"Don't worry. This actually gives us an opportunity. Before deleting the program, Tang Yu modified the code so the software would show Karuizawa still at her old apartment. We can use their own plan against them and lure them out."
Karuizawa's eyes widened. "You mean... set a trap?"
"Exactly." Tang Yu smiled. "I'll be waiting at your old apartment tonight. But first, I need you to remember what exactly Ryuen meant by 'the photos.'"
Karuizawa's face turned pale. "In, in middle school... some delinquents forced me to take some... not very nice photos..." Her voice grew quieter. "I thought it would all be over once I transferred..."
Tang Yu activated "Emotional Link" and instantly sensed the shame and fear deep within Karuizawa. This kind of trauma couldn't be undone with a few comforting words.
"Listen." He took Karuizawa's trembling hand. "It wasn't your fault. And I promise those photos will never be made public."
Tears shimmered in Karuizawa's eyes. "Can you really do that?"
"Trust me." Tang Yu's voice was firm as iron.
[Deep Dependence from Karuizawa Kei +300]
[Current Emotion Points: 83000/∞]
At lunchtime, Tang Yu went to the rooftop alone to check the apartment surveillance feed. The two watchers were still lurking nearby, clearly unaware that the tracking software had been tampered with. He was just about to put his phone away when he suddenly sensed someone approaching.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka appeared beside him like a ghost. "Kushida went to Class C and spoke privately with Ryuen for ten minutes. I don't know what they discussed, but she came out with a small USB drive."
"Was it bribery or a threat?" Tang Yu asked.
"Both." Ayanokoji gazed into the distance. "Ryuen knows one of her secrets, just like Karuizawa."
This information confirmed Tang Yu's suspicion-Ryuen was systematically gathering the classes' "dirt," preparing to launch a large-scale psychological war.
"What do you think of the new term's 'Expulsion Vote'?" Ayanokoji suddenly changed the subject.
"A classic divide-and-conquer strategy," Tang Yu analyzed. "Make the weak attack one another instead of uniting against the strong."
Ayanokoji nodded. "Horikita Manabu designed it. He's testing something..."
Their conversation was interrupted by a commotion. In the courtyard below, Class C's students suddenly began chanting in unison: "Hunting season begins! Target: Class D!" Ryuen stood at the center, raising his fist like a general commanding an army.
"A brazen declaration of war." Tang Yu sneered.
A rare flicker of emotion crossed Ayanokoji's face. "It's not just a declaration of war... It's a distraction. Ryuen is hiding his real trump card."
This insight made Tang Yu reassess the situation. Indeed, given Ryuen's cunning, he wouldn't rely solely on open provocation. Those "hunting" chants were likely just a smokescreen, concealing a more dangerous plan.
[Intelligence Shared by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka +300]
[Emotion Points exceeded 90000!]
[Unlocked "Group Emotional Link" ability]
[Can establish deep emotional connections with multiple people at once]
This new ability had come at just the right time. Facing Ryuen's psychological warfare, Tang Yu needed stronger means of manipulating emotions to unite Class D.
The afternoon classes were uneventful, but the atmosphere in the classroom had grown noticeably tense. Ryuen's "hunting" declaration had already spread. Class D's students gathered in small groups, discussing countermeasures but also growing suspicious of one another-the new term's "Expulsion Vote" rules had begun to take effect.
After school, Tang Yu went to Area A on the third floor of the library as agreed. Horikita Suzune, Hirata Yosuke, and, to his surprise, Ken Sudō were already waiting there.
"The situation is worse than we thought." Horikita got straight to the point. "Ryuen has not only bribed Kushida, but also contacted three other people in our class. He plans to expose Karuizawa's 'dirt' in front of everyone at the Debate Tournament and cause chaos within Class D."
Hirata added, "What's worse, the threat of the 'Expulsion Vote' has everyone in the class on edge. If a scandal breaks out now, people might vote for Karuizawa to protect themselves..."
"Damn Ryuen!" Sudō slammed a fist on the table, drawing a glare from the librarian. "Can't we just beat him up?"
"Violence won't solve anything," Horikita said coldly. "We need evidence that Ryuen is coercing our classmates so we can report him to the School Administration."
Tang Yu shook his head. "That would take too long. The School Administration tolerates this kind of competition. As long as they don't break any written rules, they won't interfere."
"Then what do we do?" Hirata asked anxiously.
Tang Yu looked around at the three of them and activated his newly acquired "Group Emotional Link," establishing connections with Horikita, Hirata, and Sudō simultaneously.
In an instant, he sensed their emotional fluctuations-beneath Horikita's calm resolve lay a trace of concern over her brother's opinion of her; Hirata's sincere concern was mixed with doubts about his own leadership; beneath Sudō's anger lay the loneliness of not being accepted.
"First, we protect Karuizawa," Tang Yu said calmly. "Tonight, I'll deal with the people tracking her. Next, we gather evidence of Ryuen's crimes-using people from outside the school already violates school rules. Finally, and most importantly..."
He paused, strengthening the emotion of "unity" within the emotional link. "We need to truly unite Class D instead of suspecting one another. The threat of the 'Expulsion Vote' only works when the class is divided."
Horikita pondered this. "You mean... create a common enemy?"
"Exactly." Tang Yu nodded. "And Ryuen has already given us the perfect target-himself."
The four of them discussed their plan in detail. By the time the meeting ended, it was already late. Tang Yu declined Hirata's invitation to have dinner together; he had something more important to do-go on that "date" with the watchers.
Before leaving school, Tang Yu's senses picked up an unusual signal. A black car was parked at the school gate, its window slightly open, revealing a pair of sharp eyes.
The man was neither a student nor a faculty member. He was a middle-aged man Tang Yu had never seen before, watching the students leaving school intently.
The system suddenly displayed a warning:
[High-threat target detected] [Identity identified: Tsukishiro Shuhei] [Special Evaluator of the School Board] [Hostility: Unknown]
Tang Yu walked past without changing expression, pretending not to notice the scrutinizing gaze. But alarm bells were already ringing within him-the School Board's "Special Assessment" had come sooner than he expected.
Night fell. Tang Yu stood inside the convenience store across from Karuizawa's old apartment, watching through the surveillance feed as the two delinquents continued staking it out.
They seemed to have grown impatient, checking their phones frequently-the fake location information showed Karuizawa on her way home.
"The game begins." Tang Yu murmured to himself, adjusting his gloves as he prepared for the first real battle of the new term.