War: Four-Fifths

Day 4, Thursday.

In the morning, the system officially launched the Class Alliance feature.

Almost simultaneously, Ichinose Honami of Class B sent a formal alliance invitation to Class D. The terms stipulated that CP earned through cooperation would be distributed based on contribution, intelligence would be shared to a limited extent, neither side would target specific classes, and the alliance would be maintained at least until Day 6.

Horikita Suzune held an emergency consultation with Hirata and Hoshida No.

"We can form an alliance," Hoshida No analyzed, "but the terms must be amended: First, add a strategic coordination clause requiring communication before any actions involving significant interests of either side.

Second, explicitly exclude Class C from the non-targeting clause; both we and Class B need to guard against Ryuen.

Third, include a one-way withdrawal compensation clause: if one party withdraws early, they must pay the other party 10% of their total CP as compensation."

The revised terms were sent to Class B. After some hesitation and consultation with Shibata and Kanzaki, Ichinose agreed. Class D and Class B officially formed an alliance.

Almost simultaneously, Katsuragi Kohei of Class A also sent an alliance invitation to Class B, but Ichinose politely declined, citing their existing contract with Class D.

In the afternoon, in a secluded corner of the library.

Hoshida No arrived as promised. The only light in the corner came from the faint glow filtering between the bookshelves.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat in a chair, waiting already, with no one else around her.

"Hoshida No-kun, I'm glad you could come." Sakayanagi smiled. "I have been observing you. Your performance... is far above the average level of Class D, and you don't even lose to Katsuragi-kun."

"This isn't our first meeting, so let's get straight to your purpose." Hoshida No stood three meters away from her, maintaining his distance.

"The purpose is simple. I still hope you will come to Class A, under my command." Sakayanagi was blunt. "Class D is destined to be at the bottom; it's a waste of your talent. Come to me, and I can give you a bigger stage to control this school together. As for the transfer procedures and points, I will handle them."

Hoshida No's expression remained unmoved. "I refuse."

"Oh? The reason? Because you have feelings for Class D? Or... are you reluctant to leave those two little girls in Class B?" Sakayanagi's smile remained, but her words turned sharp.

"It has nothing to do with feelings," Hoshida No said. "Class D is more advantageous for me at the moment. Besides, I don't like being controlled."

Sakayanagi narrowed her eyes slightly. "It seems you are very clear about your own value. Then aren't you worried that I might seek cooperation with Class C? Currently, our Class A is still in the lead, and ruining Class D would only be a matter of time."

Hoshida No said calmly, "You won't cooperate with Ryuen Kakeru; he is a scorpion. Besides, Ryuen-kun and I currently share the same goal."

Sakayanagi's smile did not fade. "Are you referring to the agreement between you and Ryuen Kakeru?"

Hoshida No did not respond, then pulled the previously mentioned voice recorder from his pocket. "This is the content of my agreement with Ryuen. 200,000 Personal Points, and I'll sell it to you."

"Brilliant. A thief robbing a thief. Aren't you afraid I'll tell Ryuen about this?" Sakayanagi clapped her hands, looking intrigued.

Hoshida No looked her straight in the eyes and countered, "Don't you want to use this opportunity to suppress Ryuen?"

Sakayanagi's smile dimmed slightly. Watching his emotionless eyes, she directly took out her student smartphone. "150,000 Personal Points."

As the transaction concluded, Sakayanagi asked, "Will you stand on her side?"

"I stand on the side of Class D's victory," Hoshida No said. "Ryuen is a tool, and you are also a potential obstacle."

"Including me?" A sharp glint flashed in Sakayanagi's eyes.

"If necessary." Hoshida No turned to leave. "By the way, a word of advice. Hashimoto Masayoshi may not be reliable. The pressure Ryuen is putting on him might be greater than you imagine. And as for Katsuragi, he is too upright; sometimes, integrity is a weakness."

After speaking, he walked away directly. Sakayanagi Arisu opened the voice recorder, and her smile finally vanished completely, replaced by cold contemplation.

In the evening.

Ryuen Kakeru of Class C suddenly announced unilaterally that he had established a secret cooperation channel with Class D, and revealed vague information suggesting that Class D's vice-commander, Hoshida No, had been exchanging intelligence with Class C's vice-commander, Shiina Hiyori.

This was clearly a tactic by Ryuen to create a rift in the Class B-D alliance while pushing Hoshida No into the spotlight.

Doubts immediately arose within Class B. Ichinose Honami urgently contacted Horikita and Hoshida No.

Hoshida No's response was extremely calm. "Shiina Hiyori and I are book friends; our exchanges are limited to books and deductions based on public information, which complies with the rules."

He then stated consecutively: "1. Ryuen's move is intended to disrupt the B-D alliance and create opportunities for Class C to fish in troubled waters.

2. To show our sincerity, Class D is willing to share the B-level intelligence we just obtained regarding the teachers' judging tendencies with Class B for free.

3. If Class B still has doubts, we can initiate a small-scale joint mission (trust verification) as per the alliance terms."

This quickly quelled Class B's doubts. Ichinose decisively chose to trust Hoshida No and publicly condemned Ryuen's divisive behavior.

Night of Day 4, CP Rankings:

Class A: 1650 points, Class B: 1380 points, Class D: 850 points, Class C: 780 points.

Ryuen's divisive tactic failed to take effect; instead, it damaged Class C's credibility. Furthermore, because they were overly focused on schemes, their Resource Point income was further encroached upon by Class D and Class B.

Hoshida No received an encrypted message from Ryuen: "You're ruthless. Is there any movement from Sakayanagi's side?"

Hoshida No replied: "She approached me. Hashimoto might be unstable. You'd better speed things up, or prepare a backup plan."

Ryuen: "A backup plan? Are you referring to the one you have in your hands?"

Hoshida No: "When necessary. Do what you need to do."

Day 5, Friday.

The rumor system opened. Suddenly, all sorts of information, true and false, began to circulate:

"Katsuragi and Sakayanagi of Class A have broken up; the Katsuragi faction is preparing to defect on the final day!"

"Ichinose Honami of Class B actually has a massive debt of Personal Points and may be forced to sell out the class's interests!"

"The true identity of Hoshida No from Class D is an inspector sent by the school board!"

"Ryuen Kakeru from Class C has obtained dirt on all the class Commanders, including photographic evidence!"

Hoshida No immediately activated the system verification countermeasure.

He first spent 50 CP to verify the rumor regarding the internal strife within Class A; the result was false, but the system indicated that the rumor's point of origin was linked to Class C.

He immediately publicized this verification result, complete with system notarization, which dealt a heavy blow to Class C's credibility and forced Katsuragi and Sakayanagi of Class A to publicly express their unity for the time being.

At the same time, he personally fabricated and spread a highly targeted rumor: "Sakayanagi Arisu and Ryuen Kakeru had private contact before enrollment. The harassment against Class A by Class C during this war is actually a double act performed by the two of them, with the goal of jointly suppressing the Katsuragi faction and Class B."

In the afternoon, the "Public Debate" was held on the topic: "In an environment of meritocracy, is cooperation superior to competition, or is competition superior to cooperation?"

Each class sent one representative.

Katsuragi Kohei of Class A (Pro: Cooperation), Ichinose Honami of Class B (Pro), Ryuen Kakeru of Class C (Con), and Hoshida No of Class D (Con).

The debate was intense. Katsuragi's logic was rigorous, emphasizing long-term mutual benefit. Ichinose's emotions were sincere, calling for healthy interaction. Ryuen's words were sharp, attacking the hypocrisy of cooperation and encouraging a winner-takes-all mentality.

As the final speaker for the opposition, Hoshida No's debating style was unique.

"First, the environment here is Advanced Nurturing High School, where resources are limited and rankings determine everything.

Second, under clear rules and supervision, cooperation is a short-term strategic tool, meaningful only for concentrating strength to counter stronger competitors or reducing internal friction. Its essence remains competition between alliances.

Third, competition is the fundamental driving force that pushes individuals and collectives to break their limits. The school established a class system precisely to stimulate competition; all cooperation ultimately serves the purpose of winning at a higher level of competition.

Finally (the author can't make this up anymore, but Hoshida No was clear and logical anyway)."

Voting results: Hoshida No received the highest number of votes, and Class D won a 150 CP reward.

On the night of the 5th, due to the influence of the rumors and the debate:

The atmosphere within Class A was subtle.

Class B became more reliant on its alliance with Class D.

Ryuen of Class C appeared somewhat restless due to the rumors and the loss in the debate.

CP Rankings: Class A 1780 points, Class B 1550 points, Class D 1100 points, Class C 800 points.

On the individual contribution board, Hoshida No had quietly risen to second place in the grade due to multiple key actions and hidden tasks, trailing only a student from Class A who was focused on completing a large number of individual tasks.

Reasonable Betrayal Clause: If it is confirmed that an ally has secretly harmed the core interests of one's own side, the contract can be terminated immediately without notice or compensation, and the party is exempt from betrayal penalties.

Unilaterally tearing up an agreement (without triggering the "Reasonable Betrayal" clause):

A fixed penalty of 200 CP is deducted.

Class credibility drops significantly, affecting all subsequent negotiations. (Announced to the whole school)

Rumor Countermeasure and Verification:

Any class or individual can spend CP to request the system to verify the truth of a rumor.

If the rumor is verified as false, the class that spread the rumor will be deducted double the CP of the production cost, and the class's credibility will drop significantly.

If the rumor is verified as true, the spreading party receives no additional reward, but the CP spent by the verifying party is not refunded.

Day 4 Task Released (Two-way Spy)

Task Content: Each class may nominate up to 1 student to attempt to infiltrate another class under the guise of an exchange student or cooperative observer.

1. The nominating party nominates a spy candidate.

2. The receiving party has the right to choose to accept or reject the spy's entry. If rejected, the mission is canceled.

3. If accepted, the spy will join the receiving party's general online chat group and may participate in some public activities.

Spy Objective: Obtain intelligence on the receiving party's strategic movements, resource allocation, internal conflicts, etc.

Report valuable intelligence back to the nominating party daily (determined by the system).

If suspected by a student of the receiving party and evidence is reported to the referee, and it is verified, the spy mission fails.

Penalty: The spy student is forcibly withdrawn from the game for the remaining days.

Nominating Class: 150 CP deducted.

Day 5.

Spy Screening Task: The system released to all classes: "Find the spy lurking in your class, if any."

Each class can submit suspected targets within the system with reasonable justifications.

Correctly identified: 80 CP reward.

Submitted a student of the class who is not a spy: 50 CP deducted.

No spy and submitted/failed to find the spy: No reward, no penalty.

(Thanks to "Akasagarbha Bodhisattva" for the "Like" support, and thanks to everyone for the little gifts~)