"...I understand."
Finally, Hirata took a deep breath and looked up, his eyes having changed from initial shock to understanding. "I'll explain it clearly to the classmates and be responsible for collecting the twenty-five thousand points class fee from each person."
Although the figure of "one million points" initially struck him like lightning, his brain was now working at high speed—if they hadn't known these hidden rules in advance, Class D's class points would likely have fallen to two or three hundred points next month.
But now, having grasped such crucial information in only the second week of school...
A glint flashed in Hirata's eyes.
This wasn't only an opportunity to cut losses but also a chance to turn the tide.
If they could properly utilize this information, surpassing Class C wasn't out of the question.
Therefore, one million points for this information was truly not expensive!
Each classmate only needed to pay a quarter of the points.
It was only the second week of school. He didn't believe that other classmates in the class couldn't even come up with twenty-five thousand points.
"Me too!" Kushida quickly glanced at Hirata, then broke into her characteristic sweet smile. "As vice class representative, I definitely won't let Hirata-kun down and will excellently complete the class fund collection!"
As she turned to Chabashira, a subtle look of inquiry flashed in her eyes. "Chabashira-sensei, thank you so much for helping us contact the trading partner. Please rest assured, we'll unify our story and say it was a normal transaction with a stranger."
Kushida bowed her head slightly.
Frankly, one million points was indeed astonishing, but what surprised her more was that this usually indifferent homeroom teacher would go to such lengths for Class D—even personally setting up the connection.
Chabashira coldly interrupted her thoughts. "You two are thinking too much! I'm not doing this for you."
"However—" She suddenly turned around. "If you two really want to be class representatives... then you'd better curry favor with that mysterious person who sent you anonymous messages."
Hirata and Kushida froze again.
This homeroom teacher openly implied that the power to appoint class officers lay in the hands of an unknown "mysterious person"?
So, was Chabashira a qualified homeroom teacher after all?!
Subsequently, the homeroom teacher led the two back into the classroom. She stood at the front of the podium, her gaze sweeping across the entire class, finally settling on Hirata and Kushida.
"An announcement." Her voice was devoid of any warmth. "Hirata Yosuke and Kushida Kikyo will serve as Class D's vice class representatives starting today."
Scattered applause filled the classroom.
This outcome wasn't surprising—Hirata's reliability and Kushida's amiability indeed made them the most suitable candidates.
"The class meeting is in your hands," she said without looking back, then turned and left the scene.
Hirata and Kushida stood on opposite sides of the podium, exchanging a hesitant glance.
Finally, Hirata took a deep breath and stepped forward half a pace.
"Everyone," his voice a few shades deeper than usual, "I hope you can each transfer twenty-five thousand points to me or Kushida-san."
These words exploded like a bomb in the classroom.
"Are you kidding?!" Yamauchi was the first to jump up, his chair scraping loudly across the floor. "Twenty-five thousand? Are you crazy?"
Ike immediately slammed his hand on the desk. "Even you, Hirata, can't be so reckless!"
Whispers came from the girls' group. "This is too outrageous..."
"We're not ATMs..."
Kushida quickly stepped forward. "Everyone, calm down! Actually... the information Hirata-kun and I just mentioned, we bought it."
"Bought it?" Shinohara's eyes widened in surprise. "Didn't you get it from an upperclassman?"
Hirata said with a wry smile. "Last night, an unknown account contacted me, saying... there was a piece of information worth one million points. Kushida-san and I read the content beforehand... then discussed it, and decided to buy it."
The classroom instantly fell into an eerie silence, then erupted into even more intense noise.
"One million?!" Sudo sprang directly from his seat. "Are you insane?"
"Ha? How funny?!" Karuizawa sneered, arms crossed. "Why spend a whole month's worth of class points without even asking us?! If it's one million, then you two pay for it yourselves!"
Fine beads of sweat broke out on Hirata's forehead, and Kushida's smile had completely frozen on her face.
The entire Class D was like a volcano about to erupt, suppressed anger flickering in everyone's eyes.
"I knew this would happen..." Akira sighed helplessly, resting a hand on his forehead.
To be honest, he'd long anticipated this outcome, and could even say he wasn't surprised in the slightest.
For this group of people in the class, who would willingly fork out twenty-five thousand personal points for nothing?
Moreover, this was Chabashira's unilateral decision.
Of course, whether the class funds from the other thirty-nine people could be successfully recovered had absolutely nothing to do with him.
After all, Chabashira had personally handed him the full one million points.
But then again—
Chabashira's move was indeed brilliant. To have those two act as vice class representatives and collect the class funds on her behalf.
She really played her cards well.
As a teacher, it was indeed inconvenient to directly intervene in matters of class fund collection.
"Everyone, please calm down and listen to me first!" Hirata raised his voice, trying to quell the commotion in the classroom.
He cleared his throat, his tone sincere and firm.
"Let's make a hypothesis: what if we didn't have this information?" He looked around at his classmates. "If people continue to skip class and violate school rules, by the beginning of next month, our class points might only be two or three hundred, or even lower."
The classroom gradually quieted down, and the students began to seriously consider this possibility.
"But now it's different!" Hirata's voice was full of infectious enthusiasm. "It's only been a little over a week since school started, and we've already grasped the key rules. As long as we avoid making mistakes, we might very well maintain seven or eight hundred points by the end of the month!"
He paused, letting that number sink into everyone's minds. "More importantly, in the early stages of the school year, whichever class can first establish a points advantage will take the initiative in the upcoming competition. Buying this head start for one million points is absolutely worth it!"
Kushida timely added, "Moreover, this cost, when spread among everyone, isn't actually that much. Isn't exchanging twenty-five thousand points for tens of thousands of personal points that can be obtained every month for the next three years a very cost-effective investment?"
Whispers began to rise in the classroom, and many students' expressions had already softened.
"I object!" It was Karuizawa again, who laughed while fiddling with her fingernails. "It's easy for you honor students to say! But for those of us who don't have many points to begin with, twenty-five thousand is an astronomical figure! My points have a great use!"
A hint of displeasure flashed in Kushida's eyes, but she quickly put on a gentle smile. "Karuizawa-san, I completely understand your thoughts. How about this! I'll give everyone some time to prepare. Just hand in the points on time after school tomorrow."
Hirata took over at the right moment. "Students who are truly in difficulty can discuss it with me privately. I can lend some points to them, but the quota is limited, only two or three people at most."
Horikita crossed her arms, her cold gaze sweeping across the clamor in the classroom.
'One million points for this level of information... it's incredibly cheap. Why are these guys complaining endlessly?'
The constant complaints around her hammered at her nerves like blunt instruments.
'It's simply a waste of my time...'
'The very existence of these people is lowering the standard of this school.'
Suddenly, her fingers froze in mid-air.
'Wait... twenty-five thousand points?'
'I remember... in my account... I seem to have less than ten thousand points left.'