Long Aotian Begins His Rampage

Five days later...

Whoosh~

In a student council chamber as solemn as a courtroom, Horikita Manabu sat at the center of the two sides as the student council president, casting a glance around the room.

"Tachibana Akane, you may signal for the defendant to enter."

Horikita Manabu rested his chin on his interlaced fingers and spoke to the petite girl beside him, whose purple hair was tied into a neat bun.

Shortly after, Ayanokoji stepped in slowly with a steady gait. Following closely by his side was his defense counsel, Horikita Suzune. Her expression was grave and her gaze sharp, as if she were prepared to defend Ayanokoji to the very end.

At the same time, Chabashira Sae appeared as well. She stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes filled with a mix of scrutiny and anticipation, seemingly fully invested in the unfolding situation.

"Tachibana Akane, you may signal for the victims to enter."

Seeing that the people on the left row had taken their seats, Horikita Manabu spoke to the girl beside him once more.

Before long, Ike and Yamauchi stepped into the room one after another, their paces hurried yet maintaining a sense of composure.

Quite unexpectedly, Long Aotian followed them in. He walked with a firm, confident stride, wearing his signature indifferent smile. His eyes revealed an arrogance that could not be underestimated, as if the entire room were under his control.

Immediately after, Class A homeroom teacher Mashima Tomoya walked into the room with a steady, measured gait, his expression serious and focused.

"No way!" Horikita Suzune's eyes widened abruptly, her pupils contracting as if she had seen something inconceivable.

She stood up from her seat with a jolt, leaning forward slightly. Pointing a finger at Long Aotian, she stared at him in disbelief, her tone filled with shock and confusion: "Long Aotian, why are you here?"

The corners of Chabashira Sae's mouth curled up into an intrigued smile. Her eyes shimmered with curiosity and amusement, as if she were watching a dramatic scene unfold with great relish.

"I am also one of the victims. Is there a problem with me being here?"

Long Aotian sat down in the right row with an air of ease, a faint smile hanging on his face.

As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping calmly across the people around him.

He nodded inwardly, thinking to himself: Not bad, not bad. It seems everyone has arrived.

"Ahem." Horikita Manabu cleared his throat lightly. Though the sound was soft, it carried an undeniable authority. He lifted his chin slightly, his gaze sweeping over the two people before him like a torch, as if to say: "Please remain quiet."

Hearing that familiar voice—the voice of her brother—Horikita Suzune's body stiffened involuntarily. She quickly adjusted her posture and sat back down obediently, her eyes filled with a trace of awe and submission. Her lips pressed tightly together, and she became exceptionally quiet and well-behaved.

Long Aotian cast a quick glance over, the corners of his mouth curling into a subtle arc. His eyes flickered with a hint of mockery and anticipation as he muttered to himself: I'm afraid the scene that follows won't be quite this calm.

"First, regarding this incident: the victims' points were illegally stolen, and the victims have currently pointed their suspicions toward the defendant, Ayanokoji."

"May I ask if the victims can provide concrete evidence to support your accusations?"

Horikita Manabu's brows were furrowed, his expression exceptionally stern. His sharp gaze swept across everyone present as he spoke in a steady, powerful voice.

"We have evidence! You were the one who stole our points!" Ike and Yamauchi shouted in angry unison, their voices trembling with agitation.

Both of them reached out with shaking hands at the same time, quickly pulling their phones from their pockets. Their fingers were clumsy with tension, and the act of swiping open their screens seemed to carry a sense of urgency.

When their eyes landed on the text messages on their screens, their faces turned ashen, their eyes filled with fury and resentment.

The text read: "Sorry, due to the failure of your mission, your points have all been transferred to Ayanokoji."

Ike gritted his teeth, his fists clenched tight, while Yamauchi trembled with rage. The words on the phone screens felt like the cruel reality they least wanted to face.

Watching this, Long Aotian wore a faint smile, one tinged with amusement. His eyes shifted back and forth between the angry faces of Ike and Yamauchi and the text messages on their screens.

He rested his hands lightly on his chest, his posture appearing both relaxed and leisurely, as if everything were within his grasp.

That's right! It was that old fox Long Aotian who did it!

The scene shifts back to one day ago.

At the moment they successfully completed their mission, bright smiles bloomed on the faces of Ike and Yamauchi, their eyes shimmering with anticipation and joy.

Ike patted Yamauchi on the shoulder, and the two exchanged a smile, as if silently celebrating the harvest to come.

They rubbed their hands together unconsciously, seemingly imagining the satisfaction and sense of achievement they would feel once the points arrived. The entire atmosphere was filled with an indescribable sense of pleasure and expectation.

The mission Long Aotian had set this time happened to be the same one as Ike and Yamauchi's, so it was only natural that they would eventually find out about each other.

Long Aotian's finger slid lightly across his phone screen, and two image messages quietly came into view.

His eyes became soft and profound in that moment, and a faint smile played on his lips—a smile that seemed to hide countless secrets and schemes.

"Points, much like money, have the power to turn people into enemies." Saying this, he slowly used his phone to send two text messages.

The scene returns to the present~

"The defendant may now present their defense." Horikita Manabu tilted his head slightly, his gaze sharp and focused as he looked to the left. His voice was steady and powerful, each word echoing clearly through the courtroom.

"I do not believe this so-called evidence has any validity. After all, such text message content is far too easy to forge."

When Horikita Suzune's gaze fell upon that text message, a faint, mocking curve touched her lips, and her eyes shimmered with disdain.

She shook her head slightly and pointed toward the phone screen being displayed to the crowd. Her contemptuous gaze seemed to silently mock the hypocrisy and weakness of the message.

"The defendant's defense is reasonable. This student council accepts it. Will the victims please provide more concrete and effective evidence?"

Horikita Manabu nodded slightly, a glimmer of approval flashing in his eyes. He then turned his head to the right, speaking in a steady, powerful voice.

"I..." Ike and Yamauchi spoke at the same time, only to choke on their words. Their voices echoed through the courtroom, sounding exceptionally feeble.

Visible panic and helplessness washed over their faces, their eyes flickering with confusion and unease.

They exchanged a glance, as if silently asking one another, "What should we do?" Immediately after, they lowered their heads in unison, falling silent. The entire scene descended into an eerie stillness.

"Ahem." Long Aotian gave a light cough, the sound cutting through the quiet room with startling clarity.

A trace of disdain and exasperation flashed in his eyes as he sighed inwardly, Relying on you two idiots is a dead end. I'll have to carry this show myself.

"First, I have reason to doubt the authenticity of the text message, and my points were stolen. The person directing the content of that message is Ayanokoji. Therefore, I formally request the Student Council President to inspect Ayanokoji's mobile point balance to verify the truth of our claims."

Long Aotian smiled slightly, speaking clearly and forcefully.

Horikita Manabu nodded slightly, his eyes revealing approval of Long Aotian's proposal. He turned his sharp gaze toward the defendant's position on the left, his voice steady and powerful: "Defendant, please provide your defense, or voluntarily display your mobile point balance to prove your innocence or confirm the validity of the accusations."

Horikita Suzune furrowed her brows, her face etched with suspicion and anger.

She stood up abruptly, her gaze piercing as she stared directly at Long Aotian, her voice trembling with agitation: "On what grounds? Ayanokoji's phone is his personal privacy; there is no reason for him to show it to you! Since you, Long Aotian, also claim to be a victim, I demand to see your point balance as well to prove your story!" As she spoke, she pointed a finger firmly at Long Aotian, her eyes filled with unquestionable resolve and courage.

Watching Horikita Suzune's near-absurd rebuttal, Long Aotian couldn't help but shake his head. What a brain-dead move.

He spoke slowly, his voice laced with mockery: "How laughable. You're actually using personal privacy as an excuse to stall. If you truly have nothing to hide, why not just show Ayanokoji's balance to clear his name? Your reaction only makes your motives more suspicious. Could it be that you really have some unspeakable secret?"

"Of course, that's fine too. Don't say I'm bullying you." He slowly pulled his phone from his pocket. As the screen lit up, it clearly displayed a balance of "0."

Flashback to the previous day~

At this moment, Long Aotian was sitting in his dorm, fully focused in front of his computer. His fingers danced rapidly across the keyboard, as if playing a silent musical score.

His eyes were glued to the screen, a cunning smile on his face, as if he were executing a meticulously planned layout.

With a flurry of operations, he transferred all the points from the dummy account back to his original one, then quickly picked up his phone and skillfully logged into the dummy account. The entire process was fluid, without a hint of hesitation or pause.

Back to reality~

Horikita Suzune's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. Her finger trembled slightly as she pointed at the phone screen, as if she had seen something impossible.

Her lips parted, but she couldn't make a sound for a long time, just staring blankly at the digit "0," her eyes filled with confusion and shock.

Long Aotian looked at Horikita Suzune with a playful, mocking glint in his eyes. He lightly shook the phone in his hand as if silently flaunting his victory, then spoke slowly: "Well, I've displayed my points as you requested. Now, please have Ayanokoji show his point balance and transaction history." He intentionally dragged out his tone, dripping with sarcasm, as if waiting for Horikita Suzune's awkward response.

Ayanokoji sat there quietly, his face devoid of expression, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

When Long Aotian made his demand, he slowly took out his phone from his pocket, his movements neither hurried nor hesitant.

His finger swiped across the screen to unlock it, then slowly navigated to the interface displaying his points. When the string of numbers "39,030,000" appeared clearly before everyone's eyes, his gaze remained as calm as water, without a single ripple.

That's right! It was that old fox Long Aotian who did it again!

Flashback to 5 minutes before entering the venue~

Long Aotian stood there, feigning naturalness, a subtle smile tugging at the corner of his mouth as he said to the others: "Sorry, I need to use the restroom."

He stepped toward the restroom, his back appearing calm and composed. However, the moment he stepped inside, his figure seemed to melt into the air—this was his unique ninjutsu: [Flying Thunder God].

In the next instant, he appeared in his dorm, quickly opened his computer, and brought his phone (a secondary one bought outside) to the location. His fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, his eyes fixed on the screen with a cunning smile.

He swiftly transferred all the points from his original account to Ayanokoji's account, then deleted his original account, his movements skilled and rapid.

After finishing, he hid the computer, activated [Flying Thunder God] again, and instantly returned to the restroom as if he had never left.

Back to the scene...

Horikita Suzune's eyes widened, staring intently at the points on Ayanokoji's phone screen. Her face was filled with shock and confusion.

Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words.

A surge of intense unease and confusion welled up in her heart: Did he really do it? How is this possible...

Her gaze shifted back and forth between Ayanokoji and the phone screen, trying to find an answer.

"Defendant Ayanokoji, please provide your defense regarding this sudden change in points."

Horikita Manabu stared at the points on the screen, his brows furrowed and his expression turning exceptionally stern. He opened his mouth slightly, his voice steady and powerful.

Ayanokoji glanced inadvertently at the flustered Horikita Suzune beside him. A subtle light flashed in his eyes, as if he were silently perceiving everything, knowing that if he didn't speak, he would surely be convicted.

"From this text message, it is not difficult to see that the mastermind possesses the ability to manipulate points through illegal technology. Therefore, I have reason to reject this; I have been framed through the artificial transfer of points."

Ayanokoji sat there, his face as calm as water, his eyes seemingly able to pierce through all illusions. He lifted his chin slightly, his voice clear and firm as he spoke slowly.

Note: Ayanokoji seems to have a deadpan face; the author isn't quite sure either.

Horikita Manabu nodded slightly, his eyes revealing approval of Ayanokoji's defense. A subtle smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, as if he were nodding inwardly.

Immediately, he turned his head, his sharp gaze directed to the right, his voice steady and powerful: "The defendant's rebuttal is reasonable; this Student Council accepts it. Will the victim's side please continue to provide evidence and offer more conclusive proof."

Long Aotian narrowed his eyes, a meaningful smile curling his lips, as if everything were within his expectations. He spoke slowly, his voice laced with mockery and confidence: "I cannot agree with Ayanokoji's defense. Since the mastermind possesses such advanced methods, why choose to frame you specifically? Furthermore, why didn't you notice the abnormality in your points before entering the venue?"

"It was only when we demanded to check your phone that you suddenly reacted. Isn't this all too coincidental? Therefore, I have reason to suspect that this is all a self-directed act by Ayanokoji, attempting to divert our attention."

After speaking, Long Aotian's smile gradually transformed into a villainous, cackling grin as he continued: "Based on the above suspicions, I formally request the Student Council President and the school authorities to conduct a thorough search of Ayanokoji's dormitory to find potential tools used in the crime. I believe only in this way can we uncover the truth and restore the facts to their original state."