The classroom door suddenly slid open.
Cie Xin walked in, a book held casually in her hand.
Without wasting a second, she closed the door behind her and moved toward the front desk.
"Everyone, take your seats," she said flatly. "We'll continue from where we left yesterday."
Her tone was routine.
Unbothered.
As if nothing unusual had happened.
She placed the book on the table and picked up the marker, turning toward the board—
But before she could begin—
A chair scraped.
Ko Tang stood up.
"Teacher," he said directly, "we didn't receive our Private Points yet. Is this a mistake from the school?"
Cie Xin paused.
Slowly, she turned her head toward him.
Then—
She smiled.
Not kindly.
Not reassuringly.
It was a pitiful smile.
Before she could respond, another student stood up.
Kon Jun.
A greedy grin spread across his face.
"If it's the school's mistake," he said, "then we should get compensation, right?"
A few students murmured in agreement.
Then another figure stood.
From the second row, first desk—
Con Jing.
Unlike the others, her tone was respectful.
"The entire class didn't receive any points," she said calmly.
Cie Xin looked at them.
At Kon Jun.
At Con Jing.
At the entire class.
And then—
She laughed.
At first, it was soft.
Then louder.
Then uncontrollable.
It echoed through the classroom, completely out of place.
Students froze.
Some exchanged confused looks.
Others frowned.
What the hell was so funny?
Cie Xin continued laughing, even wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.
It was as if she had just heard the funniest joke in her life.
After a moment, she finally stopped.
Her expression returned to normal.
Cold.
Calm.
Then she looked at the class and said—
"This whole class is filled with trash."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The words hit hard.
Students' expressions stiffened.
Egos were crushed in an instant.
But no one spoke.
No one dared.
Cie Xin didn't care.
She continued as if nothing had happened.
"Listen carefully," she said. "All other classes have already received their points."
A pause.
"We didn't forget about you."
Her gaze swept across them.
"So now, let's focus on the lesson."
But before she could turn back—
Hen Jao stood up again.
This time, his expression was serious.
"Teacher," he said firmly, "please recheck. The entire class is facing this problem."
His voice carried determination.
He wasn't backing down.
At the back of the room, Xiao Ziyan quietly watched everything unfold.
The chaos.
The confusion.
The frustration.
Then, slowly, he turned his head slightly—
Toward the girl beside him.
Su Qing.
She sat there as always.
Calm.
Silent.
Unmoved.
Xiao Ziyan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Is this really a coincidence?
She always bought the cheapest items.
Always chose the lowest-cost food in the cafeteria.
Every single time.
Unlike everyone else.
His thoughts deepened.
Something's off.
At the front, Cie Xin let out a small sigh.
"Alright, alright," she said, raising a hand slightly. "I'll explain this once."
Her tone shifted.
More serious now.
"So pay attention."
She turned toward the board and began writing.
The marker moved slowly, deliberately.
Class-A ——> 101 Cp
Class-B ——> 78 Cp
Class-C ——> 41 Cp
Class-D ——> 0 Cp
The numbers stood out clearly.
Students stared at the board.
Confusion spread instantly.
What the hell is Cp?
Cie Xin finished writing and stepped aside.
She turned back to the class and pointed at the board.
"This," she said calmly, "is the current number of Class Points each class possesses."
Cie Xin placed the marker back on the table with a soft tap.
Then she turned to face the class, her expression calm—almost bored.
"One Class Point," she said, "is equal to one thousand Private Points."
A pause.
She glanced across the stunned faces.
"And after explaining this much… I don't think I need to spell out the rest for you."
A faint, mocking smile appeared.
"You're not that dumb, right?"
The words stung.
Before anyone else could react, Cao Mei suddenly stood up, placing her hands on her desk.
"Then how did our points drop to zero?" she asked, her voice tense but still trying to remain respectful.
Cie Xin looked at her.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You still have the guts to ask?" she said flatly. "What a pain."
She folded her arms, her smile turning sharper.
"Think carefully." Her voice carried no warmth.
The students began to recall, one by one, everything they had done over the past month.
Playing with your phones and consoles during class.
Doing your makeup in the middle of lessons.
Talking constantly and disturbing others.
She said, letting each word sink in.
"Also your academic performance are just as trash as your behavior—Referring to the quiz that took place in mid-April."
Her gaze swept across the room.
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
The entire class froze.
Guilt spread like a shadow across their faces.
Some lowered their heads.
Others clenched their fists.
The realization hit hard.
They had done this to themselves.
Suddenly—
Kon Jun, who had been standing, slammed his hand on his desk.
"But you never told us about this!" he said angrily.
Beside him, Ko Tang also stood, clearly frustrated.
Cao Mei slowly sat down, her head lowered in shame.
Con Jing glanced at her, then quietly sat down as well.
At the front, Cie Xin looked at Kon Jun and Ko Tang with complete indifference.
"And why should I?" she replied mercilessly.
Her tone was cold.
"You're not special."
"Not to this school."
"Not to anyone."
The words cut deeper than before.
At the back of the classroom, Xiao Ziyan remained seated, his chin resting on his hand.
His crimson eyes observed everything.
Calm.
Unshaken.
Her eyes…
He thought quietly.
They're fucking terrifying.
But even then—
His thoughts didn't stop there.
Even if we lost everything…
There has to be a way to earn it back.
Meanwhile, Kon Jun and Ko Tang slowly sat down, still visibly angry, their frustration simmering beneath the surface.
On the other side, Hen Jao stood once more.
This time, his expression was serious.
Focused.
"Teacher," he said, "is there any way for us to earn Class Points?"
Cie Xin looked at him.
"Yes."
The answer came instantly.
Hen Jao didn't hesitate.
"What is it?"
Cie Xin's lips curled slightly.
"Just like in the real world," she said, "I won't tell you."
A pause.
Then she glanced at the watch on her wrist.
"Oh… right."
Her tone shifted slightly.
"There's something I forgot to mention."
Her eyes returned to the class.
"I should've told you this earlier."
Hen Jao frowned slightly.
"What is it, teacher?"
Cie Xin picked up her book from the table.
Then she looked at the students—
And this time, her expression changed.
There was something dark in her eyes.
Almost… devilish.
"The school's protection period," she said slowly, "is now over."
The words dropped like a hammer.
"From this point onward…"
"Any student who fails an exam or quiz…"
"Will be immediately expelled from the school."
A ripple of shock passed through the class.
But she wasn't done.
"And from now on—"
"Anyone who breaks the rules written in the rule book…"
Her smile deepened slightly.
"Will face the same result."
Expulsion.
No second chances.
No warnings.
Absolute consequences.
Without saying another word, Cie Xin turned and walked toward the door.
The classroom remained frozen.
She slid the door open—
Stepped out—
And closed it behind her.
The sound echoed softly.
The air inside First Year Class-D had turned heavy.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The weight of Cie Xin's words still pressed down on every student.
Then—
The bell rang.
Ting!
Ting! Ting!
Ting!
Ting!
The sharp sound cut through the silence like a blade.
Immediately after, a voice echoed from the speaker mounted above the classroom door.
"Students of First Year Class-D, report immediately to the school ground for your Physical Education class."
The announcement ended abruptly.
For a moment, no one reacted.
Then chairs scraped.
Students stood up one after another, the tension from earlier still visible in their movements.
Without much conversation, they began walking out of the classroom, heading toward the locker rooms to change into their gym uniforms.
Xiao Ziyan stood up as well.
He turned toward the door, ready to leave—
But his eyes shifted slightly.
Toward the seat beside him.
Su Qing.
She was still sitting there.
Silent.
But something was different.
Her body was trembling.
Her hands clenched tightly against the desk.
Her face—
Filled with anger.
Not the usual cold indifference.
This was deeper.
Frustration.
Disappointment.
Fury.
Xiao Ziyan watched for a brief second.
Then he turned away.
Not his problem.
Without a word, he walked out of the classroom.
---
One by one, the students left.
Soon—
The classroom was empty.
Except for one person.
Su Qing.
The silence returned.
Then—
Bang.
Her hand slammed hard against the desk.
"This whole class is filled with trash," she muttered, her voice low but filled with anger. "How the hell am I supposed to rise to Class-A when I'm constantly being dragged down by these deadweight classmates?"
Her breathing was slightly uneven.
For the first time—
Her composure cracked.
Then—
She froze.
Her eyes shifted toward the door.
It wasn't fully closed.
A small gap remained.
Someone could have heard her.
Her expression tightened.
She immediately rushed forward, grabbing the door and pulling it open.
She stepped out into the corridor and looked around quickly.
Left.
Right.
Empty.
No one was there.
No footsteps.
No movement.
Nothing.
"Damn it…"
Her voice echoed faintly in the empty hallway.
---
Meanwhile—
On the staircase nearby—
Xiao Ziyan stood halfway down.
He had already descended several steps.
His expression remained the same as always.
Calm.
Unreadable.
But there was something slightly different.
A faint trace of exhaustion on his face.
As if he had just moved faster than usual.
As if he had heard something he wasn't supposed to.
And chose to leave before being noticed.
Without saying anything—
He continued walking down the stairs at a steady pace.
---
A few minutes later—
The entire First Year Class-D had gathered on the massive school ground.
The field was wide, open, and perfectly maintained.
Fresh green grass stretched across the area, marked with clear white lines for different activities.
All students now wore the same black gym uniform, each bearing the emblem of the school.
They stood in formation, similar to how they were arranged in the classroom.
Orderly.
Silent.
But the tension hadn't disappeared.
At the front stood their Physical Education instructor.
A towering man with a heavily muscular build.
His body looked like it had been carved from stone.
Every muscle defined.
Every movement controlled.
He stood with his hands on his waist, smiling.
But his presence alone was intimidating.
His name—
Hengyuon Nah.
A Korean trainer.
His eyes scanned the students in front of him, his smile carrying an unsettling edge.
As if he was already looking forward—
To breaking them down.