Planning and Preparation

Soon, Sunday arrived.

For once, Wu Qiao didn't lock himself in his room to immerse himself in tedious studies. He arranged to meet with Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei, intending to pull off something big—fleecing Class A for a hefty sum.

When the two heard Wu Qiao explain his shocking plan at the meeting spot, Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei exchanged glances, their faces filled with disbelief.

Wu Qiao actually planned to find a student from Class A, stage a "getting beaten up" bitter-meat scheme, and use the opportunity to ruthlessly extort a large amount of personal points from them.

Karuizawa Kei couldn't help but frown, her tone laced with worry and confusion: "Wu, is this really necessary? Just for those personal points, you're going to get yourself beaten up on purpose? If the act fails and you get exposed, you'll end up losing more than you gained."

"Don't worry, it won't fail." Wu Qiao smiled confidently, a glimmer of certainty flashing in his eyes. "Besides, this isn't just about personal points. If handled correctly, this matter could cause Class A's class points to drop significantly. As long as the class point gap between Class A and Class B remains tight, they will become increasingly obsessed with Class B's movements, and the situation will become much more interesting."

Hearing this, the hesitation originally on Kushida Kikyo's face gradually turned into seriousness. She pondered for a moment, keenly grasping the deeper meaning behind Wu Qiao's words, and immediately asked: "Then, Wu, what do you need us to do? You didn't just call us out here solely to inform us of this, did you?"

"Of course not." Wu Qiao gave Kushida an appreciative look and nodded. "If this play is to be convincing, I can't do it alone. When the time comes, I need you to find a way to lure away any bystanders and create a perfect window of opportunity for me. Furthermore, after I go down, you need to quickly round up students from other classes to arrive at the scene as eyewitnesses. Remember, they must be from other classes; that will make it much more persuasive."

He paused, providing a specific timeline: "The operation is set for Tuesday. I will notify you of the specific location and signal two hours in advance, so just be prepared."

Although Karuizawa Kei still felt the plan was somewhat insane, seeing Wu Qiao's look of absolute confidence, she bit her lip and finally nodded: "Fine, I understand. As long as I can help, I will cooperate to the best of my ability."

Kushida Kikyo also revealed her signature perfect smile, though this time, there was an inexplicable sense of anticipation in it: "Don't worry, Wu. Finding people and manufacturing public opinion are my specialties. When the time comes, I guarantee that the victim from Class A won't be able to defend themselves."

Watching these two girls, each with their own hidden agendas yet both willing to cooperate, Wu Qiao nodded inwardly. The pieces were in place; now, he just had to wait for the show to start next week.

To climb to the top, burying one's head in books isn't enough; occasionally, one must learn to exploit the rules and give those high-and-mighty people a little shock.

The Path of Mystery, a path based on fiction and deception, might sound like it's only good for lying, but if combined with the Path of Elation, the chemical reaction it produces is incredibly effective for provoking others.

As for Wu Qiao's method of grinding experience for this Path of Mystery, it was actually quite absurd: as long as he earnestly explained to others that "he had lived in this island nation since he could remember," he could steadily earn experience points. After all, as a transmigrator, this statement was essentially a lie, yet it was one that ordinary people could never debunk.

Of course, Wu Qiao had learned quite a few similar linguistic arts recently, though he always felt his way of speaking was becoming more and more like Kyubey from Puella Magi Madoka Magica—always carrying a subtle sense of being seemingly sincere while actually being manipulative.

In the afternoon, at the Advanced Nurturing High School library.

Shiina Hiyori, the library's permanent NPC, was sitting quietly in a corner reading. Seeing Wu Qiao arrive empty-handed for once, Shiina Hiyori subconsciously set down her book.

The two had known each other for quite a while, yet they hadn't exchanged more than twenty sentences in total.

The first time they spoke was because she saw Wu Qiao self-studying and wondered if he needed help with math. Ever since she discovered that the problems on his scratch paper were far beyond the curriculum, Shiina Hiyori never entertained that thought again.

Later, he accurately pointed out her talent for recommending books, which had surprised her greatly.

It wasn't strange that he discovered she loved reading, but how did he know about her hidden attribute of being good at recommending books? Although she was puzzled, her personality kept her from asking.

However, the atmosphere today was clearly off, as in the past, even when he came to the library, he would only sit far away from her and never directly across from her.

Watching Wu Qiao sit down and clasp his hands together, he said with a sincere tone: "Could you recommend some books, Shiina? Preferably something relaxing. My brain has been running non-stop lately and it's reaching its limit. Oh, and please, not the mystery novels you like; I really don't want to use my brain for now."

Shiina Hiyori blinked, looking at Wu Qiao's slightly weary face, and thought for a moment. She didn't answer immediately, but stood up and walked familiarly toward another shelf. Before long, she returned with a collection of essays with a fresh and healing cover, placing it gently in front of Wu Qiao.

"How about this one?" Shiina Hiyori's voice was soft, carrying a gentle texture. "It's not a mystery novel, and there's no complex plot. It just records small stories from mundane daily life; it's very relaxing to read."

Wu Qiao picked up the book and flipped through it. It was just as she said; a sense of tranquil peace permeated the lines. He smiled and nodded: "That sounds great. Shiina's taste is as reliable as ever. Thanks, I'll borrow this one."

Watching Wu Qiao's back as he prepared to leave with the book, Shiina Hiyori, as if possessed, called out to him: "Um... Wu."

Wu Qiao stopped and turned back, looking somewhat surprised: "Hm? Is something the matter?"

Shiina Hiyori's fingers unconsciously traced the edge of the book page, seemingly building up her resolve. Finally, she asked softly: "Have you... encountered some trouble lately? It feels like your mental state is much more strained than the last time we met."

Wu Qiao was stunned for a moment, then revealed a smile—a smile that carried a hint of Kyubey-esque inscrutability: "I wouldn't call it trouble, just trying a new method lately. Shiina, sometimes to achieve a goal, appropriate experimentation is necessary, isn't it?"

Shiina Hiyori tilted her head slightly. Although she didn't quite understand the deeper meaning of his words, she keenly sensed that the boy before her was plotting something. She didn't press further, only nodding gently: "If there's anything you need help with... I mean, if it's regarding books or information, you can come to me."

"Alright, thanks in advance." Wu Qiao waved his hand and turned to walk out of the library.

Watching the direction he left in, Shiina Hiyori sat back down in her chair, but she couldn't focus on her book at all. She felt that the strange aura surrounding Wu Qiao had grown a little more intense.