After Xiao Ziyan sat down, the attention in the classroom shifted once again.
Hen Jao and several other students turned their heads toward the girl sitting beside him.
She remained exactly the same as before.
Silent.
Calm.
Her eyes fixed on the small book in her hands as she continued reading, completely detached from everything around her.
Hen Jao smiled politely and spoke.
"Now it's your turn."
No response.
Not even a glance.
The girl simply ignored him as if he hadn't spoken at all.
A faint tension spread across the classroom.
Hen Jao scratched his cheek awkwardly but maintained his friendly expression.
"Ah… I'm sorry if I interrupted you, but we're in the same class, so—"
Before he could finish his sentence, the girl casually lifted one finger and tapped it lightly on her desk.
Tap.
Tap.
She still didn't look at him.
Just that small gesture.
Xiao Ziyan's eyes shifted slightly, taking a quick glance at the desk.
A name was engraved clearly on its surface.
Su Qing.
Hen Jao paused for a moment before walking closer to her desk.
Behind him, whispers began spreading among the students, especially the girls.
"Who is she?"
"So arrogant…"
"I think she just wants attention from Hen Jao."
"Bitch."
The murmurs grew, filled with judgment and annoyance.
But Su Qing didn't react.
Not even slightly.
It was as if the voices didn't exist.
Hen Jao reached her desk and looked down at the name.
"Su Qing," he read aloud.
Then he turned toward the class and smiled.
"Her name is Su Qing, guys."
But this time, the reaction was different.
There was no real interest.
No curiosity.
Most students had already formed a negative impression.
At the same time, Su Qing showed zero interest in anyone else.
Even after Hen Jao stood right beside her, she never once lifted her head to look at him.
Seeing this, Hen Jao simply smiled awkwardly and stepped back.
Then, he and the rest of the class turned their attention toward the last desk in the fifth row.
A boy with orange hair sat there.
His posture was rough, his eyes closed as if he had no intention of participating in anything happening around him.
Hen Jao took a step forward, about to call him.
But before he could say anything—
The boy suddenly opened his eyes.
Bang.
He slammed his leg against the desk aggressively, the sound echoing in the classroom.
His expression was filled with irritation.
"Fuck off."
His voice was sharp and filled with anger.
"I'm already pissed. Go play your childish game somewhere else."
The entire classroom froze.
Some students flinched at his tone.
Others exchanged nervous glances.
Hen Jao stood there for a moment, then let out a small sigh.
But instead of getting angry, he simply smiled.
"It's okay," he said calmly as he walked back toward his seat. "Looks like he's in a bad mood. He can introduce himself later."
He faced the class again.
"Well, now that everyone—"
Before he could finish speaking—
The front door of the classroom suddenly slid open.
The homeroom teacher walked in.
She was carrying a pile of thin books in her arms.
The classroom immediately fell silent.
Her presence alone was enough to shift the atmosphere.
She walked to the front desk and placed the books down with a soft thud.
Though the books were thin, something about them felt… important.
Then she lifted her head and looked at the students.
A smug smile slowly appeared on her face.
The homeroom teacher looked at the class with that same faint, knowing smile.
"Someone come here and distribute these to everyone."
A few students immediately reacted, half-rising from their seats—
—but they were already too late.
Cao Mei had already stood up.
"Guess I'll do it," she said cheerfully as she walked to the front.
She picked up the pile of thin books and began distributing them row by row, starting from the front.
The classroom watched as she moved efficiently between desks, handing one book to each student.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ziyan shifted his gaze toward the teacher.
She wasn't saying anything.
She was just standing there… watching.
Waiting.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Rule book.
That was the first conclusion he reached.
Cao Mei soon arrived at his desk.
She handed him a book with a small smile before moving on.
Xiao Ziyan took it without a word, his expression unchanged as his eyes dropped to the cover.
Then Cao Mei turned slightly and handed the next copy to the girl beside him.
Su Qing accepted the book silently, placed it on her desk—
—and immediately returned to reading her pocket-sized book as if the new one didn't exist.
Xiao Ziyan glanced at that for a brief second before looking back at his own copy.
I was right. A rule book.
But judging by that teacher's smug expression… this sure as fuck isn't the only thing she wants to show us.
His gaze drifted back toward the window.
The sunlight was still the same.
The wind still moved quietly.
But his thoughts had already gone deeper.
This school claims that students who complete three years get 100% job placement…
That's only half the truth.
They do get jobs.
But most of them end up with low annual income.
If someone wants real success… high income… influence…
They need to graduate from Class-A.
After several minutes, all the books had been distributed.
Cao Mei returned to her seat.
The classroom settled down again.
Then the teacher finally spoke.
"My name is Cie Xin," she said calmly, her tone steady but carrying authority. "I'm your homeroom teacher."
She paused briefly, scanning the room.
"This school doesn't have any rule that your homeroom teacher changes every year."
A faint smirk appeared on her face.
"So you'll be dealing with this old lady for the next three years."
Some students forced small smiles.
Others stayed silent.
Cie Xin then picked up one of the thin books from the desk and raised it slightly.
"This is your rule book."
"Read it carefully after you reach your dorms."
She placed it back down casually.
Then, without warning, she reached into her coat and pulled out a smartphone.
Holding it up for everyone to see, she spoke again.
"I know you all recognize this."
A few students nodded instinctively.
"But as you already know, personal electronic devices are not allowed on this island."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"So the school provides one for you."
A pause.
"Check under your desks."
The reaction was immediate.
Chairs shifted.
Students bent down quickly, searching beneath their desks.
Within seconds, each of them found a neatly placed smartphone hidden underneath.
Xiao Ziyan reached down calmly and picked up his device.
It was identical to the one in Cie Xin's hand.
No brand.
No markings.
Simple and clean.
"Turn it on," Cie Xin continued, "and log in using the ID number and password given in your admission letter."
The classroom filled with the sound of phones powering on.
Xiao Ziyan tapped the screen and entered his credentials without hesitation.
The phone unlocked smoothly.
A simple interface appeared—
—and then a message flashed.
Welcome, Xiao Ziyan.
It disappeared just as quickly, revealing a normal-looking smartphone home screen.
Apps.
Settings.
Everything looked standard.
But Xiao Ziyan knew better.
Nothing in this place was truly "normal."
Cie Xin spoke again while operating her own device.
"Open the app called Personal Info."
Xiao Ziyan tapped the app.
The screen changed instantly.
A profile page appeared.
At the top was his photograph, with the school name displayed above it.
Below that, his details were listed clearly.
Name: Xiao Ziyan
Age: 15
Class: D
Year: 1st
And then—
Private Points: 1,00,000
His eyes stopped there.
Private Points.
His expression didn't change.
But inside his mind—
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
Cie Xin looked at the class, her gaze moving slowly across the students holding their phones.
"Now, as you can see, your information is displayed in this app," she said calmly. "But I know… you don't understand what this 'Private Points' thing is."
A wave of agreement spread instantly.
Students nodded.
Some whispered to each other.
Confusion was written clearly across their faces.
Cie Xin slipped her phone back into her coat and folded her arms.
"You've all been receiving breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the past three days since you stepped onto this island."
She paused.
Then her eyes sharpened slightly.
"But starting today…"
"You'll have to buy it."
For a split second—
Silence.
Then the classroom erupted into tension.
"What?"
"Buy it?"
"Seriously?"
Students looked at each other, their expressions tightening with unease.
The relaxed atmosphere from moments ago vanished completely.
But one person remained unchanged.
Xiao Ziyan.
He sat quietly, his posture relaxed, his crimson eyes fixed on the teacher.
No surprise.
No panic.
Just calm observation.
So this is how it works.
He thought to himself.
Well… I can't say this is bad.
Cie Xin continued without caring about the students' reactions.
"In this school, you can buy anything using Private Points."
"One Private Point is equal to one Yuan."
"And your points will be distributed on the first day of every month."
The moment those words sank in—
The atmosphere flipped again.
Students froze—
—and then their expressions changed.
Shock turned into relief.
Relief turned into excitement.
One hundred thousand points.
That meant one hundred thousand yuan.
Whispers returned, but this time filled with excitement.
"That's a lot…"
"Isn't that insane?"
"We're basically rich here!"
Smiles spread across many faces.
The tension from earlier dissolved almost instantly.
They had money.
A lot of it.
But while others were busy feeling relieved—
Xiao Ziyan remained silent.
His eyes didn't change.
Because somewhere deep inside—
He knew.
Nothing in this school would be that simple.
Cie Xin turned toward the door.
Without another glance at the class, she spoke casually.
"That's all for today."
"Go back to your dorms and get some rest."
A slight pause.
"Your real classes start tomorrow."
Then she slid the door open and walked out of the classroom.
The sound of the door closing echoed faintly behind her.
Outside the classroom, Cie Xin strode down the corridor, a faint yet unsettling smirk slowly curling across her lips, hinting at schemes yet to unfold.