definitely a stage for Ryuen to showcase Class C's "unity" and "strength."

But he had no room to refuse—in Class C, openly defying Ryuen's "arrangements" came with severe consequences.

"Alright, I got it." Yuefeng replied with a blank expression.

Ishizaki seemed satisfied with his attitude and walked off humming a tune. A few Class C boys nearby looked at Yuefeng with complicated expressions—some envious, some sympathetic.

Yuefeng didn't care. The Sports Festival was still a ways off; he'd play it by ear when the time came.

For now, his focus was more on the special course, "Advanced Logic and Game Theory."

He had chosen it on the advice—or rather, the directive—of his "father."

The course met twice a week in a dedicated seminar room, with students from different classes. The group was small, only about a dozen people.

Yuefeng spotted several familiar faces here: Katsuragi Kohei from Class A, Ichinose Honami from Class B, Hiyori Shiina from Class C... and even Horikita Suzune from Class D.

Seeing Hiyori Shiina, Yuefeng was momentarily surprised, but then it made sense.

Given her intelligence and interest in knowledge, choosing this course wasn't strange.

Hiyori Shiina seemed equally surprised to see Yuefeng here. When their eyes met, she paused briefly, then offered a faint, slightly shy smile and gave a small nod.

The course was extremely difficult. The professor was a strict, almost pedantic old scholar, and the lectures were abstract and profound, heavily using mathematical logic symbols and complex game models.

Class discussions were fierce. Katsuragi's rigorous logic, Ichinose's broad perspective and humanistic concern, Horikita's sharp questioning and obsession with optimal solutions—all of it opened Yuefeng's eyes and piled on the pressure.

Here, his "cram-session" knowledge was clearly insufficient.

He had to concentrate fully, struggling to keep up, occasionally even tapping into his unstable "Slow Motion" perception to help quickly dissect complex logical chains.

After a few sessions, he felt like his brain cells had taken a heavy hit, but the gains were enormous.

This high-intensity mental training gave him a deeper understanding of "strategy," "choice," and "consequences."

He even vaguely sensed that it might subtly help him analyze and respond to the complex situations on campus.

Hiyori Shiina's performance in this course made Yuefeng see her in a new light again.

She didn't speak much, but every time she did, her points were exceptionally clear and precise, often cutting in from an unexpected angle to pinpoint the crux of the issue.

She seemed to have a natural sensitivity to logic and philosophy. Occasionally, Yuefeng caught a glimpse of a quiet, sharp light in her light brown eyes—completely different from her usual shyness—when she was deep in thought.

After one group case analysis, the professor assigned an open-ended reflection question, involving the practical application dilemma of a classic game model.

Yuefeng thought about it for a long time but felt something was missing.

As he left the seminar room, Hiyori Shiina happened to be walking behind him. The hallway wasn't crowded.

"Yuefeng-kun," she called out softly, quickening her pace to walk beside him. Her voice was still gentle, but when discussing academic topics, it carried a natural fluency. "About that variation of the 'Cake-Cutting Game' just now. When you considered the impact of incomplete information on the definition of fairness, did you overlook the cumulative effect of 'Iterative Trust' in long-term games?"

Yuefeng paused, then suddenly understood. This was exactly the missing piece he'd sensed! "Iterative Trust"... Indeed, in long-term, repeated interactions, even with incomplete information, the accumulation of trust based on past behavior would profoundly influence participants' strategic choices, thereby altering the substantive meaning of "fairness."

"You're right!" Yuefeng's eyes lit up as he looked at Hiyori Shiina. "Shiina, you always manage to notice the key points."

Hiyori Shiina's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, murmuring, "It's just... I happened to be reading some related material recently. Yuefeng's foundation is solid, but that model itself assumes a single-round game, which makes it easy to overlook the long-term context."

The two walked side by side, discussing their topic in low voices, branching from game theory into some related philosophical reflections. Yuefeng found it comfortable talking with Hiyori Shiina—she was sharp-minded, articulate, and non-confrontational, more about exchange and supplementation. Before he knew it, they had reached the vicinity of the library.

"Um..." Hiyori Shiina suddenly stopped, her fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of hair, her voice even softer. "If Yuefeng doesn't mind... I have a few papers on 'Incomplete Information Dynamic Games.' They were recommended by the professor before, and they might help with understanding today's case. I could... lend them to you."

Sharing materials again.

Yuefeng looked at her slightly reddened cheeks and hopeful eyes, and the gloom brought on by his "father" and Kiyotaka seemed to lift a little. In this environment full of scheming and competition, it was rare to meet a classmate who could purely exchange knowledge and even willingly share resources.

"Really? That would be great, Shiina." Yuefeng said sincerely.

Hiyori Shiina seemed relieved, a more noticeable smile spreading across her face. "Then... after class tomorrow, I'll give them to you?"

"Sure."

Just as they had made their agreement and the atmosphere was warm, a figure emerged from around the corner of the library, holding a tablet and seemingly checking something.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji.

He looked up, his gaze calmly sweeping over Yuefeng and Hiyori Shiina as they chatted, his face still expressionless, his steps unbroken, as if he were just passing by two irrelevant strangers.

But Yuefeng clearly saw Ayanokoji's gaze land on Hiyori Shiina's face.

More precisely, on her cheeks, still faintly flushed with a light smile—it lingered there for an extremely brief moment, about half a second.

Then, as if he had seen nothing at all, he walked straight past them and disappeared down another path.

Yuefeng: "..."

Hiyori Shiina seemed flustered by Ayanokoji's sudden appearance, the blush on her face deepening as she whispered, "Then... see you tomorrow, Yuefeng." With that, she hurried away.

Yuefeng stood there, staring in the direction Ayanokoji had vanished, replaying that nearly imperceptible half-second "look" in his mind.

Ayanokoji... what exactly did he see? And what did he "analyze"?

Yuefeng shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it. Anything related to Ayanokoji gave him a headache if he thought too much.

Yet the campus's peace was fragile after all.

A few days later, in the evening, Yuefeng had just left the library and was heading to the cafeteria when, on the skybridge connecting the main building and the gymnasium, he heard a fierce argument up ahead, laced with Ishizaki's coarse voice.

"You Class D trash! I'm not done with you about last exam! Get out of my way!"

"The path is public, Ishizaki." The reply was a calm voice Yuefeng had come to know well.

It was Ayanokoji. And Ishizaki, along with... others?

Yuefeng's heart tightened, and he quickened his pace. In the middle of the corridor, Ishizaki, with two or three lackeys, had blocked Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, who was walking alone.

Ishizaki's face was twisted with anger, clearly still holding a grudge over being scared off by Ayanokoji using school rules during the last exam.

Ayanokoji, as usual, wore that indifferent expression, holding a book that looked like it was borrowed from the library.

"Public? I don't like the look of you, so it's not public anymore! You stuck your nose in last time, but there's no rulebook to hide behind now, huh?" Ishizaki stepped forward, reaching out to shove Ayanokoji's shoulder.

One of the lackeys behind Ishizaki also cracked his knuckles, eager for a fight.

Yuefeng's heart leaped into his throat. Was Ishizaki about to get physical? In a semi-public place like this corridor?

Though it might not be as blatant as a dead-angle spot, the risk was still high.

What would Ayanokoji do? With his physical ability, handling Ishizaki alone might be possible, but with the lackeys...

Just as Ishizaki's hand was about to touch Ayanokoji's shoulder, Ayanokoji suddenly sidestepped half a step to the side, extremely fast and with minimal movement.

Ishizaki's push met empty air, his momentum carrying him forward into a stumble.

"You!" Ishizaki grew even angrier, steadying himself and whipping around to glare at Ayanokoji, his fists already clenched.

But Ayanokoji acted as if he hadn't seen the fist poised to strike. His gaze calmly passed over Ishizaki's shoulder to Yuefeng, and he spoke in his usual flat tone:

"Yuefeng, perfect timing. I've forgotten something from Chapter 3, Article 5 of the Student Handbook, about conduct in campus public areas. Does it prohibit 'any form of provocation and physical conflict,' or only 'violent acts that cause actual harm'?"

He suddenly threw the question to Yuefeng, his tone as natural as if discussing a homework problem.

Ishizaki and his lackeys spun around, finally spotting Yuefeng standing not far away.

Ishizaki's expression turned even uglier.

Yuefeng was stunned too. Was Ayanokoji... dragging him into this? Or?

But there was no time to overthink. Ishizaki was clearly on the verge of exploding, and conflict was imminent. He had to take a stand.

Yuefeng stepped forward a few paces, stopping a short distance from both parties, his gaze sweeping over Ishizaki and the lackeys behind him before finally landing on Kiyotaka's still expressionless face.

"Article 3, Clause 5 of the Student Handbook reads: 'Any provocative words or deeds that may lead to conflict, as well as all forms of physical altercation, are prohibited, regardless of whether actual harm is caused.'" Yuefeng recited clearly, his tone calm but carrying an official air. "Furthermore, according to the supplementary provisions, when such incidents occur in public areas, regardless of the cause, all involved parties will be subject to investigation, and it may affect their respective class's daily conduct evaluation scores." He stressed "all involved parties" and "class evaluation scores" slightly more heavily.

Ishizaki's fists clenched with audible cracks, his eyes glaring fiercely at Yuefeng, then at Kiyotaka. He knew the consequences of throwing a punch—Kiyotaka had already "reminded" him last time. But letting Kiyotaka off scot-free like this was a bitter pill he couldn't swallow, especially in front of his own underlings.

Kiyotaka didn't seem surprised by Yuefeng's "citation of school rules." He nodded, as if resolving some small doubt. "Understood. Thanks, Yuefeng." Then, he turned to Ishizaki and said in that infuriatingly calm tone, "Ishizaki, if there's nothing else, please don't block the way. You seem to be... blocking the people behind you."

Ishizaki whipped his head around and realized that, at some point, a few curious students had gathered at both ends of the corridor, pointing and whispering. Among them were even a few from Class B and Class A. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, starting a fight was even more impossible. Ishizaki's face flushed purple like a pig's liver. He shot Kiyotaka a vicious glare, then gave Yuefeng an even more malevolent look, squeezing out through gritted teeth: "You two... just wait!" With that, he and his lackeys shoved through the onlookers and stormed off.

Seeing that no fight had broken out, the watching students gradually dispersed. In the corridor, only Yuefeng and Kiyotaka remained.

Kiyotaka shifted the copy of Modern Social Structural Changes to his other hand, looked at Yuefeng, and said in the same flat tone, "Thanks for earlier."

Yuefeng twitched the corner of his mouth. "I was just reciting the school rules." He didn't want Kiyotaka to think of him as an "ally."

"School rules are sometimes more useful than fists," Kiyotaka said. Then, he studied Yuefeng and added a remark that made Yuefeng's heart skip a beat: "The atmosphere in Class C seems to be getting more and more 'interesting.' Ishizaki seems to be paying particular attention to a certain 'someone' in Class D."

He said "someone," but Yuefeng instantly understood that Kiyotaka meant himself. Ishizaki's hostility toward Kiyotaka largely stemmed from the last exam incident, which was also tied to Yuefeng.

"Maybe," Yuefeng said vaguely, not wanting to pick up that thread.

Kiyotaka didn't press further. He simply said, "The Sports Festival is coming up. You're participating in Class C's Obstacle Relay."

"...Yeah," Yuefeng had to admit.

"Be careful," Kiyotaka said suddenly. Then, without waiting for Yuefeng's reaction, he turned and walked away. His figure quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor, as if the brief conflict and his cryptic "be careful" had never happened.

Yuefeng stood alone in the dimming corridor. The evening wind blew past, carrying a chill. Was Kiyotaka's final "be careful" a warning to watch out for Ishizaki pulling something at the Sports Festival? Or did it mean something else? Ishizaki's hostility, Ryuen's inscrutable attitude, Kiyotaka's elusive "attention," and his "father's" watchful gaze from behind the scenes... Yuefeng suddenly felt that this seemingly peaceful campus life was like the sea before a storm—calm on the surface, but with turbulent currents already churning beneath, waiting for a single trigger to unleash a tidal wave.

And that trigger might be the upcoming Sports Festival.

He touched the preliminary schedule for Class C's Obstacle Relay that he'd just received in his pocket. His name was placed in a relay position that seemed both critical and prone to trouble.

"Looks like I need to make some preparations in advance," Yuefeng muttered to himself, a hint of gravity flashing in his eyes. Whether to protect himself or for that pitiful bit of "class contribution" value, he couldn't afford to be easily used as a stepping stone at the Sports Festival.

Night was gradually enveloping the campus.