First Confrontation, Undercurrents at Play

Fortunately, the dragon of Class C was about to announce the rules, so Ryuen merely shot a fierce glare before leading his group into the conference room.

The members of the Class B group relaxed, exchanged a few brief words analyzing the situation on the way, and returned to their rooms.

Ever since receiving the text message, Yoshikage Kira had felt an unnatural sensation, and after the rules were read, his confusion only deepened. Why would the school choose such an inefficient method for announcing the rules?

With only a dozen or so people per group, a single room would have been more than enough; going out of their way to separate classes into groups of three to five for explanations was truly redundant. Perhaps no one else cared about this, though.

After all, the school could do as it pleased, but perhaps this was a method they were forced to use? Or perhaps the test of thinking had begun the moment the rules were read. In his own group, he recognized Honami Ichinose, Suzune Horikita, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, Yosuke Hirata, and even Kakeru Ryuen and Arisu Sakayanagi. These individuals belonged to four different classes, and most were core figures of their respective groups; it was impossible for this to be a random grouping.

Based on the list, Yoshikage Kira instantly sensed that the grouping was not purely random. His brow furrowed imperceptibly as he mused to himself: The school deliberately gathered the core members of each class into the same group; this is likely more than a simple exam. There is a high probability of ulterior motives behind it, perhaps an attempt to observe the strategic capabilities of each class's core.

It seems this exam's distribution was based on individual comprehensive levels, but as for what the rules actually are, there are still too many unknown factors and a severe lack of intelligence. Everything must wait until the exam officially begins the next day.

The night passed in the blink of an eye. At 4:50 PM the following afternoon, people arrived one after another in front of Room 404.

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, Suzune Horikita, and Yosuke Hirata were the first to arrive. The three from Class D looked calm, exchanging no unnecessary words, maintaining a relaxed state by tacit agreement. The great victory in the Uninhabited Island Exam had temporarily stabilized Class D's ranking, but all three knew that the variables in the VIP Exam far exceeded previous assessments; one wrong step would lead to a massive deduction of class points, rendering their previous efforts entirely in vain.

Arriving immediately after was Honami Ichinose, accompanied by two ordinary members of Class B. She remained her usual gentle self, a faint smile playing on her lips, her demeanor graceful and composed, showing no signs of tension. However, those familiar with her could detect a hint of caution hidden in her eyes. After entering, her gaze swept quickly over the three people in the room, and she gave a slight nod—seemingly casual, but in reality, she had already secretly assessed the state of the Class D members.

Yoshikage Kira was the last Class B member to enter. He made no unnecessary movements, walking straight to the conference table to take his seat, his back straight and his expression calm. Since sorting through the rules last night, he had been deducing every possibility. The four potential exam outcomes, the pros and cons of betrayal versus cooperation, and the hidden psychology of the VIP had already formed countless deductive models in his mind.

With only two minutes left before the discussion began, a flamboyant sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Kakeru Ryuen entered the room with three Class C members, his hands in his pockets, his posture arrogant, his eyes filled with hostility and impatience. The crushing defeat on the Uninhabited Island and the humiliation of Class C's points being wiped out had left him harboring deep resentment. As he stepped into the room, his gaze locked onto Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, carrying undisguised hostility and provocation that nearly scorched the air.

"Looks like the losers are quite eager," Ryuen sneered, his tone mocking and acerbic. "Do you think showing up on time will help you regain the face you lost last time?"

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji leaned back in his chair without even raising his eyelids, his expression indifferent and unruffled, as if this deliberate provocation were merely insignificant noise. His entirely calm attitude made the poised Ryuen feel as if he had punched a cloud, causing the hostility in his heart to grow even heavier.

Just as the atmosphere was about to reach a stalemate, the final person arrived.

Arisu Sakayanagi walked slowly into the room leaning on a small cane. Her figure was slender, her expression gentle and soft, and a perfectly measured smile graced her face—the very image of a top student from Class A. She walked with composure, her gaze sweeping lightly over the confronting group. She neither participated in the provocation nor made any attempt to ease the tension, simply taking her seat quietly. Her fingertips tapped the table unconsciously as she took in everyone's expressions and movements.

The core members of all four classes were now present.

In an instant, the small conference room was completely filled with invisible undercurrents. There were no heated arguments, yet it was rife with probing, vigilance, and calculation. Everyone harbored their own agenda, and the possibilities of cooperation and betrayal tugged back and forth in the air.

At exactly 5:00 PM, the door was gently clicked shut. The soft sound of the lock engaging was like the sound of a stone being placed on a game board.

The half-hour time-limited group discussion officially began.

The first to break the silence was Honami Ichinose. Her tone was gentle and fair as she proposed the most stable opening strategy, attempting to control the rhythm of the discussion: "Since the discussion has begun, let's try to unify our approach. The VIP is hidden among us, and the worst thing we can do in the early stages of the exam is engage in baseless suspicion and internal friction. I suggest we each share the details of when we received the school's emails and texts yesterday, compare our similarities and differences, and trace the clues from the source. This is the most reliable method at the moment."

This proposal was impeccable—fair, rational, and perfectly aligned with the optimal strategy for finding the VIP; it was impossible to find a single flaw.

Yosuke Hirata was the first to echo her, his tone sincere: "I agree with Honami Ichinose. I received the email on time yesterday, and after attending the meeting, I stayed in my dormitory to rest. I did not go out, nor did I receive any additional messages from the school."

As the surface leader of Class D, Yosuke Hirata's personality was always open, and this statement was honest and straightforward, without intentional concealment or hidden traps.

Subsequently, the other two ordinary Class B members spoke in turn. Their content was much the same: they had received the notification on time, had no abnormal situations, and no special movements. Their words were plain, with nothing suspicious to be found.

When it was Class C's turn, Kakeru Ryuen let out a direct sneer, his attitude perfunctory and arrogant: "Where do all these trivial details come from? Everything is normal on my end; there are no abnormalities. To put it bluntly, this kind of inconsequential investigation is meaningless."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping sharply across the room, his tone carrying a powerful sense of oppression: "I'll say this now: there's no need to slowly deduce or investigate in this exam. There is only one optimal solution—a gamble. Regardless of who the VIP is, we just need to lock onto someone at random and submit an answer early. If we guess right, the class gets points; if we guess wrong, it's just a deduction. For my Class C, our points were already wiped out last time, so losing another fifty points is of no consequence. I don't care at all."

These words were blunt and reckless, instantly making the atmosphere in the room feel heavy.

Everyone realized in an instant that Kakeru Ryuen's core goal was never to win the exam or earn points, but pure revenge. Class C was already at rock bottom with nothing to lose; he could recklessly disrupt everyone's rhythm and drag other classes down at any cost, especially to deal a heavy blow to Class D.

Arisu Sakayanagi raised her eyes, her tone soft but possessing clear penetration as she spoke calmly in rebuttal: "Kakeru Ryuen's idea is too reckless. The core of this exam is thinking and strategy, not gambling. Your Class C is already at the bottom, so naturally, you can afford to squander deduction opportunities, but the points of the other three classes were hard-earned. Your rash actions will affect everyone's interests; it is too selfish."

"Oh? Is Classmate Sakayanagi lecturing me?" Kakeru Ryuen's eyes turned cold as he immediately looked at the girl from Class A. "Class A is ranked third, yet you aren't doing much better. What right do you have to lecture me?"

"I am merely stating facts," Arisu Sakayanagi said, her expression unchanged, her smile remaining as she spoke with composure. "Unfounded guesses and rash answers will only create unnecessary losses and will not help in finding the VIP. Rather than acting on impulse, it is better to investigate rationally; that is the ability this exam is truly testing."

The two clashed in a verbal exchange, their confrontation instantly pushing the tense atmosphere in the room to its peak.