Second year

There was still a week to go before the new students enrolled, but their enrollment records were already on Lezheng's desk in the Student Council Activity Room.

Lezheng looked through the first-year students' records, selecting only those with an A rating in a particular category: Ichika Amasawa, Kyo Ishigami, and Osamu Takahashi of Class 1-A, who had an A in academic ability, and Takuya Yagami, who had an A+ in academic ability. Yagami was also the only incoming first-year student with an A+.

There was also Utsunomiya Riku of Class 1-C, who had an A in physical ability.

"Lezheng, are these the students you want to recruit into the Student Council?" Ichinose asked.

"Let's observe them for a while before deciding." Lezheng put their records away.

"This person seems to have violent tendencies, just like Ryuuen." Ichinose pointed at Kazuomi Housen's record.

"I was just thinking of asking Ryuuen later whether he knows him. They went to the same school before."

"I'll go with you."

Lezheng sent Ryuuen a message, only to receive the unexpected reply that he was studying. Ryuuen then sent Lezheng his location.

At a café in the mall, Kanda was tutoring a group of fighters led by Ryuuen.

"Thinking of becoming a scholar?" Lezheng and Ichinose sat down at the next table.

"Heh, I just don't want to be like someone who only knows how to use his fists to compete for Student Council president." Ryuuen was alluding to what had happened at the Mixed Training Camp.

"Do you know someone named Kazuomi Housen?"

"...How do you know about him? Is he a new first-year?" Ryuuen asked after a moment's thought.

"Yes. I saw that he went to the same school as you." Lezheng nodded.

"I have heard his name. He was a pretty famous delinquent in our area too."

"Looks like your rival has arrived."

"Enough about that. Are you two recreating Horikita Manabu and Akane Tachibana?" Ryuuen teased.

"Ichinose is my deputy too," Lezheng replied.

Even someone as academically capable as Kanda was getting a headache dealing with an idiot like Ishizaki. Lezheng and Ichinose chatted at the next table, struggling to hold back their laughter. The scene was unexpectedly heartwarming.

A week passed in the blink of an eye. After winter break ended, the students, now in their second year, arrived at their new classrooms. On the whole, little had changed from last year.

At the welcoming ceremony, Lezheng went onstage to speak as the Student Council representative, searching for the students he had marked based on the photographs in their enrollment records.

"It's an honor to serve as..."

After going through the proceedings according to the rules established beforehand, Lezheng left the venue. He had to arrange the Special Exam. This year's incoming students would not be tested on maintaining discipline, but would instead take part in a joint contest with the second-years.

Unlike the previous year, when students had been left to figure things out themselves, the school explained the relevant rules to this year's new students right away. This also meant that Lezheng's speech onstage would not be interrupted by the audience.

This Special Exam was a Joint Written Exam: one second-year student and one first-year student would form a cross-year pair and take written exams separately. If a pair's combined score was less than or equal to 500, both members would be expelled immediately.

The top three pairs overall would receive 50, 30, and 10 Class Points respectively. Each of the top five pairs would receive 100,000 Private Points, and each pair in the top 30% would receive 10,000 Private Points (the top five pairs could also receive this reward).

If either member was suspected of deliberately lowering the total score, the offending member would be expelled immediately.

Students were free to choose their partners. Once a pairing was registered, it could not be dissolved until after the exam. Students who failed to find a partner before the exam would have 5% deducted from their total score for this exam, and the school would assign them a partner.

There were fifty-six students in the entire first year with academic ability rated B or above. Lezheng mentally assigned suitable partners to his classmates.

After the opening ceremony, the first-year homeroom teachers announced the rules of the Special Exam to their classes and left the classrooms, leaving the students to choose their own leaders. This could also be considered carrying on a tradition.

Some people met with rejection everywhere while looking for partners, while others had partners come to them.

"Lezheng, would you pair up with me? I'm a student from Class 1-A." Kyo Ishigami held up his phone to prove his identity.

"Sure. I've already sent you a pairing request." Ishigami's records flashed through Lezheng's mind.

"Lezheng, rumor has it that you're the strongest Student Council president. Please let me see what you can do in this exam." Ishigami tapped confirm.

"I won't disappoint you."

System announcement: Congratulations to Lezheng Youyan of Class 2-A and Kyo Ishigami of Class 1-A on successfully forming a pair.

Whenever a pair was successfully formed, the system would announce the relevant information.

With Lezheng taking the lead, more and more pairing announcements began coming through. Lezheng once again praised the greatness of power.

It was worth mentioning that Karuizawa and the other three had also successfully paired up with first-year girls whose academic ability was rated C+ or above. Was it because Karuizawa was pretty? Of course not. The four girls who paired with them had all done so because of Lezheng.

At the same time, this also confirmed that the relationship between the two was real.

"Sakayanagi, didn't you say your father was back?"

On the rooftop, Lezheng and Sakayanagi leaned against the fence and looked down over the campus.

"These rules were already revised by my father. Originally, only second-years would have been expelled. Still, after this Special Exam, Tsukishiro will be getting lost," Sakayanagi explained.

"All right."

Before dinner on the first day, most of Class A had already found partners. However, Ichika Amasawa and Takuya Yagami of Class 1-A had rejected the pairing requests.

Yagami's refusal was understandable. After all, those with an A+ were proud people. But what was going on with Ichika Amasawa?

Lezheng recalled her records. C+ in all five categories? I'll put her on the observation list.

When Sakayanagi arrived at the cafeteria holding Lezheng's hand, they happened upon a confrontation. The ones causing it were Nanase Tsubasa and Kazuomi Housen of Class 1-D. Lezheng recognized them both.

Hosen indiscriminately mocked Class D and Ryuuen's group. He first shoved Sudo to the ground, then tried to attack Ibuki, but Ryuuen stopped him.

"Kazuomi Housen of Class 1-D provoked a disturbance in the school cafeteria at 17:12 and has now been apprehended."

Lezheng began pronouncing the charges as he slowly approached Hosen. Rather than restraining himself, Hosen adopted a fighting stance.

"Ishizaki, stand down." Ryuuen stopped Ishizaki, who was about to get involved.

Hosen opened with a cross punch, but Lezheng caught his fist. He tried to swing his left fist as well, but unfortunately, Lezheng's fist was already in his face.

The blow sent Hosen flying backward, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. After struggling twice on the floor, he stopped moving. Lezheng stepped forward, grabbed the back of his collar, and dragged him away.

The previously lively scene was now utterly silent.

Miyabi Nagumo, who had been watching the commotion, was very familiar with that move. Only, had this blow been harder than the one that hit him?