67. How to Utilize a Genius Little Sister

After successfully negotiating the cooperation, Chen Shang and the old hunter parted ways and returned to their homes.

For Chen Shang, he had already planned to confront the Xu Group’s team during the Grand Arena Tournament. As the game planner himself, he knew the strategy to win the championship, so even with two random cannon fodder teammates, he could still pull off his plan.

However, if he could use the tournament as an opportunity to connect with both the Cangyan Star Poaching Crew and the White Fox, that would be even better.

After returning home and taking a shower, Chen Shang changed into casual clothes, ready to go to Nayuta’s room to do his homework.

Most high schools in Night Axis City embraced a philosophy of “happy education”—in other words, “pursue the metaphysical, or drop out if you fail”—but the academic pressure at Upper City High was anything but relaxing.

Even in the original game, players were required to spend three hours each day doing homework.

Compared to Chen Shang’s high school days in his previous life, this level of academic pressure was trivial. But in the post-apocalyptic Night Axis City, “spending three hours a day on homework” was even more baffling than going out to rob people. Every year, Upper City High was filled with students who dropped out because they couldn’t keep up with the coursework.

Although Chen Shang had once endured a hellish high school life, that had been nearly ten years ago. Now, to relive that experience felt like a living torment.

“Inserting Japanese high school elements into a post-apocalyptic setting—was I out of my mind?” Chen Shang wished he could go back in time and slap his younger self.

Fortunately, during last autumn’s break, he discovered a whole new world.

With his sister’s perfect cooperation, Chen Shang managed to finish an entire vacation’s worth of homework in less than two days.

—So my genius little sister could be used this way?

From then on, Chen Shang was enlightened. There was no need to do homework himself; just ask his sister for help. As long as he had her as a resource, he’d never be troubled by schoolwork again.

After all, she was the ultimate brother-con! Surely she wouldn’t refuse her brother’s request, would she...?

“Brother, no matter how much you beg me, I won’t help you with your homework anymore!”

Inside the room, Nayuta sighed and, with an adorably soft voice, uttered the coldest words.

“But you helped me during autumn break, didn’t you?” Chen Shang scratched his head, trying to sound sincere. “You even mimicked my handwriting perfectly.”

“That was a special case! There’s no way I’ll help you with your homework every day! Not even if you are my brother!” Nayuta put on a serious, model-student expression and lectured him:

“I don’t want you to turn into a big dummy who can only rely on his sister!”

Confronted with Nayuta’s stern yet inexplicably cute scolding, Chen Shang could barely hold back his laughter, covering his mouth in silence.

Perhaps thinking she’d upset him, Nayuta hung her head and muttered softly, “But... but it’s okay if you want me to teach you how to solve the problems...”

“Then come teach me!” Chen Shang cheerfully spread his homework out on Nayuta’s desk and fetched a chair from the next room.

Seeing her brother return to the right path, Nayuta let out a relieved sigh and affectionately sat beside him. She pointed at a question with her pencil and began, “Look, brother, you should solve this one like this... Ahhh! Don’t peek at my homework! Don’t just copy my answers!”

“You’re my genius, beautiful little sister—letting me copy two questions won’t hurt!” Chen Shang grinned mischievously.

“Be... beautiful... ahem! I’m sorry, but no matter how much you praise me, I can’t let you copy my homework!” Her cheeks flushed, but she quickly regained her composure.

Then, with a tiny fist, she knocked her brother on the head and scolded, “Do your homework properly!”

“Thud!” Struck by Nayuta’s punch, Chen Shang suddenly rolled his eyes and collapsed onto the floor, pretending to faint.

“Eh...?”

“Eh, eh, eh! Brother, are you hurt?!”

Nayuta was so startled by her brother’s theatrics that she rushed over to check on him.

After all, she had developed impressive physical strength from a childhood spent on the run; if she really put effort into it, she could probably kill her homebody brother.

Nayuta gently prodded his body, muttering anxiously, “I’m sorry... I was too impulsive! I actually hurt my brother...”

Seeing that her brother wasn’t waking up, Nayuta’s eyes grew more and more worried, tears welling up: “Brother, don’t scare me! It’s my fault. I’ll help you with your homework!”

At those words, Chen Shang dropped the act, sprang up from the floor with a grin, and said, “You said it yourself—today’s homework is up to you!”

After his recent training, Chen Shang was no longer the complete weakling he’d been at the start of the semester. His fitness now surpassed Nayuta’s; her little punch had only tickled.

“Eh?” Nayuta stared blankly at her brother, her mind taking a full five seconds to catch up.

“Brother... please don’t scare me like that again.”

Nayuta whispered, then turned her head away in silent reproach, refusing to speak to him.

In Chen Shang’s system, Nayuta’s affection dropped by two points.

—Seems I might have gone too far...

A guilty feeling welled up inside him, and Chen Shang could only open his homework and start writing beside his sister, wearing a look of earnest concentration.

Nayuta, cheeks puffed in silent anger, picked up her own homework and let her pen fly across the page.

Perhaps because the room was so quiet, Chen Shang found himself more focused than usual and finished his work an hour early.

“Stupid school, why so much homework...” he grumbled, closing his notebook and stretching.

Then his eyes met Nayuta’s.

It seemed that, ever since a moment ago, his little sister had been watching him without blinking.

Nayuta quickly averted her gaze, muttering under her breath, “You know how to do everything, you just want to slack off...”

Seeing the aggrieved look in her eyes, Chen Shang tried to shift the conversation.

“How’s it going in the track and field club? Anyone bullying you?”

“It’s fine... Besides my mean brother, no one bullies me.” Nayuta turned her head, clearly still sulking.

But then, as if remembering something, she said offhandedly, “Next month I’ll be representing the track team in the Night Axis City High School Sports League... but I guess you’re not interested and probably won’t come watch.”

—The High School Sports League? Is there a special event tied to this?

Chen Shang tilted his head in thought.

But the next moment, a hint of a smile appeared on his lips, as if he’d thought of something amusing.

“I wasn’t interested before,” he replied, putting away his homework, “but since you’re competing, I’ll come watch.”

“Eh, eh, eh!?” That was Nayuta’s second exclamation of the night. She scooted closer, her eyes sparkling as if lit from within.

“Will you really come, brother? Really?”

“I’ll be there to cheer you on.” Chen Shang gave her a thumbs-up and left the room with his homework.

Five seconds after he left, Nayuta’s affection for him shot up three points.

Back in his own room, Chen Shang flopped onto his bed, already turning over a new plan in his mind.