The school's ten-minute submission window began counting down.
Horikita and Gu Heng could both submit, but only one person could press the final confirmation.
Class D's two pieces of intelligence still had not been verified.
If they waited, the plan might remain blank; if they chose one, the other would be excluded.
"I'll submit it," Horikita said.
Gu Heng looked at her. "Which intelligence are you going to use?"
"Neither."
She placed both pieces of intelligence in the risk section and reopened the exchange plan confirmed in the previous round.
"The only things we can confirm right now are the established exchanges, the Strength Event participants' personal confirmations, and Class D's remaining authority."
"Those three are enough to submit a basic plan."
Gu Heng checked the sources and found no overreach.
He raised his only review objection: the basic plan had to explicitly state that neither unverified piece of intelligence had been adopted.
Horikita wrote that objection into the submission notes.
Eight minutes remained.
Ryuuen sent his final offer through the Public Window: if Class D submitted Gu Heng as the sole plan designer, Class C would publicly reveal the complete sources of the two pieces of intelligence.
Horikita did not reply.
Yet Gu Heng saw his name placed beneath Class C's heading.
This was not a trade. It was forced pricing.
He could have secured the complete intelligence for Class D, but it would have made the entire school view Class D as his personal creation.
"Do you want to accept?" Horikita asked.
"No."
"Why?"
"Class C hasn't promised the intelligence is real, nor have they promised not to keep altering it after making it public."
"Then write that into the reason for rejection."
Gu Heng looked at her. "Aren't you afraid of missing this chance?"
"I am."
"And