Preliminary Analysis Under Complex Rules

With the rules read aloud, Hoshinomiya Chie placed the remaining documents on the table, crossed her arms, and maintained her smile: "That concludes all the rules for this exam. If you have any questions, you may ask them now; otherwise, the exam will officially commence. A word of advice: this exam concerns not only your personal points but also your class. Make sure to seize the opportunity."

The room fell into a brief silence as everyone quickly digested the rules, their expressions shifting in various ways.

After a moment of thought, Yoshikage Kira understood the nature of this special exam. In truth, this game was no different from Sugoroku—a game where betrayal by anyone was a possibility.

Or rather, the rules were a complete application of the Prisoner's Dilemma, a special variation of Werewolf mixed with an undercover game.

First, each group would be assigned one "Target" (the undercover agent), and all rules revolved around this individual. Two discussions would be held daily to independently analyze the situation. The game would last until a maximum of 9:00 PM on the fourth day.

At any point during the game, one could submit the name of the person they believed to be the Target, but an incorrect guess would result in a penalty for their class.

Only by submitting an answer during the "Answer Period" between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM on the fourth day could one avoid a penalty. If the Target were willing to reveal their identity and trust the other class members, the best outcome—Result 1—would be achieved if everyone correctly identified the Target during the Answer Period: everyone would receive 500,000 personal points, and the Target would be awarded 1,000,000 personal points.

However, if the Target's identity were discovered and a traitor submitted the answer prematurely, it would result in Result 3: those who submitted the correct answer would receive 500,000 personal points and gain 50 class points, while the Target's class would be deducted 50 class points. If the Target chose to hide their identity until the end of the game without being detected, and no one acted rashly to submit an answer during the game, but the Answer Period did not result in a unanimous correct answer, it would be Result 2: the Target would receive 500,000 personal points alone. Conversely, if someone submitted an incorrect answer during the game, the class of the person who guessed incorrectly would be deducted 50 class points, and the Target would be awarded 500,000 personal points.

If any of these conditions were met, the game for that group would be declared over immediately. However, any answers submitted by the Target's own classmates during the game would be considered invalid, and the game would continue.

(To prevent the Target from keeping the points for themselves without contributing to their class, one could indeed take the risk of submitting an answer to confirm whether the game had ended. But if the Target were not in one's own class, such a move would undoubtedly sabotage one's teammates and result in a pointless loss of class points.)

A moment later, Kakeru Ryuen broke the silence, his tone laced with provocation: "The rules are simple enough. But since this is a group exam, I assume everyone here has their own agenda, right? Let me be clear: if anyone dares to get in my way, whether they are from my class or another, I won't be polite."

Sakayanagi Arisu lifted her eyes slightly, her tone soft yet sharp: "Ryuen-kun, it would be better to restrain yourself. This exam relies on deduction and strategy, not brute force. If your impulsiveness leads to your class losing points, I doubt your classmates in Class C would be pleased, would they?"

Ryuen's expression darkened, and just as he was about to retort, Honami Ichinose quickly stepped in to mediate: "Alright, everyone, let's not argue. The most important thing now is to clarify the rules and organize our thoughts, not to provoke one another. After all, we can only earn points if we find the Target, which is beneficial for everyone and every class."

Yoshikage Kira spoke slowly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable weight: "I have a question. On the group list, our group is comprised of the core figures from each class. It is difficult to explain this as 'random.' Does the school have an additional objective or pattern for this arrangement, and is it reasonable?"

His words struck the heart of the matter, and everyone's gaze shifted to Hoshinomiya Chie. She smiled, noncommittal: "Kira-kun is very observant. However, the school has its own considerations regarding the logic of the groupings. You all need only follow the rules and participate in the exam seriously; there is no need to probe further."

Receiving no clear answer, Kira did not press the issue, merely nodding slightly, though the vigilance in his eyes remained undiminished. He knew that the school's deliberate arrangement would inevitably make this exam far more complex, and everyone present could be a hidden opponent, or even the Target.

Ayanokoji then spoke slowly, his tone flat: "The rules are clear; dwelling on the meaning of the groupings is of little use. Next, we need to determine the time for our first group discussion and our respective investigative directions. Also, a word of advice: do not easily trust anyone, including your own classmates—the Target could very well be among us."

His words were like a bucket of cold water, waking everyone present. Indeed, the core of this exam was to find the Target hidden among the group members, and everyone in front of them, even their own classmates, could be the "mole" that needed to be rooted out.

Hoshinomiya Chie watched their reactions and nodded with satisfaction: "It seems everyone understands the core of the exam. The first group discussion is scheduled for 5:00 PM tomorrow and will last for half an hour. The location remains this Room 404. Please arrive on time and do not be late. Additionally, the complete group list has been sent as an attachment to your emails; you may view it yourselves to familiarize yourselves with all the members of this group."

With that, Hoshinomiya Chie turned and asked them to leave the room to prepare for the next batch of Class C students. Ryuen arrived with several members of Class C just as the two groups crossed paths. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew stagnant; the probing and vigilance between them hung in the air like invisible gunpowder.