Not a detective

Page 152

Turning back under such immense pressure is indeed incredibly bold, but it still resulted in a massive 30-point deficit.

"Yes, I'm keeping track of the time."

Asakawa Riku can now roughly understand why the pass rate for this level is 0%. Although the rule is fair, the psychological pressure on the challenger is completely different from that on the organizer. The organizer is simply being defeated by a challenger, and there are other trials to come, while the challenger faces failure.

This is the influence of external factors.

Fortunately, Shinonome Suetsuki probably doesn't care much about the stakes, so she was able to make this gamble and turn around at 30 seconds.

If it were Asakawa Riku himself, he had to admit that he wasn't confident he could muster the courage at that moment either... But what should he do next...?

"Let's play the next game."

Mo Yue still had an indifferent expression. She walked up to him and extended her hand: "Anyway, I will win."

"You're really confident." Squad Leader Kato handed her the handkerchief.

...

【second round】

Currently: Kato Mio 30 points, Shinonome Suetsuki 0 points.

...

The two switched places; Class President Kato sat quietly in a chair, while Suezuki Shinonome stood behind her with a handkerchief in her hand.

"Please pay attention to the clock, the second round will begin in one minute."

Asakawa Riku didn't know when he had become a referee, but he still dutifully shouted the call.

He had wanted to exchange glances with Shinonome Suetsuki and discuss the current situation, but the guy avoided his gaze, said nothing, and just stood there with sharp eyes.

It seems she wasn't entirely oblivious to the provocation; her competitive spirit had been subtly aroused.

So during that minute of waiting, he began to think: if he were standing in this position, holding a handkerchief, when would be the most appropriate time to drop it?

Like Kato, who just lost in the first second?

That probably won't work. Squad Leader Kato doesn't have the same heavy psychological burden as the challengers. He might even turn around and check at the first second.

So, what if you hold back until the second half and then trick her into failing the test and being eliminated?

That probably won't work either, because with the point difference, the challenger's tricks would be easily seen through by Class President Kato, who would probably want to use this rule to try and pull off a counterattack.

If Class Leader Kato doesn't turn back at all, the score difference will not only fail to narrow, but will actually widen further...

Whether it's a direct attack or a flanking defense, it's all a dead end. Only then did Asakawa Riku understand why Shinonome Suetsuki had chosen "30" seconds.

In the first round, before she had a clear understanding of the situation, using such numbers to test the waters was obviously the most reasonable approach. She seemed nonchalant, but in fact, she had made ample plans.

Therefore, in this round, we should also choose to drop the "30" second mark to test Kato's habit of turning around...?

and many more.

Hey, what are you doing...!

Asakawa Riku was stunned. He saw that the handkerchief in Higashion Suetsuki's hand was slowly floating down.

The game hasn't even started yet. He can see it clearly. It's only 55 seconds now. It was 55 seconds in the last minute. There are still five seconds until the second round starts!

Did you not hold the handkerchief properly?

Asakawa Riku was about to bend down and scoop up the handkerchief floating in the air before it hit the ground, but Suezuki grabbed his hand first.

She shook her head with a serious expression.

So, in that one second of hesitation, the handkerchief fell to the ground at 57 seconds... At this point, there were still three seconds left before the round started.

Asakawa Riku couldn't understand and was completely confused.

Although Shinonome Suetsuki didn't say anything, her behavior proved that it wasn't a tremor in her hand, but rather something she did on purpose.

However, if you want to drop the handkerchief in the first second, why not wait until the very first second like Class President Kato did? You'll still have plenty of time.

In retrospect, the game didn't explicitly state a rule against dropping the handkerchief before the start of a round, so it shouldn't be considered a violation. Besides, Class President Kato didn't turn around and couldn't see what was happening here, so she didn't know if she had dropped it beforehand. But what benefit would she get from doing that? She couldn't just say, "I dropped it beforehand, so I get a point or two."

This kind of nonsense is something that not only Kato, the class president, would definitely not agree with, but Asakawa Riku himself would also find unbelievable.

What does "throwing it away in advance" actually mean? It offers no benefit whatsoever, and its effect is exactly the same as "throwing it away in the first second." Why would she do it?

Asakawa Riku was still frantically working his brain, pondering the significance of this action, while the second hand had already crossed the center line, and the round officially began.

In any case, he could only hope that Squad Leader Kato would hesitate a little longer, at least 30 seconds before turning back to confirm...

But things went counterproductive.

"Check successful."

Without any hesitation, Squad Leader Kato turned around in the first second. The moment he saw the handkerchief, he smiled and said, "Time taken: 1 second. Remaining time: 59 seconds. The organizers will give you 59 points."

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter Sixteen: The Bargain

"She dropped the handkerchief immediately, in 0 seconds, for a score of 60."

Asakawa Riku testified that the exact time should actually be before the start, but there was no point in saying that, so let's just follow the rules.

Therefore, the calculation problem is very simple: "The difference between the two is 1 point, therefore, we get 1 point."

Currently:

Mio Kato scored 30 points and Toyun Mozuki scored 1 point.

Two rounds later, a devastating point difference loomed before them, like a chasm.

Why did Squad Leader Kato know to turn around immediately?

Did she really see through the essence of psychological warfare?

"Whenever I use the 'drop immediately' tactic for the first time, the probability of the challenger using the same tactic after the roles are reversed is quite high."

Kato, the class president, smiled smugly: "That's probably because the score gap has widened a lot, so they can't wait to catch up. Also, if they were too scared to turn back last time, they'll feel especially ashamed and humiliated here. They'll want to take a gamble and throw the ball away to save face. That's part of the psychological factor, and it's easy to figure out."

Faced with such mockery, Shinonome Suetsuki remained expressionless, calmly touching her chin as if deep in thought.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Asakawa Riku asked the question on her behalf:

"But it's also a matter of probability. Rationally speaking, you should at least wait ten seconds before turning around. If you turn around the first second, aren't you afraid that the check will fail and you'll be eliminated immediately?"

"Asakawa-kun, although this is nominally a 'challenge,' we should all know that it's a 'gamble.'"

"It's Kato, the squad leader, who suddenly said that."

Seemingly ignoring the question, she began to talk about something else: "Actually, this kind of game is very common within the student council, but it only became open to ordinary students after the 'Summit War.' Such betting games are frequently held within the student council. Of course, money is prohibited as a wager, but things like 'positions,' 'projects,' and 'solutions' can be decided through challenges. The school also encourages us to do this, because leaving the ivory tower of school and entering society is actually a huge gamble. Choosing a career, choosing a partner, choosing the future—it's all about constantly betting, making decisions, and strategizing to win. You could say that this kind of 'gambling' also trains our thinking abilities."

Asakawa Riku was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected the student council to have such a gambling-like setup...

Regardless of whether this method is effective or not, it has at least trained a lot of talented people, which is much better than the mystery club that does nothing of substance all day.

"You didn't answer my question..."

"What she meant was—"

Suddenly, Higashion Suetsuki chimed in, her sharp eyes sweeping around before she calmly said, "There's no such thing as a fair game. It's always the person with more chips who wins, right?"

"Miss Dongfeng really understands what I mean."

Squad Leader Kato smiled.

The person with the most chips wins... In that instant, Asakawa Riku understood what they meant.

"Because you don't care about the consequences of elimination, you can take risks without hesitation, while challengers, due to sunk costs, have to be cautious and hesitant, so they can't possibly beat you."

He remembered—it was the same as before. As the organizer, Class President Kato had a natural advantage over the challengers. If this "indifference" was quantified as leverage, then Class President Kato, as the house, possessed terrifying power. That's why she dared to gamble so readily, without fear of being eliminated!

Just like when he played mahjong with Higashion Suetsuki, the amount of money she used as chips was immeasurable, which is why she could play big hands without fear of losing.

In gambling, chips not only signify the contest of victory or defeat, but also bring immeasurable psychological advantages.

"But that's okay."

Mo Yue's composure was enigmatic; it was unclear how she could maintain such mental fortitude given the score difference.

She handed the handkerchief to Squad Leader Kato, and then walked step by step toward the chair.

"I feel like I'm starting to figure out how to play."

...

[Round 3]

Currently: Kato Mio 30 points, Shinonome Suetsuki 1 points.

...

Mo Yue sat in a chair with her back to them.

Their roles were switched, and Squad Leader Kato stood directly behind her, holding a handkerchief.

The game will start in the next minute, and as before, there is less than a minute to think, which is very tight.

Asakawa Riku held his breath. According to the rules, he could not make any sound at this time to avoid being suspected of "colluding to give hints." He could only think quietly at this moment.

He realized that once a score difference was established in this game, it would be very difficult to catch up.

If Class President Kato maintains a conservative game strategy, such as "dropping the handkerchief as late as possible and checking back as late as possible," he can ensure that his score is not overtaken.

Her margin for error will become very high, which in other words, is a further increase in her "capital."

Headache... How can I win?

Click, the second hand crosses the boundary, and the timer begins.

As expected, Class President Kato didn't drop her handkerchief prematurely like that eccentric girl. Moreover, just as Asakawa Riku had predicted, this time, she didn't drop it at the beginning.

"..."

Instead, he clutched the handkerchief tightly in his hand, remaining silent and making no sound.

Time ticked by, and Kato still showed no sign of putting down her handkerchief. Asakawa Riku couldn't help but worry that she was trying to use the failed examination to... deliver a decisive blow to Shinonome Suetsuki?

Never look back! Looking back means death!

He felt as if he were experiencing it himself, sitting there with a chill down his spine, as if there was a female ghost behind him who would break his neck if he turned around!

Fortunately, Shinonome Suetsuki seemed to have heard his inner cry and remained sitting there calmly, showing no sign of turning around.

...The danger line should be "30 seconds"!

Asakawa Riku realized that last time, Suezuki also chose to turn around after 30 seconds, so this time, she would most likely continue to use that method.

However, judging from Kato's expression, it was clear that he wanted to use the margin of error to make a decisive move. Even if he put down the handkerchief at the latest, he couldn't let the challenger check it successfully.

If the last month of the month happens to turn around, everything will be over.

Just as the second hand was getting closer and closer to the dangerous "30 seconds", an unexpected situation occurred that no one expected.

"Um... Kondo-kun."

Shinonome Suetsuki actually spoke.

Although she remained seated with her back turned and did not turn her head, she suddenly spoke, almost startling Class Leader Kato so much that he dropped his handkerchief.

Just because that one sentence was exceptionally sharp and jarring:

"I hate to say this, but you cheated, didn't you?"

Zashiki-warashi no Aki: Chapter Seventeen Cheating

"My surname is Kato."

Squad Leader Kato frowned, barely managing to grip her handkerchief tightly to prevent it from slipping off: "We're still in the middle of a round, so please keep quiet and don't talk during the game."

Shinonome Suetsuki still maintained that indifferent attitude:

"The rules don't prohibit talking in the game, right? The person next to me was muted. For the seated player, the only rule is that while sitting in this chair, you can't peek behind you. If you turn around, it's considered an inspection. I remember it very clearly, that's all. So, I can say whatever I want, however I want."

"Are you trying to distract me? But it's no use."

Asakawa Riku could see clearly that although Class President Kato said this and her tone remained calm, her expression did not seem like she was completely unharmed.

She frowned: "If you're going to accuse me of cheating, then after the round ends, state how I cheated and provide evidence."

"I haven't found any evidence yet, nor have I figured out a way, but I'm more than 80% sure."