Monkey Group Exam Ends

The text message was brief and to the point, but it exploded in the hearts of the three like a clap of thunder. Hirata's face instantly turned pale. He suddenly looked up towards the door, his voice filled with disbelief, "He... he actually did it! He actually locked onto the Monkey Group's VIP without authorization and ended their assessment early!"

Yukimura was also taken aback, then his expression turned to anger, "This guy! He's simply unreasonable! We were still seriously discussing countermeasures, and he acted on his own, completely disregarding the class's situation and the efforts of the other group members!" He never expected Koenji to be so willful, ending a group's assessment simply because he found it boring. This would undoubtedly bring significant negative consequences to Class D, and they might even have points deducted by the school.

Just then, Hirata's terminal began to beep incessantly, with one message after another popping up. The other Class D members in the Monkey Group had no idea what had happened. Hirata quickly swiped the screen, his fingers tapping rapidly as he replied to each message, constantly apologizing and explaining that Koenji's actions were personal and unrelated to the other members of Class D. "I'm sorry, everyone, I sincerely apologize. This was Koenji's personal action, and it was not approved by us. We've caused trouble, and I apologize to everyone." "Please don't be angry. We will communicate with Koenji as soon as possible, and this situation will not happen again. Please continue to proceed with the assessment seriously and don't let this affect your results."

While replying to messages, Hirata secretly pondered: Koenji's unauthorized action not only disrupted the Monkey Group's assessment rhythm but would also surely arouse dissatisfaction from other classes, possibly even making Class D a target.

He looked up at Ayanokoji, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation, "Ayanokoji, what do you think we should do now? Koenji's actions have caused public outrage and could bring problems to our class. We must find a way to remedy this as soon as possible."

Ayanokoji put down his terminal and said calmly, "There's nothing to remedy. You and I both know Koenji's personality. No one can change what he decides. Moreover, the school's notification did not explicitly state that this was a violation of the rules, only that the answers were compliant and valid. So, it's highly unlikely that class points will be deducted. Perhaps he really did find the Monkey Group's VIP. As for the dissatisfaction of the other group members, appease them for now and wait to see the final outcome."

He paused and continued, "The most important thing now is not to dwell on Koenji's actions, but to quickly implement our previous plan and protect the VIPs associated with our Class D. After all, this is the core of the assessment and the key to us retaining our class points and improving our ranking."

Hirata felt slightly more at ease upon hearing this. He nodded, took a deep breath, suppressed the guilt and helplessness in his heart, and his voice regained its firmness, "You're right, Ayanokoji. The most important thing now is to protect the VIPs. Actually, before we returned, two VIPs had already contacted me privately."

Upon hearing the word "VIP," Yukimura also calmed down instantly. His eyes fixed on Hirata, and he asked eagerly, "Hirata, is that true? VIPs contacted you? Who are they? And in which group?" For Class D, the identity of the VIPs was crucial. As long as they could protect them from being guessed by other classes, they would receive corresponding class points, which was also the key for Class D to escape their predicament.

Hirata nodded, his tone serious, "Yes, it's true. They are Kikyo Kushida from the Dragon Group and Minami from the Horse Group. Kushida is in the Dragon Group, which is full of elites from various classes. Protecting her identity will be very difficult. If we're not careful, other classes might guess it. Then, not only will we not get points, but we'll also have points deducted, which is the outcome we least want to see."

"As for Minami's Horse Group, although their overall strength is not as good as the Dragon Group, they still require our focused protection." Hirata's tone became increasingly grave, "Therefore, our next goal is very clear: to fully protect the identity security of these two VIPs and prevent any class from discovering it. We need to divide our labor, closely monitor the movements of the Dragon Group and the Horse Group, and if we find anyone from other classes suspecting Kushida and Minami, we must take timely measures to interfere with their judgment."

Yukimura nodded seriously. Although he was still dissatisfied with Koenji's actions, he chose to set aside his personal emotions for the sake of the class's interests and fully dedicate himself to protecting the VIPs.

Ayanokoji also nodded slightly, "I will pay attention to the movements of the classes in the Dragon Group."

The three engaged in a detailed discussion centered on protecting the VIPs and formulated a preliminary protection plan. Unknowingly, the night had grown deeper. Hirata finally finished replying to all the messages, a hint of exhaustion on his face, yet his expression remained firm, "Alright, let's proceed as we discussed. No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must work together, protect the VIPs, earn more points for Class D, and escape our current predicament."

Yukimura nodded and sat back down at his desk, picking up his notebook to continue sorting through clues, his expression still focused. Ayanokoji leaned against the desk, closing his eyes, seemingly resting, but in reality, he was reviewing all the clues in his mind, contemplating the next course of action. The dormitory returned to silence, with only the rustling sound of a pen on paper and the faint sound of waves from outside the window, signaling that the game revolving around the VIPs had just begun, and Koenji's unauthorized actions had undoubtedly added more variables to this game.

Meanwhile, Koenji was strolling along the cruise ship's corridor, a lazy smile on his face, completely indifferent to the commotion and accusations behind him. He raised his hand to admire his muscles, still humming an out-of-tune ditty, as if the assessment that had just ended, one that concerned the fate of their class, was merely an insignificant game. To him, this assessment was too simple and not worth his time. Ending it early was just to escape the boredom and find something more interesting to do.

He reached the deck entrance, pushed open the cabin door, and the sea breeze instantly hit him, carrying a faint salty scent that dispelled some of his laziness. The sea in the night was tranquil and deep, with countless stars adorning the dark sky, shining brightly and reflecting on the sea's surface, creating a sparkling and exceptionally beautiful scene. There were quite a few couples on deck, snuggled together, whispering sweet nothings, their faces beaming with happiness, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere.

Koenji glanced at the couples, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes, and he let out a low scoff, "Utterly boring." He had intended to admire the stars at sea to alleviate his boredom, but the warm atmosphere on the deck made him somewhat irritable.

And at the corner of the corridor not far away, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji stood quietly, his gaze fixed on Koenji, a barely perceptible thought flashing in his eyes. He had originally planned to come to the deck for some fresh air and to organize his thoughts, but he unexpectedly saw Koenji. Just as he was about to step forward to see what Koenji was doing, his gaze inadvertently swept across the other side of the deck, and he instantly stopped.