If Advanced Nurturing High School were a video game, graduating from Css A would be the standard path to completing the game.

  But collecting 20 million points? That would be the shortcut—a way to bypass all the levels and head straight to the final boss.

  "Points can buy anything," they said. With 20 million, you could ascend to Css A at any time. It felt like the perfect pay-to-win mechanic designed specifically for the whales of the gaming world.

  However, Advanced Nurturing High School didn't have any recharge features. As a result, the 20-million-point option seemed like little more than an unattainable carrot on a stick—a motivational tactic crafted by the school to push students harder.

  Let's assume that every student earns 100,000 points per month. That's 1.2 million a year. Even if someone saved every single point over three years, they'd barely scrape past 3 million—far from the 20 million required.

  Earlier, an uppercssman mentioned that the highest amount of points any individual had ever saved was 12 million—and even that was achieved through fraud.

  For the vast majority of students, there was only one viable path: compete relentlessly for three years, improve themselves, and rely on css points to ascend to Css A before graduation.

  Three years to complete a game, huh? Feels like a bit of a slog.

  Uesugi Gen gazed up at the clear, blue sky.

  Ah, whatever. I'll just finish it today.

  ---

  For Sakayanagi Narumori, a lifelong educator and the chairman of Advanced Nurturing High School, this institution was nothing short of his magnum opus—a bor of love he'd nurtured from the ground up.

  Now, his other pride and joy, his beloved daughter Sakayanagi Arisu, had enrolled in the school. For the first time in years, Narumori felt unsettled.

  Arisu had never spent a single day without the family's care and protection.

  Will she be able to adapt to the school's environment?

  With this thought weighing on his mind, Narumori decided to leave his office after lunch to check in on his daughter.

  "Excuse me, are you Chairman Sakayanagi?"

  As soon as Narumori stepped out of his office, he was greeted by a handsome boy wearing a bright and approachable smile.

  Though the boy was a student, Narumori remained professional, inviting him into his office to address whatever issue had brought him here.

  "Is there something troubling you?"

  At the chairman's inquiry, Uesugi Gen responded with a slight tilt of his head, a trace of curiosity in his voice.

  "How strange. Isn't the school's purpose to evaluate our value?"

  Before Narumori could reply, Uesugi continued, his tone shifting.

  "And the best way to demonstrate value… is to present it directly to the boss, wouldn't you agree?"

  Narumori's pupils contracted slightly as he instantly grasped the boy's intentions.

  "So, you've already figured out the true purpose of this exam?"

  Narumori was both impressed and exasperated.

  From the boy's words alone, it was clear that their conversation wasn't going to be a short one. His pns to visit Arisu would have to be postponed until ter in the afternoon.

  Standing up, Narumori retrieved a tin of tea leaves and prepared two cups of tea—one for himself and one for his visitor.

  Uesugi slid his phone across the desk toward the chairman. The screen dispyed information he had obtained from the second-year students earlier.

  Narumori picked up the phone and began scrolling through the data.

  The office fell into a long, heavy silence.

  The more Narumori read, the more his shock grew.

  The breadth and depth of the information surpassed what even most third-years could gather.

  After finishing, Narumori set the phone down and spoke with genuine admiration.

  "Your information-gathering skills are extraordinary."

  Uesugi waved his hand dismissively.

  "It's just that the school left too many loopholes."

  Then, dropping his smile, he straightened his posture and met Narumori's gaze head-on.

  "But this isn't the real reason I came to see you."

  Before the chairman could respond, Uesugi delivered his next word like a hammer:

  "Points."

  His eyes sharpened, and a predatory aura filled the room.

  "The so-called points that can buy anything. That's the real reason I'm here."

  "Points, you say…" Narumori removed his gsses and rubbed his temples, his tone tinged with weariness. "The school has never had a precedent for directly trading points with a student."

  "Well," Uesugi began, crossing his arms in a pose reminiscent of a certain commander, "if you've seen the extent of my information, then you should already know I'm aware of the methods students use to trade points among themselves."

  Narumori remained silent, prompting Uesugi to continue.

  "I did consider trading this intel with other csses in exchange for points. But ultimately, I realized the school would be a much better trading partner."

  Uesugi's tone brimmed with confidence as he id out his reasoning.

  "In my view, the school has three objectives for this special exam:"

  "First, to comprehensively evaluate the value of this year's incoming students."

  "Second, to reduce css points as a way to recoup costs. The school needs to maintain a bance between points distributed and points recovered to justify its expenses to higher-ups."

  "And third, to introduce first-years to the school's rules and harsh realities, pushing them to grow."

  "Since both the school and I aim to deal in points, why wouldn't I go straight to the source?"

  "If I were to negotiate with other csses, I'd face countless uncertainties—distrust, resistance, or even outright sabotage. There's a chance I could walk away with nothing."

  "But the school? The school doesn't face those issues. It can deduct css points directly, and no student can oppose the rules."

  "More importantly, if I were to reveal this intel to everyone on the first day, the school's evaluation process would be completely undermined. On the other hand, if you give me points in exchange for my silence, you can still achieve your first and third objectives."

  "Between these two options, the tter clearly benefits the school more."

  "And if you refuse? I can always go back to trading with other csses. But that would render this special exam a complete waste of resources—both human and financial."

  Finishing his long speech, Uesugi took a rge gulp of tea, nearly choking in the process.

  I've probably used up two days' worth of words in one go.

  Narumori sat in silence, sipping his tea as he processed the proposal.

  It was a compelling argument—one the school couldn't easily counter.

  Uesugi's actions were all within the bounds of the school's rules.

  Not even the rulemakers had anticipated a student deciphering the system so thoroughly on the first day, then flipping the script to outpy the administration.

  "This transaction involves a significant number of points," Narumori finally said, sighing deeply. "I'll need to consult with the board of directors before making a decision."

  "Take your time, Chairman," Uesugi replied casually, spreading his hands in a gesture of indifference.

  As the office door clicked shut behind Narumori, Uesugi found himself alone.

  Leaning back in his chair, he gnced at the information on his phone once more.

  To Uesugi, the benefits of dealing directly with the school weren't limited to points.

  If he leaked the special exam details to other csses, it would level the pying field for Csses C and D, potentially allowing them to close the gap with Csses A and B.

  But by maintaining the status quo and keeping the exam's details under wraps, he could reap the rewards with minimal effort.

  Win-win. Except I win twice.

  ---

  In a secret conference room within Advanced Nurturing High School, an emergency meeting of the board was underway.

  The chairman's office, like the rest of the campus, was equipped with surveilnce cameras.

  After reviewing the footage and Uesugi's proposal, the directors fell into a brief silence.

  Narumori broke it first.

  "Do the directors agree to the transaction proposed by the student?"

  "I oppose it," one member said firmly. "Allowing a student to dictate terms to the school sets a dangerous precedent."

  "I support it," another countered. "The student's actions are within the rules. His proposal is reasonable and beneficial to the school."

  "I agree. If this situation arose due to fws in our system, we shouldn't punish the student for exploiting them. We should nurture his talent instead."

  "I agree."

  "I agree."

  "The motion to accept Uesugi Gen's proposal is approved. The transaction is authorized."

  ---

  Name: Uesugi GenCss: First-Year, Css BStudent ID: S01T004521Affiliation: Student CouncilBirthday: January 28Academics: B-Intelligence: A+Judgment: A+Physical Ability: CTeamwork: B+School Evaluation:

  A student who uncovered most of the school's rules on the first day and made choices that maximized benefits for himself and his css. Possesses unparalleled intelligence and judgment. Capable of thinking from the administration's perspective, with strong leadership potential. Recommended for the Student Council to further develop his abilities. Based on his potential, the board has determined that failing to graduate this student from Css A would be a significant loss to the school. The board has approved a confidential transaction with this student.

  ---

  T/N: GEGEGE welp time for the real plot now! Ichinose! and actually its already different from the other smart MC's i've seen usually they just use it to bribe the teacher or like tell their cssmates or something