25: The father's care and the system's "new pitfalls"

Excellence spent a long and agonizing weekend in anxiety and loss. The confrontation with Su Mu at the library, the sudden appearance of Evelyn Li, and that business card which felt like a hot potato—all of these echoed repeatedly in his mind. He didn't even have the heart to struggle with that headache-inducing neural interface task; he just mechanically completed the daily training required by the system, like a walking corpse.

On Monday morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the dormitory curtains, casting a pale beam of light on the floor. Excellence hadn't slept all night, and the system's energy alert echoed in his mind like a death knell: [Energy reserves have dropped to 23%. Please replenish high-energy substances as soon as possible.] He mechanically chewed on an energy bar, the taste like wax.

Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the word 'Father' flashing on the screen, Excellence's heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound normal: 'Dad?'

'Xiao Yue,' his father's familiar voice came from the other end of the receiver, accompanied by the metallic friction background noise typical of a hardware processing factory. 'Was the module I sent you last time useful? Uncle Liu has been thinking of a few new ideas and said they might help with that 'graduation project' of yours. Do you want me to send you some more?'

Listening to his father's simple and unadorned words, Excellence's nose soured, and his eyes instantly welled up. Home was better—no infighting, no suspicion or testing, only unconditional support. He could almost see his father standing in the noisy workshop, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear while still inspecting the products.

'It's useful! Very useful!' Excellence tried hard to make his voice full of enthusiasm. 'Dad, thank you, Uncle Liu, for me! But there's no need to send any more for now; I have... enough for the time being.' He glanced at the mountain of precision components piled up on his workbench, a bitter feeling rising in his heart.

'Oh, okay.' There was a hint of disappointment in his father's voice, but he immediately asked with concern, 'Do you have enough money? Don't starve yourself. Your mom nags every day, saying you must be eating instant noodles at school again.'

'Enough, it's enough,' Excellence said quickly, his fingers unconsciously gripping the corner of his clothes. The system's material list flashed in his mind, and those astronomical price tags made his stomach churn.

The father and son chatted a bit more about household matters. Just as Excellence was about to end the call, his father suddenly seemed to remember something and said, 'Oh, right, a few days ago, one of your classmates came to the factory.'

Excellence's heart tightened instantly! The energy bar in his hand dropped to the floor with a clatter. 'My classmate? Who?'

'A female classmate, surnamed Su, said she was your class monitor.' His father's voice held a tone of appreciation. 'She's quite pretty and speaks very politely. She came to ask if you've encountered any difficulties recently and if you need any help. She even praised our factory, saying that although it's small, the craftsmen have good skills.'

Su Mu?! She actually went to his home?!

Excellence was stunned, feeling all the blood in his body rush to his brain in an instant. What did she mean by this? Investigating him deeply? Or... really caring about him? The system's warning sound immediately rang out: [Abnormally high heart rate detected. It is recommended to calm down immediately.]

'Did she... did she say anything else?' Excellence asked hurriedly, his fingers subconsciously gripping his phone.

'Nothing much, she just took a look around the factory and asked about things from your childhood...' His father seemed to recall something and said with a smile, 'She specifically looked at your workbench from when you were little and said those little inventions were very interesting.'

Excellence felt his scalp tingle. Su Mu even investigated his 'dark history' from childhood?! Those household appliances he had modified beyond recognition, those whimsical 'inventions'... It's over; this is definitely evidence gathering!

'Xiao Yue, this girl is nice, she looks like a good student. You should learn more from her...' His father was still rambling, but Excellence could no longer hear what followed.

This action by Su Mu was completely unexpected. What did it mean behind the scenes? Deeper suspicion, or... a glimmer of opportunity? He recalled every expression and every word of Su Mu at the library, trying to find clues.

After hanging up the phone, Excellence's mood became even more complicated. He paced back and forth in the dormitory, the system's energy warning and his father's exhortations intertwining in his mind. Just then, that familiar, cold, and ruthless prompt sounded again:

[New task generated: [Energy Upgrade]]

[Task requirements: Within 75 natural days, design and manufacture a 'small high-efficiency wireless energy transmission device (medium-short range)' based on existing technology, with a transmission efficiency of no less than 30% and an effective distance of no less than 5 meters.]

[Task reward: [Fundamentals of Energy Network Construction Based on Resonance Principles.pdf]]

[Task failure penalty: ... (The host should already have a deep understanding)]

Excellence looked at the task details displayed on the holographic projection, lacking even the strength to complain. Wireless energy transmission? And 30% efficiency? 5-meter distance? This is even more outrageous than brainwave control!

'System... are you adding fuel to the fire because you see I'm not dead yet?' Excellence asked weakly, feeling like a lamb pushed to the edge of a cliff.

[This technology is a foundational prerequisite for several subsequent key technologies and is related to some technologies already mastered by the host (such as specific frequency modulation). Please face it positively, host.] The system's voice was righteous and stern, as if stating an obvious fact.

What was even more despairing was the material list that popped up next: [Required materials: Iridium-osmium alloy 0.5 kg (purity 99.99%), superconducting ceramic substrate (dimensions 200mm × 200mm), quantum dot resonator × 4, high-frequency oscillation crystal...]

Looking at the long string of zeros following those materials, Excellence felt a darkness before his eyes. These were not things that could be solved with Pinduoduo or Taobao, nor were they materials that a regular laboratory could provide!

Money! He needed a lot of money! Before, he could barely get by by gaming the system and using cheap components, but this time, it really wouldn't work!

Could it be... that he really had to go find that Evelyn Li? Accept that dangerous invitation? Or...

A more dangerous thought emerged uncontrollably in his mind. Stored in the system's database were several 'low-risk, high-reward' short-term technology projects, any one of which would be enough to obtain a huge amount of funds in a short time. However...

[Warning: Detected that the host is browsing the restricted technology directory. The premature application of such technology may trigger unpredictable chain reactions.] The system immediately issued an alert.

Excellence painfully clutched his head. He knew what those so-called 'low-risk' projects meant—each technology could change the landscape of an industry, or even trigger market shocks. But did he have a choice?

Just as he was sinking into despair, his phone suddenly vibrated. It was a message from an unknown number:

'Student Excellence, I heard you have been looking for some special materials recently? The Prophet Foundation happens to have a batch of idle experimental materials that you might be able to use. Interested in a chat? - Evelyn Li'

The attachment to the message was a picture showing a well-equipped laboratory, and neatly placed on the table were exactly the rare materials and components he urgently needed.

Excellence's fingers hovered trembling over the reply key. He knew this was likely a trap, but it was also a tempting opportunity.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the campus, Su Mu was standing in front of the window of the physics laboratory, looking at Excellence's number on her phone screen, hesitating whether to press the call button. Complex data streams flickered on her spectacle lenses, and one window displayed a detailed investigation report of the Zhuo Family Hardware Factory.

'Excellence... what exactly are you hiding?' She whispered to herself, a look of mixed worry and curiosity flashing in her eyes.

And in the top-floor office of the city's tallest building, Evelyn Li was elegantly sipping black tea, watching Excellence's conflicted expression on the surveillance screen, a meaningful smile curling at the corners of her mouth.

'The game has begun, my dear Excellence.' She said softly, her eyes flashing with a hunter's glint.

Excellence stood at the crossroads of life, each choice leading to an unknown path. The warmth of family, the suspicion of friends, the temptation of enemies, the coercion of the system... all these forces were pushing him toward a decision he had to make.

He took a deep breath, his fingers slowly moving toward the phone keyboard. No matter which path he chose, it would change the trajectory of his life. And at this moment, he was like someone standing on the edge of a cliff, caught in a dilemma.