Countermeasures

The night deepened, and the lights in the dormitory buildings outside flickered on one after another, casting their glow on the solemn faces of the four young "infiltrators" in Room 601.

The warmth of the hotpot had dissipated, replaced by a clear understanding of the harsh reality and, following that, a calm deliberation.

"Now that we've grasped the basic framework of this game's rules," Mazumi Mami's voice broke the brief silence, his gaze sweeping over his three companions, "the next step is naturally how to act within these rules, or even... exploit them. Regardless, points are the core driving force and 'lifeblood' of this system."

"Accumulating more points—whether Class Points or Personal Points—is the foundation for us to establish ourselves, develop, and ultimately achieve our goals here on campus."

Mazumi Mami said.

"The specific methods boil down to increasing income and reducing expenses, or in other words, internal improvement and external competition."

Walnut adjusted her glasses, the lenses reflecting the blue glow of the screen, her thoughts clear. "Internally, we raise Class A's Class Points to get a larger monthly point allocation. Externally... theoretically, we can also directly acquire others' Personal Points."

"Directly acquire..."

Runa Inoue's violet eyes narrowed, immediately connecting the dots. "No wonder Majima-sensei specifically emphasized at the start, 'All forms of bullying and coercion are prohibited'... He must have foreseen this most direct 'plundering' impulse that the point system could provoke."

"Foreseeing it doesn't mean it can be completely eliminated."

Mazumi Mami's tone was flat, yet carried a calm insight into the world. "When a resource becomes key to survival and enjoyment, and there's a possibility of transfer, there will always be those driven by desire or cornered into desperation who choose to take risks. Violence is often the fastest, most direct 'liquidation' method in some people's eyes."

"So, are we going to 'steal' points next?"

Chisato Nishikigi, upon hearing this, showed no fear; instead, her amber eyes lit up, and she leaned forward, brimming with excitement. "Don't worry, I'll keep it clean! While familiarizing myself with the campus this afternoon, I already noted the camera positions and major blind spots! With speed and disguise, I won't get caught!" She seemed more like she was looking forward to a fun "game."

Chisato Nishikigi said.

"Chisato!"

Walnut pressed her forehead, looking exasperated.

"That's a last-resort measure, not a daily option! Besides, point transfers go through the school system—every transaction theoretically leaves an electronic record."

"Forcibly taking points requires the other party to 'voluntarily' initiate the transfer, which involves coercion, carries extremely high risk, and leaves direct clues pointing to us—transfer records and witnesses."

Walnut said.

"Records can be erased!"

Chisato Nishikigi blinked, looking at Walnut as if it were obvious. "Aren't you the best at that, Walnut-chan? Hacking the system and modifying records shouldn't be hard for us, right?"

"I can erase electronic traces on the network," Walnut shot her a glare, annoyed.

"But I can't erase the victim's memory! Nor can I make any potential third-party witnesses forget! If someone reports it and the school investigates, even without direct electronic evidence, it'll raise high suspicion and put us in the spotlight. That completely contradicts our goal of staying low-key and investigating covertly!"

Walnut said.

"As for memories... I could give it a try!"

Chisato Nishikigi still wouldn't give up, even looking a bit eager. "My Life Ability has made some new progress recently. I'm researching how to influence the subconscious through life energy fluctuations for basic hypnotic suggestions... I could use some 'samples' to practice."

Chisato Nishikigi said.

"Your 'hypnosis' isn't some instant, traceless magic!"

Runa Inoue interrupted her calmly, a hint of reproach in her tone. "It requires contact and time, and during the process, it's easy to alert the target or even provoke resistance."

"If the target is multiple people, the difficulty and risk of exposure increase exponentially. Using such methods on a large scale is essentially announcing to the school that there's an 'anomaly' here."

"What we need is to blend into the environment and achieve our goals without raising alarm, not to 'go god-mode' and dominate the whole place with force or abilities."

Runa Inoue said.

"Exactly, Runa's right."

Mazumi Mami finally spoke, his tone gentle but carrying an undeniable finality.

"Those unconventional, powerful 'god-mode' methods are our last trump card and safety net. We absolutely don't use them lightly unless absolutely necessary. At this stage, we should prioritize acting within the rules, understanding them, adapting to them, and then... exploiting them."

He paused, steering the conversation back on track.

"Since Class Points are the core, and their increase or decrease must leave traces, a complete competition system must have clear reward and punishment mechanisms. The huge gap in Class Points between upper grades is the best proof."

"There must be some way to systematically add or deduct Class Points. Chisato, when you talked with the upperclassman, did you pick up any specific conditions for gaining or losing points?"

Mazumi Mami said.

Chisato Nishikigi reined in her playful mood a bit, thought back, and shook her head.

"As for the specific rules on adding or deducting points, they were all vague, as if they were holding back, or the school itself keeps it strictly confidential."

"All they could tell me broadly was that Class Points are mainly tied to 'exams'—good results bring rewards, bad results bring punishment. But they didn't specify what kind of 'exams' they are."

"Still, I get the feeling... it's probably not just the traditional kind of exam where you sit in a classroom and fill out a paper. The school went to all this trouble to create such a dog-eat-dog jungle system—if they only measured 'ability' with test scores, that'd be too... small-minded."

Chisato Nishikigi said.

"Unusual exams... something the students are tight-lipped about, yet capable of creating such huge gaps between classes..."

Mazumi Mami tapped his fingers lightly on the table, lost in thought. "It seems we need to dig deeper into this 'exam' system."

"Then let's just dive into the school's internal database and take a look."

Walnut immediately chimed in, her fingers flying across the keyboard as code and access logs began scrolling rapidly across the screen.

"Based on the 100,000 points each of us received this month, our Class A should currently have 1,000 Class Points. For us, the top priority is to hold onto these 1,000 points and find ways to increase them. Understanding the format of the upcoming assessments is crucial."

Walnut said.

The room fell silent except for the faint clicking of Walnut's keyboard, the other three waiting quietly.

After a moment, Walnut's movements slowed, her brow furrowing slightly as she focused on the screen.

"What is it? Found anything?"

Runa Inoue asked.

"Yeah... there's a lot of data. The types of 'exams' in past years are all over the place, some of them look... pretty unique."

Walnut scrolled quickly, her pace picking up. "Simulated business competitions, survival on deserted islands, comprehensive sports festivals, even class-specific 'special written tests' with designated subjects... I can't tell which one we'll face yet. But..."

She pulled up an encrypted file marked "For New Students Only" and cracked it swiftly.

"One thing is certain. Every new student goes through a unified 'Entrance Assessment' in their first month after enrollment. It's almost a fixed rule."

Walnut said.

"What is it?"

Chisato Nishikigi leaned in curiously.

Walnut screenshotted the key parts of the file, sent them to the group chat, and explained.

"A one-month 'Comprehensive Assessment Period.' It's not a single test but a continuous, all-around evaluation of new students' early performance. It's mainly split into two parts: academic ability and moral character."

She zoomed in on the relevant entries.

"The academic ability part is scored through a series of surprise quizzes, in-class tests, homework completion rates, and so on. Based on the results, the class gets corresponding point rewards or penalties."

"As for the moral character part," Walnut's tone grew more serious.

"It covers daily behavior standards. This includes but isn't limited to: classroom discipline, attendance rates (lateness, early leave, truancy), whether school rules are followed, whether public conduct is appropriate, and whether any actions damage the class's collective image."

"Once you violate the rules, the point deductions are severe. The database has records of some classes having their Class Points directly deducted to zero in the first month due to frequent discipline issues, leaving the entire class in a 'zero income' predicament for the second month."

She paused briefly, adding a piece of good news.

"However, this thorough 'Comprehensive Assessment Period' usually only exists in the first month. After that, the assessment formats become more diverse and... confrontational."

Walnut said.

"I see..."

Mazumi Mami nodded in understanding, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

"That means, in the first month, we not only need to perform well ourselves but also, to some extent, 'manage' the other students in the class."

"At the very least, we have to make sure they don't drag down the whole class's score with their personal actions. Especially in the early days when everyone hasn't fully grasped the importance of points, this risk is even higher."

Mazumi Mami said.

"Then let's take control of this class, young master!"

Chisato Nishikigi immediately raised her hand, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "We'll unite everyone, avoid pointless deductions, and even earn more bonuses! I'll support you all the way!"

"Exactly. Assisting you, young master, in effective management and guidance is also our duty."

Runa Inoue said seriously, her purple eyes firm with resolve.

Walnut nodded too, looking up from the screen. "From another angle, this is also a decent 'Micro-Management Experiment.' After all, what we'll need to manage and coordinate in the future goes far beyond a class of forty people. This time, we can try it together."

Mazumi Mami looked at the three girls, all eager and unafraid of the challenge, warmth surging in his heart. A steady, confident smile spread across his face.

"Well said. Then, our first step is to organize and integrate all the intel we've gathered on the school rules, the point system, and the 'Comprehensive Assessment Period.'"

He issued the instructions with clear logic.

"We'll keep the detailed, core analysis for ourselves as a basis for action. At the same time, we'll create a concise, easy-to-understand 'Rule Explanation' and 'Initial Survival Guide.' To guide the class, we first need to make them realize the severity of the issue, and credible information is the most persuasive tool."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"Moreover, information itself is a valuable 'commodity' in this environment. We're already many steps ahead. This 'guide' might not only help us unite the class but also... bring us our first extra 'point income.' Of course, the approach needs to be clever."

Mazumi Mami said.

"Understood, young master!"

The three girls answered in unison, their faces showing serious, motivated expressions.

Outside the window, the night had fully enveloped the campus, but the light in Room 601 remained bright.

A silent game, wielding information as a weapon and rules as a chessboard, with the entire Class A—and even the broader campus—as the stage, was about to quietly unfold in the hands of these four "infiltrators" from another world.

They weren't just here to survive; they intended to influence, and even change, the rules of the game itself according to their own will.