Today was the day the Class Points were officially announced. After leaving the classroom, Mu Tianchen decided to head to the area where the upper-year classes were located.
It was dismissal time, so there weren't many people around.
As for why he hadn't waited until the end of the first month to check, it was probably because every class's points had increased this time.
Since he had his suspicions, he had to confirm whether his guess was right.
After the Class Points were announced, a notice board was placed by the entrance for students to check.
After going upstairs, Mu Tianchen quickly spotted the notice board. He checked that no one was around, then slowly approached it.
This floor was the second-year classroom area, where the Class Points for each second-year class were posted.
The notice board read:
Class A: 1,400 points
Class B: 800 points
Class C: 600 points
Class D: 400 points
It seemed his guess was right, but these numbers were way too strange...
Class A was far ahead of the other classes, and the gaps between the other classes were all exactly the same...
It was hard not to think someone had deliberately arranged things this way.
The only person in the second year with the power to do something like this was Miyabi Nagumo...
But what was the point of doing it?
He had put Class A far ahead of the other classes, leaving the lower-ranked classes with no hope.
That way, they would have no choice but to submit to Nagumo's rule.
But judging by the situation, Miyabi Nagumo must have promised them something...
From his belief that personal strength came first, it was probably something like points for a Class Transfer Right.
Giving them a slim chance amid their despair...
"Nagumo-senpai in the second year really is impressive."
A somewhat familiar voice rang out. Mu Tianchen instantly snapped out of his thoughts and turned toward the unexpected visitor.
A white-haired girl leaning on a cane was walking toward him from a distance.
The girl approached him.
"I never expected to run into someone I know at this school, Tianchen-kun." The girl stopped beside him.
She was as outgoing as ever.
"I actually recognized Uncle Sakura at the opening ceremony, and I thought you might be at this school too. I just haven't had any free time lately."
"What a tactful way to put it." Sakayanagi Arisu gave a soft laugh. "I'm in Class A, and you're in Class D, right, Tianchen-kun?"
"Looks like you've already done your research." Mu Tianchen wasn't surprised. Given her personality, it would have been stranger if she didn't know.
For all he knew, she might have looked into the other classes a long time ago...
"Tell me, what are you doing here?" Mu Tianchen wasn't about to stand around reminiscing. He got straight to the point.
"You're as serious as ever."
"Heh. Of course, I came for the same reason as you, Tianchen-kun. This time, I lost to you all." Sakayanagi still wore a smile, but she had said "you all," not "you."
It seemed she knew something about Ayanokouji, too. Perhaps he could learn from her why his father had sent him here.
Everything seemed a little too coincidental...
When so many chance occurrences came together so neatly, it was bound to make people suspicious. Mu Tianchen was no exception.
With that in mind, he asked, "I won't beat around the bush. How much do you know about my father and Ayanokouji?"
At that, Sakayanagi hesitated slightly, though she didn't seem all that surprised. "I don't know anything about your father, but Ayanokouji-kun... heh, he's a very interesting person."
That was basically no different from saying nothing...
"I'm going to defeat him." Sakayanagi's tone suddenly turned firm.
Mu Tianchen was a little surprised. So that was her goal... Still, given her competitive nature, it made perfect sense.
"Of course, since you're in Class D, Tianchen-kun, I'll defeat you all, too. But I'm curious—what brought you to this school?"
So I'm just an afterthought? Mu Tianchen felt a little speechless. Still, it had been a long time since he'd seen Sakayanagi Arisu, and he had grown a lot in the meantime.
"As for why I came here, I don't really have a reason. Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked you about my father."
"That's true." Sakayanagi looked a little disappointed.
"But now I'm a little interested in the points," Mu Tianchen said slowly. Sakayanagi's eyes seemed to light up, as if his words had instantly caught her interest.
At this school, points could buy just about anything, even a Class Transfer Right. Since he didn't know why his father had sent him here, having more points couldn't hurt.
They could also help him pass the time when he was bored.
"Points, huh... That does suit your personality, Tianchen-kun." Sakayanagi Arisu nodded thoughtfully. "You mean personal points, right? I'm not very interested in those. If you want them, I can give you some."
Mu Tianchen knew her well enough to realize she wouldn't be this generous without a reason. She must have another motive, so he decided to ask.
"Is there something you need me to do?"
Sakayanagi scratched her head. Before long, she seemed to think of something and spoke up. "I was originally going to ask you to play international chess with me. It's been a long time since we last competed."
That... was just like her, as always. Still, Mu Tianchen didn't think he'd lose.
"But I've changed my mind," Sakayanagi added, shifting gears.
"Oh?" Mu Tianchen's interest was piqued at once. He looked Sakayanagi in the eye, wanting to hear what she had to say.
Sakayanagi met his gaze boldly, without a trace of fear.
"Help me crush the Katsuragi Faction in the upcoming Deserted Island Exam, and I'll give you 800,000 points. On top of that, I'll transfer 200,000 points to you every month."
The Deserted Island Exam? So Teacher Chazhu's talk of going on vacation during summer break was a cover. He had already figured out from Takagahara's probing that it would be a group exam.
But Sakayanagi had learned the exam format so quickly. It really was just like her...
Going by the name, the Deserted Island Exam was probably something like a wilderness survival test. Based on the information he already had, it would be a wilderness survival exam with each class as a team.
Still, she was offering a huge sum of points. It seemed Katsuragi was a major obstacle on her path to unifying the class.
With Sakayanagi Arisu's domineering personality, she would never allow anyone else in her class to disagree with her.
"Under those terms, I don't see a reason to refuse. But I don't know anything about the Katsuragi Faction."
Mu Tianchen wasn't stupid. Acting rashly without knowing the other side's situation was an easy way to fail.
"Then I'll give you a general overview." As she spoke, Sakayanagi walked over to the stairwell. She wiped some dust off with a tissue, then motioned for Mu Tianchen to sit with her.
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