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

Her fingers traced mercilessly across the entire class.

"They're all trash with a zero rating."

The word "waste" pierced the hearts of every student in Class D like an icicle.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji remained calmly seated in his position, holding his phone in his hand, the number 82235 on the screen gleaming faintly at his fingertips.

He glanced up at the sharp-tongued woman on the podium, then looked down at his own points balance on his screen, and understood.

Just as he expected...

He had previously made some minor but detailed observations because of his slight interest in Sakamoto.

The overall behavioral patterns of Class A, and Sakamoto's seemingly strange but actually informative behaviors.

All of these implicitly point to a complex evaluation system.

He deduced the framework of this S system: individual points are not awarded out of thin air, but are derived from the overall class score.

The better the class performs, the higher the overall score, and the greater the base number of personal points each member can receive each month.

Conversely, it will be deducted until it reaches zero.

However, he was slightly surprised by the huge gap between Class D and the other classes, which was essentially zero.

This class is truly utterly useless.

He moved his phone away and turned his gaze to the blackboard.

At this moment, Chabashira Sae seemed to feel that the blow was not thorough enough.

She picked up the chalk again and quickly listed a few more lines of data:

[As of May 1st]

[Class Point Ranking]

[Class A: 1000 points]

[Class C: 910 points]

[Class B: 820 points]

[Class D: 0:00]

Looking at these four lines of crystal-clear comparative data, the last trace of color vanished from the faces of many students in Class D.

Absolute zero.

Bottom of the list.

Even Class C is much better than them.

"See clearly?"

Chabashira Sakae slammed the chalk down on the blackboard, making a harsh, grating sound.

"Class ranking is determined by the class score. That is to say, starting this month, Class C will directly become Class B."

Her gaze swept over the faces below the stage:

"You should think about it carefully,"

"Why, starting from the same point?"

"Only a month has passed,"

"Can they really gain such an 'advantage'?"

"And you..."

Her gaze finally settled back on the huge "0".

"Is this all that's left?"

First Grade Midterm Exam: Chapter 048: Sakamoto, Who Hides His Merits and Fame

In Class D's classroom,

The waves of despair and anger have not yet subsided.

The cold, hard letter "zero" is like a brand etched into the hearts of every student.

However, the atmosphere in the classroom of Class 1-A was completely different.

The homeroom teacher, Tomoya Mashima, stood on the podium. This usually calm and serious middle-aged teacher had an undisguised look of excitement on his face at this moment.

He had just turned around when he clearly wrote several large words and a row of numbers on the blackboard:

[As of May 1st]

[Class Point Ranking]

[Class A: 1000 points]

[Class C: 910 points]

[Class B: 820 points]

[Class D: 0:00]

After finishing writing, Mashima turned around and pressed her finger firmly on the prominent "1000" representing Class A.

His gaze swept intently over every student in the audience.

The voice rose slightly with excitement:

"Dear students, you have created history, an unprecedented history."

His tone was full of pride and undisguised admiration.

"Since the founding of Advanced Education High School, no class has ever achieved a perfect score of 100% in the final assessment in the first month. Not a single point was deducted, and the class passed with a perfect score. This is a miraculous achievement!"

The students below the stage mostly wore reserved yet confident smiles, their eyes revealing joy and a sense of natural satisfaction.

Despite their excitement, they didn't cheer like typical high school students, but maintained the proper restraint and composure.

I grasped the key rules on the second day of school.

The entire class operated with the meticulous care of a sophisticated instrument.

They avoid all point deductions; for them, a perfect score is an expected and inevitable result of their hard work.

Katsuragi Kohei straightened his burly frame slightly, a calm smile playing on his lips.

A barely perceptible hint of smugness flashed in Totsuka Yahiko's eyes.

Kamuro Masumi's purple eyes brightened slightly, and she subconsciously looked in a certain direction.

The only person in the class who didn't show any obvious emotional fluctuation was that person.

Sakamoto remained seated upright by the window, his posture as straight as a pine tree.

Upon hearing Mashima's announcement and his excited words, he merely raised his eyes slightly, his gaze behind his black-rimmed glasses remaining calm and unwavering.

He glanced at the ranking data on the blackboard, then resumed his usual focused posture.

It was as if that earth-shattering perfect score and praise were just a gentle breeze brushing past my ear.

Majima Tomoya's gaze swept over the audience with admiration.

Finally, his sharp gaze landed precisely on Sakayanagi Arisu in the back row of the classroom.

This silver-haired girl had an elegant figure and a perfectly placed smile on her face, blending seamlessly into the atmosphere of the class.

According to Majima's understanding, it was Sakayanagi Arisu who took the initiative to approach him and Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma, at the beginning of the school year, and proposed and led the information exchange proposal regarding "class points".

This keen sense of action and bold decision-making was undoubtedly one of the key factors that enabled Class A to ultimately achieve a perfect score.

Thinking of this, Mashima couldn't help but speak up, praising loudly:

"It is particularly worth mentioning our classmate, Sakayanagi Arisu. At the beginning of the semester, she keenly realized the importance of obtaining information about the rules and took the initiative to seek confirmation from me and other teachers, laying a crucial foundation for our class's information advantage! Her foresight and decisive action are worthy of everyone's learning."

Sakayanagi Arisu, who was called out, was slightly taken aback.

Her smile remained unchanged, but a multitude of thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant.

Under everyone's gaze, Sakayanagi Arisu slowly stood up, her posture elegant and composed.

She did not accept the teacher's praise, but instead gave a slight bow.

The sound was clear and pleasant, echoing distinctly in the quiet classroom.

"Mr. Mashima, you flatter me. Gathering information and understanding the rules are never miracles that can be accomplished by one person alone."

Her gaze swept over the entire class, her tone sincere and earnest:

"This perfect score is the result of the hard work of all the students in Class A. It is because everyone strictly abided by the rules, was careful with their words and actions, and worked together to maintain the honor and rules of the class over the past month that this result was achieved. I only did a small part of what I was supposed to do."

Her statement attributed the credit to the collective.

This immediately earned him even more enthusiastic looks and approving nods from his classmates.

Everyone knew where the intelligence originally came from, but Sakayanagi's humility and broad perspective undoubtedly fit the image of an elite leader.

Majima Tomoya nodded, readily agreeing:

"Sakayanagi-san is absolutely right! I was inconsiderate. This honor belongs to everyone in Class 1-A! It is everyone's joint efforts that have created a miraculous start! I hope everyone can continue to maintain this momentum, stay humble and not be complacent, and continue to move forward in our studies and life to create even greater glories."

Applause rang out in the classroom.

It wasn't enthusiastic, but it was full of confidence and agreement.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat down,

Out of the corner of his eye, he subtly glanced at the ever-calm back of the man—Sakamoto.

Sakayanagi Arisu was not surprised that Sakamoto did not step forward and attributed the credit for the "source of information" to himself.

He is that kind of person, seemingly indifferent to these empty titles.

He is like an unfathomable mountain, attracting everyone, yet his vision remains unobstructed by fleeting clouds.

This attitude of "leaving without a trace after accomplishing the task, concealing one's merits and fame"

This only highlights his transcendence.

Sakayanagi withdrew his gaze, and the decision in his heart became clearer.

The so-called "cooperation" with Longyuan has quietly cooled down, leaving only a very weak connection that can be severed at any time.

That temporary alliance, built on exploitation and deception,

It has lost all its value.

Her initial plan—

By using external division and internal pressure to undermine Sakamoto, they aim to seize leadership of Class A.

After that thrilling chase, rescue, and text message exchange,

It has been completely changed.

She is much more at peace now.

She realized,

The real challenge may not lie in internal strife.

Sakamoto had no intention of vying for power.

His vision may have already extended beyond Class A, reaching into a wider world and more unknown opponents.

Her rivals shouldn't be limited to Sakamoto.

Know yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles will never end.

To go further in this highly competitive school, and even achieve something on a bigger stage in the future,

Understanding Sakamoto and his thought process is perhaps more important than simply trying to "defeat" him.

Get close to him, observe him, and learn from him.

This seems to be the only one that could truly touch upon the core of his thoughts.

Even the way he was "convinced".