In fact, after the information is refreshed, they always want to attack me!

(I'll play with her a bit more later! I happen to need a clever subordinate.)

However, Sakayanagi quickly looked away.

Judging from their cautious actions, they are probably still in the reconnaissance phase—identifying blind spots in the surveillance system and figuring out the staff's activity patterns.

I won't take any action anytime soon.

Her gaze returned to the free shelf.

9:06:46.

This time automatically came to mind.

From elementary school onwards, she was able to accurately calculate time by observing her heartbeat and changes in light, without needing to rely on clocks at all.

There are about twenty minutes left before the entrance ceremony.

(Will anyone come?)

(Besides me, are there other geniuses who can see through the truth of this school?)

On the surface, she is just a gentle and kind beautiful girl.

But only those who truly understand her know—

Sakayanagi Arisu was never a kind girl.

She is extremely petty, and those who offend her will eventually suffer a terrible fate.

She craves challenges and opponents who will give her all.

Just like playing chess, you can only truly enjoy the game when you play against an equally matched opponent.

(Too easy...)

(If you can't even see through the truth about the school before the entrance ceremony—)

(Then they are not worthy to be my opponent.)

Although this standard may be too harsh.

But since she can do it herself, then her opponents, who are worth looking forward to, should naturally reach the same level.

—Just then, fate gave its answer.

(Finally...someone decent has arrived.)

The moment the black-haired boy stepped into the convenience store, Arisu Sakayanagi's pupils contracted slightly.

Because the boy's action of walking straight to the free shelf was too deliberate—just like her earlier move.

His barely perceptible nod when several older students appeared gave everything away.

(I see...)

(Do I need the seniors from Class D to corroborate my reasoning?)

(Unexpectedly rigorous, yet endearingly rigid.)

A pleased smile curved the corners of Sakayanagi's lips.

In her eyes, this excessive caution was like the unnecessary calculation steps on a math exam paper—

Precise, but lacking in aesthetics.

Sakayanagi Arisu tapped her cane lightly with her fingertips, but her gaze never left the boy.

He had neat short hair, and his red school uniform made him look even taller—this tangible height difference forced her to tilt her head back slightly.

The cane made a crisp sound as it touched the ground.

A faint smile played on her lips, and a dangerous glint gleamed in her amethyst-like eyes.

Compared to those mediocre people, this opponent in front of her, whose even caution seemed excessively handsome, was indeed more in line with her aesthetic standards for an ideal rival.

"This classmate..."

......

Akira Shimizu was slightly taken aback.

(Were you seen through?)

The girl's words were like a delicate key, precisely unlocking the discovery they had made together.

He subconsciously glanced at the cane she was leaning on—it turned out she had noticed it earlier than he had, but was limited by her mobility issues.

(If I didn't go to the toilet...)

He immediately dismissed the thought as soon as it surfaced.

His gaze swept over the girl's slender ankles, and a certain competitive feeling quietly dissipated.

Faced with an absolute physical disadvantage, any comparison seems ungentlemanly.

"Yes, you're right," Shimizu Akira replied briefly.

The silver-haired girl maintained a faint smile, frozen in place like a meticulously choreographed mime actor.

This deliberate silence created a subtle atmosphere—was it waiting for his next words?

But Akira Shimizu's attention had already shifted to the first piece of intelligence that had appeared today:

[Information 1: At 10:30 AM today (after the opening ceremony), Masumi Kamuro from Class 1-A will "steal" a can of beer from the school's convenience store.]

(Scouting out the location beforehand...very professional!)

His gaze swept discreetly toward the liquor section.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a purple-haired figure—the girl's gaze was precisely sweeping over the blind spot of the surveillance camera, and she was the only one lingering in the entire liquor shelf area.

The silver-haired girl suddenly tapped her cane three times on the ground, the crisp sound drawing Shimizu Akira's attention back.

"Classmate?" A half-smile played on her lips. "Looks like we're observing the same people. It seems geniuses do attract each other." The tip of her cane pointed precisely in Kamuro Masumi's direction. "This is Kamuro Masumi's sixth time confirming a blind spot in the surveillance, four times glancing at the staff out of the corner of her eye, and twice..." The tip of her cane traced an elegant arc in the air, "...a fixed gaze on a particular beer can."

Following the direction, Shimizu Akira saw the purple-haired girl unconsciously biting her lower lip, her fingertips trembling nervously above the beer can.

"But..." the silver-haired girl suddenly lowered her voice, her cane gently pressing against Shimizu Akira's wrist, "This should be the worst possible time."

"It's peak shopping season right after the class points were distributed... If we get caught, we'll be in big trouble." Her gaze locked onto Shimizu Akira's eyes. "Classmate, do you share my opinion?"

第7章：007 你能在一分钟之内算出来15*24*16吗？

For a moment, Shimizu Akira almost thought that the other party had a special intelligence system just like him.

But after listening to the girl's meticulous analysis, he suddenly realized that it was all based on observation.

It is truly rare to find someone with such keen insight in a high school student.

(Hmm? She knows Masumi Kamuro? So, she's also a student in Class A?)

The thought flashed through his mind. After a moment's thought, Shimizu Akira offered a different perspective: "Precisely because it's peak shopping season, the high foot traffic makes it easier to slip around unnoticed. Acting now makes it less likely to be discovered."

"...Correct." The silver-haired girl's lips curved slightly, her moon-like hair swaying gently with her nod. "Judging from that person's actions and demeanor, she's clearly a habitual thief. She's enjoying the thrill of committing a crime. Your observation is very accurate."

"Were you testing me just now?" Shimizu Akira suddenly realized.

The girl didn't answer directly, but instead gave a meaningful chuckle. "Why don't you hear my judgment—" she paused, her voice carrying an undeniable certainty, "I believe the other party will choose to act after the entrance ceremony."

This conclusion greatly surprised Akira Shimizu.

Because what she said was exactly the same as the information she possessed.

"So, classmate, can you guess my reasoning again?" The silver-haired girl leaned forward slightly.

Akira Shimizu didn't respond directly, but instead turned his gaze to the thinning crowd at the convenience store. "Because the entrance ceremony is about to begin."

"Absolutely right!" The girl snapped her fingers cheerfully. "To be precise, 32 seconds left."

As if to confirm her prediction, 32 seconds later the campus loudspeaker announced precisely: "All students, please assemble immediately in the gymnasium. The entrance ceremony is about to begin."

Not far away, Masumi Kamuro turned around stiffly and blended into the flow of students leaving the store—her back view was more like a hunter temporarily sheathing his claws than giving up.

"Mental arithmetic ability?" Shimizu Akira asked.

"It's just a little pastime to pass the time."

"Can you calculate what 15 multiplied by 24 and then multiplied by 16 equals in one minute?"

Sakayanagi Arisu's expression froze instantly.

The question was so simple it offended her. "...5760," she answered coldly, her voice clearly displeased. "Even a middle school student could mentally calculate this. If you really want to test mental arithmetic skills, you should at least give a four-digit question."

"Is that so?" Shimizu Akira smiled dismissively. "But for the average high school student, getting an answer within a minute isn't easy." He suddenly changed the subject. "Did you feel offended? Then why didn't I feel offended by those two probing questions you just posed?"

(From the very beginning, he used a condescending attitude to constantly probe, but now he's putting on a humiliated expression over a simple mental arithmetic problem...)

(This arrogance seems to be an innate sense of privilege; no wonder he's a student in Class A.)

He took one last look at the silver-haired girl—she was indeed strikingly beautiful, but what was even more impressive was the sense of superiority that was ingrained in her bones.

Hmm? Is this young lady some kind of little devil?

As Shimizu Akira turned to leave, he had only taken three or five steps when a clear, bell-like sound suddenly rang out behind him.

"Excuse me, student, please wait a moment."

Before the words were finished, a crisp "snap" was heard.

The cane flew through the air and landed a meter away from Shimizu Akira's feet.

He suddenly stopped in his tracks, first looking down at the cane lying in front of him, then slowly turning back around.

The silver-haired girl had her head slightly lowered, making it impossible to see her expression.

"I am Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A." Her voice was like newly melted snow, completely devoid of its previous sharpness. "As you can see, this body's heart is utterly useless; it can't even keep up quickly, so I had no choice but to resort to this tactic."

She pointed to her cane, looked at Shimizu Akira with a deeply apologetic expression, and said, "I was rude just now, can you forgive me? If you're still not satisfied, why don't you tap me a couple of times with this?"

Akira Shimizu's eyebrows twitched slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

This high-class young lady is actually able to bow her head and admit her mistake so calmly—it's more interesting than I imagined.

However, the next second, he suddenly froze.

Why does this rhetoric sound so familiar?

Horikita Suzune's image flashed through his mind.

Isn't this the same tactic he just used—a feigned weakness to appear weak and advance?

Akira Shimizu's gaze lingered on Arisu Sakayanagi for a moment.

The girl's slightly bowed head made her appear even more frail, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

Would a normal person take action because of this?

Moreover, the other party was a frail young girl with a heart condition.

His gaze subtly shifted upwards, catching the flickering security camera in the corner. The cold lens was silently recording the scene.

It turned out to be the case.

Taking action means handing over leverage over someone else's weaknesses.

Not taking action would be tantamount to accepting her apology.

The silver-haired girl maintained her humble demeanor, but Shimizu Akira clearly saw the fleeting curve of her lips.

—What a brilliant, albeit cunning, strategy that puts one in a dilemma.

"This Sakayanagi-san, you're really cunning."

Suddenly, Shimizu Akira leaned forward and, to Sakayanagi Arisu's astonishment, flicked his finger lightly.

"Thump—"

A crisp snap of the fingers landed on her smooth forehead, not too hard, but enough to make her frown slightly.

"You—!" Sakayanagi Arisu covered her reddened forehead, a rare flicker of emotion flashing in her eyes. "How dare you lay a hand on a lady who has difficulty moving around."

"Difficulty moving around?" Shimizu Akira chuckled, bending down to pick up the cane that had been thrown away. He lightly tapped the cane with his knuckles. "When you threw it out as a projectile, you didn't hesitate for a second. Besides! Didn't you say you wanted to let me vent my anger?"

He handed the cane back to her, his fingertips brushing against her slightly cool palm before quickly moving away.

"Consider this a flick on the forehead, and we're even." Shimizu Akira took a half-step back, his gaze sweeping over the flashing security camera in the corner. "No evidence was left, and I've accepted your apology—a fair deal, isn't it?" He paused. "Also, let me give you a piece of advice: don't always put yourself in such a condescending position."

Sakayanagi Arisu's slender fingers slowly tightened their grip on her cane. Suddenly, she looked up, a sharp smile curving her lips: "The difference between people is sometimes determined by talent—like birds and fish, destined to live in completely different worlds. How can you expect me to treat mediocre people equally?"