章節 236: -233- Puzzle and Riddle
"————"
Silence.
An incredibly uncomfortable silence.
Under Ryuen Kakeru's brazenly smiling words, everyone present fell silent, unable to say anything substantial.
Especially Horikita Suzune and Katsuragi Kouhei.
Horikita Suzune glanced at Hori before falling silent.
Because, this matter was something Hori had already mentioned to her this morning.
At that time, Hori had said that Ryuen Kakeru was the one most in need of caution.
Now, Horikita Suzune felt this to be a reality.
Ryuen Kakeru indeed required caution.
Like Hori, he had found the key to this special exam.
As for Katsuragi Kouhei, he simply felt oppressed.
From Katsuragi Kouhei's heavy expression, it was clear this was the last thing he wanted to hear.
But Ryuen Kakeru showed no mercy.
"Don't be so surprised. Haven't you already heard it from those brainless fools in your class who only use their heads to memorize useless textbooks?"
Ryuen Kakeru spoke mercilessly, as if intent on pushing Katsuragi Kouhei to the brink.
"Didn't Nanaya already hint at it to those fools during the first discussion in the afternoon? Didn't he tell you to be careful?"
This statement proved that Ryuen Kakeru had a grip on the situation in the Rabbit Group, and even on all twelve groups.
With Ryuen Kakeru's dominion, commanding his class to report their group's situation to him was a simple task.
The same applied to the Rabbit Group.
Ibuki Mio had invited Hori over on Ryuen Kakeru's instructions, hadn't she?
Even if Ibuki Mio didn't participate in any interactions within the Rabbit Group on the surface, she was still keeping an eye on the entire group's situation.
Given that, every move Hori made in the Rabbit Group couldn't escape Ryuen Kakeru's notice.
Every statement Hori made would reach Ryuen Kakeru's ears.
Ryuen Kakeru then used this as a weapon to attack Katsuragi Kouhei.
Facing such a Ryuen Kakeru, Katsuragi Kouhei remained silent for a moment before calmly speaking.
"That's just a boring guess, Ryuen. If you're so certain, show me the proof. Do you think you can shake me without any evidence?"
Exactly.
Without evidence, Ryuen Kakeru's shocking statement was just an empty shell to Katsuragi Kouhei.
Even on the deserted island, Katsuragi Kouhei needed to see a photo of the key card to believe the leader information Ryuen Kakeru provided. Without tangible evidence, no matter how flamboyant Ryuen Kakeru's words were, they wouldn't affect Katsuragi Kouhei.
To this, Ryuen Kakeru was indifferent.
"It's not hard to imagine, Katsuragi," Ryuen Kakeru said confidently. "Like you said, this special exam is a test of 'thinking' abilities, not a test of dialogue or discussion."
Indeed, through dialogue and discussion, it was possible to find the hidden VIP in each group.
This time, however, the special exam wasn't testing the students' abilities to disguise, deceive, and communicate.
That was merely one strategy among others.
"If the school truly wants students to think, they would have prepared the answers in advance and hidden them within the exam itself. Like the special exam on the deserted island, where there were clues from the beginning. By observing from the deck, you could identify the fortresses, understand the terrain, and even formulate a plan."
As he said this, Ryuen Kakeru glanced at Hori, smiling meaningfully, and continued.
"That's right, it's like solving a riddle. The puzzle and the solution are already prepared. Our first task isn't to find the solution but to uncover the puzzle. Through this riddle game, we can figure out the answer. Don't you think so?"
Hearing this, Hori also slightly raised his gaze to look at Ryuen, but he didn't respond, his expression remaining calm.
However, Ryuen Kakeru didn't seem to expect Hori to agree with him. He simply shrugged.
"Since the exam results have four possibilities, there can't be just one way to identify the VIP. Can't you even figure that out, Katsuragi?"
Ryuen Kakeru put all his effort into mocking Katsuragi Kouhei.
Yet, Katsuragi Kouhei couldn't retort.
Only Horikita Suzune spoke up at this opportune moment.
"What about you?" Horikita Suzune said coldly to Ryuen Kakeru. "Have you found the puzzle and solved it?"
From Horikita Suzune's tone, it was clear that she didn't believe Ryuen Kakeru could accomplish such a feat in just one day.
Naturally, no one present believed it either.
Or rather, they didn't want to believe it.
Unfortunately…
"The twelve VIPs in this special exam must have some kind of 'connection'. That's the puzzle the school prepared," Ryuen Kakeru said bluntly. "As long as we find this 'connection', the puzzle will be revealed, and the answer can be deduced."
This almost perfectly matched what Hori and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had said.
"In that case, it's simple," Ryuen Kakeru said, looking around at everyone with a smile. "If we identify the VIPs in our class and find the 'connection' among them, we can solve it, right?"
Ryuen Kakeru had reached the same conclusion.
However…
"Identify the VIPs in your class? Can you really do that?" Horikita Suzune asked bluntly. "This exam allows for anonymity. The VIPs can hide until the end. They don't have to tell their classmates anything and can silently claim their rewards. Each class is the same. I don't believe your classmates would willingly tell you, a dictator, who the VIPs are."
This was an unavoidable issue in this exam.
It was true for every class.
Given the anonymity and significant benefits, why would anyone share it with others?
Everyone would prefer to quietly reap the rewards themselves. It's human nature.
And Ryuen Kakeru, being a dictator, lacked the charisma to make others willingly share their benefits.
Horikita Suzune's words carried some weight.
But Ryuen Kakeru had a ready response.
"Whether those fools are willing or not has nothing to do with me."
The dictator spoke in line with his style.
"I just need them to obey."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions changed.
Could it be…
"That's right."
Ryuen Kakeru laughed brazenly, confirming their suspicions.
"I had everyone in my class hand over their phones long ago."
With that, the mystery was solved.
By checking each phone and verifying the emails sent by the school, he could easily identify the VIPs in his class.
Ryuen Kakeru had confirmed the identities of his class's three VIPs in a manner even Ayanokouji Kiyotaka couldn't achieve.
He was close to uncovering the solution.
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