"Can you guarantee the VIP information is accurate?"
"Ah~ About 90 percent. I think that's how it works."
"That doesn't sound very convincing. 200,000 points—do you really think points are that easy to earn?" Sakayanagi seemed to doubt the information's reliability.
"Then I'll sell it to Class B. You know, I'm pretty close with Ichinose from Class B. Class A is only 75 points ahead right now. If you're not careful, Class B could overtake you."
"They could afford 500,000 points, too. What's that saying? The fastest fall from Class A in history. Hahahaha!"
"I've changed my mind. How does 500,000 points sound?" Chang Shui Jing raised the price, testing the waters.
As soon as he said it, the air seemed to turn cold, even through the screen.
When you realize your bargaining chip isn't selling well, selling it to a buyer's competitor is a classic way to drive up the price. It's used in all sorts of business dealings.
"How greedy. You suddenly raised it to 500,000 points. I didn't expect you to be such a profiteer, Chang Shui."
Sakayanagi thought for a moment before answering.
"500,000, but with one condition. You can't tell any other class this information. Have you already told any of them?"
Sakayanagi spoke sternly, sounding furious enough to grind her teeth even through the screen.
"No. I haven't even told Class D."
"Then we have a deal."
"I've sent over a simple agreement. Let me remind you again: you must not reveal this information to anyone outside Class A. The consequence will be expulsion. Sign it, then email me the information."
Some might wonder: if exposing a VIP gets you 500,000 points, is the information about the VIP rules really worth that much? Class A was in a slump, and the gap was huge. They were struggling to accept it. It seemed they'd pay any price.
In a negotiation based on overwhelming pressure, you can't assume the other party is perfectly rational. That's the biggest difference between people and machines: people make mistakes; machines don't.
That's both an advantage and a flaw.
After hanging up,
Sakayanagi opened her computer. She watched as Chang Shui quickly signed the simple agreement, then emailed the information about the VIP to her.
She leaned back in her chair, a trace of exhaustion in her eyes.
"Then let's move on to the next part," the two said in unison.
It was late outside. The yacht drifted quietly across the sea, moonlight spilling over its white hull and reflecting a cold gleam.
Suddenly, someone approached. It was Kushida, an old friend Chang Shui knew well.
"This is unusual, Chang Shui. You specifically asked me to meet you on deck at night."
"You're so popular, Kushida, I've never had a chance to invite you out for a chat alone."
"I've been looking forward to it."
"Ah~ That came out a little wrong. I meant, we should just hang out as ordinary friends."
Kushida couldn't make sense of Chang Shui's flirtatious remarks. From the way he usually acted, he didn't seem like the type to get swept up in school romance.
"Sigh, Kushida. I did something bad, and it's been eating away at me. I can't sleep at night. I need someone to confide in, so I thought I'd come clean to you about what I did."
"Oh? Tell me about it. Maybe I can help."
What's this? Chang Shui went out of his way to meet me, and it's just something this ordinary? I thought it'd be something else. Kushida thought.
"I couldn't resist the temptation. Class A offered me 100,000 points to expose the VIP in Class D. I lost my head and told them."
"Look at my phone."
To make his story more believable, he showed her his school-issued phone, which had a balance of nearly 200,000 points.
Sakayanagi hadn't transferred the money yet.
Kushida looked at the points and faltered, unsure what to think.
"Yeah, what you did was definitely wrong. Your classmates could suffer a huge loss because of this."
"But you're my friend, and I won't tell anyone. This is our secret."
Kushida smiled at Chang Shui as she watched him, like a goddess descended from heaven.
"Kushida, you really are my goddess. But, uh, there's one more bad thing I don't know whether I should tell you."
There's more? Let's see what else you've done.
Kushida grumbled to herself.
"Tell me. I'm sure I can help you."
"I really like Ichinose from Class B. I think about her so much I'm going crazy. Every day I don't see her, I feel like ants are crawling all over me."
"I love her. I'm the person who loves her most in the whole world."
"So, so... Waaaah..."
Chang Shui put on a creepy, lecherous expression. Kushida was so startled that she shifted away from him in her seat.
"So what happened?"
"I secretly planted a pinhole camera in the spa so I could film them changing."
"Ugh!"
Kushida couldn't hold back a cry. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and her face twitched as she struggled between keeping her composure and losing it.
"Little Kushida, you must think someone like me is scum!"
"Abso—sigh, Chang Shui, you can't do something like that again. I'll keep it secret this time, but delete the footage. If you do it again, I'll drag you to the security office myself."
"You're being awfully forgiving, little Kushida."
Chang Shui's tone suddenly changed. His lecherous expression vanished, replaced by the cold, aloof look of a handsome man who didn't want anyone near him.
"Huh? What's going on? Why the sudden change?"
Chang Shui's expression changed so quickly that even Kushida, a social butterfly, couldn't react in time.
"Tell me, is what you're doing right? I'm a voyeur and a despicable traitor."
"Why don't you try to set me straight, or get me expelled?"
"Huh? Chang Shui, I don't quite get it. It sounds like you're asking me to get you expelled."
Kushida couldn't understand why Chang Shui wanted her to be harsh with him. Shouldn't he be asking her to keep it secret?
"Then do you think it's right to tolerate what I've done?"
(If you tolerate every sin, you'll eventually reach your limit and break. Your outwardly kind persona will start to fall apart, and your cold, ruthless inner self will take over. That's how Kushida's story ends.)
(If my psychological analysis is right.)
Chang Shui's questions left Kushida deep in thought.
"I can only listen and help my classmates. I'm not powerful enough to save other people."
"Kushida, let me tell you a story."
"Do you know why good people have to be good their whole lives, and the moment they do something bad, they get criticized? But bad people only have to do one good thing to get praised."
Kushida shook her head.
"Because being a good person doesn't give you the right to do bad things. When a bad person does something good, that's still a good thing. Without a doubt, you're a good person to most people, whether they're in your class or your year."
"But to your victims, you're a bad person, because you stood by and watched the person hurting them. In a sense, bystanders are part of the harm, too."
"You don't want to hurt anyone, and you know what's right, so it hurts. But you don't have the power to change any of it."
"Am I wrong?"
Kushida's eyes widened. Shock, confusion, fear, and worry all showed in them.
She hadn't expected Chang Shui Jing to see through the conflict and struggle she'd hidden deep inside so easily. She'd thought she'd done a good job hiding her feelings.
Chang Shui saw her expression and knew his words had struck a nerve.
"Kushida, you've been suppressing what you really think, haven't you? You seem to accept everything, but inside you're already overwhelmed. Once everything reaches its breaking point, your personality will be destroyed."
Chang Shui spoke slowly.
Silence fell. Neither of them said a word.
"You noticed, Chang Shui. I... I don't know what to do."
Kushida's body trembled slightly, as if he'd hit her where it hurt most.
"I'm just reminding you to face your feelings. Be a little selfish for your own sake. Think about yourself more."
"As for your good-girl image, I'm not going to tell you to change."
"To go back to what you said at the start, I can't save you. I can only help you."
Chang Shui stood up and sighed softly.
(People are creatures of habit. A drastic change in personality can make you feel unsafe, and that's not a good thing.)
"Think about myself more..." Kushida was silent for a long while. Then she slowly raised her head, and the light in her eyes shone again.
"Thank you, Chang Shui. I didn't expect you to be so unexpectedly perceptive. At first, I thought you were just a musclehead."
"Honestly, your perverted behavior is such a turnoff."
"If you ever do that again, I'll twist your head off," Kushida said with a smile.
"Uh, I was joking just now. You didn't actually believe me, did you?"
Why does everyone talk about themselves as 'this old lady' when they're talking to me? Chang Shui wondered.
Before you continue