First Transaction

"The hidden rules for point deductions," Hoshida No said.

Ayanokoji pondered from the side, "To put it simply, this question concerns whether individual points can be deducted and how; on a larger scale, it involves the operating principles of the school's entire point system."

Chazhu Zuo Zhi did not answer immediately, instead calling someone to inquire about the matter. After half a minute of silence on the other end, a voice slowly replied, "It is permitted."

Only then did Chazhu Zuo Zhi answer the question, her voice lower than usual: "You have chosen the trickiest question of all; this information is worth far more than 500,000 points."

She pulled an unmarked notepad from her drawer, quickly scribbled a few lines, and pushed it toward Hoshida No:

"First, the threshold for anonymous inter-class reporting: as long as two or more students from other classes report an obstruction of collective order, and the situation is verified, the class will be deducted 10 points.

"Second, cumulative deductions for implicit behavior: minor infractions like tardiness, whispering in class, or failing to complete cleaning duties do not incur deductions individually, but if they exceed 50 instances per month, 30% of the monthly base points will be deducted. If acts like fighting or malicious rumor-spreading occur, the class will be deducted 50 points directly, in addition to the risk of expulsion for those involved.

"Third, collateral deductions linked to assessments: the school holds special exams every month. If more than one-third of the students in a class fail to meet the standard, not only will their individual points be wiped out, but the class total will also be penalized an additional 20 points."

Chazhu Zuo Zhi took back the notepad with a serious expression; she did not explain what class points were, nor did she say what the special exams entailed.

Once Hoshida No obtained the intelligence, he and Ayanokoji left. Instead of returning directly to Class D, the two went to a karaoke parlor and rented a private room.

Inside the room, colorful lights pulsed, casting hues over the two connected sofas. A fruit platter sat on the square black table.

Hoshida No noticed Ayanokoji's hesitant expression. He carelessly swiped his finger across his phone screen and tossed out a casual remark: "I can't pay the 500,000 points alone."

The moment the words fell, a flash of realization crossed Ayanokoji's eyes.

He asked no further questions, walked to the innermost corner of the room, and sat down. With his back against the wall and his fingers resting casually on his knees, he looked like a statue isolated from the environment.

Hoshida No withdrew his gaze, opened his friend list, and precisely located the avatars of Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei, sending the same message to both:

"Come to Keyaki Mall, xxx karaoke room. I have a trade regarding class matters that I need to discuss with you." After sending it, he paused and added: "Don't call anyone else."

When the door to the room was pushed open, the colorful lights happened to flicker across the entrance.

Karuizawa Kei walked in first. The moment she saw Hoshida No, a smile immediately bloomed on her face. She sat on the sofa beside him without reservation, their shoulders nearly touching, and she affectionately linked her arm with his.

Her voice carried a hint of coy probing: "Brother No, why the sudden call? What kind of trade is this?"

Ichinose Honami followed closely behind, gently closing the door to shut out the noise from outside.

Her gaze first landed on Hoshida No and Karuizawa Kei, then was drawn to Ayanokoji in the corner. Looking curious, she turned to Hoshida No: "Brother No, who is this?"

Only then did Karuizawa Kei notice the corner. Upon seeing the unfamiliar brown-haired boy, she immediately let go of Hoshida No's arm, subconsciously scooted to the side to create a small distance between them, and felt her face flush for no reason.

"This is my classmate, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka," Hoshida No said in a flat tone without further explanation, then tilted his chin toward Ayanokoji in the corner. "These two are from Class B, my little sister and friend, Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami."

After the introductions, they skipped the small talk. Hoshida No went straight to the point: "I possess the hidden rules of this school regarding the deduction of monthly individual points. I want to trade this with your class." The content was concise and the purpose clear.

Seeing Hoshida No's serious expression, the two girls understood the importance of the matter.

Karuizawa Kei spoke first, looking puzzled: "The school has hidden rules? How come I didn't know? Teacher Hoshinomiya never told us."

Hoshida No did not explain too much.

"Hidden rules are not surface-level; they are tests for the students themselves. The teachers naturally won't get involved, just like the bus seat-offering incident at the start of the term."

Seeing the two girls were confused as to why that incident was involved, Hoshida No explained: "The classmate over there, Ayanokoji, wasn't on the same bus as us, but they also encountered a situation where they had to offer their seats. The people who boarded were an elderly person and a staff member in uniform."

Karuizawa Kei nodded and asked: "Then... what was that testing?"

Hoshida No offered his own thoughts: "It could be a student's character or their powers of observation." In the end, he shook his head, indicating he wasn't sure.

Ichinose interrupted their conversation to bring the topic back on track.

Perhaps concerned about the interests of everyone in her class, she looked conflicted: "Brother No, I trust your ability, but what is your basis for this?"

Hoshida No nodded and said calmly: "The school issues 100,000 points every month, which seems generous, but in reality, these points are quietly reclaimed through 'hidden deductions'."

"Eh?" Karuizawa Kei exclaimed in surprise. "You mean the school doesn't actually give us 100,000 points a month?"

Hoshida No nodded and added: "You must have seen that the school cafeteria and shops have free sets and items, right?"

The two girls nodded. Ichinose realized with a start: "I saw many upperclassmen eating the free sets. At first, I thought they had run out of points, but it turns out the school doesn't give us that many points to begin with."

She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her tone still gentle but more cautious: "Brother No, I naturally understand the value of the information, and I believe you wouldn't cheat me or Kei, but Class B needs clear terms for the trade."

She added: "How many points do you want? And how much information can you give us?"

Karuizawa Kei leaned toward Hoshida No, her tone carrying a hint of reliance: "Yeah, Brother No, you can't just make our class pay blindly, right? At least let us know if the money is worth it."

Hoshida No looked up at the two, his gaze sweeping over Ayanokoji, who remained silent in the corner, and spoke slowly: "1 million individual points in exchange for all three hidden deduction rules."

"1 million?" Karuizawa Kei subconsciously raised her voice. "Isn't that too much? School just started, and the total points are only 2.5 million. To take out that much at once..."

"It's not much," Hoshida No interrupted, his tone firm. "Paying 1 million points once—that's only 40,000 points per person. It guarantees that you will receive the points you would have otherwise lost in the coming months. Since school just started, the class deductions won't be too heavy yet."

Ichinose quickly calculated: "If we initially receive 100,000 points a month, and we lose less than 40,000 points without this information, our class would naturally lose out. But if it's more than 40,000, then this information is definitely useful."

In the end, both sides decided that Ichinose would communicate with her classmates, and if possible, they would have an answer by tonight.

To persuade Class B to buy the information, Hoshida No shared a personal theory: "Every class likely starts with the same number of class points, and these class points might determine the hierarchy between classes."

Karuizawa Kei wanted to chat a bit more, but Ichinose pulled her aside and whispered in her ear.

Then, Hoshida No saw Karuizawa Kei nod with a blushing face.

The two girls stood up to leave. Before leaving, Karuizawa Kei looked back at Hoshida No: "Brother No, remember to treat me to milk tea next time we meet!"

After the door closed, Ayanokoji spoke slowly: "1 million points, 500,000 in net profit after costs. You really know how to do business."

Hoshida No picked up a piece of fruit from the table and tossed one to Ayanokoji: "This 500,000, we'll split it half and half."