A Story Starting from Classroom of the Elite

1st Floor: Set meals.

2nd Floor: Regional specialty snacks.

3rd Floor: High-end cuisine with private rooms available.

Operating hours during the school term follow standard meal times.

Operating hours during holidays are from 7:30 AM to 7:30 PM.

Because he arrived early, there weren't many people in line ahead of him.

Finding a random line to join, Tanaka Yukishin watched the electronic screen in front of him as it cycled through images of food, displaying what was currently available and the prices.

Common mass-produced sets, such as potato stew, curry rice, miso soup, udon, and fried chicken, were all priced at 500 points.

After waiting in line for a while, it was finally his turn.

After ordering his meal, Tanaka Yukishin scanned his student ID terminal against the machine, and the staff member handed him a set meal worth 1600 points.

The 1600-point set included a large portion of eel rice, miso soup, and a plate of freshly fried tempura.

Chapter 10: Dining and Small Talk

Taking the tray, he found the portion quite substantial; he just wondered how it would taste.

But at 1600 per meal, two meals would be 3200, plus 300 for breakfast, meaning he would spend 3500 just on food in a single day. Thirty days a month, 3500 times 30 equals 105,000; a monthly allowance of 100,000 points wasn't enough at all, and he would have to dip into his own savings for another 5,000.

Those students were happy far too early.

The promise of room and board before enrollment was true.

The dorms were standard single rooms, with no difference in quality. But if one didn't eat the free meals and wanted to eat well, the monthly allowance simply wasn't enough.

Spending money on nice clothes, bags, electronics, and other luxury goods was far less worthwhile than spending it on food.

Because the food itself was sold at a subsidized price, it was already one-third to two-thirds cheaper than eating at a normal restaurant.

It was the students profiting from the school.

Whereas luxury goods were the merchants profiting from the students.

Comparing the two, the difference was like heaven and earth.

After finishing his sharp critique of his classmates, Tanaka Yukishin arrived at a dining table.

Amidst the crisp sound of the aluminum tray clashing with wooden chopsticks, the moment the lid of the eel rice was lifted—white steam carrying a caramel-sweet aroma rushed to his nose, making even the bespectacled man at the next table, who was gnawing on a rice ball, glance over.

"You're... a freshman, right? Eating so well... though spending it on food is actually a good deal."

The overly familiar senior with glasses seemed ready to say something more, but for some reason, he hesitated and stopped.

He offered a strained greeting before awkwardly turning his head away.

Tanaka Yukishin didn't mind.

This guy was probably planning to warn him about his spending, but was afraid of being punished by the school if they found out.

Because the first month of enrollment was a hidden exam with concealed information.

The school was happy to see students use their own abilities to acquire information and deduce the answers.

But if there was any foul play, such as seniors or staff members leaking information, the leaker would be dealt with severely.

Based on this, he was a normal person with a conscience, albeit a limited one.

Still, having been reduced to eating rice balls, he was only slightly better off than those eating the free meals.

After all, that stuff was purely "pragmatic dining"—it could guarantee basic survival needs, but it represented a low quality of life.

Back in middle school, sometimes his idiot lackeys would run out of money at the end of the month and be too embarrassed to borrow. They would use those hundred-yen rice balls as a last-resort survival plan, though he would often tease them, saying, "Eating rocks again?"

If he ran into them again after his plan was complete, perhaps he could take them on as lackeys; it would be a stroke of good fortune for them.

As the tip of his chopstick pierced the slightly charred fish skin, the amber sauce seeped into the white fish meat along the grooves, like lava slowly swallowing a snow-capped mountain. The moment it entered his mouth, the fat layer melted into a creamy texture, and the spiciness of the Japanese pepper exploded at the base of his tongue.

The shrimp tempura, fresh out of the fryer, made a faint clicking sound on the porcelain plate, and crumbs of batter fell like golden snowflakes.

The boy used his hands, crunch!

The curled back of the shrimp split open, and hot juices splashed onto his chin. The shiso leaf wrapped around the translucent eggplant released a burst of plant juices mixed with the aroma of oil when bitten through.

When his throat was constricted by the thick sauce and the greasiness of the fried food, the tofu cubes in the wooden bowl bobbed up and down.

With his mouth and hands working in tandem, the boy scraped the last bits of eel and sauce into the rice, his chopsticks moving like a blur. A few sesame seeds remained at the bottom of the miso soup bowl, steaming, while tempura crumbs formed a starry sky at the bottom of the plate.

He finished. His verdict on the taste—it was alright.

After all, in this fully enclosed school, the students mostly came from different regions.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they came from all corners of the country.

Beyond that, there were also foreign students from other nations.

Influenced by different geographical locations, histories, cultures, and various other factors, their dietary styles, habits, and needs were all different.

To solve the problem of catering to everyone's tastes, the school had to provide a wide variety of food with diverse styles while ensuring a high standard of taste.

Therefore, this was only to be expected.

On the way to the club building, Cheat Customer Service and Tanaka Yukishin began to chat.

"Tell me, if an ordinary Chinese high school student were to be enrolled in this school without knowing the inside story, how do you think they would perform during the first month's secret exam?"

"Ordinary, and unaware of the truth. Given those two prerequisites, I'd say anything is possible except for two outcomes: having no reaction at all or speed-running the challenge."

"Oh, do tell."

Cheat Customer Service, feeling a bit intrigued, urged him on.

Tanaka Yukishin pondered for a moment before answering.

"First of all, China is a communist country, while Japan is a capitalist country. The social environment and education received before high school are different. Students from the two places have different perceptions and judgments regarding the same events."

"An ordinary Chinese high school student would immediately sense something was wrong upon learning that a Japanese school not only waives tuition and fees, provides room and board, but also guarantees admission to an ideal university and placement in an ideal company upon graduation."

"However, the problem is that as Chinese citizens, they cannot directly conduct a thorough investigation into every aspect of the school. They can only enter the school carrying their doubts."

"On the day of enrollment, upon learning they have received 100,000 yen and will continue to receive it every month, their suspicion would grow strong enough to cause immense anxiety and fear. Because they know there is no such thing as a free lunch. 100,000 yen is roughly equivalent to 5,000 RMB, and when added to the previously promised generous benefits, the 'pie' is simply too big to be true. How is this any different from a scam in northern Myanmar?"

"After realizing something is wrong, they will think, then reach a conclusion: this is problematic. Immediately after, they will explore and search for information, combine that information with further thought, and then reach a result."

"In this scenario, aside from the two impossible routes of having no reaction or quickly completing the process to reach a result, they could get stuck at any point along the way."

"After all, they are just ordinary high school students. Once they realize something is wrong, they might deceive themselves and be too lazy to think deeply. They might give up after asking a teacher and getting no answers."

"They might also be interrupted by other students dragging them off to play while they are in the middle of searching for information."

"They might also lack the ability to perform the information-gathering phase perfectly, meaning they fail to finish searching before the deadline, or they finish searching but the information is incomplete."

"Or perhaps..."

"In short, for an ordinary high school student, that's basically how it would go."

Tanaka Yukishin carefully deliberated, ensuring he had covered all possibilities before concluding.

Cheat Customer Service chuckled and asked a somewhat sensitive question.

"This blueprint of an 'ordinary high school student'—it wouldn't happen to be you back in your high school days before you transmigrated, would it?"

"You could say that if you want, I don't mind. I have a very clear perception of myself; I'm just an ordinary person, no match for a genius. But I do have one thing I can boast about: I get things done, and I do them seriously."

Tanaka Yukishin did not evade the question but answered frankly.

People are imperfect; you can feel unwilling to accept it, but you must accept it and then move forward and grow in the direction you desire.

He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.

Having self-awareness is actually quite a good thing.

Chapter 11: The First Step · Clubs

Food, clothing, housing, and transportation—just eating a little better costs 105,000 personal points a month.

Not to mention that Tanaka Yukishin also wants to buy nice clothes, move into a bigger and better house, and spend money on entertainment facilities.

Making money is a must.

Once you have information, the next step is to monetize it.

Getting it from the school is unwise.

It's possible, but if the amount is low, it's not worth the effort, and if the amount is high, it's not worth the risk.

It's much easier to collect protection fees from others.

The first step to making money: clubs.

In Japanese schools, clubs are organizations that students inevitably come into contact with.

And in Advanced Nurturing High School, a fully enclosed institution, the status of clubs is even more important than in the outside world.

Reason one: the school periodically allocates funds based on club specifications, number of members, past honors, current strength, and other factors.

Reason two: being in a fully enclosed system doesn't stop clubs from participating in competitions, as this is the most important thing students seek when joining a club.

They rely on this path to move upward; after all, not everyone can study hard to get into the University of Tokyo, and not everyone has a top-tier immortal inheritance from their family.

And the first step in Tanaka Yukishin's money-making plan is to kick every single sports club—like combat, boxing, track and field, archery, and so on.

After collecting a one-time coaching fee, he will make them hand over half of their monthly club budget.

Perfectly in line with sustainable development.

Arriving at the club building, Tanaka Yukishin casually blocked a white-haired girl who was walking out.

"Hello, I'd like to ask, which of the sports clubs are the strongest right now? And how many sports clubs are there in total?"

"Don't block the way."

The girl who was stopped clearly had something urgent to do; she shot him an annoyed glare and prepared to leave.

However, her hand was held, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free.

Only then did she calm down and carefully observe the person blocking her.

First, he was a handsome guy. Then, his body didn't seem to have many traces of training.

A natural powerhouse?

"I don't recall you. Are you a junior?"

The beauty with white hair and purple eyes gazed at me with a beaming smile, her eyes full of curiosity.

"Yes, senior. Tell me which clubs are the most powerful."

"What kind of ideas do you have in mind?"

"Crashing their clubs, charging a coaching fee, and then making them hand over half of their monthly club budget as a friendship fee."

Kiryuin Fuuka was surprised internally.

Taking on everyone single-handedly.

Is it fearlessness born of ignorance, or the composure of the strong?

"How clever, how bold, but it's not enough. Even if you're strong enough to beat every club, your time won't allow it."

"I know, but the educational philosophy upheld by Advanced Nurturing High School and the benefits enjoyed by the clubs will force them to make a choice."

How impressive, this junior.

He has already discovered that this school follows an ability-first educational philosophy.

Crashing clubs openly and honestly leaves them with no way to avoid it.

He isn't even afraid of being warned about overlapping match times or being threatened with the fact that multiple clubs might join forces to target him.

After all, for a junior who has already demonstrated sufficient strength.

The other side wouldn't dare to gamble on whether the school would allow this junior to monopolize the relevant competitions of those clubs afterward.

This is a dual monopoly on the right to remain in school and the path to advancement.

Once they finish thinking it through, they will have no choice but to obediently pay the protection fee every month.

However, the junior's stamina shouldn't be able to hold up.