Set Up by Capital

But if it requires spending a massive amount of time and energy to compete, to scheme, and to participate in complex class struggles...

Then forget it. Everything remains the same; slacking off is his life motto.

Sae Chabashira finished explaining some of the rules and precautions, tapped her fingers on the remaining items on the podium to emphasize that everyone must study them carefully, and then said no more.

She took one last look at Class D, who were still immersed in the joy of their points and appearing slightly restless. There was not a shred of encouragement, advice, or expectation in her eyes, only a calm that bordered on numbness.

In her view, saying too many hopeful things to Class D was meaningless; it would be better to let them realize it for themselves or get battered and bruised during the upcoming collisions of rules.

This school, which prioritized ability above all else, only looked at the final results; it did not care about the process, nor did it care about the struggles of individuals.

With that, she turned around cleanly, pulled open the classroom door, and walked straight out. The sound of her high heels clicking against the floor faded rapidly, without even leaving behind a "class dismissed" or "see you tomorrow."

Once the homeroom teacher left, the noise that had just been suppressed in the classroom surged up again immediately, even more intensely than before.

Everyone was excitedly huddled together, discussing how to squander their "huge fortune" of 100,000 points.

Some were already impatiently using their terminals to check products in the school store, while others were heatedly debating which entertainment facility to experience first...

The entire Class D was filled with a festive atmosphere, brimming with infinite (and naive) expectations for the future.

Only a few students in Class D remained calm, Lin Mu included. In such a situation, this instead made those who stayed calm seem like out-of-place misfits.

Lin Mu leaned back in his seat in the back row, slowly eating a lollipop, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding clamor.

He silently took stock of the known information in his mind and then reached a conclusion similar to Sae Chabashira's inner thoughts: Well, those students who spend money lavishly will likely be crying by next month.

Time passed quietly amidst the noise, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for school to end.

Sae Chabashira did not appear again, nor did she arrange any class meetings or follow-up matters, as if her work for the first day of school was already finished.

Seeing this, everyone packed their things and left the classroom, carrying their excitement for the new environment and their "huge wealth."

Lin Mu also stood up and stretched, his bones making a slight "click" sound.

He followed the flow of people and walked slowly out of the teaching building, but his goal was clear—he headed straight for the school's general supermarket.

For him, the top priority was not studying the rules or making friends, but stocking up on "strategic supplies" that would be essential for the near future—lollipops.

This was more important than anything else. After all, if he didn't rely on sugar to suppress part of his abilities and "maintain his state," the feeling of passively receiving the inner voices of those around him all day would be simply unbearable.

The school supermarket was indeed as Sae Chabashira had said; it was large in scale and well-stocked.

From fresh produce and ingredients, various snacks and drinks, and daily toiletries, to simple stationery and small appliances, the variety was dazzling, almost comparable to a large convenience store outside of school.

Lin Mu ignored the other sections and headed straight for the snack aisle. Soon, he found his target—an entire row of shelves stocked with all kinds of lollipops.

His eyes lit up slightly. Lollipops of different brands, flavors, and packaging were arranged neatly:

Fujiya's classic milk and fruit series, Alpenliebe's various mixed flavors, and certain imported brands... it was simply a paradise for candy lovers.

Without a second thought, Lin Mu began to "sweep the shelves."

He pushed a shopping cart and, like a calm procurement officer, scanned the shelves, his fingers continuously plucking bags and rows of lollipops and tossing them into the cart.

Various flavors of Fujiya? Take them. Classic and special flavors of Alpenliebe? Take them.

Seeing some imported brands he hadn't tasted before, he also grabbed a few bags to try.

His selection speed was fast and precise. Before long, the bottom of the shopping cart was covered with colorful candy packaging.

Just for the lollipops, a rough estimate showed he had already spent nearly 10,000 points!

But he didn't even frown.

Lollipops were the key "energy source" and "buffer" to maintain his "full state," ensure his superpowers remained stable and controllable, and isolate him from the mental noise of the outside world.

Investing in this was never a waste; it was the cornerstone that guaranteed the quality of his life as a slacker.

Besides lollipops, while browsing the supermarket, Lin Mu also noticed some details.

There were indeed some products in the supermarket marked as "free supply," mostly basic daily necessities.

For example, the most ordinary toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, towels, toilet paper, etc. Although the brands and quality were very average, the advantage was that they were free.

Lin Mu immediately switched to "frugal" mode.

He pushed the cart and circled back, taking one of each of these free basic items and putting them into the cart.

Save where you should, spend where you must.

He knew very well that according to the rules in Sae Chabashira's memory and the current state of this group of classmates in Class D, the class evaluation next month would likely not be very optimistic.

Once class points were deducted, affecting the distribution of individual points, or even potentially dropping to zero, these free supplies would become his lifeline.

If he didn't take advantage of the school's "wool" now, was he supposed to wait until points were tight later and regret it?

Carrying two full bags of supplies (mostly lollipops, with other free items stuffed into the gaps), Lin Mu walked along the tree-lined path back to the dormitory building.

A complex emotion known as "feeling blue and mushroom-like" surged up.

It was truly rotten luck to be assigned to the worst class, Class D.

He knew clearly in his heart that based on his "efforts" during his time at the orphanage (and the minor assistance of his superpowers), his carefully prepared entrance file and grades were more than enough.

No matter how you looked at it, he should have reached the standard for Class B, and even scraping into Class A wasn't impossible.

In no way should he have been classified into this Class D, which was like a "shelter for problem children."

After much deliberation, he could only attribute it to the evils of "capital manipulation" or "shady school operations."

Perhaps the academy's higher-ups had deliberately stuffed "high-quality students" like him into Class D to balance out the numbers, using him as a "pawn" or "test subject" to adjust the strength of the classes.

(I've been played by the system.)

Thinking of this, Lin Mu couldn't help but grumble inwardly about these damn rules and the unfairness of it all.

But grumbling was one thing; the matter was already settled, and the wood was already carved into a boat—he had neither the interest nor the energy to file complaints or stir up trouble.

Since he was here, he would settle in.

"Forget it."

He muttered under his breath and popped a new lollipop into his mouth. "Slacking off in Class D is the same as slacking off in Class A. Besides, with my superpowers, no one is going to truly disturb my peaceful life anyway."

The sweetness dispelled the last trace of his irritation.

He carried his bag and sauntered toward the dormitory, his white hair fluttering gently in the evening breeze.