Separating from Ichinose, Ren looked at the shocked and speechless Ichinose with a smile: "Are you surprised, Honami?"
"Why did Ren know so many things immediately and manage to notify the upperclassmen in time?"
Ichinose, who had a super strong capacity for acceptance, recovered in an instant and continued to ask about the points she didn't understand.
What Ren said was simply too incredible.
Clearly dissecting all the traps contained within the special exam immediately after viewing it?
This is not something a normal person, or even a genius, could do.
It seems Ren still has some specific things he hasn't said.
Not disappointing Ichinose's guess, Ren dropped a torpedo even bigger than the one before.
Spinning the pen in his hand at high speed, Ren stated a despairing fact: "It's simple, because I created the questions for this special assessment."
Points can buy everything within the school.
This naturally includes the special exam.
Coincidentally, Ren had enough surplus points to buy this special exam from Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"The questions... were created... by Ren?"
Ichinose was stunned. She was truly stunned this time. She never expected this result.
It was like,
She had exhausted herself trying to solve the difficult problem in front of her, failing no matter what, only to be told in the end...
This was just a question someone casually wrote.
"That's right~"
The villa door was opened from the outside, and Chie walked in with cheerful steps: "I'm back, Ren~"
"And Honami Airi"
Changing into her pink bunny slippers at the entrance, Hoshinomiya seemed to think of something and reminded Ren: "By the way, Ren, Koenji-kun is still outside."
It seems the guest has arrived too.
Getting up and taking Mochi from Airi, Ren placed Mochi on Ichinose's head, whose CPU had clearly crashed.
He walked into the kitchen, took out the barbecue ingredients he bought in the afternoon, and headed to the small lawn outside the villa.
Hoshinomiya and Airi waved their hands in front of the dazed Ichinose: "Honami, are you okay?"
Ichinose, whose worldview had been impacted, came back to her senses and wanted to shake her head in denial, but feeling the weight of Mochi on her head, she had to give up: "Ah... I'm fine."
"That's good. We're having a barbecue party outside tonight~"
Hoshinomiya, seeing that Ichinose's CPU was overloaded, took Mochi from the girl's head and patted Ichinose's small head, reminding the girl to get ready for dinner.
Outside the villa,
Mochi, placed on the ground, trotted with her short legs to follow Koharu's steps to the small garden planted with fresh flowers nearby, happily chasing the colorful butterflies flying in mid-air.
The extremely sensible Koharu lay quietly in the flower bushes, napping, not disturbing Ren, who was assembling the grill with Rokusuke Koenji.
Once everything was ready, only cutting the meat and washing the vegetables remained unfinished.
Ren and Rokusuke Koenji proactively took on the job of cutting meat and skewering it, while Hoshinomiya and Airi washed the vegetables on the side.
Ichinose, who had finally recovered, walked out of the villa and went straight to Ren: "Ren, then what exactly should the White Cat be?"
"Dragon, you handle this yourself; I'll go start the charcoal." Rokusuke Koenji laughed loudly, patted Ren's shoulder, and left the space to the two of them.
Putting down the skewered meat in his hand, Ren pointed to the two cats in the small garden: "Honami, look. Aren't Koharu and Mochi White Cats?"
"Does Ren mean that the White Cat is just a white cat? Is it Koharu and Mochi?"
Without giving Ichinose an immediate answer, Ren answered irrelevantly: "Honami, do you remember the Rubik's cube I gave you?"
"I remember!"
Saying this, Ichinose took out the Rubik's cube she had already solved from her pocket. The white paper Ren used to wrap the cube had not been torn off by Ichinose.
"Does it look like a small box? Do you remember Rule 5?"
Because Ren had specifically reminded her, Ichinose remembered Rule 5 clearly: "The highly famous White Cat."
Nodding, Ren continued to give hints: "Box, Cat, Highly Famous."
Seeing Ichinose still confused, Ren stopped keeping her in suspense.
"The true name of the White Cat in this special exam is..."
"Schrödinger's Cat."
This was the true answer to this special exam. The "White Cat" exists and does not exist.
From the very beginning of the exam, the White Cat existed simultaneously in all four first-year classes. As long as the students felt the White Cat was in their class, it was in their class.
It existed in a hypothetical state, which also met the requirement of "moving around everywhere" in the question.
As long as one could figure this out, this exam would become very simple: just randomly designate an object as the "White Cat."
Since the "White Cat" was an anomaly not explicitly defined as anything, as long as a student identified it as the White Cat, it was the White Cat.
But because there was only one chance to identify, no one dared to use it for trial and error.
The misdirection in the exam rules, combined with the zero-tolerance chance for identification, created the result where no first-year class passed.
All of this was within Ren's expectations, or rather, it was intentional on Ren's part.
Third Year Class C successfully rose to Third Year Class B and closed the gap with Third Year Class A due to Miyabi Asada's successful identification.
At the same time, she also gained the unanimous recognition of Third Year Class C students and became the newly appointed leader of the class.
Second Year Class B's Fuka Kiryuin used this assessment to successfully push down the original Second Year Class A, making her class Class A.
Rokusuke Koenji, who had started the charcoal fire, shouted to Ren: "Dragon, are you done over there?"
"Rush, rush, rush. What are you rushing for, Lion?" Cursing, Ren took the plate full of skewers and pulled Ichinose's small hand, walking toward Rokusuke Koenji.
Hoshinomiya, who couldn't wait any longer, also pulled Airi toward the grill.
The barbecue party began.
...
After eating and drinking their fill, Rokusuke Koenji elegantly took out a napkin and wiped his mouth: "Dragon, can we start now?"
Hoshinomiya, knowing the main business was coming, also came to Ren's side.
"Ren?"
"Ren?"
Seeing the sudden change in atmosphere, Ichinose and Airi, realizing this wasn't an ordinary party, looked at Ren in confusion.
"It's fine. Honami and Airi, come together. It will be yours sooner or later anyway."
Without letting Ichinose and Airi leave, Ren led the four into the villa.
The real big prize...
...was starting.
The familiar laptop, the familiar page.
Ichinose and Airi, who didn't understand what it was, just watched Ren operate quietly.
The draw in the first year meant there was no winner in the first-year betting pool this time.
In other words, the house takes all!
A nine-digit figure of personal points appeared on the computer screen on the website.
"If 60% of the personal points obtained this time are put into the prize pool, six lucky winners can be picked. I need two spots here. Do you guys need any?"
"Also, the personal points used to buy the special exam this time will be reimbursed here."
"No problem, right?"
Placing the data in front of the four, Ren stated his requirements.
He could throw out one of the three spots he had promised to Second Year Class C and D earlier to give them a little taste of sweetness.
After receiving confirmation from Rokusuke Koenji and Hoshinomiya, Ren began distributing the points.
It was still the split of five for Ren, three for Rokusuke Koenji, and two for Chie Hoshinomiya.
This time, as the house, the three of them made a fortune. Ren alone received nine-digit personal points, and Rokusuke Koenji and Hoshinomiya also had eight-digit personal points.
"Everyone gets a share. Here's some for Honami and Airi too."
Affectionately pinching the cheeks of the two girls who were already stunned, Ren used his student card to transfer seven-digit personal points to the two girls.
After appeasing Honami and Airi, Ren raised his glass to Rokusuke Koenji and Hoshinomiya, whose smiles had never faded.
"Old rules? Pleasure doing business."
"Pleasure doing business."
"Pleasure doing business."
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