First Meeting with the Student Council President

Bai Mu looked at the brand-new, fully maxed-out high-end computer in front of him and couldn't help but chuckle.

Honestly, using such top-tier hardware solely for office work, research, and organizing files was a complete waste of its performance. He had spent heavily on this setup not just for studying and planning—his need for entertainment and relaxation had been maxed out as well.

He casually opened his game library, where every title on the list was an immersive AAA blockbuster with jaw-dropping graphics.

Compared with fragmented mobile games and online competitive gaming, Bai Mu had always preferred single-player AAA titles. No grinding events, no sweating through matches, no dealing with complicated social interactions—he only needed to immerse himself in the story and visuals, purely decompressing and relaxing. It suited his current laid-back mindset of taking things easy and avoiding conflict.

The vast chessboard that was the campus hid turbulent undercurrents. Geniuses from every side schemed against one another and laid plans upon plans—it was genuinely exhausting. Now that he had a rare late-night moment alone, free from interruption, he could take advantage of his high-end setup and properly slack off for a while.

Bai Mu casually launched an open-world AAA game with top-notch graphics. The image instantly filled the massive ultra-HD screen, with lighting, scene detail, and frame rate all pushed to the limit—silky smooth, without the slightest stutter.

The comfortable controls and premium audiovisual experience instantly washed away the oppressive feeling brought on by reviewing the rules of the game.

Bai Mu leaned back lazily in his gaming chair, completely setting aside all his calculations and predictions as he prepared to peacefully enjoy some single-player time.

After relaxing in moderation, Bai Mu did not indulge himself in gaming at all. He strictly followed a healthy routine, exited the game on time, washed up, got himself ready, and went to bed early. No staying up late, no needless mental strain—he made sure to replenish his energy.

Even with maxed-out physical fitness and mental abilities far beyond those of ordinary people, he never did anything as foolish as staying up late and draining his body. Well versed in the balance between work and rest, he cast aside all the chaos in his mind and slept soundly through the night.

At six in the morning, his alarm vibrated silently on schedule.

Without any sluggish lingering in bed, Bai Mu rolled over and got up, changed into a neat set of sportswear, and quietly left Room 402. The dormitory building was especially quiet at this hour. Most freshmen were still immersed in sleep, and the entire campus had shed its daytime clamor, leaving only the crisp freshness of night breeze mingling with morning light.

He jogged at a steady pace along the tree-lined track on campus. The slightly cool air filled his lungs, and the fatigue from a night spent reviewing files and simulating contests completely dissipated. His mind instantly became clear and sharp.

After completing lap after lap of his planned exercise, every muscle and bone in his body felt stretched and loosened, his condition fully restored. Bai Mu did not turn back toward the dormitory to rest. With a trace of doubt left over from the night before, he simply changed direction and headed straight for the teaching building.

He wanted to personally verify the class point data of the upper grades and confirm his suspicions.

Advanced Nurturing High School's bulletin board stood at the main entrance of the teaching building. Clean and orderly, it displayed every class's points and ranking changes in real time for all students to consult openly. To ordinary students, it was merely dull data updated each month. But in Bai Mu's eyes, every set of numbers was a clue to the hidden rules of the school.

He first stopped before the second-year section of the board, his gaze sweeping across the rows of class points.

Second-Year Class A: 1,200 points. Class B: 900 points. Class C: 600 points. Class D: 300 points.

The four sets of data were absurdly neat—every one of them a round number, perfectly exact.

The corner of Bai Mu's mouth twitched slightly. Those overly orderly figures had genuinely left him speechless.

Still puzzled, he then raised his eyes toward the third-year data.

The style was instantly completely different.

The third-year classes' points were a chaotic mess, with both round and irregular figures. Class A had 1,147 points, Class B 892, Class C 568, and Class D 213. The numbers were scattered and unstructured, without the slightest sign of artificial neatness, full of the randomness produced by genuine competitive struggle.

One set was perfectly orderly, while the other was a mess. The contrast between the two was so direct that it was almost glaring.

Just as Bai Mu stared at the bulletin board and continuously deduced the school's deeper rules in his mind, a clear and gentle female voice drifted softly over from beside him.

"Junior, instead of going for morning exercise or resting so early in the morning, you're studying the upper grades' data at the bulletin board. That's quite rare."

Bai Mu turned at the sound, and a purple-haired girl with a capable air entered his view.

Her fluffy bun hairstyle paired with a crisp student council uniform. Her brows and eyes were gentle, yet she carried the competent aura of a professional. She was Akane Tachibana, the student council secretary who had appeared at the opening ceremony.

Beside her stood a tall, upright young man with a cool temperament and the natural pressure of someone in a superior position. He was Manabu Horikita, the top powerhouse of Third-Year Class A and the student council president of the entire school.

For two figures at the very top of the campus to appear together was truly a rare sight.

Akane Tachibana looked at the handsome first-year student before her, whose temperament was restrained and composed, with curiosity and surprise in her eyes. School had only started a few days ago. While most freshmen were still fumbling around in confusion, absorbed in the monthly benefit of one hundred thousand points, this person had already set his sights on the point patterns of the upper grades. His powers of observation and insight far surpassed those of ordinary freshmen.

Bai Mu remained calm, showing none of the awkwardness of being caught by influential seniors. He answered frankly, "Just taking a look. I'm using the competitive paths of my seniors as a reference to get a grasp of the school's rules in advance."

It was a simple sentence, yet it precisely struck at the core nature of Advanced Nurturing High School.

The surprise in Akane Tachibana's eyes deepened. Other freshmen still treated campus life as an ordinary high school routine, but this junior had already completely regarded this place as a competitive chessboard. Their understanding was on an entirely different level.

Manabu Horikita, standing beside her, had remained calm and expressionless all along. His deep eyes had already assessed Bai Mu from head to toe, and his voice was steady and powerful. "First-Year Class B. Bai Mu."

He did not ask for Bai Mu's name. Instead, he accurately stated both his class and name, clearly having taken notice of this newly prominent freshman long ago.

After all, in just a few days since school began, Bai Mu had swept through major sports and academic clubs, earned a massive number of points through his own efforts, been personally approached by Sakayanagi Arisu of Class A for a contest of wits, and even been placed into a class through what appeared to be deliberate targeting by the school. Among the entire first year, there was only one such exchange student.

"Your observational skills are excellent." Manabu Horikita gave a slight nod, his tone carrying approval. "Many students spend an entire semester here without noticing the irregularities in the upper grades' points. Yet less than a week after enrolling, you've already caught such subtle flaws. Your talent and insight far surpass those of your peers."

There was no empty politeness in that direct praise. It was entirely the recognition of a younger student's strength by someone standing at the top.

Immediately afterward, Manabu Horikita extended an olive branch, his tone solemn. "Would you be interested in visiting the student council? I can reserve a trainee position for you, allowing you to come into contact with the school's core rules and resources ahead of time."

Akane Tachibana followed up naturally, goodwill in her gaze. "The student council possesses the most firsthand information and special privileges on campus. Ordinary freshmen never get the chance to access them. For the president to recruit you personally is an exceptionally rare opportunity."

Among first-year freshmen, such treatment was practically unprecedented.

If it had been any other freshman, they would most likely have agreed in ecstatic delight on the spot, eager to cling to the student council and seize its top-level resources.

But Bai Mu merely raised an eyebrow slightly, silently weighing the pros and cons as his calculating side fully surfaced.

The student council sounded glamorous, with authority pushed to the limit, but in reality, it was a tool directly controlled by the school. It was constrained in every matter and restricted at every turn. It might appear to hold resources, but it was actually bound by the school to do its work, forced to shoulder countless responsibilities, and easily drawn into the power struggles of the upper grades. It was nothing but an invitation for trouble.

His ultimate goal in enrolling was to live freely and take things easy while maintaining control over his own pace—not to become unpaid labor and get dragged into conflicts.

The opportunity was tempting, but the ties it required ran too deep. The loss outweighed the gain.

His considerations lasted only an instant. Bai Mu's tone remained calm as he politely but firmly declined. "Thank you for thinking highly of me, President, but I currently have no plans to join the student council. Classes will be starting soon, so I'll head back to my classroom first."

Without waiting for either of them to persuade him further, he gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and turned to leave calmly. He was decisive and clean-cut, without the slightest hesitation.

Watching Bai Mu's unrestrained figure disappear into the distance, Akane Tachibana could not help but sigh softly. "This year's freshmen are simply too outstanding. His insight, temperament, and composure are nothing like those of a first-year student who has only just enrolled. Even the geniuses of previous years were never this steady."

Manabu Horikita watched the boy disappear into the distance, a hint of meaning hidden in his eyes. He spoke slowly, his tone carrying quiet certainty. "It's not that the freshmen are too strong. His own strength has long surpassed the level of an ordinary first-year."

After a brief pause, he changed tack, his voice tinged with helplessness and regret. "It's just a pity that Suzune ended up in the same year—and the same bottom-ranked class—as someone like him."

As her older brother, he understood his sister's personality flaws better than anyone. Suzune Horikita was exceptionally talented and fiercely disciplined, but she was solitary and stubborn, unable to adapt or fit in with others. She clung to the belief that she had to fight alone, determined to imitate him and become a lone wolf.

But now that their first year had a top-tier player like Bai Mu, someone who stood outside the board yet controlled the entire game, the path for his sister to turn the tables against the odds had begun on nightmare difficulty.

Rather than letting her smash her head against the wall again and again, struggling in vain, it would be better to pull away while she still could.

Manabu Horikita's gaze darkened as he made up his mind.

Perhaps persuading his sister to withdraw and transfer schools was the best possible ending—one that would protect her and keep her from wasting herself away in endless games.