The next morning, the first-year Class C classroom.
Class was about to start.
The students of Class C had all arrived. They were divided into several small groups chatting, a completely different atmosphere from the other classes.
Shiho Manabe and others occasionally looked toward Kakeru Ryuuen at the back of the classroom, their mouths twisting into sneers.
This guy dared to oppose her at every turn.
This time, they would make Ryuuen get lost, and then scare those few damn followers of his.
Just then.
Seeing that the Class C personnel were all present.
Kaneda walked up to the podium and pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose.
"Everyone, I have something to say. Please be quiet for a moment."
"Giving him an inch and he takes a mile,"
Ishizaki muttered under his breath, feeling that this guy wasn't even worth a single hair of Brother Ryuuen.
"Heh..."
Kaneda merely gave a faint glance.
Since he was in a good mood today, he wouldn't argue with him. In a moment, he would let Ishizaki realize what true strength was.
"Kaneda-kun, what is it?"
Shiho Manabe gathered her companions around her, and the surroundings gradually grew quiet.
"I want to ask."
Kaneda smiled nonchalantly: "Who do you all plan to give your external praise votes to?"
"External praise votes?"
Suddenly.
The people of Class C were a bit dazed.
After all, everyone was currently concerned about the internal criticism votes.
Something like external praise votes.
It was honestly a bit useless.
However, hearing Kaneda's words, everyone still looked at each other.
"If it's the external praise vote."
"As expected, should we give it to Ichinose?"
"Yeah, besides her, no one else probably has the qualifications."
"That's true."
Shiho Manabe forced a smile.
Although she really wanted everyone's external praise votes, she knew that was impossible.
In the entire first year, besides Ichinose, no one was qualified.
"Sigh..."
Kaneda gave a weak sigh and shook his head disappointedly, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
"How naive. Your attention is still only focused on the criticism votes. You won't get a single benefit from giving your votes to Ichinose."
"Heh... stop acting like a big shot."
Ishizaki sneered.
Ever since Kaneda took power, this guy loved to show off in front of them. Aren't they all focusing their attention on the criticism votes?
"Heh..."
Kaneda glanced at him arrogantly, his expression calm:
"This concerns Class C's grand plan. For the next thing I'm about to say, not a single word is to be leaked. Otherwise, don't blame me if you become the next Ryuuen."
Except for a few people.
Even Class C itself didn't hide its dislike for Ryuuen.
Hearing Kaneda's tone so serious, Shiho Manabe and the others couldn't help but feel a bit worried.
"Kaneda, what do you want to do?"
"Don't worry, it's a good thing for everyone."
Kaneda waved his hand dismissively and pulled the contract from his pocket.
"I've sold your external praise votes. As long as we give our external praise votes to Class A's Katsuragi this time, everyone can get ten thousand private points. That's better than wasting them on Ichinose for nothing, right?"
"Is that true?"
Shiho Manabe and the others immediately looked delighted.
If there were no other choice, they would naturally vote for Ichinose, but if there were private points to be had, they didn't care who they voted for.
"Wait."
Mio Ibuki immediately stood up, her brow furrowed in confusion:
"Why Class A's Katsuragi?"
"If you want to know, come up and sign this contract."
Kaneda glanced at her nonchalantly: "Afterward, I'll tell you. Anyway, this isn't a bad thing for anyone, right?"
"I'll sign!"
Shiho Manabe rushed to the podium. Watching this scene, Ishizaki hesitated but seeing Mio Ibuki also walk up, he quickly followed.
It was easy.
After all.
Just writing a name for the external praise vote and getting ten thousand private points for nothing was simply too tempting.
"Twenty million in compensation?"
When it was Hiyori Shiina's turn, she couldn't help but frown: "Isn't this a bit too high?"
"Because."
Kaneda said with a calm expression: "This matter cannot afford any mistakes, and it's not difficult at all, is it?"
"..."
Hiyori Shiina and the others thought for a while.
It was indeed true.
Just writing a name.
There were only benefits and no risks. As long as one didn't intentionally sabotage things, these twenty million points were as good as non-existent.
Hikki probably wouldn't intentionally scam them.
After thinking for a while.
Hiyori Shiina and the others also signed their names. After all, it was a very simple matter. There was no reason to leave money on the table.
However.
Looking at the scene before him, Ryuuen keenly sensed a trace of discordance.
Selling external praise votes wasn't a problem.
But in the past.
Ishizaki and the others loved to oppose Kaneda on everything. According to Ishizaki, he simply looked down on the guy.
Whatever Kaneda supported, he opposed.
Ryuuen knew very well that Ishizaki did all that because he wanted Ryuuen to continue leading the class.
But today.
Ishizaki and the others actually went up and signed the contract directly.
Was it really just for the private points?
Ryuuen was quite suspicious, but he couldn't figure it out after thinking for a long time—unless they already had some kind of countermeasure.
To say the only problem with Class C.
It was this exam.
Ryuuen had no doubt he would be the one expelled.
It couldn't be solved, right?
Classes B and C didn't have enough money.
No one in the first year would give their external praise votes to him unless Class B could borrow the remaining money from the upperclassmen.
Only then could Class B reach a deal with Mio Ibuki.
However.
If they could borrow from the second year, Class B wouldn't have come looking for him.
Ryuuen also had self-awareness.
His behavior over the past year had undoubtedly earned him many enemies. No one would want to cooperate with him until the very last moment.
As for the third year.
The third-year students would be graduating in half a month.
If they borrowed money now.
The underclassmen wouldn't have time to pay it back.
Unless the upperclassmen didn't need it back.
There probably wasn't such an idiot in the world who didn't want their money back.
After thinking for half a day, Ryuuen still couldn't understand.
He was forced to turn to another possibility: Ishizaki and the others had already accepted the fact of his expulsion and were preparing to defect to Kaneda's side.
Thinking of this.
Ryuuen lowered his head to read his book, calmly accepting such an ending. Instead of continuing to clash with Kaneda, it was better to unite quickly; that would be better for Class C.
"Then, can you tell us now?"
Everyone except Ryuuen had signed the contract. Kaneda paced back and forth on the podium with his hands behind his back, his expression calm:
"This is primarily to help Katsuragi-kun get Class A's protection point. This will undoubtedly damage Sakayanagi's prestige."
"In that case, Katsuragi will have a high chance of making a comeback and continuing the internal strife with Sakayanagi."
"When that time comes, it will be the opportunity for Class C to rise to Class A!"
"What?"
Upon hearing this.
The people of Class C were stunned. Feeling everyone's shocked gazes, Kaneda became even more smug.
"But..."
Hiyori Shiina frowned: "Just our class's praise votes won't be enough, right?"
"Don't worry, I've already convinced Class B to also give their external praise votes to Katsuragi."
"???"
Not just the Class C students, even Ryuuen couldn't help but look up at the man on the podium.
He actually convinced Class B? Did he give them money?
In that case, Class B plus the money he gave to Mio Ibuki should be enough to gather 20 million. But Mio Ibuki isn't stupid either.
Without Class B's external praise votes, Mio Ibuki wouldn't have agreed.
Wait a minute.
Ryuuen's mind was a bit messy.
"Then, what if we get targeted by Class A?"
Someone asked with a worried gaze.
"No matter, I have a countermeasure for that too!"
Kaneda pushed the glasses on the bridge of his nose, the lenses reflecting a flash of white light.
In any case, he already had Hikigaya's recording in his hand.
When the time came.
He could just sell Hikigaya out.
First, let Sakayanagi and Katsuragi fight, then let Class A and Class B fight to the death, and meanwhile, Class C would take the opportunity to rise to Class A.
As for Class D, they were trash not worth mentioning.
Maybe Hikigaya thought he was utilizing Kaneda, but in reality, Kaneda was utilizing Hikigaya!
What a perfect operation!
"Truly..."
"As expected of Kaneda-kun."
"I didn't expect Kaneda-kun to be so amazing."
"If we had known you were this amazing, Class C wouldn't have ended up like this."
A group of people looked at Kaneda with glowing eyes. Ishizaki was also shocked, scratching his head in a daze.
"Therefore."
"This matter relates to our grand plan to rise to Class A."
"Leaking it is forbidden, understood?"
Feeling the admiring gazes of the crowd, Kaneda became even more smug. He couldn't help but walk up to Ryuuen with the contract.
"Ryuuen, consider this your last contribution to the class. Sign it. Of course, since you're about to be expelled, whether you sign or not is up to you."
"Is this the plan you came up with?"
Ryuuen looked at the contract on the table and looked up at Kaneda.
Why don't I believe it?
"Moreover, who exactly is Party A? Where did this money come from?"
Hearing Ryuuen's questioning, Kaneda said with some annoyance: "That's none of your business. Ryuuen, don't be too full of yourself. If it weren't for you, Class C wouldn't have ended up like this."
The subtext: Recognize your own status; you're just a failure about to be expelled.
Ryuuen's gaze instantly sharpened.
This guy is really letting it go to his head.
However.
There was no downside to Class C getting money, and it could cause internal strife in Class A. There were truly only benefits and no downsides.
Even if he didn't know who came up with the plan.
Whether it was Katsuragi, Class B, Class D, or anyone else, this matter only had benefits for Class C.
There was no reason to disagree.
Thinking of this.
Ryuuen casually wrote his name under Party B, threw it back, and Kaneda sneered before picking up the contract and turning to leave.
On the other side.
Hiyori Shiina tilted her head slightly while watching the scene.
She easily guessed it was Hikigaya's plan.
Hikigaya had Class C give their external praise votes to Katsuragi, and then Class B would give their external praise votes to Ryuuen. But Kaneda said he had already convinced Class B.
Between her and Kaneda, someone must have been lied to.
The person being lied to was naturally Kaneda. After all, Mio Ibuki had shown her the contract last night, and Class B could not back out.
So, what was Hikigaya's purpose in lying to Kaneda? If he wanted Katsuragi to get the protection point, one class's external praise votes certainly wouldn't be enough.
Unless.
He was also going to convince Class D.
That would indeed make it possible for Class A to fall into internal strife.
Hiyori Shiina and Mio Ibuki thought for quite a while, and both found that this matter only had benefits and no downsides for Class C.
The only somewhat uncomfortable part.
Was that the money they received was likely the five million points taken from Ryuuen.
Thinking of this.
Hiyori Shiina and Mio Ibuki breathed a sigh of relief.
In that case, there wasn't really a problem, and there was no other way.
If they wanted Ryuuen not to be expelled and to pull himself together, it had to be done in secret. Otherwise, Class C would definitely fall into even greater chaos.
As long as Ryuuen didn't get expelled, it was fine.
Otherwise, Kaneda truly wouldn't have the ability to lead the class.
As for the money.
They didn't really care much. It wasn't their money anyway, and the money was being used on Ryuuen himself.
No problem.
It was just that if Ryuuen knew, he would probably be very unhappy...