The final deal was for 2 million points, but that was only the beginning. Class C's compensation was the real prize,
Student Council President Manabu Horikita looked at the 2 million points that had arrived in his account. He wasn't impressed by the amount. For one thing, he held a position like his, and for another, he was a third-year class leader. He certainly wasn't short on Personal Points,
He had to admit, though, that the other party had piqued his interest. He also wanted to stop Vice President Miyabi Nagumo from reaching too quickly for the lower-ranked classes,
The four-class contest hadn't even started yet. He didn't want to see Class C crushed outright or turned into a cash machine for the upper years,
But this bribe was a classic trap: a scheme that forced them into a lose-lose situation. Especially at a time like this, if they didn't do it, someone else would,
They had even kicked the problem straight to the Student Council. After all, whether it was stopping the behavior or judging it, that was the Student Council's job,
The points offered up front—whether 2 million or 4 million—were nothing but a petty sum. The real threat was the Student Council's draconian terms,
This put all of Class C at the mercy of the Student Council. He could easily imagine the possibilities: expulsion, suspension, withdrawal, or a leave of absence, followed by a fine,
They had no choice but to pay compensation in points. And even at an exchange rate of one to nine, it would still be enough to give Class B a taste of the rewards,
The Student Council, meanwhile, stood to lose nothing. If he hadn't been so steadfast and committed to his principles, he might really have been tempted,
After all, this was a chance to turn a lower-ranked class into a cash machine and treat them like dogs,
So the question was how to deal with Class C: cut them down in one stroke, or milk them slowly over time?
"Why would Honami Ichinose come up with something this vicious? Is she only like this on the surface? No, that can't be right. I'm not so blind that I can't see someone's character—or the character they're hiding. Sigh... Akane Tachibana, what do you think?"
At that very moment, Class C had no idea that a major upheaval was coming. They even felt pretty good about themselves. They were experts at provoking people. Even in areas with cameras, they could irritate others until they lost their temper, eventually sparking small-scale conflicts,
But that behavior had finally come to an end under Ryuen Kakeru's rule,
Ryuen Kakeru, the leader of Class C, had finally brought the whole class to heel through violence and sheer tenacity. Anyone who couldn't beat him had been beaten into submission,
As for those who could beat him, he clung to them like a python. Whether they were using the bathroom or eating, he'd not only ambush them but also wear them down psychologically. In the end, he defeated them through sheer shamelessness,
Ryuen Kakeru sat on a desk with one leg crossed over the other, looking down at the Class C students with disdain,
"I had you working on this for so long, and this is what you report back to me? You caused all those conflicts and didn't get a single bit of information!"
Several Class C students knelt beneath the desk. Their whole bodies were trembling, but they still forced themselves to answer,
"W-we did everything we could. If we push things any further, the cameras will catch us,
"And they've become more united since we started harassing them. They're on their guard now, and they hardly ever go anywhere without cameras, which makes it difficult for us to do anything."
"If only we'd used points to buy the information earlier. It's probably not too late now. W-we can pool our points."
The moment the second student finished speaking, Ryuen Kakeru kicked him to the ground,
"Idiots! What a bunch of idiots! When I told you to get the points earlier, none of you could come up with them. You all went against me,
"And besides, you know what things are like between us and them now. Even if I invited them, they wouldn't come. They'd just assume we were up to something,
"Hmph! I refuse to believe Class B won't retaliate. If they do, we'll use it to our advantage. If they still don't make a move, then I'll know one thing for sure."
Ryuen Kakeru silently weighed his options. If they still didn't retaliate, then they weren't much of a threat and would be easy to defeat. They might even bore him,
But even if they did retaliate, so what? Even if they deliberately lured him into a trap, as long as it was somewhere without cameras, any attempt to secretly film him would be futile against his superior strength. All he'd need to do was search the area and frisk them carefully, and that would take care of everything,
"Fine. I'll give you one more chance. Didn't you say we could buy the information with points? Then go find them,
"Tell them we want to make a deal. If everything goes smoothly, we'll all be happy. If not, we'll resort to more extreme measures."
For once, Ryuen Kakeru decided to act personally. Just you wait, Class B. This time, it wouldn't be a minor scuffle,
If you had information, you shouldn't hoard it. It didn't belong exclusively to your class; it belonged to the school, to everyone,
As members of one class, you had a responsibility to give it to another class—to us. We could even nominate you for an Outstanding Class award. It would promote the school's development, bring honor to it, and help us all improve together!
While Ryuen Kakeru was still thinking about how to claim the moral high ground, a loud bang rudely interrupted him. He turned around to see dozens of Student Council members, their badges on display, pouring into the room,
The moment the Student Council members came in, they saw the people kneeling beneath Ryuen Kakeru's feet. It was a case of love at first sight: now both sides were staring wide-eyed at each other. Well, there was no need to search everywhere. The culprit was right here,
Even if he wasn't, the circumstances would make it difficult to explain himself in a hurry,
Ryuen Kakeru stared at the Student Council members, his mind going blank. He glanced at the Class C students and couldn't help thinking how absurd this was. Sure, they could mess around and stir up trouble, but who had reported them?
Didn't they know the rules of the underworld? They were all thugs. What did it mean to be a thug? Going to the teachers or reporting someone to the disciplinary committee was the most shameless thing you could do,
But after looking around the class, he realized that everyone seemed just as bewildered as he was. Even the hidden brains of the group looked confused,
Clearly, nobody knew why Student Council members had barged into their classroom,
As he stood there, dumbfounded, his shoulder and wrist were suddenly twisted. Ryuen Kakeru's face was pressed against the desktop, and two large hands pinned his head down so firmly he couldn't lift it,
In that moment, even he didn't immediately fly into a rage or try to break free. Instead, he obediently cooperated,
Anyone who wanted to be a crime boss or a thug understood one thing: when the authorities caught you, you shouldn't make the slightest move,
Otherwise, they'd crack you with a baton and you'd learn to behave. If you got hit three times a second, it wasn't that you couldn't beg for mercy after the first blow; the blows came so fast that they'd already hit you in the mouth.
"Wait, wait, what are you doing? Is there some kind of misunderstanding? You think the Student Council can just do whatever it wants?!"
Although the Class C students had no idea what was going on, some of them still tried to make one last stand. Unfortunately, it was all in vain.
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