"Senpaku, I am Sakamoto. What brings you here?"

"Please speak, Sakamoto-san."

"Thank you, Teacher Chazhu."

Sakamoto pushed up his glasses.

"Since there are twelve groups, and only three people here, it can be inferred that the groups are a mix of students from different classes. Based on the total number of students, each group should consist of three to five students from four different classes. I wonder if my understanding is correct?"

Sure enough, talking to smart people is effortless; they've already figured out the basic structure of the exam.

"That's right, just as you expected."

She nodded in confirmation, then added...

"Your group's code name is 'Mao'."

She pushed a printed list to the center of the table:

"This is your group's member list. You need to return it when you leave the room. You can write it down here if you feel it's necessary."

Sakamoto, Machida, and Takemoto took the list in turn and looked at it carefully.

Although the tea pillar is labeled "卯" (Mao), the group name is also marked with "兔" (Tu) in parentheses.

They are clearly arranged according to the twelve zodiac animals, and they are in the fourth group, the "Rabbit" group.

Sakamoto's gaze slowly moved across the list:

Class A: Shigeru Takemoto, Koji Machida, Sakamoto (ink seal)

Class B: Honami Ichinose, Tetsuya Hamaguchi, Ryota Beppu

Class C: Mio Ibuki, Shiho Manabe, Nami Yabuna, Saki Yamashita

Class D: Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Karuizawa Megumi, Sotomura Hideo, Yukimura Teruhiko

Chazhu added from the side:

"Sakamoto, your name is printed incorrectly on the list, but it still represents you."

She was also a little puzzled by this basic mistake, but Machida and Takemoto seemed completely unfazed.

After reviewing the list, Chazhu continued his explanation:

"From now on, you will no longer act simply as members of Class A, but as members of the 'Rabbit Group'. The results of the exams will be determined individually on a group basis."

She distributed a few more sheets of paper with slightly curled edges to the three of them.

"These are the specific rules. The exam is designed to produce one of four possible outcomes, with no exceptions. Materials are prohibited from being brought in or photographed; please confirm this here."

It was clearly written on the paper:

Summer Group Special Examination Instructions

Core mechanism: Based on the "preferential treatment" of each group.

Notification time: All students will receive an email notification at 8:00 AM on the day the exam begins; "selected students" will be notified separately that they have been selected.

Exam schedule: From tomorrow until 9 pm four days from now (including one day of complete freedom).

Group discussion: Group members are required to meet twice a day at a designated time in a designated room for a one-hour discussion each time. The content is up to the group members.

Answering method: After the exam, answers to "Who is the preferential recipient?" will only be accepted between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM that evening. Each person is limited to one answer and must send it to the designated email address using their own mobile phone. The "preferential recipient" is not authorized to answer the question.

Scope of answers: Answers are limited to your own Ganzhi group; answers from other groups are invalid.

Results were announced: At 11 p.m. on the last day, all students were informed of the detailed results via email.

Result 1: If all group members answer correctly, except for the recipient and their classmates, all group members will receive individual points.

Result 2: If anyone in the group answers incorrectly or fails to answer a question, excluding the recipient and their classmates, the recipient will receive 500,000 personal points.

When Sakamoto looked at the paper again, he discovered that there was also content on the back, which contained the remaining two possible outcomes.

Result 3: If someone other than the privileged participant answers correctly beforehand, their class receives +50 class points, and the participant personally receives 500,000 points. The privileged participant's class receives -50 class points. The exam ends immediately.

Result 4: If someone other than the privileged participant answers incorrectly beforehand, their class will lose 50 class points. The privileged participant will receive 500,000 personal points, and their class will gain 50 class points. The exam will end immediately.

The three students in Class A read very quickly, without any signs of confusion or whispering on their faces.

The only sounds in the room were the faint rustling of papers and the distant sound of waves outside the window.

Chazhu was somewhat surprised by their calm reaction.

These rules are not simple, and she had expected there would at least be some questions.

"Are the rules clear? Are there any questions?"

She asked, as a matter of routine.

"No problem, thank you, teacher."

Sakamoto answered on behalf of the three, his voice steady.

Machida and Takemoto nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Chazhu had no choice but to suppress his surprise, routinely emphasize the prohibitions, and then signal the end of the explanation, letting them leave.

Watching the three figures file out,

Especially Sakamoto's upright and composed posture, Chabashira leaned back in his chair and sighed softly.

An invisible pressure seemed to grow even heavier.

Ayanokouji was in the same group as Sakamoto this time.

This is quite a problem.

Outside the door, the corridor lights were bright. Shigeru Takemoto, who had remained silent until now, finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked Sakamoto in a low voice:

"Sakamoto-san, what are your thoughts on this exam?"

Koji Machida also cast an inquiring glance his way.

Sakamoto didn't stop walking. He pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting the halo of the corridor lights.

"The design of the rules is indeed ingenious. It balances individual interests with class interests and introduces time variables and uncertainty."

"However, the specific strategy still needs to be discussed after we meet with the students from Class A in other groups and take into account all the group situations."

After saying that, he didn't linger or offer any further explanation. He simply walked straight ahead, leaving the two of them with a composed and mysterious back view, and quickly disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

First Grade Summer Vacation: Chapter 118: Sakamoto in the Corridor

Just after 8:30 p.m., Kiyotaka Ayanokouji and Yosuke Hirata left the dormitory together.

The corridors inside the cruise ship were brightly lit, but much quieter than during the day.

Most students seemed to have returned to their rooms, processing the special exam notification they had just received.

Ayanokouji walked silently beside Hirata.

About two hours earlier, he had just listened to the exam instructions for the "Rabbit Group" in another room.

His teammates, besides fellow Class D members Karuizawa Megumi, Tomura Hideo, and Yukimura Teruhiko, included...

There are also Sakamoto, Machida Koji, and Takemoto Shigeru from Class A, Ichinose Honami and two others from Class C, and Ibuki Mio and three others from Class B.

A truly "elite mixed group"

Or rather, a collection of troubles.

In particular, Sakamoto's presence instantly elevated the strategic level of the entire group to an unpredictable height.

After the briefing, the atmosphere within their Class D group was not exactly harmonious. Everyone simply confirmed the time and place for the discussion the next day and then dispersed.

At this moment, he followed Hirata to the second floor because the briefing for Hirata's "8:40" group was about to begin.

According to information previously exchanged with Horikita Suzune, Hirata and Horikita happen to be in the same group.

Ayanokouji wanted to take this opportunity to observe Horikita's state in this new environment and the composition of her group.

As soon as I stepped onto the second-floor corridor, I saw a familiar figure in the distance.

Horikita Suzune and Katsuragi Kohei were standing not far from a cabin door, seemingly talking about something.

Katsuragi's bald head stood out under the overhead light, and his expression remained as serious as ever.

Horikita, though still standing upright, looked serious and lacked any sense of aloofness.

Ayanokouji slowed his pace, and Hirata stopped a few steps away from them, without immediately approaching to disturb them.

"...So, in the 8:40 group, besides us, there are also people from Class B and Class C."

Horikita's voice came through clearly.

"Ah."

Katsuragi nodded, crossing his arms.

"Based on the information we have so far, that's the case. It seems this special exam is for those who want to be included in the permanent staff."

During the test on the deserted island, Katsuragi had a decent impression of Horikita.

Because he hadn't had much interaction with other classes, he only knew that Horikita was a leader in Class D.

Katsuragi thought that she was quite capable, as she was able to lead Class D to the same score as the other classes.

But he did not explore the possibilities behind an equal split.

After all, with Class A's absolute advantage, the minor differences between other classes seemed insignificant.

The two paused briefly in their conversation.

Just then, another figure joined the conversation.

It was Kanzaki Ryuji from Class C. He walked up to the two of them, his brows furrowed slightly, and his gaze fell directly on Katsuragi.

"Katsura-kun, excuse me. I have a question about the results of the deserted island exam."

“Our Class C adopted a relatively conservative strategy, with little interaction with other classes. However, Class A gained far more points than expected. Could you please tell me how you managed to capture almost all the strongholds? That efficiency is truly unbelievable.”

This is also the question that most students in other classes have.

This is like Class A playing a survival game and turning on full-map vision.

Katsuragi opened his mouth, seemingly preparing to give an official and cautious answer.

However, an arrogant voice beat them to it, ringing out from the other end of the corridor.

"Is that even a question, Kanzaki?"

Long Yuanxiang walked over casually with three students from Class B.

"Those guys in Class A didn't use any of their special points to buy any modern tools on the island. They built their camp entirely from scratch with their own hands. As for the outpost?"

Long Yuan chuckled and walked up to Ge Cheng, looking him up and down without any hesitation.

"Of course it's thanks to that monster—Sakamoto! He somehow managed to scan the entire island beforehand and commanded Class A to take over all the bases like harvesting crops."

At this point, Long Yuan abruptly changed the subject, staring directly at Ge Cheng:

"However, Katsuragi... I'm quite curious. When Sakamoto was building things up the camp, quite a few outposts were occupied at the same time. He couldn't possibly be in two places at once, could he?"

"So, the real leader of Class A on the deserted island is actually you, right?"

Long Yuan revealed his true intentions, directly stating his core speculation.

This was the best candidate he felt he had chosen after his initial guess was wrong.

Faced with Ryuen's blatant provocation, Katsuragi Kohei's face remained completely unmoved.

"Who knows."

Ryuen narrowed his eyes, not surprised by Katsuragi's reaction.

At that moment, Ryuen's gaze swept over Ayanokoji and Hirata, who were standing a little distance away.

"Oh? Isn't this from Class D? Especially you, Ayanokouji..."

Ryuen's gaze lingered on Ayanokouji for a moment.

During the test on the deserted island,

He once regarded Ayanokouji as a somewhat clever and easily manipulated pawn, and even ridiculed his foolishness when the other party revealed his "leader" identity after the transaction.

However, the final result was a tie of 150 points among the three classes.