I have a life simulator.

"give me one."

Ryuu Sho squeezed next to Kitagawa Ryo and unceremoniously took one of Kitagawa Ryo's earphones.

Kitagawa Ryo didn't seem to care much. He shifted his body to make room for Ryuen Sho and started the recording with the mouse.

"For this special exam, the school will use the Chinese sexagenary cycle as a metaphor for all first-year students and divide them into twelve groups. We will hold exams within those groups. The purpose of the exams is to test thinking abilities."

The woman's voice sounded like the voice of Chabashira Saeko, the homeroom teacher of Class D. Komiya nodded in agreement.

"The class advisor of Class D is responsible for explaining the rules."

【Thinking】

Kitagawa Ryo typed this word in his notebook. Was it a test of thinking ability?

"The basic abilities required of adults can be roughly divided into three categories: Action, Thinking, and Teamwork. Only those who possess these abilities are qualified to become outstanding adults. The previous deserted island exam focused on teamwork. However, this time it's Thinking. This will be an exam that requires critical thinking skills."

Thinking skills, in other words, are the ability to analyze the current situation and clarify the issue. It's the ability to understand the problem-solving process and then prepare accordingly. And it's also the ability to be creative and create new value—these will become very important to you in the future.

However, Class C's attempt to pass the deserted island test did not demonstrate teamwork.

Kitagawa Ryo listened to Chabashira Sae's lecture while making sarcastic remarks.

"Therefore, this exam will be conducted in twelve groups."

"First, although that's obvious, the four of you here will be in the same group. And right now, in the other rooms, they're also explaining to the members who will be in your group."

Kitagawa Ryo squinted at the students who came out of other rooms at the same time. Sure enough, this exam was a test in which students from different classes were shuffled and mixed into different groups.

But if that's the case, why not bring together all four classes of students from the same group for the explanation?

Long Yuanxiang, who was standing nearby, seemed to have realized the problem as well. He frowned and leaned over to type the words "unnecessary group-based explanation" into his notebook.

"You've been assigned to a group called 'Sub.' Here's a list of group members. Please return this sheet when you leave the room, so please write it down here if you feel it's necessary."

Kitagawa Ryo looked at Komiya beside him, who nodded and sent a compiled list to the group. They used a method where one person would remember one class, which seemed relatively easy, since each person only needed to remember three or four names. Kitagawa Ryo glanced at it casually and found that he didn't recognize any of the students in the other three classes; they were all unfamiliar names.

"As a general rule, you should disregard the relationship between Class A and Class D for this exam."

"From now on, you will no longer be in Class C, but will act as subgroups. The results of the exams will be determined individually for each subgroup."

"Each group in the special exam will have only four possible outcomes. The exam is designed so that it will definitely result in one of the four outcomes, with no exceptions. To make it easier for you to understand, the school has also prepared materials listing the outcomes. However, these materials are also prohibited from being taken out of the school or photographed. Please check this beforehand."

Commendably, Komiya and the others had a sudden inspiration and began to read the rules repeatedly, even feigning confusion and repeating key sentences:

"This exam uses the 'preferential treatment' assigned to each group as a benchmark. By answering the questions to the school using the prescribed method, you will be guaranteed one of four results."

The school will send out emails to students at 8:00 AM on the day the exam begins. Those selected as "preferential candidates" will also be informed of their selection.

The exam schedule is from tomorrow until 9 PM four days later (a day of complete freedom).

The group members are required to meet twice a day in a designated room at a specified time for a one-hour discussion.

The discussion content was entirely left to the group's autonomy to decide.

Regarding the answer section, after the exam, the school will only accept answers to "Who is the preferential treatment recipient?" between 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM on the same day. Furthermore, each person can only answer the question once.

The school only accepts answers from students who send emails to the designated mailbox using their own mobile phones.

"Preferred recipients" are not entitled to send answers via email.

Answers from groups other than the one to which you belong will be considered invalid.

The school will send a detailed email to all students at 11 PM on the last day of the exam to inform them of their exam results.

Kitagawa Ryo listened to this recording three times in a row, and Ryuen Sho patiently went over the rules of this special exam:

"This is not a group-based exam. Ultimately, it is a special exam, a competition between classes."

Long Yuanxiang offered his opinion as he dragged the recording progress bar with the mouse.

"Result 1: If everyone answers correctly, except for the group members who are eligible for preferential treatment and students belonging to the preferential treatment class, the school will pay points to all group members individually. (Students belonging to the preferential treatment class will each receive the same number of points)"

Result Two: Excluding the recipients and their classmates, if any group member fails to answer or answers incorrectly, the school will award the recipients 500,000 personal points.

"Result Three: If someone other than the privileged student reveals their answer to the school before the exam ends and answers correctly, the class to which the student belongs will receive fifty class points, and the school will pay the correct answerer fifty thousand personal points. Conversely, the class whose privileged student's identity is discovered will be penalized by deducting fifty class points. The group exam will end at this point. Furthermore, if a student in the same class as the privileged student answers correctly, the school will consider the answer invalid and continue the exam."

Result Four: If someone other than the privileged student reveals their answers to the school before the exam ends and answers incorrectly, the class to which that student belongs will be penalized with a loss of 50 class points. The privileged student will receive 500,000 personal points, and their class will also receive 50 class points. The exam will end at the point where incorrect answers are given. Furthermore, if a classmate of the privileged student answers incorrectly, their answer will be considered invalid and will not be processed.

Such long passages of text might be difficult to understand in today's world of short videos and fragmented reading, which explains why most of the students who came out earlier looked distressed. However, Kitagawa Ryo and Ryuen Sho quickly grasped the logic. Although this exam might seem like the "Werewolf game" that has been popular in recent years at first glance, it is essentially closer to "Who is the spy?" If we consider the "preferential treatment recipients" as spies in each group, the four possible outcomes can be summarized as follows:

Result 1: The undercover agent is exposed, and all members of the group answer the questions correctly at the last moment. Each member receives an additional 500,000 points, and the undercover agent receives an additional 500,000 points.

Result 2: When one member of the group answered a question incorrectly at the last moment, the undercover agent received 500,000 personal points.

Result 3: Before the exam ends, if someone successfully identifies themselves as an undercover agent, the undercover class will have 50 class points deducted, the class that answers correctly will have 50 class points awarded, and the person who answers correctly will receive 500,000 personal points.

Result 4: If someone fails to identify the undercover agent before the end of the exam, the result is the opposite of Result 3.

"This privileged individual is somewhat similar to the leader in the deserted island exam."

Long Yuanxiang wasn't interested in results one or two. For Class C now, the class points were far more important than the hundreds of thousands of individual points. This mechanism of getting fifty points for a correct guess and deducting fifty points for a wrong guess instantly reminded him of the special exam on the deserted island a few days ago.

"But unlike the leaders of the uninhabited island, this time the recipients of preferential treatment seem to be selected by the school."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded in response, and the two listened to the remaining short segment of the recording:

"The school has also considered the issue of anonymity this time. At the end of the exam, the school will only announce the results for each group, as well as the increase or decrease in points for each class. In other words, we will not disclose the names of the winners or the test takers. In addition, if you wish, it is also possible to temporarily issue temporary IDs for remittance or withdraw money in installments. As long as you remain silent, there will be no suspicion of being discovered after the exam. Of course, if you have no need to hide anything, you can also openly collect your points."

This is probably a patch implemented by the school to increase students' initiative in this special exam. After all, not everyone in every class is as willing to cheat and betray as Class C. Most students are concerned about what others think and are generally unlikely to engage in betrayal or deception. This rule is meant to reassure those who are tempted but dare not act. It seems the school really wants to muddy the waters.

"Prohibited items and the like are also written here, please take a look."

"It is forbidden to steal other people's mobile phones, to use threats and intimidation to confirm information about preferential treatment recipients, and to use other people's mobile phones to send out answers without authorization."

"Those who violate this rule will be expelled from school."

"Similarly, false accusations of being threatened will also result in expulsion if the facts are later verified."

"The class will be dismissed immediately after the final exam, and students will be prohibited from talking to students from other classes for a certain period of time. Anyone who violates this rule will be expelled."

"Starting tomorrow, you need to go to the rooms designated by the school at 1 PM and 8 PM. Each room will have a sign with your group name on it. When you first meet, please be sure to introduce yourselves in the room. After entering the room, you will have one hour for discussion, and you are generally not allowed to leave the room during the discussion time. Please use the restroom before going there. If you cannot hold it or feel unwell, please contact your class teacher immediately and make an application."

"To ensure fairness, the school will make serious adjustments to the list of beneficiaries in the group. Regardless of whether you are selected as a beneficiary or not, we will not accept any requests for changes. In addition, all acts of copying, forwarding, or altering emails sent by the school are prohibited."

The recording ended there. Kitagawa Ryo looked at the two points that Ryuen Sho had added to his notebook and fell into thought:

Are there any hidden rules in the selection process for preferential treatment status?

How is the school demonstrating fairness?

As the two were brainstorming, a student from Class C, showing great foresight, brought two cold drinks for Kitagawa Ryo and Ryuen Sho from the cafeteria. Kitagawa Ryo took the drinks, biting the straw, and said:

"Intelligence is very important."

"So it's less a test of thinking ability and more a test of intelligence gathering and control over the class."

Long Yuanxiang also answered in the same way:

"Yes, similar to the deserted island exam, if we interpret the fairness that the school specifically mentioned as the equal distribution of preferential treatment, then there are three in one class. In other words, if you can guess all the preferential treatment in other classes while hiding the preferential treatment in your own class, you can get 450 class points."

"Of course, we can also use the strategy we adopted in the last special exam, such as revealing the privileged status as leverage to negotiate with other classes to obtain more personal points."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded, and after thinking for a moment, he said:

"But all of this is based on the premise that we have the complete list of those who will receive preferential treatment. The school's rules this time are very strange, especially the twice-daily discussion sessions. Normal werewolf games or games about who is the mole do have such discussion sessions, but they are all based on the premise that we will definitely obtain information before they begin the discussion."

"The nighttime segments in the Werewolf game and the daily one-sentence description segment in Who is the Spy provide information for discussion, which is a fundamental condition to ensure that the game can eventually continue and end."

"But what exactly is being discussed in this so-called 'preferential treatment test'? Are you a preferential treatment recipient? Without a basis of information, any doubts will lack conviction and appear vague. Even if you were given more time, as long as the preferential treatment recipient is willing to hide, there will be no situation where they are caught."

Komiya, Ishizaki Daichi, and the others were already confused, only Ryuen Sho could still keep up with Kitagawa Ryo's rhythm:

"Yes, the huge gap between result three and result four makes everyone hesitant to make any predictions. Moreover, this is not a group-based exam at all; it is ultimately a competition between classes. The rule that each group consists of four class members makes it a paradox to find the favored group through discussion."

"Um... Brother Longyuan, what do you mean?"

Ishizaki Daichi, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but ask a question, and Ryuen Sho explained to him:

"As Kitagawa just said, the difference between this preferential treatment test and the werewolf game or the spy game is that the non-preferential treatment participants have no ability to deduce through elimination because they do not have enough information to support their deductions. According to the school's rules, even if the three classes work together, they will not be able to find the preferential treatment participants in this test."

Seeing that the others still looked confused, Kitagawa Ryo continued from Ryuen Sho's words:

"For example, if the person receiving preferential treatment in this group is you, Xiao Gong, and if classes A, B, and D work together and exchange information, the most they can conclude is that the person receiving preferential treatment must be in class C. But there are four people in class C in this group. At this point, you either remain silent or stand up together and say that you are the person receiving preferential treatment. Can the other three classes guess that?"

"Well...it seems not possible."

Komiya and the others imagined the scene Kitagawa Ryo described and shook their heads.

"And that's not the only strange thing. For example, results three and four completely blocked the path to result one."

As Kitagawa Ryo drank his beverage, his thoughts gradually became clearer:

"If we want to achieve outcome one, then the privileged person must announce their privileged status during the final discussion on the last day, right?"

"This is a necessary measure to prevent betrayal."

"But please note."

Kitagawa Ryo dragged the progress bar back to the middle:

"The last discussion will be at 8 p.m. and will last for one hour. After the discussion ends at 9 p.m., each group will immediately disband and will be prohibited from communicating with members of other classes."

"but--"

"The school's processing time is from 9:30 to 10:00."

Kitagawa Ryo placed the empty glass on the table and stretched.

"So what will the other students do between 9:00 and 9:30 when they learn of their privileged status?"

"betray!"

Komiya answered quickly.

"Yes, regardless of whether the betrayal succeeds or not, it will definitely lead to outcome three or four. So it seems that outcome one is almost impossible to achieve."

"That's why the school dared to give such a generous reward to the first-ranked student."

"If a group has thirteen to fourteen people, achieving result one would require a whopping seven to eight million personal points."

Kitagawa Ryo rested his chin on his hand and murmured:

"That's a really exciting number."

"I think I have a rather crazy idea."

Ryuen Sho watched as Kitagawa Ryo typed four lines into his notebook:

[I. If it is impossible to identify those who receive preferential treatment, it suggests that the selection of these individuals likely has hidden patterns that students can discover.]

[Second, achieving result one is the most difficult, even bordering on impossible, because it requires the cooperation of all four classes.]

[III. Class C currently has an agreement with both Classes B and D to cooperate unconditionally on one such action.]

[IV. Class A has now lost power in Katsuragi and is in disarray. At the same time, the difference in class points between Class B and Class C and Class A is extremely small.]

"I think it's time to take advantage of the school."

Kitagawa Ryo closed his laptop.

Chapter 40: Is it okay if Class D's points become zero?

"Liang arrived very early. He must have already learned the rules of this exam from the students who came out."

Around 8:30 p.m., Kitagawa Ryo, who had finished discussing the strategy for this special exam with Ryuen Sho, was leaning back in his chair thinking about various other possibilities when he looked up and bumped into Ichinose Honami, who was walking towards him from the other end of the corridor. Behind her were Kanzaki Ryuji and another girl, who should be the three members of Class B in this group.

"Probably, since the school's rules sound quite complicated this time. It would be best to get the specifics in person."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded in a friendly manner and shifted his body to make room for Ichinose Honami:

"These two should also be in the 8:40 group, right?"

"Yes, Kanzaki-kun should have already met her. This is Koyuki. She seems a bit aloof, but she's a very nice person."

Ichinose Honami followed Kitagawa Ryo's suggestion and sat down next to him, smiling as she introduced herself to him.

"Ji Yeyue."

Because he had met Kitagawa Ryo before, Kanzaki Ryuji simply nodded. He still suspected that Kitagawa Ryo was responsible for leaking the leader's information on the deserted island, so his attitude was much colder than when they were on the deserted island. However, another girl who called herself Himeno Yuki seemed even more indifferent than him, or perhaps she was simply uninterested in everything in front of her. Her self-introduction was also very brief.

"I wonder which students are in this group of Class C?"

“Me, Ryuen, Hiyori, and Kaneda.”

Since it was information that would eventually be known, Kitagawa Ryo readily replied that, judging by the time, these people should be arriving soon.