Hachiman Hikigaya, who returned from his studies after completing his training.

"The rules for the special exams are generally fair to each class. I suspect that each class will have three students who receive special treatment, and there may be some pattern in the selection of these students."

After Hirata nodded with a wry smile in agreement with Hikigaya's decision, Shiina expressed a thought that coincided with Hikigaya's.

"According to the recording, if students in one class do not cooperate and remain silent during the two-hour discussion time each day, there is no way to determine whether the student receiving preferential treatment is in their class. The school should not allow this situation to continue."

“I agree with Shiina’s idea. We can think about how to find the pattern based on the premise that this pattern exists.”

Hikigaya affirmed Shiina's idea, and Shiina, feeling affirmed, smiled and continued to offer suggestions.

"Then firstly—"

...........

A little after nine o'clock,

With Horikita Suzune and Shiina by his side, Hikigaya walked out of the briefing room. Outside, about ten students from other classes had also come to listen to the exam briefing at this time. Among them, the most eye-catching was Katsuragi, the big bald guy.

Among the crowd were not only Katsuragi from Class A, but also Ichinose from Class B and Ryuen from Class C.

It's no wonder they're the Dragon Group in the Chinese Zodiac; the leaders of each class have been assigned here, making it a gathering of elites.

"Yo, Hikigaya, it really is you from Class D." Ryuen greeted them with a smile, accompanied by Ibuki and Ayanokouji.

"Looks like we can team up again to work on Class A, Ryuen."

With a smile, Hikigaya welcomed Ryuen, saying that Class A was already showing signs of decline and he wanted to add fuel to the fire.

"Our class will also be involved in the collaboration. I wonder if Hikigaya and Ryuen will welcome me?"

The Dragon Group Class B students also consisted of three people: Ichinose, Kushida, and a girl named Ando Sayo whom they had never spoken to before.

As for Ichinose's application to join, Hikigaya and Ryuen naturally agreed. As long as the three classes say which class their class's special recipient is in, they can pinpoint which group the special recipient from Class A is in.

"Hikigaya, Sakayanagi, who offended you, has already stepped down. There's no need to target Class A like this." Katsuragi approached with a gloomy face after listening to their conversation. Behind him were Morishita Ai and a girl named Nishikawa Ryoko.

Katsuragi wasn't stupid; he knew the consequences of the three classes teaming up against Class A.

Chapter 106 Arrangements Before the Exam

"Currently, Class B is leading in class points. Compared to Class A, which has already lost, I think you two should pay more attention to Class B, who are united."

As Katsuragi said, Class B's future looks bright on the surface, but Hachiman knows that's just an illusion. Right now, Class B's only notable player is Ichinose, and the so-called second-in-command Kanzaki is just a facade.

But Ryuen didn't know that Katsuragi said this mainly to sow discord between Ryuen's Class C.

Unlike his relationship with Class B, which involved the transfer of benefits, Long Yuan's relationship with Class B was completely innocent.

"But I really don't like your class right now."

Hikigaya, deciding to shift the blame, turned his attention to Morishita Ai behind Katsuragi. "Morishita-kun looked down on me yesterday, which really angered me. She said I was just a weakling who posed no threat to Class A."

"......"

As soon as he said that, unlike Ryuen who burst into laughter, Katsuragi and Nishikawa both looked at Morishita with disbelief.

Hikigaya is currently the most popular student among the first-year students. Although his personal life seems a bit chaotic, his abilities are undeniably the best among all the first-year students.

Even when people in Class B criticize him, they only call him a womanizer and don't belittle his abilities.

"I didn't say Hachiman Hikigaya was a weakling, I just said you were only a moderate threat." Morishita couldn't stay calm when her companion looked at her like that; Hachiman had really pinned a huge blame on her.

With so many people here, this story will probably spread throughout the first-year students in less than a night, and she will become famous in the first-year students.

It's just a bad reputation.

"That's just looking down on me. I'm just that petty."

After pressing his advantage, Hachiman left behind the pale-faced Class A students, said goodbye to Ryuen and Ichinose, and went to the meeting room where the class meeting was to be held that night.

The tea pillar, who had already finished explaining the exam rules, was waiting for him here as requested.

"I really don't know what you're thinking. You always come up with these unexpected ideas." Chazuki, holding a laptop, stood next to the main seat on the podium.

"Just tell me whether it's useful or not."

After smiling and answering Chabashira's question, Hachiman sat in the main seat, with Shiina and Chabashira sitting on either side of him. Around 10 o'clock, all the students in Class D arrived, and Hachiman turned on his microphone.

"Everyone basically understands the rules of this special exam, so I won't go into detail. Now, except for Koenji, everyone else should create a file to save their private information on their phones. Chabashira-sensei will cut and paste your files one by one to her computer."

"Everyone must return their phones to Hirata by 8 a.m. tomorrow after restoring them to factory settings. I will make special arrangements for the three phones that received the preferential treatment email before returning them to their original owners."

It was impossible to expect all the privileged individuals to calmly respond to the probing of other classes, so Hachiman simply made sure they themselves didn't know they were privileged individuals.

The emails on the phone couldn't be processed, but it didn't say the SIM card couldn't be processed. After restoring the phone to factory settings and changing the SIM card, no one except the person who handled the phone would know who the real owner of the phone was.

"I'd like to ask how the special handling is done?"

Amidst whispers, Shinmura raised his hand to speak. He felt he had performed well in the final exams and thought he could finally speak up, but Hachiman didn't give him any face.

"Special treatment means special treatment. Just like the exam on the deserted island, you just need to follow the instructions. I will lead you to victory with Hirata Hiyori and the others."

"If you think any student in another class is suspicious during the exam, you can call me directly. Only after I give you permission can you send an email to the school to tell them who the students are, except for Koenji."

Of course, students are allowed to bring their phones to this exam, and they are not prohibited from contacting other students. Hachiman could easily remotely control students in other groups using his phone.

The whispers from below the stage grew louder as they heard Hikikoshi, who was already 34, and Yotsuya, showing such favoritism towards Koenji, but no one dared to stand up and say it.

Because Gao Yuanji was a genius who got perfect scores in every subject at the end of the semester, no one dared to compare with him, not even Xin Cun, who had a bad expression.

He got a perfect score because there were only so many points on the exam, and as a top student, he knew that.

"This is roughly the arrangement. Anyone with questions can ask now." Hachiman stood up from his seat and looked around at the students. No one seemed to want to raise their hand to speak, at least not on the surface.

There were no questions about how troublesome it is to reset the phone, or that the school doesn't prohibit forced spying on who the privileged students are.

"Since there are no problems, then it's settled. Students who have finished setting up their phones can now hand them over to Teacher Chazhu for backup."

After speaking to the students, Hikigaya looked at Shiina and said, "Transfer 100,000 personal points to Chabashira-sensei as a hiring fee, Hiyori."

"Yes, Hachiman."

The idea that personal points can buy everything is an empty promise, but it's true that you can buy quite a few things with them. In schools, a teacher openly charges 100,000 personal points per hour to help with tasks.

Even though Chashu can only help under his orders without being given points, this is against school rules, and Chashu will be in trouble if someone finds out.

Hoshinomiya made Hachiman realize how useful it is to have an obedient teacher, and he was reluctant to replace the tea stalk.

After each student handed their phone to Chabashira for processing and left, the number of people in the meeting room gradually decreased. After Chabashira finished his task and left, Hachiman also walked out of the meeting room and closed the door.

Outside the door, Karuizawa, with her blonde ponytail, waited for him in the shadows of the night.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you home sleeping so late?"

Although the class meeting ended quickly, each student spent a considerable amount of time backing up their phones, and it's already past eleven o'clock.

“All three of Manabe from Class C have been assigned to my group, while the ones from our class who have been assigned to my group are Sotomura and Shinmura.” Karuizawa looked a little uneasy.

The reason why Karuizawa is uneasy about Hikigaya is obvious with just a little thought.

Manabe, Yamashita, and Yabuna all see Karuizawa as a thorn in their side because of Shinohara's affair, while Shinmura always looks down on Karuizawa, and Tomomura has even called Karuizawa a bitch behind her back.

This was a three-on-one situation for Class C, and even if Class D's teammates were to help, they would only be helping the opposing team.

"What should we do, Hachiman?"

Who are the students in Class A and Class B?

There's no hope in relying on Shinomura and Shinmura. Shinmura is all bark and no bite, and Shinomura is weak both inside and out. Even if he forces Shinmura and Shinomura, it won't make a difference.

"I don't know any of the boys in Class A, but I know all of the boys in Class B. One boy is Ryuji Kanzaki, another is Tetsuya Hamaguchi, and the girl is Yuki Himeno."

".Also wife`Six Ying's = Two] Jiu Er......

Tetsuya Hamaguchi had met him before. He was a weakling, just like Shinmura, or even weaker than Shinmura, with a neutral appearance that lacked any intimidation.

So the only ones I can ask for help are Kanzaki or Himeno Yuki.

Hachiman doesn't want to ask either of these two for help.

Chapter 107 Class C's High-Stakes Gamble

On the morning of the first day of the exam,

At 8:00 a.m., all thirty-odd cell phones spread out on Hirata's bed simultaneously received emails from the school. After Hikigaya and Hirata checked them one by one, the identities of the three privileged students in Class D were quickly determined.

There's no connection between their names, and they're not particularly outstanding students in terms of ability.

"The phones belonging to Kikuchi, Sotomura, Shinohara, Inokashira, and Sato will be returned to them later."

"Xin Cun, Wang Meiyu, Mori Ningning, Ishikura, and Rino, please ask Karuizawa to help arrange something unexpected so that they can hear that they are the recipients of preferential treatment."

"After changing the SIM card, send Panasonic a phone with a VIP email address, clearly telling her that she is not a VIP and that she should decide for herself. Keep one of the remaining two VIP phones for yourself, and leave the Karuizawa one for me."

This is a small strategy that Hachiman and his friends came up with in their meeting yesterday. Whether it can fool people or not, it can at least increase the chances that other classes will guess the wrong person receiving preferential treatment.

It's just a small favor anyway, and it's a good thing for Class D if other classes can get accepted.

"Okay, I'll go arrange it right away." Hirata nodded, took a cardboard box, packed all the phones, and went out.

It has been confirmed that you can change your SIM card. Since it's a special test related to mobile phones, there are also dedicated mobile phone repair personnel on the cruise ship. Unlocking a SIM card only requires paying a small amount of personal points.

"The game begins."

Hikigaya walked to the window. The weather was bright today, with a few white clouds drifting leisurely across the blue sky.

at the same time,

The three new leaders of Class A, who were gathered together, did not look too good, because it was already past eight o'clock, but they had only received a message from one of the privileged individuals.

The other two recipients of preferential treatment were Katsuragi himself, but the identity of the other was unknown.

Although it's only one student who openly distrusts them, there's definitely more than just one behind the scenes; it's just that he happens to be the one receiving preferential treatment.

"Should I have the suspicious student talk to me in person? I'm confident I can find out if the student isn't so calm."

"That's not appropriate. It would let other students know that there are students in our class who are being treated unfairly and haven't told us about it."

Katsuragi rejected Morishita's proposal. Although Class A seemed to be united now, Morishita's reputation wasn't so good. This kind of interrogation-like action would only give other students an opportunity to attack Morishita.

Whether it was due to someone's instigation or not, Morishita's remarks mocking Hachiman, the leader of Class D, became widely known overnight.

Although the students in Class A wouldn't openly criticize Morishita, it would seem as if they were afraid of Hikigaya from Class D.

However, many students harbored resentment towards Morishita for causing trouble for Class A, and even Katsuragi himself felt a little resentful.

Even though Hikigaya has openly and honestly dropped out of school and many students have said that he is not someone to be trifled with, and the deserted island has also taught Sakayanagi a lesson, why does Morishita still provoke Hikigaya for no reason?

"I consulted with Kamuro about Sakayanagi's insights on this special exam. Sakayanagi believes that there is likely a certain pattern in the selection of the beneficiaries, and the more people you know about the beneficiaries, the easier it is to deduce."

"I also think there is a certain pattern to the selection of the preferential treatment recipients, so we should find out who the last preferential treatment recipient in our class is."

After Sanada spoke, Morishita immediately agreed, saying that if Class A suffered such a crushing defeat, she would become an even bigger laughingstock.

After some thought, Katsuragi had to agree with the two men's opinion, but it wouldn't be right for Morishita to test the waters so directly; a compromise had to be made.

"Go find Hashimoto and ask him to act out a scene. Let Hashimoto ask the questions, and you can judge from behind."

"Won't this be bad for Hashimoto?" Sanada smiled awkwardly. Wasn't this just making Hashimoto look bad, even though he was already quite controversial?

"He deserves it."

After saying that, Katsuragi took out his phone, tapped on a contact's profile picture, paused for a moment, and then put the phone back in his pocket. Class A wasn't in a crisis situation yet, and the other party wasn't exactly a kind person.

As the one receiving preferential treatment, he could only hope that Sanada or Sakayanagi could find the preferential treatment recipients from other classes in other groups. If they could successfully deduce the pattern, Class A would not need to cooperate with other classes to achieve a win-win situation.

However, the most important thing is to hide yourself first.

After Morishita and Sanada left, Katsuragi closed his eyes and pondered to adjust his state. The other three class leaders in the Dragon Group were not easy to deal with, and he had to hide himself well.

In the conference room on the cruise ship, the students of Class B gathered together. Their good discipline allowed them to assemble here before eight o'clock to face this special exam together.

Unlike Hikigaya's autocratic meeting last night, under Ichinose's guidance, students frequently raised their hands to express their thoughts on this special exam, creating a harmonious atmosphere.

Judging from the way everyone was laughing and joking, it was less like they were preparing for a special exam and more like they were discussing where to go and what to eat that night.

"I can't see any pattern at all."

On the podium, in front of Ichinose, there was a piece of white paper with the names of three people written on it: Kanzaki, Ninomiya, and Kushida were surrounding her.

Following Hikigaya's notification, Yue-Y-Ir. Jiu-Liu jiJuyi三?捌陸之濑也也知也知道，他直接隐瞒课学生谁是优先惠者的战略也，他直接隐，他直接隐，他并知也知道，他并知也的战略也。

However, unlike Class D, who could easily confiscate cell phones, Class B would never do something that shows such distrust towards their own students. Therefore, Ichinose did not follow Hikigaya's strategy.

“Knowing only three is far too few. I think we should try to make a deal with Ryuen. If we wait any longer, we might not have the chance anymore. I bet Kushida-kun thinks so too.” Kanzaki looked at Kushida with a cold expression.