"Everyone has untapped potential," Tang Yu explained. "Just like you-you seem like a strong 'queen' on the surface, but you actually have incredible empathy and leadership skills. You just need the right opportunity to bring that potential out."
Karuizawa's eyes sparkled in the light. "You're always like this... able to see things other people can't." She hesitated. "Sometimes I even feel... like you can see right through people."
Tang Yu's heart raced. Karuizawa's intuition was astonishingly sharp. Just as he was about to change the subject, the system suddenly sounded an emergency alarm:
[Remote mental probing detected]
[Source: Tsukishiro Shuhei]
[Distance: 500 meters]
Tang Yu shot to his feet and rushed to the window. On the rooftop across the way, a blurry figure was watching them. The reflection from his glasses was clearly visible in the moonlight.
"What's wrong?" Karuizawa asked in confusion.
"Nothing." Tang Yu drew the curtains, suddenly remembering 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 run into someone named Tsukishiro Shuhei, contact me right away."
Karuizawa nodded solemnly. "You too... be careful."
After closing the door, Tang Yu immediately checked every corner of the apartment, making sure no surveillance devices had been installed. The system showed that Tsukishiro had already left, but the feeling of being watched lingered.
He turned on his computer and began looking into Tsukishiro Shuhei's background. Strangely, apart from the information publicly released by the School Board, he could find almost nothing about the man-no social media, no academic papers, not even a clear basic employment history.
[Mission progress: Investigate Tsukishiro Shuhei (15%)]
[Clue obtained: Mental ability user]
[Threat level increased]
Tang Yu shut down the computer and went to the window. The campus looked peaceful beneath the moonlight, but he knew that under this calm surface, undercurrents were surging.
Ryuen's warning, Tsukishiro's mental probing, Horikita Manabu's hints... All signs pointed to a storm brewing, one that far surpassed class competition.
The next morning, Tang Yu arrived at school an hour earlier than usual. He wanted to organize the debate materials before the other students arrived, but was surprised to find Horikita Suzune already in the classroom, intently revising her speech.
"Morning," Tang Yu greeted her. "I 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 Debate Tournament judges."
Tang Yu frowned. He wanted to observe me up close.
"Not just you." Horikita finally looked up. "He specifically asked about Karuizawa Kei. The president told me to warn you-Tsukishiro is especially interested in students who undergo 'abnormal changes.'"
Tang Yu's heart sank. Karuizawa's transformation had indeed caught Tsukishiro's attention. He had to speed up the construction of his defense 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 and hesitated. "Tang Yu... do you really think Class D can win?"
"It's not a question of whether we can, but that we must." Tang Yu spoke 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 her inner conflict-Horikita Suzune had always struggled to prove herself in her older brother's shadow.
And now, for the first time, she had truly become part of a group. This new experience filled her with both anticipation and fear.
The students arrived one after another, and the classroom gradually grew lively. When Karuizawa Kei walked in, several girls took the initiative to greet her-something that would have been unthinkable before.
She wore a simple white blouse and a dark blue skirt. She no longer made a point of dressing to look mature and sexy; instead, she seemed more youthful and energetic.
"Good morning." Karuizawa smiled at Tang Yu, 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 researched emotional appeal techniques and found a few real-life examples..."
Hirata Yosuke came over and joined the discussion. Soon, the entire debate team had gathered in a circle, enthusiastically exchanging ideas. Watching them, Tang Yu felt a sense of accomplishment-Class D was changing. They were no longer a loose collection of individuals.
At lunchtime, Tang Yu went to the library alone to look up information. As he passed through a secluded hallway, the system suddenly blared an alarm:
[Abnormal emotional fluctuations detected]
[Direction: Around the corner ahead]
[Identity: Tsukishiro Shuhei]
Tang Yu immediately activated "Emotion Shield" and slowed his pace. Sure enough, Tsukishiro emerged from around the corner, pretending they had run into each other by chance.
"Student Tang, what a coincidence." Tsukishiro smiled. "I was just hoping to ask you about the Debate Tournament."
"What advice do you have, Mr. Tsukishiro?" Tang Yu remained on guard.
"Just curious..." Tsukishiro took a step closer. His voice suddenly became low and melodious. "A student as... special as you-why are you so enthusiastic about ordinary class activities?"
Tang Yu felt an invisible pressure trying to invade his consciousness, 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, clearly aware of the resistance. "Interesting. You know, there have been several... unusual cases in this school's history. Students suddenly displayed abilities beyond those of ordinary people, but in the end, they..." He deliberately left the thought unfinished.
"What happened to them?" Tang Yu asked, playing along.
"They disappeared," Tsukishiro said softly, "as if they had never existed." He suddenly reached out as if to pat Tang Yu on the shoulder, but Tang Yu deftly dodged him.
"Sorry, Mr. Tsukishiro." Tang Yu stepped 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."
By the time Tang Yu was out of Tsukishiro's sight, cold sweat had already beaded on his forehead. This encounter confirmed his suspicions-Tsukishiro did possess mental abilities, and he had an unusual interest in "abnormal students."
After afternoon classes, the debate team held its first practice session. To everyone's surprise, Karuizawa Kei performed brilliantly-her section on emotional appeal was heartfelt and moving, completely overturning her former image of "putting on a show."
"That was amazing!" Hirata Yosuke exclaimed sincerely. "Karuizawa, you're a natural speaker!"
Karuizawa blushed. "I just... talked about some things I really felt."
Horikita Suzune rarely expressed agreement. "It was good. Your section perfectly complements our rigorous logical arguments."
Through the "Emotion Weaving Network," Tang Yu sensed a significant increase in the class's unity. The students were no longer fighting on their own as they had last term. They were truly beginning to appreciate and work with one another. The resulting increase in Emotion Points far exceeded expectations:
[Recognition from Class D students +1200]
[Class cohesion increased, extra reward +500]
[Current Emotion Points: 102300/∞]
After training, Tang Yu stayed behind alone to organize the materials. It was late, and the campus was gradually growing quiet. He went to the window and happened to see two familiar figures at the edge of the sports field-Tsukishiro Shuhei and Ryuen Kakeru, talking in low voices.
They were too far away to hear, but through the "Emotion Weaving Network," Tang Yu could sense that Ryuen was filled with resistance and anger, while Tsukishiro radiated a cold desire for control.
Suddenly, Tsukishiro seemed to notice something and looked up, fixing his gaze precisely on the window where Tang Yu stood.
Tang Yu quickly stepped back into the shadows, but it was too late-Tsukishiro raised his 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: 30%]
[Recommendation: Evacuate immediately!]
Tang Yu gritted his teeth against the pain and forced himself to think calmly. Tsukishiro's abilities far exceeded his expectations, and he had already joined forces with Ryuen. This contest had escalated into a battle of supernatural abilities, and Class D's Debate Tournament might well become the next battleground.