The Exam Begins

Without comparison, there is no pain; the contrast between Ichinose's polite greeting and Totsuka's was simply too obvious.

Facing Ryuen's mockery, Katsuragi's expression turned incredibly ugly, yet he didn't say much, forcing himself to ignore it and focus his attention on the scenery of the sea.

Seeing that his provocation hadn't had much effect, Ryuen frowned, his estimation of Katsuragi rising slightly.

After exchanging a brief greeting with Sawahara, Ichinose and her group also turned their attention to the island ahead; after all, time was very tight now. The cruise ship circled the island once, and how much information could be gathered during this time was likely the first test of each class's capabilities.

Subsequently, the ship gradually approached the shore. According to the school's requirements, one had to change into sportswear when landing on the uninhabited island, because although the island had been artificially developed, it could not be considered completely safe, and sportswear was more convenient for movement.

When Ichinose and her group from Class B, as well as the people from Class A, arrived on the deck, they had already changed their clothes, looking as if they were well-prepared.

After saying goodbye to Ichinose, Sawahara and Ryuen returned to their cabin to change into sportswear.

"How was it? How much did you discover?" Ryuen asked Sawahara about the results of his observation.

"I found eight decent spots, two of which are suitable for a base," Sawahara replied while zipping up his jacket.

"Ichinose and Katsuragi should have had good harvests as well; they likely both found places that could serve as campsites."

"Tch, I underestimated that guy Katsuragi." Ryuen trusted Sawahara's calculations, so he couldn't help but click his tongue. He had deliberately mocked Katsuragi earlier, wanting to disrupt his train of thought or even enrage him, but he hadn't expected him to endure it.

"He is the leader of Class A, after all." Sawahara wasn't surprised by this at all. "Expecting to defeat an opponent with petty tricks is foolish."

"Hmph, I wasn't counting on that to crush him anyway," Ryuen snorted, but he didn't say anything more.

"We are about to land on the uninhabited island owned by this school. Students, please change into your sportswear within thirty minutes, and after confirming that your required luggage is correct, bring your mobile phones and gather on the deck. Please leave all other personal items in your rooms. Since you will be unable to use the restrooms after going ashore, please take care of that in advance."

The ship's broadcast sounded once again.

After changing clothes and returning to the deck, it was already packed with people.

The high temperature of midsummer, combined with the seasonally inappropriate sportswear, made one feel slightly dizzy just standing there.

"Next, please disembark in order, starting with the students of Class A. Additionally, mobile phones are prohibited on the island. Please hand them over to your respective homeroom teachers consciously before disembarking."

The teacher in charge of maintaining order held a megaphone, arranging for the students to disembark one by one.

They were clearly asked to bring their phones down, yet they were also required to hand them over to their homeroom teachers? Sawahara pondered for a moment; it seemed that the use of Private Points on the island would be subject to significant restrictions.

This news was not good. He currently had over five million Private Points, which meant his greatest advantage had been restricted.

"Forget it, I didn't intend to spend too many points on the exam anyway."

That was the only way he could comfort himself.

When disembarking, Sawahara finally saw Horikita, but she looked rather listless. Could it be that, like an elementary school student, she had been too excited the night before a field trip and ended up getting sick the next day?

It took about thirty minutes for all the classes to get off the ship and gather on the beach.

There were no trees on the beach to provide shade, so they had to endure the scorching sun while listening to the teacher speak from above.

"First of all, I am glad that everyone has arrived here safely today. On the other hand, although it is only one student, it is very regrettable that someone is unable to participate due to illness."

The teacher speaking was Mashima, the homeroom teacher for Class A of the first year.

Hearing his words, Sawahara scanned the Class A formation, which was clearly missing someone. No wonder the other side chose this time to make a move; it was indeed an excellent opportunity.

Not far away, staff members began setting up tents, doing preparatory work before the exam.

"Next, we will conduct this year's Summer Special Exam."

"Eh, a special exam? What's going on?" This voice came from the direction of Class D. It was clear that both Class A and Class B had already sensed something regarding the special exam.

There was also some confusion on the side of Class C, but upon seeing Sawahara, who looked confident in front of them, the people in the class quickly calmed down.

"The exam period is one week from now, and it will end at noon on August 7th. You will spend the next week living a group life on this uninhabited island; that is the content of the exam. Furthermore, I will say this upfront: this is a special exam based on real-world corporate training. It is highly practical and realistic."

"Living on an uninhabited island, does that mean we won't be living on the ship, but on this island?" The question came from Class B. Sawahara turned his head; it was a rather pretty girl, and her complexion looked a bit pale.

"Yes. You are not allowed to return to the ship during the exam without a valid reason. Everything regarding your life on this island, from sleeping to food, must be thought out by yourselves. When the exam begins, each class will be issued two tents, two flashlights, and one box of matches. Also, there is no limit on the amount of sunscreen..."

Teacher Mashima continued to introduce the rules of the exam, but one thing was clearly evident: the supplies were completely insufficient.

Before Teacher Mashima could finish speaking, complaints arose from the Class D side. He remembered it was the boy who had been next to Ayanokoji earlier; Sawahara still had a slight impression of him.

However, complaining was useless; the exam would proceed regardless.

"The theme of this exam is 'freedom'. Before the exam begins, the school will issue 300 Special Exam Points to each class, which can only be used for this exam. Because Class A has an absence, the issued Special Exam Points will be 270." As he spoke, the homeroom teachers of each class tacitly handed a booklet to the leaders of their respective classes.

"Using these Special Exam Points, you can exchange for water, food, and daily necessities such as tents and containers. We have also prepared many game items for you to enjoy the ocean to the fullest; these can also be exchanged."

Sawahara looked at the booklet in his hand. Just as Mashima said, it truly had everything: jet skis, diving suits, and so on were all listed.

"As long as you think carefully and plan the use of your points, you will be able to spend this week without any difficulty," Teacher Mashima continued. "Of course, there are also some basic rules for group living that must be followed, but they are not difficult to adhere to."

Just as he had said before, the theme of this exam was 'freedom'.

But since it was an exam, there would naturally be rewards and punishments.

"At the end of this special exam, the remaining points of each class will all be added to your Class Points, and the results will be reflected at the end of the summer vacation exam."

This was the truth of the exam. Rather than saying the theme was 'freedom', it would be more appropriate to say the theme was 'sacrifice'.

As soon as Teacher Mashima finished speaking, intense discussions could be heard from every class.

"That means as long as we endure for a week, our Class Points will increase significantly!"

"It's not that simple." Sawahara looked at the last page of the manual, where the rules that must be followed during this exam were written.

'Students who are deemed by the school to be in poor physical condition or suffering from serious injury and unable to continue the exam will be deducted 30 points, and the student will withdraw from the exam.

When environmental pollution is discovered, 20 points will be deducted.

Failure to attend roll call at 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM daily will result in a deduction of 5 points per person.

If a class engages in violent looting or destruction of equipment against other classes, the class to which the student belongs will be disqualified from the exam and all of the individual's Private Points will be confiscated.'

"To confirm the physical condition of the students, all students must wear this waterproof electronic watch. They will be distributed by each class's homeroom teacher shortly." Mashima held up the electronic watch he was holding. "This watch can detect your pulse, respiratory rate, and other vital signs. Once an abnormal situation occurs, it will sound an alarm, and the school will determine that you cannot continue the exam, resulting in point deductions and withdrawal."

"Additionally, there is an extra rule for this exam. Each class needs to select a leader, and the leader will receive this magnetic card. The specific usage instructions are on the last page of the exam manual.

On the last day of the exam, during roll call, you can guess the leaders of other classes. You can ask your respective homeroom teachers for the specific rules. That is the content of this exam. That is all."

Perhaps knowing that roasting under the scorching sun was quite inhumane, they did not explain the rules in detail, allowing the students to disperse quickly.

"Ichinose, could you please wait a moment? I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Letting the people in his class go to the nearby shade to rest, and simultaneously having Ryuen intercept the students from Class D, Sawahara stopped Ichinose.

"Huh? Is it something important?" Ichinose was a bit surprised and also a bit troubled, as the students in her class were very tired.

"It's about this exam." Sawahara said with a smile.

"Oh, is this the Sawahara-kun that you've been talking about so often, Ichinose?" Hoshinomiya, the homeroom teacher for Class B, came over and curiously sized up Sawahara.

"Mhm, he's a very handsome boy, isn't he?"

However, she only took a look before heading over to pester Chabashira, the teacher for Class D.

"In that case, Ichinose, I'll take the class to the base we mentioned earlier." Kanzaki interjected from the side.

"Alright, that's fine."

On the other side, the atmosphere around Ryuen was not nearly as harmonious.

"What are you doing here again, you bastard!" Seeing Ryuen walk over, Class D's attitude was not very good.

They hadn't forgotten that it was because of Ryuen's previous contract that they had been eating wild vegetables for two months.

"Heh, is this the attitude you show your benefactor who helped you pass the exam last time?" Ryuen said with a sneer.

"What kind of benefactor are you?" After the midterm exam, Horikita had helped them review, and they believed the reason their midterm exam had been so difficult was because Class C had set a trap. They hadn't considered at all that it was because they hadn't studied hard that they had struggled to pass.

"It was clearly a trap you set."

"Heh." Ryuen was noncommittal about this claim. He didn't fully understand Sawahara's methods, and of course, he didn't care about them either.

"Just give up on this exam."

"Ha? Who would listen to you?" Class D retorted without hesitation. Since the rules of this exam didn't allow for violence, their voices were much louder.

"If you don't want to give up, that's fine too. Just work your fingers to the bone earning points for me."

"What kind of joke are you making? The last contract ended when the first semester finished." Someone mocked.

"Pfft, hahaha! Are the idiots in Class D illiterate?" Ryuen laughed, clutching his stomach. Were these guys from Class D clowns?

"Look closely. This contract says 'before the second semester,' which includes the summer vacation." Ryuen took out the contract they had signed previously. Of course, students weren't allowed to bring it to the island, but having a teacher carry a backup was fine. Sawahara had instructed Sakagami to bring a copy of the contract, and it was coming in handy now.

Hearing this and reading the contract carefully, the faces of everyone in Class D turned ugly.

"What is this? We finally had a chance to get some pocket money." Ike complained, clutching his head.

At this rate, no matter how hard they tried to endure, wouldn't all the points they earned just go to Ryuen?

"Looks like you finally understand." Ryuen finally stopped laughing. Communicating with these idiots from Class D really wasn't an easy task.

"No matter how hard you try in this exam, it's all in vain, so you should just give up."

"No, we finally have a chance to earn Class Points..." Horikita gritted her teeth, clutching her arm as she spoke.

"A truly admirable will, but it's meaningless. As long as ten people drop out of the exam, the Special Exam Points will be wiped out entirely." Ryuen looked at Horikita Suzune.

"So, please give up on the exam and hand over Class D's Special Exam Points." Sawahara brought Ichinose over to the Class D group and spoke up.

"Who would give their points to you?" Yamauchi shouted. "We might as well just spend all our points!"

"Ah, of course you have a choice." Sawahara smiled and offered two options. "If you give the points to me, I can give everyone in Class D 10,000 points every month afterward. You haven't had points for a long time, right? Life must be very hard."

Sawahara's words caused the people in Class D to hold their breath. Was life without points easy? Of course not. Living on free goods and the cafeteria's wild vegetable set meals, with almost no entertainment, life was miserable.

Hearing Sawahara's words, they wavered.

"Of course, you can also choose to squander all your points, but then you'll get nothing, and your life afterward will still be just as difficult without any points."

In the end, Class D accepted Sawahara's proposal and handed over all their Special Exam Points... well, not all of them.

"That bastard Koenji!" The students of Class D cursed the student who had returned to the ship early.

At the same time, they looked at Sawahara with worry, clearly afraid that he would go back on his word because of the lost Special Exam Points.

"My promise still stands, but there must not be a next time." Sawahara said. 270 points were already more than enough.

"Ichinose, I intend to sell Class D's Special Exam Points to Class B." Sawahara said to Ichinose.

Ichinose asked with a solemn expression, "What is the price?"

"From now on, Class B will provide me with 1.8 million Private Points every month." Sawahara laid out his terms.

"That is far too much." Ichinose gave a wry smile; this price meant that every student in Class B would have to sacrifice 45,000 Private Points each month.

"It is not much. With this batch of Special Exam Points, it means your original 300 Special Exam Points can be converted entirely into Class Points. Opportunities to exchange Private Points for Class Points like this are rare." Sawahara spoke calmly.

For the students of this school, the importance of Class Points far outweighs that of Private Points.

However, Sawahara did not share this view. Compared to being an entrepreneur with a net worth of over a hundred million but very little cash flow, he preferred to be an investor with tens of millions in cash flow.

It was precisely this difference in perception that gave him greater room to maneuver.

"Besides, I believe Class A would be equally interested in this proposal."

"This... I need to discuss it with my classmates." Ichinose hesitated. She did not want to let this opportunity slip by, nor did she want to fall further behind Class A, but the sheer magnitude of the amount made her waver. There was also another point that made her hesitate.

"Sawahara-kun, if I agree to this, can the points distributed to the students of Class D be increased a little more?"

"..." Sawahara fell silent. He had not expected Ichinose to propose such a condition. "Ichinose, you really are too kind for your own good."

"Discuss it with your classmates first, but be quick about it."

When Ichinose returned, she was accompanied by two others: Kanzaki and the homeroom teacher for Class B, Hoshinomiya.

"Sawahara-kun really is an impressive person, managing to knock Class D out of the running just like that." As soon as she arrived, Hoshinomiya wrapped her arms around Sawahara's, her eyes filled with excitement.

Sawahara found this teacher to be somewhat strange; was her first reaction to be happy that Class D was out, rather than concerned for her own class?

"Hoshinomiya-sensei! I'm sorry, Sawahara-kun, she's causing you trouble." Ichinose pulled Hoshinomiya away, looking distressed as she apologized to Sawahara.

"No, it's fine." Sawahara shook his head to indicate he was unbothered.

"Oh, is Ichinose really that unwilling to let me interact with your Sawahara-kun?" Hoshinomiya put on a pitiful expression.

Seeing that the two girls were likely to continue their antics for a while, Sawahara looked toward Kanzaki.

"Kanzaki, what is your class's decision?"

"We can accept this deal, but the price is too high." Kanzaki said. He believed the deal was worth it, but he still wanted to negotiate the price down; they couldn't just let the other party name their own price.

After final negotiations, Class B agreed to purchase the Special Exam Points from Class D at a price of 1.5 million points per month, with the stipulation that the contract would be void if Class B ever lacked the points to pay.

Subsequently, under the witness of a smiling Hoshinomiya and a tight-lipped, cold-faced Chabashira, both parties signed the contract.

Ichinose and Kanzaki selected the items they needed based on their class's situation; in fact, they had already decided what to purchase based on their base's needs before arriving.

Ignoring the Class D students who were already waiting to return to the cruise ship, Sawahara walked toward the unwilling-looking Horikita.

"Are you still feeling unreconciled, Horikita-san? I have another proposal for you."

His smile was warm, like that of a devil.