Classroom of the Elite: I Can Issue the Master's Tasks

[Dark History Erasure Card: After use, erases an embarrassing incident from your past. Points required depend on the severity of the incident.]

[Anime Quantity: Exactly what it sounds like. If you know, you know. Points required: 5,000]

"They've even got stuff from that kind of anime?"

Nangong Cheng was startled.

But considering how shameless the system itself was, it was only natural for the Shop to carry things like that.

"This would make a perfect gift for Sakura Airi, but I'm worried she'd burst into tears if she accidentally photographed someone with no face."

Nangong Cheng believed in sustainability.

After all, the wool had to come from the sheep.

By now, it was clear that the Points awarded for a task depended mainly on how difficult the task was. And that difficulty changed in real time according to what these beautiful girls thought.

Looked at that way, his little lambs only had to do their tasks and collect their rewards. As the mastermind behind the scenes, he had far more to consider.

When should he issue a task? How could he create the right opportunity to issue it? And how should he design it so they neither wanted to accept nor refuse...?

There was an art to all of it.

Having a formula made things so much faster.

"The internet wasn't lying. People always come up with the wildest ideas when they're up to no good," Nangong Cheng mused, scanning a few more listings.

"I'll get Beginner Acting this time, then."

The reason was simple: insurance.

He had read plenty of webnovels in his previous life.

Simulation stories always claimed simulations couldn't affect reality, only for it to turn out they were playing word games. In diary stories, the heroines always ended up seeing what was written. Systems meant to reward losses always wound up making money instead...

So there was every chance that a mastermind system claiming his identity would never be exposed would end up exposing it after all.

He had to keep his fate entirely in his own hands. Only then could he feel truly safe.

Nangong Cheng took a deep breath, then put on a resolute expression.

"Deep Blue, add points!"

The change this time was much like what he had felt after taking the Gene-Enhancement Potion.

It did not make him feel as though he had been born a seasoned actor, but the immersive, dreamlike experience still wove the knowledge and experience into his instincts.

...

...

The next day.

Nangong Cheng had barely stepped into the classroom with his left foot when—

"Nangong!"

A fragrant breeze swept toward him along with the call.

Kushida Kikyo and her friends crowded around him, looking rather anxious.

"Kushida, what's wrong?"

As he spoke, Nangong Cheng quickly scanned the classroom and formed a rough idea of the answer.

As he spoke, Nangong Cheng had already quickly scanned the classroom and had a rough answer in mind.

As Kushida Kikyo spoke, she watched Nangong Cheng, hoping to catch a change in his expression.

Unfortunately for her, Nangong Cheng was not only excellent at managing his time. After acquiring Beginner Acting, he had become quite good at managing his expression too.

"I see. I understand."

"So what's everyone doing now...?"

He had already spotted Horikita Suzune at her desk, surrounded by several Class D students who did not look particularly friendly.

Had word gotten out that they had sold the information?

That was only natural.

After all, the forum post was anonymous.

The other three classes had paid a fortune for the information, only to see it exposed on the forum less than twenty-four hours later. Of course they would suspect that he and Horikita Suzune had taken their money and then burned them.

"A lot of students on the forum are saying you and Horikita posted it."

"They say you and Horikita sold them that information for two million points... Now everyone's waiting for you two to explain."

Kushida Kikyo clasped her hands as if in prayer, just the right amount of worry on her face. "Nangong, is it true?"

Nangong Cheng nodded.

Nangong Cheng nodded.

This year had a cunning little devil of Sakayanagi Arisu's caliber and a ruthless operator like Ryuuen. Given how they worked, neither would quietly swallow a loss like this.

Among this year's students were a scheming genius on the level of Sakayanagi Arisu and a ruthless man on the level of Ryuuen. Given their usual ways of doing things, they naturally would not simply accept this loss.

"I'll handle it."

Nangong Cheng strode up to the lectern.

At last, every Class D student turned their attention to him.

At last, every Class D student's attention was focused on him.

Nangong Cheng met Horikita Suzune's eyes at the back of the classroom, then gave the worried Sakura Airi a reassuring look.

Then his mouth curved into an arrogant grin—

"Now, each of you, hand over fifty thousand points."

Important reminder and reading note:

Between last night and now, the author has revised and refined the settings concerning the system store and points.

Since last night, the author has made comprehensive revisions to the settings related to the System Shop and Points.

...

Return Every Point of Our Own People's Money

The moment the words left his mouth, the classroom erupted.

First to explode was a certain hotheaded redhead.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, telling me to give you money? You collecting protection money now?"

Then came the attention-seeking duo.

"We haven't even mentioned that you and Horikita acted behind the class's back and tried to keep all the Points for yourselves. Now you want to charge us money instead? Have you no shame?"

"Exactly! You two should be splitting those six million points with us!"

"We heard twenty million Private Points can buy a transfer to another class. What you two did was sell out the class. You have to share the money!"

The opposition was clearly in the majority, and the calls to split the money kept growing louder.

Nangong Cheng was not surprised.

He had never expected their support in the first place. Naturally, he had another reason for saying it.

Just as he was about to add fuel to the fire, something unexpected happened.

A cold notification cut through the uproar, cooling the room as though someone had pressed pause.

"Fifty thousand. I sent it."

Horikita Suzune stood up amid the sudden silence, making it clear she was the one who had transferred the points.

Once there was a first, there would naturally be a second.

"I-I-I... I sent it too!"

Sakura Airi rose unsteadily to her feet.

She did not understand why Nangong Cheng was doing this, but he must have his reasons!

All she had to do was support him!

Kikyo Kushida watched it all.

She had no idea what had gotten into Nangong Cheng, and she did not want to pick a side so quickly. What if it hurt her standing in the class?

But Horikita Suzune's decision reminded her of something.

It did not matter if she could not make sense of it.

The fact was that Nangong Cheng had obtained valuable information through his own efforts and sold it for six million points. That achievement alone gave his words considerable weight.

Besides...

She could stand losing to anyone but Horikita Suzune.

Kikyo Kushida finally decided to take the gamble.

Unfortunately, someone beat her to it.