Life in Class E

Just after arranging his seat and unpacking his things, Lin Tong was abruptly called to the office by a phone call Wu Jian had just received. He hurried out of the school in a rather ungraceful manner, completely shedding the nonchalant demeanor he had just displayed while chatting with his classmates.

"Teacher Karasuma, did something happen to Lin Tong?" a boy with blue hair tied in twin ponytails, Nagisa Shiota, asked with concern as he watched Lin Tong sprint away in a flustered state.

Seeing the students staring at him, Wu Jian shrugged and replied, "I can't explain much. All I can say is that something urgent has come up with his family."

"I didn't expect that people from the ** would lose their composure in an emergency. It seems the calm, collected image we see on TV is misleading," another student remarked.

"And just look at Lin Tong! It's hard to imagine a boy could be so flustered," someone else added.

"By the way, does Lin Tong know how to cook ** dishes? When can we try them? I've heard they're delicious!" another voice piped up.

…

Watching his classmates buzz with conversation, Wu Jian sighed in relief, though a hint of worry crept into his thoughts as he observed Lin Tong's retreating figure.

Lin Tong dashed out of the school, where a black car awaited him. Just then, he caught sight of Asano, the chairman of Kunugigaoka Junior High School, watching him from a distance. Hesitating for a moment, he then rushed into the car, which sped away.

Asano observed Lin Tong's departure with a stoic expression, lightly touching the oak leaf badge on his tie.

Once home, Lin Tong thanked the driver and rushed inside. He quickly made his way to his room and booted up his computer, eager to check a mysterious email.

"This address…" Lin Tong murmured, studying the address and phone number provided in the email, lost in thought.

The following day marked the official start of Lin Tong's school career. Just as he had anticipated, an exciting year unfolded with Koro-sensei and the students of Class 3-E. However, Lin Tong noticed something unsettling in Koro-sensei's and Karasuma's gazes. Karasuma, a military officer from the Japanese Ministry of Defense, exuded an intense aura of authority. Lin Tong's complicated family background and social connections weighed on him, causing him to worry about what Karasuma might discern about him. Yet, he believed that Karasuma could occasionally be outsmarted—especially when the formidable Irina arrived. Koro-sensei, however, posed a more troubling challenge.

Despite Koro-sensei's quirky characteristics, Lin Tong recognized him as a cunning figure—a god of death, if you will. Koro-sensei's intellect and guile made it difficult to guarantee that he wouldn't uncover Lin Tong's secrets during their year together. Having entrusted Lao Lin with the task of studying antimatter, Lin Tong couldn't make any hasty conclusions about Koro-sensei's ultimate goals.

Lin Tong faced another hurdle: the diverse personalities and stories of his classmates in Class 3-E. To secure a positive outcome for them, he would need to approach each student thoughtfully. It felt like playing an RPG—though the main storyline remained constant, Lin Tong's intervention had altered the initial quests, unlocking potential GOOD END scenarios. However, failure in the middle stages could easily lead to a BAD END, especially in the unpredictable world of Assassination Classroom.

Lin Tong devised a treatment strategy for his classmates: "Treat them sincerely and influence them subtly." He would need to navigate the clever Akabane Karma, the seemingly simple Shiota Nagisa who might hold hidden depths, the resilient Kaede Kayano, the capable Horibe Batting, and the Autonomous Artillery—all individuals who would challenge him socially.

On top of this, Lin Tong had to contend with pressure from the school administration and the Asano father and son. He was acutely aware of the chairman's and his son's cunning. To prepare, Lin Tong reached out to an uncle working in the General Political Department of the Celestial Empire for guidance. He realized he needed a level of mind control akin to Yuri's abilities, making him fit for rebellion against oppressive figures. He also anticipated the looming threat from the second generation of death gods, like Akira and others, who would target Class 3-E. Old grudges from Yanagisawa and Yukimura Akari (Kayano Kaede) would complicate matters further. Moreover, he couldn't ignore the lurking hidden forces—dark organizations plotting against Koro-sensei's endeavors.

As he expressed his troubles to Lao Lin, his mentor merely remarked, "Man proposes, God disposes. When faced with challenges, consider revisiting the teachings of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. You might find wisdom in the classics to guide you through your trials."

"Whatever, we'll tackle whatever comes our way. There's always a solution," Lin Tong replied, resolute.

Lin Tong relaxed his brows and noticed the funny-looking octopus teacher on the podium watching him. From Koro-sensei's expression, Lin Tong sensed some strange emotions.

During the break, the blue-haired tomboy, Nagisa Shiota, approached Lin Tong and said, "Hello, Lin! I'm Nagisa Shiota. It's our first meeting; please take care of me!"

Lin Tong smiled and replied, "Hello, Nagisa! Please take care of me! Is Nagisa a boy?"

Kaede Kayano, who had a similar hairstyle, chimed in, "Nagisa is a boy, but maybe he has his reasons for having long hair! Hello, I'm Kaede Kayano! Please take care of me!"

"Please take care of me too, Kayano-san!" Lin Tong responded enthusiastically.

With Nagisa and Kaede leading the way, other students in Class E came over to greet Lin Tong.

"Hello, I'm Yuuma Isogai, the class monitor of Class E!"

"Hello, Isogai-san!"

"Welcome, Lin-san!"

"The class monitor is such a nice guy!"

"Hello, I'm Taiga Okajima."

"Hello, Okajima-san!"

"Lin-san, since you're from Japan, can you tell me what the girls in Japan are like?"

"Huh? That's hard to say. Japan is a big place, and people from different regions have different customs and personalities. For example, the girls from Shudu and Xiaoxiang are quite fiery, just like the hot peppers there—they're known for their hot personalities and appearances!"

"Hehehe..."

"By the way, Okajima-san is a bit of a perv..."

"Hello, I'm Megumi Kataoka."

"Hello, Kataoka-san!"

"Um, Lin-san, are all Japanese good at fighting?"

"Ah? Where's that coming from?"

"We often see it in TV shows and movies. The Japanese are portrayed as highly skilled in martial arts and proficient with all kinds of weapons."

"Well... some people do have a strong temperament and can be good at fighting, but others are quite gentle. As for martial arts skills... we shouldn't believe everything we see on TV..."

"Hello, I'm Kirara Hazama."

"Hello, Hazama-san!"

"Speaking of horror movies..."

"Our horror films aren't really horror movies... They're mostly comedies. And after the founding of the country, spirits aren't allowed..."

The classmates gathered and enthusiastically shared various anecdotes about China. Lin Tong enjoyed chatting and laughing with everyone, which helped strengthen their bond. Eventually, even the usually unsociable Terasaka Ryoma trio heard something interesting and joined in the laughter, filling the classroom with joy.

Outside the classroom, Karasuma Yoshiomi and Koro-sensei were whispering to each other.

"This child is quite extraordinary," Wu Jian remarked directly.

"A cool head, good physical fitness, strong technical and tactical skills, and excellent social skills. As some have noted, he is quite cunning. He is indeed well-suited for assassination. Unfortunately, he has a shortcoming that limits his improvement in those skills," Koro-sensei added to Karasuma's assessment.

"Oh?" Wu Jian asked, surprised. "What shortcoming?"

"An inner aversion to fighting, killing, desire, and hatred. Imagine if you send someone who inherently despises war onto a battlefield; will they be eager to complete orders and achieve mission objectives?" Koro-sensei's big yellow head changed color, and his funny, upturned mouth grinned even wider.

Wu Jian smiled in relief. "That's right; there's no perfect person in the world."

Koro-sensei watched Lin Tong getting along well with his classmates, his expression unchanging as he quietly observed him. Lin Tong, sensing Koro-sensei's gaze from outside the classroom, smiled slightly and casually met his eyes, sharing a brief moment of eye contact. What reflected in Koro-sensei's consciousness was Lin Tong's meaningful smile, filled with mysterious intent.

Koro-sensei waved his tentacles to hold up his chin and murmured in a voice only he could hear, "Rest assured? Protect? Let's wait and see what unfolds. You are indeed an interesting child. It seems you're hiding a secret even greater than mine."