Monopoly Surveillance

By the time Bai Mu left the rooftop of the academic building, the sun had completely sunk behind the western hills, and the entire campus was shrouded in dim twilight.

As he descended the stairs, Bai Mu's thoughts raced, reviewing every word of the earlier conversation while sorting through the current overall situation.

Class A had Sakayanagi Arisu, the daughter of the school's most influential chairman; Class C had Ryuuen Kakeru, who unified his class through violent intimidation, stopping at nothing and endlessly employing underhanded tactics; Class D hid all manner of monsters in the shadows, seemingly a disorganized mess but in truth filled with turbulent undercurrents and unfathomable depths.

By comparison, although Ichinose's kindness and unity could stabilize Class B internally, they also left the entire class lacking a certain ruthless decisiveness. When faced with the malicious competition of the other three classes, they were simply too passive.

Now that Hoshinomiya and Chabashira's old grudge had entered the picture, the grade-level contest had completely risen to another dimension. It was no longer merely a competition among students, but a clash of positions and grudges between faculty members as well.

If he wanted to seize complete initiative in this chaotic game, relying solely on on-the-spot planning and improvisation would be far from enough.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you would win every battle.

A bold yet extraordinarily cost-effective idea emerged in Bai Mu's mind—monopolize access to the campus surveillance system.

Advanced Nurturing High School claimed that points could buy anything: food, clothing, housing, transportation, intelligence privileges, venue rentals, even the covering up of disciplinary penalties. In that case, taking control of the entire school's surveillance cameras should theoretically not be forbidden territory either.

Once he secured that top-tier privilege, every move made by every student, every private scheme between classes, every rule-breaking operation, and every hidden transaction would fall within his sight. His opponents' trump cards, dirty tricks, and weaknesses would have nowhere to hide. For long-term planning and anticipating crises, it would be an irreplaceable cheat-level advantage.

With his mind made up, Bai Mu no longer hesitated. He changed direction and headed straight for the student council office building.

The student council office building of Advanced Nurturing High School was the most unusual place on campus. It belonged to no academic system and stood independent of the faculty and student management hierarchy. It held the school's highest student self-governance authority; even some decisions made by class homeroom teachers required filing and review by the student council.

This was where the school's elites gathered, as well as the central hub of every campus privilege. Ordinary students did not merely lack the nerve to come here and negotiate—most did not even dare approach it.

As he walked, lights gradually came on along the way, and the hallways were so quiet that only Bai Mu's steady footsteps remained.

Near the entrance to the student council office, a hurried figure suddenly shoved the door open and rushed out, shattering the corridor's silence.

It was a blue-haired girl with short hair. Her features were sharp, her cheeks flushed, and her chest heaved violently. Her face was filled with indignation and unwillingness, while the oppressive air around her seemed almost ready to spill over.

The girl hurried forward and nearly collided head-on with Bai Mu, but fortunately stopped herself in time.

She hurriedly looked up at Bai Mu. Seeing that he was an unfamiliar first-year student, she did not waste time on pleasantries. She merely gritted her teeth and snarled in a low, resentful voice, her tone full of grievance and fury. "This is too much! So many people have already been injured, yet you're all turning a blind eye and ignoring it completely!"

After saying that, she did not wait for a response. She turned and quickly left, her departing figure conveying deep helplessness and frustration.

Bai Mu stopped and watched her go, a trace of understanding flickering through his eyes.

There was no need to think too hard about it. It was most likely the violent conflict involving Class C.

Under Ryuuen Kakeru's rule, violent competition had long become normal in Class C. Threats, harassment, and physical confrontations happened one after another. So long as things did not escalate into something major, such as severe injuries or expulsions, the student council and the school generally kept one eye open and one eye closed.

In a system where strength reigned supreme, the grievances of the weak had always been the most useless thing of all.

Putting those thoughts aside, Bai Mu raised a hand and gently pushed open the door to the student council office.

The room was neat and solemn. Warm white light filled the space, and its furnishings were simple and orderly, every detail reflecting the rigorous rules of the elite class.

Only two people were on duty in the office.

Akane Tachibana, dressed in a sharp uniform and carrying a crisp, cool demeanor, was lowering her head as she organized a thick stack of documents with meticulous precision. By the window sat a tall, handsome young man.

He was Manabu Horikita, the student council president widely acknowledged as the strongest student in the school.

With his fingers interlocked before his face, he sat with his eyes closed in rest. His aura was steady and imposing, carrying the pressure of someone in a superior position. Even sitting quietly, he made others hesitate to disturb him.

Hearing the door open, both of them looked up at the same time.

When Akane Tachibana recognized Bai Mu, obvious surprise flashed through her eyes before turning into intense curiosity.

This legendary new student from first-year Class B had, in barely more than ten days since the start of school, swept through major athletic clubs, handled upperclassmen with ease, uncovered the school's core rules ahead of everyone else, and had even been personally sought out by the chairman's daughter for a confrontation. News of him had long spread throughout the student council, making him a dark horse everyone paid close attention to.

She just had never expected him to come to their door on his own.

"May I ask what business brings this first-year student to the student council? Is there something you need assistance with?" Akane Tachibana set down the documents in her hands, stood up, and asked politely. Her tone was gentle, yet retained the proper restraint expected of the student council.

Manabu Horikita by the window also slowly opened his eyes. His dark gaze was deep and calm, carrying keen insight as it settled on Bai Mu and swiftly assessed him from head to toe.

In that instant, he had roughly judged Bai Mu's condition. His posture was tall yet relaxed, his breathing steady and restrained. He appeared completely unassuming, but his foundation was solid and his confidence abundant—far beyond that of an ordinary high school student.

Under the gaze of the two highest-ranking student council officers, Bai Mu remained calm, without the slightest trace of restraint or discomfort. He went straight to the point, his tone level yet immensely impactful.

"I wish to apply to rent real-time viewing access to the school's entire surveillance system."

The moment those words fell, the previously quiet office sank into dead silence.

Akane Tachibana's pupils abruptly contracted. The polite smile on her face instantly froze as she stood there in a daze, wondering if she had heard him wrong.

Rent access to the entire school's surveillance system?

What kind of request was that for a student to make? It was an outrageously audacious fantasy!

What was the surveillance system? It was the school's core tool for controlling the entire campus and regulating every student's behavior. It was the sole basis for maintaining school order, determining violations and point deductions, and handling student disputes. It was entirely controlled by the administration and belonged to an absolute top-level authority.

Not even elite third-year students or the homeroom teachers of each class had the authority to access and view it freely, let alone ordinary first-year students.

This new student wanted to monopolize the entire campus surveillance system with a single sentence? His nerve was simply too great!

It took Akane Tachibana several seconds to recover. Her tone carried disbelief and astonishment. "Underclassman, do... do you know what kind of authority you're applying for? This isn't an ordinary venue or material rental. It's real-time access to the entire school's surveillance system!"

Bai Mu's expression did not change. He calmly nodded. "I know. According to school rules, points can be exchanged for all campus resources and privileges. Surveillance access should reasonably fall within the range of things that can be exchanged."

His words were logical and well-founded, leaving Akane Tachibana temporarily speechless.

Indeed, the core principle of Advanced Nurturing High School was that points could buy anything, and the school had never explicitly stated that surveillance access could not be exchanged. But rules were rules, and common sense was common sense. Since ancient times, no student had ever dared set their sights on the surveillance system.

At the side, a ripple finally appeared in Manabu Horikita's previously calm eyes. The corners of his lips curled slightly into a meaningful smile.

He had seen ambitious freshmen, prodigies eager to stand out, and hard workers desperately caught up in the grind—but never a freshman who, right from the start, wanted to seize the entire school's field of vision and monopolize the source of information.

This kid's vision and ambition had completely exceeded the bounds of an ordinary first-year student.

Manabu Horikita's gaze grew increasingly profound, his heart filled with admiration.

In an instant, he saw through the terrifying implications of this move.

If Bai Mu successfully obtained access to the surveillance system, it would be equivalent to gaining the school-wide "God's-eye view." From then on, every class's little schemes, rule violations, private dealings, and exam conspiracies would have nowhere to hide.

Even more ingenious, it would form a perfect business loop and information monopoly.

The school would not allow multiple layers of access to proliferate unchecked. Most likely, it would authorize only a single liaison. At that point, if the four classes wanted to retrieve surveillance footage, clear themselves of suspicion, or gather evidence for a counterattack, they could only spend a hefty amount of points to rent access from Bai Mu.

Bai Mu would not only earn massive amounts of points without lifting a finger, but also gain immediate access to every class's core dirt and strategic movements. It was a perfect two-for-one deal, giving him control over the whole board.

"Your way of thinking surpasses everyone else in your year," Manabu Horikita said with heartfelt admiration, his tone full of approval. "You see far enough ahead, and clearly enough. Once this authority is granted, it truly could completely rewrite the balance of power within the year."

But then his tone shifted, becoming solemn once more. "However, you must also understand that this authority carries enormous risks. Surveillance is the school's final control measure. Once students are allowed to control it, it would be equivalent to exposing privacy loopholes across the entire school. No class would sit back and watch someone else monopolize information. They would inevitably pressure both the student council and the school administration as a group. The resistance would be immense."

Bai Mu nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Risk and reward are equal. I am willing to bear all consequences. The student council only needs to review its feasibility and provide a price."

He never entered a game he was not confident in. Even if the application ultimately failed, this test would still reveal the school's bottom line. It would not be a loss.

Manabu Horikita gave him a long look, his eyes filled with both appreciation and caution.

Compared to ordinary students who only buried their heads in practice problems and blindly competed in the grind, strategists like Bai Mu—those skilled at dissecting rules, exploiting rules, and manipulating human nature—were the top-tier talents Advanced Nurturing High School truly wanted to select.

"This matter involves authority at too high a level. I cannot decide it alone," Manabu Horikita said slowly, giving him a clear answer. "I will need to convene a meeting of all student council officers to jointly review its feasibility, while also reporting it to the school administration. Within three days at the latest, I will give you a final answer and a specific price."

"Fine." Bai Mu agreed crisply, without pressing the matter further.

His goal had already been achieved. Any further discussion would be unnecessary.

After a brief farewell, Bai Mu turned and left the student council office, his steps unhurried and his back steady.

The two people in the office remained silent for a long while as they watched the young man depart.

Several seconds later, Akane Tachibana could not help but sigh softly. "This year's first-years are seriously unbelievable. In previous years, freshmen carefully adapted to the rules. But him? He had barely enrolled before he was already thinking about shaking the school's highest-level rules. He really is a newborn calf unafraid of tigers."