Seize the Initiative

The crisp sound of the class bell echoed through the newly built school building, announcing the official start of high school life for the freshmen of Yōdai High School of Advanced Nurturing.

In the Class A classroom for first-years, the windows were spotless, the desks and chairs neatly arranged. The students sat upright in their seats, expressions ranging from anticipation to nervousness.

At the podium, homeroom teacher Majima Tomoya stood in a sharp suit, his demeanor serious and professional, beginning the first lesson of the term.

"Today, we'll start with history class."

Majima-sensei opened the electronic teaching materials, and an ancient map along with portraits of historical figures were projected onto the screen.

"I'm sure all of you are already familiar with this content from middle school, but in high school, we'll delve deeper into analysis and discussion. First, let's quickly review the key milestones."

His voice was clear and penetrating.

"In the year 4925 of the Yellow Emperor Calendar, Emperor Chengzu Liu Shan led a personal expedition, coordinating a northern campaign with Chancellor Zhuge Kongming. During the pivotal Battle of Jieting, His Majesty Liu Shan personally commanded elite cavalry in a charge, cutting down the head of Wei's famed general Zhang He amidst ten thousand troops. He successfully executed the strategy 'Sever the Ridge,' completely sealing off the route for Wei reinforcements, buying crucial time for Chancellor Zhuge's main forces."

He switched slides, showing the territorial changes after the battle.

"After this battle, Ji Han reclaimed Liang Province, Bing Province, and the Sili Region in one fell swoop, fulfilling the long-cherished wish of 'returning to the old capital.' More importantly, this battle laid a solid foundation for Ji Han's eventual unification of the realm, marking the most decisive step in the millennia-long journey of what would become the Shenzhou Empire..."

Majima-sensei narrated smoothly, weaving together historical records and scholarly perspectives.

For these Chongying students, who had studied their nation's glorious history since childhood, the content was indeed not unfamiliar.

Mazumi Mami sat by the window, appearing to listen attentively to the lesson while using his peripheral vision to meticulously observe the entire class.

"As expected of Class A students."

He mused to himself.

"Faced with these basic facts they've long since memorized, no one shows any sign of slack or distraction. Everyone is listening earnestly, pens moving quickly or slowly to jot down key points. Their discipline and focus are quite impressive."

This slightly lowered his estimate of the difficulty in managing the class going forward.

Class time passed steadily amid the smooth narration and the rustling of notes.

"...Regarding the economic policy adjustments in the later stages of the northern campaign and their impact on the empire's bureaucratic system, we'll cover that in detail next class."

Majima Tomoya glanced at the time and closed his electronic pointer. "Now, there are about ten minutes left until the bell rings. If anyone has questions about what we've just covered, feel free to ask."

The classroom fell silent for a moment, most students digesting or organizing their notes.

Just then, Mazumi Mami raised his hand.

"Mazumi-kun, go ahead."

Majima-sensei looked at him.

"Sensei, may I ask a question related to extracurricular matters?"

Mazumi Mami's voice was calm and clear.

Majima Tomoya paused briefly before replying, "In principle, questions that are reasonable and related to the learning atmosphere are allowed. However, I suggest that if it's an individual or complex issue, it's best to discuss it after class to avoid taking up everyone else's time."

"I understand. Thank you, Sensei."

Mazumi Mami nodded politely and lowered his hand.

Yet, his abrupt hand-raising and question had already quietly drawn the attention of the entire class.

Many eyes shifted from their books, glancing curiously at this transfer student who had already made a notable impression on the first day of school.

After all, asking about "extracurricular matters" so eagerly in the very first lesson seemed a bit unusual.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat near the front by the wall, tilting her head slightly, her peripheral vision sweeping over Mazumi Mami. A flicker of thought passed through her violet eyes: "What does he want to ask? At a time like this..."

The classroom fell quiet again, with only the faint sound of a PE class whistle drifting in from the sports field outside.

But a subtle, expectant curiosity hung in the air.

Finally, the crisp bell signaling the end of class rang out.

"Class dismissed."

Majima-sensei announced.

Almost before the bell's echo faded, Mazumi Mami stood up again, his voice not loud but clear enough for everyone in the room to hear:

"Sensei, my question is—based on my investigation and speculation, our Class A, or rather all of us first-years, may not be able to receive the monthly allowance of ten thousand points next month. Is this true?"

Boom—

Like a stone thrown into a still pond, ripples spread instantly through the classroom.

All the students, whether they were packing their books or about to leave their seats, froze. Stunned gazes converged on Mazumi Mami.

"What? No points next month?"

"How is that possible? Don't we get them every month?"

"What does he mean by that? Is the school taking the points back?"

"Hey, hey, don't joke around—I just used points to order a new game console yesterday..."

"Does he know some inside information?"

Murmurs erupted quickly, with surprise, doubt, and unease spreading through the room.

The importance of points, after the initial experience of spending them yesterday, had become clear to most.

Ten thousand points meant a relatively comfortable, even lavish campus life. If this "fixed income" might disappear, it undoubtedly touched everyone's sensitive nerves.

On the podium, Majima Tomoya's eyes behind his glasses suddenly sharpened.

He neither immediately denied nor confirmed it, but instead gave Mazumi Mami a deep look and countered, "What's your basis, Mazumi? Before making a speculation that could cause unrest, you need sufficient supporting reasons."

"I have some findings and would like to use the classroom equipment to show everyone. May I, teacher?"

Mazumi Mami's attitude was composed.

Majima Tomoya was silent for two seconds, then nodded. "You may. Please come to the podium."

Under the unwavering gaze of the entire class, Mazumi Mami calmly walked up to the podium, took out his phone, and connected it via data cable to the Smart Whiteboard at the front of the classroom.

He operated it a few times, and the whiteboard immediately displayed clear images and concise text charts.

"Everyone," he turned to face the class, his voice steady and forceful.

"Yesterday, I said I hoped we could become partners who trust each other and move forward together. Precisely because of that, I don't want our class to fall into passivity or even suffer unnecessary losses due to information asymmetry or lack of preparation."

He paused, manipulated the whiteboard, and displayed the first set of images—the "Class Points" rankings he had photographed yesterday in the Second Year and Third Year corridors, from Class A to Class D, with glaring disparities in points.

"Yesterday, my companions and I conducted some preliminary investigations of the school. We discovered that within this school, there exists a core evaluation system called 'Class Points.'"

His finger pointed at the numbers. "Upperclassmen classes are ranked based on the amount of these points. The class with the highest points is Class A, and so on. Furthermore, the number of 'Personal Points' each student receives monthly is directly tied to these 'Class Points.'"

He switched images again, showing photos taken at locations like the free meal window in the cafeteria, the free shelves in the convenience store, and the public laundry room, with many upperclassmen visible in the shots.

"At the same time, we also noticed that the school has set up many points offering basic free supplies and services. Initially, we thought this was just the school's humanistic care. But combining the huge disparity in upperclassmen Class Points with the frequent use of these free points by many upperclassmen, we arrived at a deduction—"

Mazumi Mami's gaze swept across every face below—some shocked, some contemplative, some bewildered—and slowly spoke that cruel conclusion.

"Perhaps it's not that those senior students are bad at managing their points, but that the points they 'receive' are pitifully few from the start. If a class's 'Class Points' are very low, or even... zero, then all students in that class will receive no Personal Points the following month. These free points might be their only lifeline to maintain basic campus life."

The classroom was dead silent, only his clear voice echoing.

He finally pulled up a simple calculation chart.

"Let's do the math. Our first year has four classes, 160 people total. Assuming the second and third years have similar numbers, the whole school has about 480 students. Ten thousand points per person per month means the school distributes 48 million points monthly, equivalent to about 4.8 million Shenzhou Currency. Over a year, that's a massive expenditure exceeding 57 million."

His finger tapped lightly on the whiteboard, making a crisp sound.

"Everyone, think about it. A high school investing such astronomical figures annually in 'points' that are essentially student allowances, without demanding any direct return... Does that make sense? In any normal educational logic, it's almost impossible."

He looked at Majima Tomoya, his gaze calm but carrying an unavoidable inquiry.

"So, teacher. My question is, what are our current 'Class Points'? Have we already been deducted points for some unknown reason? And most critically—are we facing the risk of receiving zero points next month, or even having our points drop to zero?"

Mazumi Mami's statement ended.

He stood on the podium, quietly waiting for Majima-sensei's response, and also threw this heavy question to every classmate in the room, who were all immersed in shock and contemplation.

The entire Class A classroom fell into a nearly frozen silence.

Only the noise from other classes, drifting in through the window, accentuated the almost stagnant air here.

On Majima Tomoya's face, his usual stern expression seemed to show a trace of extremely subtle fluctuation.

He adjusted his glasses, didn't answer immediately, but instead cast his gaze toward the students below, their expressions varied.

And Sakayanagi Arisu slightly lowered her eyelids, her long silver lashes hiding the flickering, complex light in her eyes.

"Mazumi Mami... you really... made your move. And you chose this kind of public occasion, in this way..."

She mused to herself, gaining a deeper understanding of the decisiveness of his methods and his timing.

The curtain of truth had been brazenly lifted a corner by Mazumi Mami in this way, during the first day of school.

And from this moment on, the campus life of everyone in Class A might head in a direction completely different from yesterday—one filled with competition and uncertainty.