"Everyone has untapped potential," Tang Yu explained. "Just like you—on the surface, you're a strong-willed 'queen,' but in reality, you have incredible empathy and leadership skills. You just need the right opportunity to bring out that potential."
Karuizawa's eyes sparkled in the light. "You always do this... You can see things other people can't. Sometimes, I even feel like... you can see right through people."
Tang Yu's heart raced. Karuizawa's intuition was astonishingly sharp. He was about to change the subject when the system suddenly blared an urgent alert:
[Remote mental probe detected] [Source: Tsukishiro Shuhei] [Distance: 500 meters]
Tang Yu sprang to his feet and rushed to the window. On the roof across the way, a blurry figure was watching them. The moonlight glinted clearly off his glasses.
"What's wrong?" Karuizawa asked in confusion.
"Nothing." Tang Yu drew the curtains, then suddenly remembered he still had homework to finish.
Karuizawa tactfully got up to leave. Tang Yu walked her to the door. "Be careful lately, especially around strangers. If you meet someone named Tsukishiro Shuhei, contact me immediately."
Karuizawa nodded earnestly. "You too... Be careful."
After closing the door, Tang Yu immediately checked every corner of the apartment, making sure no surveillance devices had been planted. The system showed that Tsukishiro had already left, but the feeling of being watched lingered.
He opened his computer and began looking into Tsukishiro Shuhei's background. Strangely, aside from the information published by the School Board, he could find almost nothing about the man—no social media, no academic papers, not even a clear record of his professional history.
[Mission progress: Investigate Tsukishiro Shuhei (15%)] [Clue obtained: Mental ability user] [Threat level increased]
Tang Yu shut his computer and went to the window. In the moonlight, the campus looked peaceful and serene, but he knew that turbulent undercurrents were stirring beneath that calm surface.
Ryuen's warning, Tsukishiro's mental probe, Horikita Manabu's hints... All signs pointed to a storm brewing, one that went far beyond class competition.
The next morning, Tang Yu arrived at school an hour earlier than usual. He wanted to organize the debate materials before his classmates arrived, but was surprised to find Horikita Suzune already in the classroom, diligently revising her speech.
"Morning," Tang Yu greeted her. "Didn't expect you to be here so early."
Horikita didn't look up. "The student council president said Tsukishiro Shuhei applied to be one of the judges for the Debate Tournament."
Tang Yu frowned. "He wants to observe me up close."
"It's not just you." Horikita finally looked up. "He specifically asked about Karuizawa Kei. The student council president wanted me to warn you—Tsukishiro is especially interested in students who show 'abnormal changes.'"
Tang Yu's heart sank. As expected, Karuizawa's transformation had caught Tsukishiro's attention. He had to hurry up and establish his defensive network.
"Thanks for the warning." Tang Yu took out a USB drive. "These are the debate points I put together."
Horikita took the USB drive, hesitating for a moment. "Tang Yu... Do you really think Class D can win?"
"It's not a question of whether we can. We have to win," Tang Yu said firmly. "This isn't just about Class Points. It's also about everyone's sense of self-worth."
Horikita nodded thoughtfully and lowered her head to continue working. Through the Emotion Weaving Network, Tang Yu sensed the struggle in her heart—Horikita Suzune had always worked hard to prove herself under her brother's shadow.
Now, for the first time, she had truly become part of a group. This new experience left her both hopeful and afraid.
One by one, the other students arrived, and the classroom gradually grew lively. When Karuizawa Kei walked in, several girls greeted her of their own accord—something that would have been unthinkable before.
She wore a simple white blouse and a dark blue skirt. Instead of deliberately dressing to look mature and sexy, she looked youthful and full of energy.
"Good morning." Karuizawa smiled at Tang Yu, a new confidence sparkling in her eyes.
Tang Yu smiled back. "How's your preparation going?"
"Better than I expected." Karuizawa took out her notebook. "I studied techniques for appealing to people's emotions, and found a few real-life examples..."
Hirata Yosuke came over and joined the discussion. Before long, the entire debate team had gathered in a circle, enthusiastically sharing their ideas. Tang Yu watched them, feeling a flicker of accomplishment—Class D was changing. They were no longer a disorganized mess.
During lunch, Tang Yu went to the library alone to look up some information. As he passed through a quiet corridor, the system suddenly blared an alarm:
[Abnormal emotional fluctuation detected] [Direction: Ahead, around the corner] [Identity: Tsukishiro Shuhei]
Tang Yu immediately activated Emotion Shield and slowed his pace. Sure enough, Tsukishiro stepped out from around the corner, pretending they had run into each other by chance.
"What a coincidence, Tang," Tsukishiro said with a smile. "I was just hoping to ask you about the Debate Tournament."
"What can I do for you, Mr. Tsukishiro?" Tang Yu asked, staying alert.
"I was just curious..." Tsukishiro stepped closer. His voice suddenly grew low and rhythmic. "A special student like you... why are you so enthusiastic about ordinary class activities?"
Tang Yu felt an invisible pressure trying to intrude into his mind, but Emotion Shield blocked it. He pretended not to notice anything unusual. "Class activities are part of school life, too."
Tsukishiro's eyes narrowed slightly. He had clearly noticed the resistance. "Interesting. You know, there have been a few... unusual cases in this school's history. Students suddenly displayed abilities beyond ordinary people, but in the end, they all..." He deliberately left the sentence unfinished.
"What happened to them?" Tang Yu asked, playing along.
"They disappeared," Tsukishiro said softly, "as if they'd never existed." He suddenly reached out to pat Tang Yu's shoulder, but Tang Yu deftly dodged him.
"Sorry, Mr. Tsukishiro." Tang Yu took a step back. "I'm in a hurry. The debate team is waiting for me."
Tsukishiro didn't stop him. He only said meaningfully, "We'll meet again... soon."
Once he was out of Tsukishiro's sight, cold sweat had already beaded on Tang Yu's forehead. Their encounter confirmed his suspicions: Tsukishiro really did possess mental abilities, and he had an unusually strong interest in "abnormal students."
After classes ended that afternoon, the debate team held their first practice session. To everyone's surprise, Karuizawa Kei did extremely well—her emotional appeal was sincere and moving, completely overturning her old image of someone who only "bluffed."
"That was amazing!" Hirata Yosuke praised her sincerely. "Karuizawa, you're a natural speaker!"
Karuizawa blushed. "I just... talked about how I really felt."
Horikita Suzune, who rarely offered praise, agreed. "It was good. Your section perfectly complements our rigorous logical arguments."
Through the Emotion Weaving Network, Tang Yu felt the class's cohesion grow significantly stronger. His classmates were no longer fighting on their own as they had last term. They were genuinely beginning to appreciate and support one another. The resulting increase in Emotion Points far exceeded his expectations:
[Recognition from Class D students +1200] [Class cohesion increased, bonus reward +500] [Current Emotion Points: 102300/∞]
After practice, Tang Yu stayed behind alone to organize the materials. It was late, and the campus was gradually growing quiet. He walked over to the window and happened to spot two familiar figures at the edge of the athletic field—Tsukishiro Shuhei and Ryuen Kakeru, speaking in low voices.
They were too far away for him to hear what they were saying, but through the Emotion Weaving Network, Tang Yu could sense that Ryuen's emotions were filled with resistance and anger, while Tsukishiro radiated a cold desire to control.
Suddenly, Tsukishiro seemed to sense something and looked up, staring directly at the window where Tang Yu stood.
Tang Yu quickly stepped back into the shadows, but it was too late. Tsukishiro raised a hand and made a subtle gesture. In an instant, Tang Yu felt a sharp headache, as if countless needles were stabbing into his brain.
[Warning! Mental attack!] [Emotion Shield damaged by 30%] [Immediate retreat recommended!]
Tang Yu gritted his teeth through the pain and forced himself to think calmly. Tsukishiro's abilities were far beyond what he had expected, and he had already joined forces with Ryuen. The contest had escalated into a battle of supernatural abilities, and the Debate Tournament might well become the next battleground.
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