The Special Hearing (Part One)

Outside the principal's office, Tang Yu's fingers hovered in midair, never quite touching the door. The System Interface flashed a red warning:

[High-intensity mental fluctuations detected]

[Source: Multiple people indoors]

[Recommendation: Strengthen Emotion Shield]

[Cost: 5,000 Emotion Points/hour]

Tang Yu quickly purchased an upgrade to his shield. A cool sensation immediately flowed from the top of his head through his entire body. He straightened his uniform collar, making sure the miniature Recording Pen hidden inside it—purchased through the system for 200 points—was working, then knocked on the door.

"Come in," came a steady male voice.

Upon entering, Tang Yu first noticed the unusual arrangement of the principal's office. The usual office furniture had been pushed aside, and a long conference table had been set up in the center, with seven or eight people seated around it.

Principal Amasawa Ichiro sat at the head of the table, his expression stern. On his left was Tsukishiro Shuhei, casually twirling a fountain pen. On his right sat several School Board members, their expressions varied. What surprised Tang Yu most was that Horikita Manabu was there too, seated at the far end.

"Please sit down, Tang Yu." The principal pointed to the only empty chair, directly opposite Tsukishiro.

Tang Yu sat down, staying alert as he secretly activated the Emotion Weaving Network to scan the room. The Emotion Clouds of the principal and board members showed varying degrees of doubt and curiosity.

Horikita Manabu's emotions were like deep water, calm but unfathomable. Tsukishiro Shuhei's Emotion Cloud, meanwhile, was like a twisted vortex. The system couldn't analyze it at all.

"This informal hearing is to discuss a few... unusual circumstances," the principal began bluntly. "Several strange incidents have happened on campus recently, and your name keeps coming up."

A bespectacled female board member pushed up her glasses. "The Gymnasium brawl, the mass hysteria among Class C students, the strange atmosphere at the Debate Tournament... Do you have an explanation?"

Tang Yu noticed Tsukishiro's lips curl slightly upward. These were clearly traps he had carefully laid.

"I don't see what any of those incidents have to do with me," Tang Yu replied calmly. "I was the victim in the Gymnasium incident, and I have hospital records to prove it. I know nothing about the so-called mass hysteria in Class C. And Class D won the Debate Tournament through merit."

"Merit?" A bald board member sneered. "Class D has been at the bottom for years, then suddenly trounces every other class in a debate tournament. Does that sound reasonable?"

Tang Yu was about to retort when he suddenly felt an invisible pressure bearing down on him. Tsukishiro's fingers tapped lightly on the table, their rhythm strange yet regular. With each tap, ripples spread across the surface of Tang Yu's Emotion Shield, and the mental pressure mounted.

[Warning! Mental attack intensity increasing!]

[Shield durability: 85%...72%...63%...]

At the same time, Tang Yu noticed the other board members' eyes beginning to glaze over, while the principal's expression grew vacant. Only Horikita Manabu seemed unaffected, watching it all with a deeply furrowed brow.

"I believe..." Tsukishiro's voice suddenly turned unusually soft, taking on an almost hypnotic cadence. "Tang Yu may have used some... unconventional methods. Drugs, perhaps, or... a special ability."

"Ridiculous!" Tang Yu forced himself to fight through the headache and protest, but his voice seemed to be swallowed by something. The others apparently couldn't hear him at all.

Tsukishiro continued in that eerie tone. "For the school's safety, I recommend a comprehensive... special assessment of Tang Yu. Including a brain scan, blood tests, and psychological analysis."

One board member nodded blankly. "Agreed."

"Quite necessary," another echoed.

The principal's eyes were unfocused. "If the School Board unanimously approves..."

Horikita Manabu suddenly rapped on the table. "I object. Conducting invasive tests on a student without evidence violates the Fundamental Law of Education."

Tsukishiro turned to Horikita Manabu, changing the rhythm of his tapping. Sweat beaded on Horikita Manabu's forehead, but his gaze remained steady. He seemed to be resisting Tsukishiro's influence through sheer force of will.

Tang Yu realized he had to act. He activated the newly unlocked Group Consciousness Link ability, trying to briefly synchronize himself with Horikita Manabu:

[Ability activated]

[Select link target: Horikita Manabu]

[Cost: 10,000 Emotion Points/minute]

In an instant, Tang Yu felt a strange connection form between his consciousness and Horikita Manabu's. He could sense Horikita Manabu's thought patterns—the kind of logical analysis one might expect from a precision computer.

More astonishingly, Horikita Manabu seemed to briefly gain Tang Yu's Emotion Perception ability as well. The two of them achieved perfect complementarity on a mental level.

"Principal," Horikita Manabu suddenly said, his voice stronger than usual. "According to Article 17, Clause 3 of the school rules, any special examination of a student requires a parent or guardian to be present.

"As a transfer student, Tang Yu's guardianship still belongs to his previous school. The procedure cannot be carried out immediately."

Tsukishiro's tapping grew faster, but this time it had far less effect. Through the Group Consciousness Link, Tang Yu combined their mental defenses, barely managing to withstand the assault.

"This..." The principal seemed to regain some clarity. "Horikita is right. We have to consider the procedural requirements."

A flash of irritation crossed Tsukishiro's eyes. He abruptly changed tactics and pulled a tablet out of his briefcase. "Perhaps this will help everyone make a decision."

The screen showed a photograph of Karuizawa Kei yesterday, outside Tang Yu's apartment building, and another of her waiting for him with breakfast that morning.

"Tang Yu and Karuizawa Kei's improper relationship has already disrupted order on campus.

"More concerning still, Karuizawa's personality has changed drastically lately. She went from being overbearing and arrogant to gentle and agreeable. This abnormal change may well have something to do with Tang Yu."

Tang Yu's blood boiled. Tsukishiro had actually been spying on Karuizawa and taking secret photos of her! He clenched his fists, nearly springing to his feet, but the calm thoughts Horikita Manabu sent through the consciousness link stopped him.

"Interesting," Horikita Manabu said coldly. "Tsukishiro-sensei is so concerned with students' private lives that he follows them and takes pictures himself. Is that something the School Board authorized?"

The board members exchanged glances, clearly unaware of this. Tsukishiro remained unfazed. "As a special assessor, I have the authority to take necessary measures to investigate unusual circumstances."

"Then tell me," Horikita Manabu pressed, "what exactly are these 'unusual circumstances' you're referring to? Which school rule prohibits two students from developing a normal relationship?"

Tsukishiro was stumped. Tang Yu seized the opportunity to send an idea to Horikita Manabu through the Group Consciousness Link. Horikita Manabu gave a slight nod.

Changing the subject abruptly, he said, "Speaking of unusual circumstances, I have a question for you, Tsukishiro-sensei. During yesterday's Debate Tournament, why did the audience grow drowsy when Class D was speaking, yet become unusually enthusiastic when Class C took the floor?

"The audio recording shows that these changes corresponded exactly with the rhythm of your fingers tapping on the table."

For the first time, Tsukishiro's expression cracked. "That's an absurd accusation."

"Is it?" Horikita Manabu took a disc from his folder. "The Student Council happens to have a full recording of the Debate Tournament. Shall we analyze it now?"

The atmosphere in the room grew tense at once. Tang Yu sensed Tsukishiro's emotions surging violently. The twisted vortex became even more turbulent. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head—Tsukishiro had launched a full-force attack!

[Warning! Mental attack has exceeded critical threshold!]

[Shield durability: 41%...29%...15%...]

[Emotion Points dropping rapidly!]

Tang Yu gritted his teeth and held on, but the Group Consciousness Link was consuming too much. His Emotion Points were nearly depleted. Just as his shield was about to collapse, the office door suddenly swung open.

"Sorry to interrupt." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood in the doorway, holding a document. "Principal, these are the emergency materials you requested."

The interruption came at just the right moment. Tsukishiro's mental attack was cut short, and Tang Yu and Horikita Manabu took the opportunity to restore their defenses. The principal accepted the document, looking confused. "I didn't ask for anything..."

Before he could finish, the principal's eyes suddenly widened. Through the Emotion Weaving Network, Tang Yu sensed the principal's emotions swing violently—from shock to fear, then anger.

"Tsukishiro-sensei," the principal said, his voice cold as ice. "Explain this."

He pushed the document to the middle of the table. Tang Yu caught a glimpse of it: a medical report bearing the words "White Room Project," "human experimentation," and "mind control."

Tsukishiro's face instantly turned deathly pale. "This is forged!"

"Is it?" The principal stood up. "The report bears your signature and the seal of the University of Tokyo Faculty of Medicine. I'll contact the university immediately to verify it."

The board members began to stir. Some started questioning Tsukishiro's qualifications. The situation had turned around in an instant. Tang Yu looked toward Ayanokoji at the door, who gave an almost imperceptible nod. Clearly, he was behind this "document."

Tsukishiro sprang to his feet. A dangerous glint shone behind his glasses. "You have no idea what you're up against.

"His voice suddenly sounded inhuman, echoing strangely. "The White Room is a great undertaking you could never understand. Tang Yu, Ayanokoji—you're nothing but test subjects. You'll be reclaimed sooner or later!"

His words plunged the office into silence. Tang Yu felt everyone's gaze turn toward him and Ayanokoji.

"That's enough!" The principal slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Tsukishiro Shuhei, all your duties at the school are suspended pending further investigation. Leave now."

Tsukishiro sneered and turned toward the door. As he passed Tang Yu, he lowered his voice. "This is only the beginning. I'll get samples from you and Karuizawa, whatever it takes."

After the door closed, the atmosphere in the room remained heavy. The principal wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Tang Yu, Horikita, I hope we can keep what happened today confidential for now. The School Administration will deal with Tsukishiro's misconduct in earnest."

Tang Yu nodded, but he knew it was far from over. Tsukishiro wouldn't give up easily, and there was clearly a much larger conspiracy behind the White Room.

After the hearing, Tang Yu and Ayanokoji walked side by side down the empty hallway.

"That medical report..." Tang Yu asked quietly.

"Partly true, partly forged," Ayanokoji said calmly. "It'll cause Tsukishiro trouble for now, but it won't hold him back for long."

"What exactly is the White Room?"

Ayanokoji stopped and looked out the window at the cherry trees. "An experiment to cultivate exceptional humans. From embryo selection to gene editing, from drug enhancement to mind control... Its goal is to create the perfect human weapon."

Tang Yu drew in a sharp breath. "And you...?"

"The only survivor of the eighth generation." A rare hint of emotion entered Ayanokoji's voice. "Tsukishiro is a product of the seventh generation. He's responsible for collecting 'abnormal samples.' Your Emotion Manipulation System and Karuizawa's ability to recover emotionally are both 'materials' he needs."

Tang Yu suddenly understood Tsukishiro's fixation. "So that's why he..."

"Exactly." Ayanokoji nodded. "Now that he's been exposed, his actions will become more extreme. Karuizawa is especially at risk. Her emotional transformation is a rare case for research."