Chapter 5: What Does Maximizing Benefits Mean
Seeing that his actions had caused the "stock price" of Honami to rise, Hikaru was quite satisfied. He then continued to explain his plan to the students of Class B.
"Of course, this is just a preliminary idea. There's no guarantee that Class A will accept our proposal to sell the rules. We still need to prepare for the negotiations."
Hikaru stroked his chin. The success of this plan depended entirely on Class A's reaction—if they didn't take the bait, things could get awkward.
"I have a suggestion regarding this."
Honami raised her fair, delicate hand at just the right moment. After Hikaru's explanation, the girl understood that future class competitions would inevitably revolve around class evaluation points and private points.
Therefore, if Class B could accumulate more private points, even if their class evaluation points dropped, they would still have a chance to turn the tables.
"Do you have any thoughts, Ichinose-san? Feel free to speak up."
Hikaru wore an encouraging smile. If Honami could openly become the leader of Class B, that would be ideal—it would grant him more freedom.
After all, he couldn't place all his hopes on this "Great Angel." It was far more prudent to continue developing new "stocks."
"When we sell the rules to Class A, we should first present the contract prohibiting secondary sales," Honami suggested, glancing at Chie, who stood nearby watching the scene unfold. "The contract represents the school's endorsement, which will further prove that we genuinely know the rules."
"That way, the students in Class A will surely understand our stance."
"Hmm, that's true."
Hikaru nodded at Honami and continued.
"As I mentioned earlier, Class A is the school's top-ranked class. Today is the first day of the semester—it's possible some of them have already noticed the school's anomalies, but whether they've considered purchasing the rules remains unknown."
"So the best time to sell the rules is today. I propose we head to Class A right after collecting our textbooks to seize this opportunity to earn private points."
"Indeed, this is the perfect timing."
"I trust Hanashima-kun's judgment. Let's leave this matter to him."
"Yes, I believe Hanashima-kun can make the most advantageous decision."
The students of Class B quickly reached a consensus. Since someone had stepped forward, their role was to provide support from behind.
"No, my strength alone is limited. So when we sell the rules later, I'd like Ichinose-san to accompany me."
Hikaru revealed his plan—after all, to boost the girl's "stock value," joint action was the best approach.
"Of course. I also want to contribute to the class."
Honami naturally had no reason to refuse such a proposal.
"Alright, then that concludes our plan for Class A for now," Hikaru said, shifting his gaze to the letter "C" written on the blackboard. "Our next target is Class C."
"Class C is ranked below us, meaning their overall evaluation is lower than ours. Therefore, our approach to selling the rules should be adjusted accordingly."
"I wonder... would you all be willing to gamble with me?"
"Gamble?"
The word drew puzzled expressions from the Class B students, even Honami's usually serene face showing a trace of confusion.
"Let's hypothesize—if none of the classes know the school's deeper rules, what will happen after a month?"
"Presumably, every class will violate school regulations to some extent, resulting in deductions to their class evaluation points. Judging by the school's ranking system, the likelihood of this will increase in the order of A, B, C, and D."
"In other words, Class C will lose more class evaluation points than we will. So there's no need to sell them the rules so quickly."
"My idea is to wait about seven or eight days—until they've unknowingly lost points—before selling them the rules," Hikaru said, a sly smile playing on his lips. "Only then can we maximize our profits."
"Not only can we collect private points from Class C, but we can also use this opportunity to widen the gap between us and them."
"What does everyone think of this plan?"
After his explanation, the students of Class B were utterly stunned. They never imagined such a maneuver was possible.
If successfully implemented, not only could they recover some private points, but they could also lower Class C's class evaluation score, increasing the disparity with Class B.
"Then, should we use this method on Class D as well?"
The purple-haired boy who had spoken earlier had already grasped the essence and voiced his opinion.
"Yes, for Class D, we can delay selling the rules by about two weeks. As long as we successfully sign contracts with Class A and Class C, we can ensure the rules won't leak."
"What if students from those classes notice something unusual and warn their classmates not to break the rules?"
Honami took Hikaru's plan very seriously, constantly jotting down notes as he spoke. The girl intended to identify any gaps and raise all possible scenarios.
"Exactly, that's why I said this is a gamble."
"Additionally, we can't predict the point consumption of other classes. By the time we go to collect, they might already be unable to pay," Hikaru paused, his gaze sweeping over his classmates as he solemnly added, "But our advantage lies in the information gap, so we can mobilize the entire class to act together."
"By monitoring the state of their classes daily, we can not only understand their point reserves but also whether they've noticed the school's deeper rules. This allows us to adjust timing and increase the plan's success rate."
"Above is the phased harvesting plan I've devised. I hope everyone can trust me."
After writing his thoughts on the blackboard, Hikaru concluded with an impassioned speech.
"Classmates, the competition between classes has already begun. I hope we can unite as one—only then can we graduate from Class A together in the future!"
"Well said! I support Hanashima!"
"Me too!"
"Let's give Hanashima a round of applause!!!"
Thunderous applause erupted in Class B's classroom. Hikaru glanced again at Honami, who was also clapping, her faint smile strikingly beautiful.
But why wasn't there any notification?
Hikaru looked at his system panel. After laying out the entire plan, he had specifically added his desire to graduate from Class A alongside his classmates.
This should align with Honami's stock analysis, yet no stock price increase notification appeared like before.
Was mere empty talk no longer effective?
Hikaru pondered silently: 'Perhaps the stock price will only rise after these plans are fully implemented.'
Just then, Hoshinomiya Chie, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke.
"Hanashima-kun is truly impressive, coming up with such a thorough plan in such a short time."
"It was just a sudden inspiration. You flatter me, sensei."
"Then, could you help me carry the textbooks now?"
"Yes..."
"Miss Ichinose, you're coming too."
"Okay."