28: Su Mu's warning and another reversal

Just as Excellence thought the funding issue was resolved and was rolling up his sleeves to get to work, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing the two words "Su Mu" flashing on the screen, his heart rate involuntarily quickened.

He took a deep breath and answered the phone: "Class Monitor?"

"Excellence," Su Mu's voice sounded a bit hurried, even carrying a rare hint of worry, "did you recently apply for funding from the 'Prophet Foundation'?"

Excellence's heart skipped a beat, and the screwdriver in his hand fell onto the workbench with a "clatter." How did she know?! This news should have only been known by him and The Foundation!

"I... I..." Excellence was at a loss for words, his mind racing but unable to find a suitable explanation.

"Do you have any idea how complicated the background of that foundation is?" Su Mu's tone grew heavier, and her speaking speed was much faster than usual. "I've checked their public records and some non-public ones. Many projects they fund involve sensitive areas and have murky ties with the Free Confederacy's military and intelligence agencies! Their money isn't so easy to take!"

Excellence was stunned, feeling his back instantly soaked in cold sweat. Su Mu had actually looked into The Foundation? And was she worried about his safety?

"Class Monitor... I... I just needed some money to buy components..." Excellence tried to defend himself, his voice unconsciously lowering. "The agreement they gave was very standard, only requiring a final report..."

"A standard agreement doesn't mean there's no ulterior motive!" Su Mu interrupted him, her tone more severe than ever. "Do you realize that accepting their funding means entering their field of vision? Your project, your progress, and even you yourself will be recorded by them! By then, it will be hard to distance yourself even if you want to!"

Su Mu's words were like a bucket of ice water, instantly waking Excellence up from the daze of his "windfall." He could almost see an invisible surveillance network spreading toward him, while he was like a fly caught in a spider's web.

Indeed, there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world! The system was right! He had been completely possessed!

"Then... then what do I do now? I've already received the money..." Excellence panicked, his fingers unconsciously gripping the phone tighter. "And... and I've already placed orders for some components..."

"Stop the procurement immediately! Cancel all orders that can be canceled! Return the money!" Su Mu said decisively, her tone leaving no room for doubt. "Find an excuse, say the project's direction has changed, or just say you don't want to accept it anymore! Be firm!"

"But... but..." Excellence thought of the expensive components that had already been shipped and the system task's looming deadline; he was caught in a massive internal struggle.

"No buts!" Su Mu's tone became even more severe. "Excellence, I don't know exactly what you're doing, but if you want to graduate peacefully and have a quiet life in the future, cut ties with that foundation immediately! Otherwise..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the warning was self-evident. Excellence could even hear Su Mu's slightly hurried breathing on the other end, showing her current lack of composure.

"Okay... okay! I'll listen to you, Class Monitor! I'll go refund it right now!" Excellence was frightened by Su Mu's rare severity and quickly agreed.

After hanging up, Excellence felt weak all over, and cold sweat had soaked through his shirt. He immediately opened his computer and logged into the online banking system, his fingers trembling slightly from nervousness.

On the transfer interface, he carefully entered the amount of the grant, wrote "Refund of Grant" in the remarks column, and then clicked the confirm button.

However, the prompt that popped up on the screen made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar: "The recipient account has been set to reject refunds; the transfer operation cannot be completed."

Excellence didn't give up and tried a few more times, but the results were the same. His heart sank to the bottom.

He quickly wrote an email to the official address, respectfully stating that due to personal reasons and adjustments in the project's direction, he wished to decline the funding and requested another refund account.

"Dear Foundation Head:"

"Hello! Thank you very much for The Foundation's care and support for students. Due to adjustments in my personal research plan, after careful consideration, I have decided to decline the 'Explorer Research Grant.' I kindly request The Foundation to provide refund account information, and I will immediately return the full amount of the grant. Thank you again for your understanding and support!"

After sending the email, Excellence paced restlessly in the dormitory, checking his inbox every few minutes.

To his horror, the other party's reply came exceptionally quickly, still maintaining that polite and efficient style:

"Dear Student Excellence:"

"Thank you for your letter. Once the 'Explorer Research Grant' has been issued, it is, in principle, non-refundable. If you insist on declining the funding, you may use the funds for any purpose related to scientific research and study without feeling pressured. The Foundation looks forward to more of your exciting discoveries in the future."

"Wishing you success in your research!"

"Prophet Foundation Academic Funding Department"

This seemingly generous and inclusive response sent a bone-chilling shiver through Excellence. He felt like a fish that had bitten a hook; the other party was leisurely reeling in the line, and the more he struggled, the deeper the hook sank.

[Risk Confirmation: Host has established a preliminary economic connection with the 'Prophet Foundation.' Exposure risk index has reached 78%, exceeding the safety threshold. It is strongly recommended that the Host immediately seek limited asylum from 'Wang Jianguo.'] The system issued its highest-level alarm, with red warning symbols almost filling Excellence's entire field of vision.

Confess to Director Wang? Just thinking about that sharp-eyed middle-aged man who seemed to see through everything made Excellence's skin crawl. That would be no different from walking straight into a trap!

But right now, he seemed to have no better choice. There was a wolf in front (The Foundation) and a tiger behind (the National Special Bureau), and caught in the middle was Su Mu, who was disappointed in him yet suddenly warned him... Excellence felt like he was about to be crushed by the immense pressure. He slumped in his chair, covering his face with his hands as countless thoughts flashed through his mind:

If only he hadn't accepted that damn system... if only he hadn't hand-crafted those black technologies... if only he hadn't attracted everyone's attention... but it was too late for such thoughts now. He was like someone on a roller coaster that wouldn't stop, only able to watch helplessly as he hurtled toward an unknown abyss.

The sky outside gradually darkened. The lights in the dormitory weren't on, only the cold light from the computer screen illuminating Excellence's pale face. The expensive components that had already arrived were piled in the corner, as if mocking his naivety and recklessness.

He recalled the rare tone of worry in Su Mu's voice on the phone, and a wave of complex emotions welled up in his heart. She was clearly disappointed to the core with him, yet she still went out of her way to investigate The Foundation and issue a timely warning. This gave him a sliver of warmth, but also made him feel even more guilty.

"System," Excellence's voice was hoarse, "what should I do now?"

[Proposed Plan: 1. Immediately stop using all components purchased with The Foundation's funding; 2. Proactively contact Director Wang Jianguo, disclose the current situation to a limited extent, and seek official protection; 3. Prepare to deal with The Foundation's potential subsequent contacts.] The system calmly listed the response strategies.

Excellence gave a bitter laugh. These plans sounded reasonable, but every single one was fraught with difficulty in execution.

He picked up his phone and looked at Director Wang's number, his finger hovering over the call button, unable to press it for a long time. He knew that once he made this call, it would mean officially confessing his uniqueness to the authorities, and the consequences would be unpredictable.

Just as he was hesitating, his phone suddenly received a new message. It wasn't from Director Wang, nor from Su Mu, but from an unknown number:

"Student Excellence, I heard you have some doubts about the funding? Would you like to have a face-to-face meeting for answers? The Foundation always maintains an open attitude. - Evelyn Li"

At the end of the message, there was also an exquisite Foundation logo emoji.

Excellence's heart sank abruptly. Their reaction was too fast, terrifyingly fast.

With a wolf in front and a tiger behind, he now seemed to have nowhere left to run.