Deserted Island Gambit (1)

The morning sun pierced through the mist, spilling onto the beach of the Deserted Island. Tang Yu stood at the edge of the landing craft, the salty, humid scent of the sea breeze rushing toward him. He took a deep breath, feeling the surge of excitement coursing through his body.

"Class D, prepare to disembark!" Chabashira's voice rang out from the front.

Tang Yu looked back at his classmates—some were nervous, some excited, and others looked entirely reluctant.

The seven members of the Leadership Group stood in the front row; Horikita Suzune was checking her equipment list, while Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained as expressionless as ever.

"Remember our plan," Hirata Yosuke whispered to everyone. "Establish the camp first, then consider the tasks."

The landing craft reached the shore, and the students of Class D stepped onto the soft sand. Tang Yu immediately activated Emotion Perception, scanning the surrounding environment. The other three classes were also landing at different spots not far away, and a subtle tension permeated the air.

[Emotion Perception: High-intensity competitive emotions detected within a 50-meter radius]

"Group up according to the original plan," Hirata commanded. "Sudo, take a team to collect wood; Kushida, organize the girls to set up the tents; Koenji... where is Koenji?"

That maverick blonde boy was already nowhere to be found. Tang Yu had expected this. "Forget about him, let's continue."

Horikita Suzune took out a map. "Based on the tides and wind direction, the camp should be built on that high ground." She pointed to a small hill not far away.

"No," Tang Yu shook his head. "That's too conspicuous; it'll easily become a target for attack. I suggest choosing the edge of the forest, near the freshwater stream."

The two argued, neither willing to yield, and finally looked toward Ayanokoji. Unexpectedly, Ayanokoji supported Tang Yu's plan: concealment was more important.

Once the camp site was decided, Class D moved quickly. Tang Yu and Ayanokoji led several boys to set up a perimeter.

The two worked in silent coordination to set up simple alarm devices—a makeshift system made of rope and empty cans—around the camp.

"Someone is thirty meters to the east," Ayanokoji said suddenly in a low voice, his eyes still fixed on the rope in his hands.

Tang Yu activated Emotion Perception and, sure enough, caught a trace of nervous emotional fluctuation: A scout from Class C?

"Very likely. Ryuen wouldn't let any opportunity to gather intelligence slip by."

Tang Yu's lips curled upward. "I'll handle it."

He spoke loudly to the classmate next to him, "I'm going to the stream to get some water," then carried a bucket toward the direction where the scout was hiding.

As he approached the bushes, Tang Yu pretended to trip over a tree root, and the bucket accidentally flew toward the shrubbery.

"Ah! Who's there?" he shouted loudly.

A thin, small boy jumped out of the bushes in a panic, the Class C badge hanging on his school uniform.

"S-sorry!" the boy stammered. "I was just... just..."

"Just scouting for Ryuen Kakeru?" Tang Yu smiled as he finished the sentence for him, simultaneously activating Emotion Perception. The Emotion Cloud above the boy's head instantly turned into a panicked red.

[Fear from Class C scout +100]

"Go back and tell Ryuen," Tang Yu lowered his voice, "Class D isn't a soft target. If he wants information, he'd better come talk to me himself."

The boy fled in a panic. Tang Yu returned to the camp and found Ayanokoji waiting for him.

"Handled it?" Ayanokoji asked.

Tang Yu nodded. "Ryuen will soon know we aren't to be trifled with."

"You provoked him on purpose?" A flash of surprise crossed Ayanokoji's eyes.

"Rather than letting him pull strings in the shadows, it's better to draw him into the light," Tang Yu explained. "Angry people are prone to making mistakes."

By noon, the Class D camp had already taken shape. The tent area, storage area, and cooking area were orderly, and they had even built a simple watchtower.

In contrast, the progress of the other classes was clearly lagging—Class A was overly cautious, Class B was too democratic, leading to low efficiency, and Class C was putting their energy into harassing others.

"We're in the lead," Hirata said with satisfaction.

Horikita Suzune was teaching several girls how to identify edible plants. "This wild vegetable is edible, but that mushroom is poisonous..."

Tang Yu noticed Ayanokoji standing alone at the edge of the camp, his gaze fixed on the distant Class C camp. He walked over and followed his line of sight—Ryuen Kakeru was walking toward them with several tall boys.

"Trouble is coming," Tang Yu said softly.

Ayanokoji nodded. "It's time to test your strategy."

Ryuen Kakeru, the tyrant of Class C, stood nearly 1.9 meters tall. Beneath his short black hair was a sharp-featured face, and his eyes held the ferocity of a predator. He was followed by three sturdy boys, clearly looking for trouble.

The students of Class D immediately grew tense, and Sudo Ken and several athletes blocked the front. "What do you want?"

Ryuen ignored Sudo, his gaze sweeping the circle before stopping on Tang Yu. "You're that transfer student from China? I heard you threatened my subordinate today?"

Tang Yu stepped forward calmly. "It was just a friendly exchange. Welcome to the Class D camp. Would you like a tour?"

[Annoyance from Ryuen Kakeru +80]

Ryuen narrowed his eyes. "You've got guts. But in a place like this, without teachers watching every second, 'accidents' happen quite easily."

The blatant threat caused a stir among the surrounding Class D students. Tang Yu, however, laughed. "Indeed. Like an 'accident' where the Class C camp is poorly sited and gets flooded by the tide in the middle of the night."

"You!" A boy behind Ryuen shouted angrily and stepped forward, but was stopped by Ryuen raising his hand.

"Interesting," Ryuen stared at Tang Yu. "It seems Class D isn't entirely made of trash. But don't think that just because you can solve a few math problems, you can survive in a place like this."

Tang Yu shrugged. "We are indeed not as good at violence as Class C. But the grading criteria for this test are 'quality of survival' and 'team cooperation,' not who can fight better."

[Anger from Class C members +120]

Ryuen's expression darkened. "You've got a sharp tongue. I hope you can still be this arrogant in three days."

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, a gentle female voice drifted over from the side: "Could everyone please calm down?"

Class B leader Honami Ichinose walked over with a few of her classmates. Her flaxen short hair shimmered with a golden glow under the sunlight, and her face wore an expression of genuine concern.

"Ryuen, the test has only just begun; there's no need for this, is there?" Honami urged.

Ryuen let out a cold snort: "Does Class B want to get involved too?"

"I just think everyone should get along peacefully." Honami responded with a smile, but Tang Yu's Emotion Perception captured the tension in her heart—this kind-hearted girl was truly worried about the conflict escalating.

"Hmph, boring." Ryuen shot one last glare at Tang Yu before leaving with his subordinates.

Honami let out a sigh of relief and turned to Tang Yu: "Are you alright?"

"Thanks for the assist." Tang Yu said politely, while simultaneously conducting a quick assessment of this Class B leader. Honami's Emotion Cloud radiated a warm pinkish-orange, filled with sincere goodwill.