Classroom of the Elite: Surviving with the Intel System — Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Be Careful of Nagumo MiyabiYou're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

The heavy door of the dormitory clicked shut behind him, sealing away the ambient noise of the hallway. Before Shimizu Akira could even kick off his shoes, the sharp vibration of his phone buzzed against his thigh.

Pulling the device from his pocket, the screen illuminated the dimly lit entryway. It was a message from his homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.

【Chabashira Sae: In the future, if you discover information beneficial to the class, you can contact me directly, or inform the two vice-class representatives. As for compensation… you name your price.】

【Chabashira Sae: A very fair trade, isn’t it? This way, you should be willing to contribute to Class D, right?】

A faint, cynical smile touched Akira’s lips. This homeroom teacher was far more astute than he had initially given her credit for. At the very least, she was vastly more adept at weighing the scales of profit and loss than the naive students currently populating Class D.

He leaned against the wall, his thumbs flying across the digital keyboard.

【Shimizu Akira: As expected of Chabashira-sensei, this proposal is indeed brilliant. Speaking of which… have you successfully led your class to Class A before?】

The read receipt appeared almost instantly. A few seconds later, the reply came through, carrying an almost audible sigh of irritation.

【Chabashira Sae:…No.】

【Chabashira Sae: Shimizu, you still haven’t directly answered my question.】

Akira stared at the glowing screen, the harsh light reflecting in his dark eyes. He weighed the variables.

【Shimizu Akira: Deal. As long as the compensation is reasonable, I am very willing to engage in this equivalent exchange.】

He genuinely had no reason to refuse her offer. From the very beginning, his reluctance to assist Class D stemmed from a simple, unshakeable principle: only a fool works for free. Being a thankless tool for the benefit of others was entirely against his nature.

Now, Chabashira’s proposed system of equivalent exchange perfectly resolved that contradiction. If his calculated efforts yielded tangible, profitable rewards, he was more than happy to play the role of a cooperative student.

【Chabashira Sae: By the way, Shimizu, in your opinion, who is more suitable to be the class representative? Hirata Yosuke or Kushida Kikyo? Which of them would be more beneficial for the overall development of Class D?】

Seeing this sudden pivot in the conversation, Akira’s thumb hovered over the screen. His brows furrowed slightly in the quiet room.

Why would a homeroom teacher solicit a student’s opinion on something like this? Especially regarding the official leadership structure of the class.

【Chabashira Sae: If you give me a satisfactory answer, I will tell you a critical piece of information regarding the second-year students as a bonus.】

Akira’s eyes narrowed. Although Chabashira often projected an aura of lazy indifference, she was a woman who strictly adhered to the rules of transactions. If she was offering high-level intelligence as payment, it was absolutely not an empty promise.

His finger tapped against the edge of the phone case for a few seconds before he began to type.

【Shimizu Akira: My answer is—neither of them is particularly suitable for the role.】

He paused, structuring his thoughts into a cohesive strategy, then continued.

【Shimizu Akira: Why be so fixated on officially crowning a single class representative? Look at Class A. They are currently being jointly led by Katsuragi and Sakayanagi in a factional split, yet their class still functions at the highest level. Why not simply leave the representative position vacant? Let Hirata and Kushida compete based on actual, measurable contributions. Whoever provides the most value to the class gets to serve as the acting representative for the following month.】

It was a standard, highly effective management tactic used in the corporate world. Deliberately leaving a coveted promotion vacant naturally stimulated a fierce, underlying competitive spirit among employees.

In Akira’s view, maintaining a state of healthy, desperate competition between the overly-idealistic Hirata and the socially-manipulative Kushida was the optimal method to keep the class functioning efficiently.

He added one final thought before hitting send.

【Shimizu Akira: Compared to establishing fixed candidates, a dynamic competition mechanism is far more suitable for the current, unstable state of Class D. And in my opinion, perhaps Horikita Suzune will also evolve into one of those leaders in the near future.】

The chat interface remained dead silent.

Minutes ticked by. The silence stretched on for so long that Akira assumed Chabashira had simply pocketed her phone and ended the conversation. Just as he moved to turn off the screen, a flurry of messages suddenly flooded in.

【Chabashira Sae: Horikita Suzune? Her? I haven’t seen a single sign of change in her yet.】

【Chabashira Sae:…Sometimes I seriously wonder if you are actually a high school student.】

【Chabashira Sae: To analyze high school class dynamics using cutthroat workplace management theories…】

Another brief pause, followed by a definitive conclusion.

【Chabashira Sae:…But it is undeniably a good plan.】and support the real translator.Read at elysianreads.com This is a stolen translation. You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.

【Chabashira Sae:, Class D will apply this exact mechanism.】

Standing alone in the quiet dormitory, Akira vaguely realized the absurdity of the situation. Without ever stepping up to the podium, he was effectively manipulating the entire structure of Class D from the shadows. Even the homeroom teacher was now taking administrative cues from him.

Still, a deal was a deal.

【Shimizu Akira: So, where is my equivalent information?】

【Chabashira Sae:…In Class A of the second year, there is a student named Nagumo Miyabi.】

Akira frowned. He hadn’t expected her to drop a specific name out of nowhere.

【Shimizu Akira: And what does this person have to do with me?】

【Chabashira Sae: Think carefully about your recent actions. How exactly did you acquire the old test materials?】

【Shimizu Akira: I bought them from a second-year Class D upperclassman. A simple transaction.】

【Chabashira Sae: The entire second-year student body is currently under Nagumo Miyabi’s absolute control, and Class D is no exception to his rule. He issued a strict, sweeping mandate: prohibiting any second-year student from violating school rules. Selling internal information to freshmen falls under that umbrella.】

【Shimizu Akira: His reasoning?】

【Chabashira Sae: It is pure economics. Violating school rules results in a deduction of Class Points. A decrease in Class Points means that the Private Points those students can ‘contribute’ to Nagumo’s personal coffers each month will also shrink. That is his logic. He treats their points as his own taxes.】

【Chabashira Sae: So, I am genuinely curious. How exactly did you manage to convince someone to sell you that information while living under Nagumo Miyabi’s totalitarian watch?】

Akira’s lips parted slightly as the pieces clicked into place.

No wonder the upperclassman had looked so nervous. No wonder she had specifically emphasized that she was ‘severely short on points recently’ during their transaction.

Looking back at the exchange, it was a glaringly obvious hint. She had been taking a massive, calculated risk by defying Nagumo’s prohibition just to make a quick profit off a freshman.

‘I really got a massive bargain out of her,’ Akira thought, shaking his head in mild amusement.

It was exactly what he should have expected from a target specifically highlighted by his Daily Intel System. The system didn’t just find information; it found the exact pressure points of the people holding it.

【Chabashira Sae: Don’t overthink it for now. The current Student Council President is still in power, and Nagumo Miyabi, acting as the Vice President, is entirely focused on crushing the third-year classes outside of Class A. I am simply giving you a heads-up. Right now, he is highly likely to completely ignore your existence.】

Akira read the final message twice, committing the details to memory.

‘Nagumo Miyabi is the Student Council Vice President?’

This new variable made him pause. If they were both operating within the highest echelons of the Student Council, Horikita Manabu would undoubtedly know the exact depths of Nagumo’s capabilities.

But Chabashira was right. An ordinary, newly enrolled freshman like him didn’t even qualify to enter the Vice President’s peripheral vision. In the rigid power structure of the Advanced Nurturing High School, the Vice President was second only to the absolute authority of the President.

‘Right now, in his eyes, I probably don’t even register as a pawn on the board.’

As Chabashira noted, Nagumo was busy expanding his tyrannical influence upward, targeting the third-years. A predator of that caliber wouldn’t waste time looking down at the dirt to inspect a first-year.

“Speaking of which, it’s almost time.”

Akira glanced at the clock at the top of his phone screen. It read 7:10 PM.

He closed the chat application and mentally pulled up his system interface, reviewing the daily logs he had received that morning.

[Information Three: Tonight at 7:55 PM, Horikita Suzune will be subjected to physical punishment by Horikita Manabu behind the first-year dormitory.]

“Perfect timing,” Akira murmured into the empty room, his eyes reflecting the cold blue light of the screen. “I can finally meet the esteemed Student Council President in person.”

He slipped the phone back into his pocket, his expression hardening into a look of calculated anticipation.

“And just to be safe… I’ll use the opportunity to ask him exactly what kind of monster Nagumo Miyabi really is.”You're reading this on the wrong site. This chapter was translated by Elysian Reads and posted for free at elysianreads.com — if you're seeing it anywhere else, it was copied without permission. Read it at the source so the people who actually did the work get the credit.