66: Su Mu's intuition and the "uninvited guest"

The campus of Polytechnic University was still bathed in seemingly eternal, gentle, and tranquil sunlight, like a frozen painting of youth. The broad leaves of the plane trees rustled in the breeze, casting dappled shadows. Students, carrying thick textbooks or laptops, hurried along the tree-lined paths connecting the teaching buildings and dormitory areas in twos and threes, discussing classroom challenges, upcoming exams, or fun club activities. In the distant basketball court, running figures leaped, the thud of basketballs hitting the ground mingling with cheers for scores, brimming with youthful vitality. Behind the glass curtain walls of the library, it was so quiet you could hear the faint sounds of pages turning and pens scratching on paper. The air was filled with a calming, focused scent—a mix of the serene aroma of old book pages and the rich, mellow fragrance of freshly ground coffee.

Everything seemed as usual—busy, fulfilling, with the slightly lazy sense of Order unique to the ivory tower.

Yet, amidst this all-too-familiar scene, Su Mu felt an inexplicable unease, like a lingering, thin haze quietly enveloping her heart. It made her inexplicably feel palpitations and restlessness while walking, reading, or even before falling asleep at night.

The source of this unease was clear and definite—Excellence.

Since that evening when he was abruptly, even somewhat awkwardly, almost "escorted" away by those stern "Education Bureau leaders," and the official explanation given was that he was "urgently recommended for an extremely important overseas top-tier academic exchange program," Excellence had vanished like a stone dropped into the deep sea. There was no WeChat reply, no answered phone call, emails sank without a trace, and even his social media account, which seemed almost glued to his phone, had completely stopped updating. The last post remained a photo of him grinning foolishly at the messy components on his dorm desk. He had evaporated from the world, disappearing cleanly without a trace.

At first, Su Mu was surprised and disappointed, but more than that, she was happy for him, thinking he was just immersed in a new environment and challenges, too busy to spare a thought. In the world of top students, such sudden "disappearances" while diving into a project weren't uncommon. She even thought he would contact her once he settled down.

But as time passed—one week, two weeks, a month... this complete, absolute silence made the doubts in her heart sprout like vines, growing deeper and more tightly entwined. What kind of overseas exchange program would be so secretive that not even a text to say he was safe could be sent? What kind of academic environment would be so strict as to completely cut off all personal contact with the outside world? This made no sense at all!

She tried contacting Excellence's father, Father Zhuo, the middle-aged man she had met once at a parent-teacher conference—friendly, with rough hands and the simple aura of a typical small factory owner. When the call connected, Father Zhuo's tone was unusually evasive, his words vague. He only repeatedly emphasized that the place Excellence had gone to was "very special," had a "high level of secrecy," and was "inconvenient for contact with the outside world." He told her "not to worry" and to "trust the school's arrangements." But this official-sounding, detail-lacking, and coldly dismissive response didn't ease her doubts; instead, it was like pouring oil on a flame, making the fire of worry in her heart burn even brighter. What kind of project required such secrecy from family and friends? She could even detect a hint of barely concealed anxiety and... helplessness behind Father Zhuo's forced calm tone?

What bothered her even more was that she occasionally caught glimpses on campus of that young man she had met once before—the one whose demeanor clashed with the vibrant, youthful environment around him—the young man who claimed to be an "Education Bureau" staff member, with sharp eyes and an expression as cold as ice (Xiao Zhang). He sometimes appeared on the tree-lined paths near the administration building, seemingly strolling casually but with a sharp gaze scanning the surroundings. Other times, he would pause briefly below the old dormitory building where Excellence used to live, looking up at the familiar window as if confirming something, then hurriedly leave. His appearances weren't frequent, but each time Su Mu accidentally spotted him, it was like a fine needle gently piercing the calm surface of campus life, making her more certain that Excellence's "departure" was no ordinary academic exchange. There must be some hidden, complex secret behind it. This person was still active, meaning whatever was related to Excellence was far from over.

Her sharp logical thinking as a top student and the delicate, precise intuition unique to women were both sounding strong alarms: Excellence must have encountered something, definitely not just a simple exchange program! He might be in some kind of trouble, or even... some kind of danger. The feeling of being kept in the dark, knowing nothing about her friend's situation, along with a vague, deep-seated anxiety for Excellence, weighed on her heart like a heavy stone. It made it impossible for her to focus on her studies or immerse herself fully in formulas and experiments as she used to.

One afternoon, sunlight filtered through sparse clouds, casting warm rays across the campus. Su Mu, holding a few professional books she had just borrowed from the library, found herself inexplicably detouring once again to the slightly worn dormitory building where Excellence used to live.

On the bulletin board downstairs, new dormitory assignment notices had even been posted—black and white, cold and objective—indicating that the familiar room number was about to welcome a new occupant, and all traces of the past would be completely erased. The room Excellence once lived in had its windows tightly shut, curtains drawn completely, and the balcony was empty. Gone were the T-shirts with anime patterns hanging out to dry, and the sight of him occasionally sticking his head out to grin and wave at her passing by below.

A strong sense of loss and an even deeper, almost suffocating worry suddenly gripped Su Mu. She stopped, looked up, and quietly gazed at that lifeless window, her eyes as if trying to pierce through the cold glass and thick curtains to glimpse the hidden secret of Excellence's whereabouts. The sunlight was a bit glaring, so she squinted slightly, a wave of indescribable bitterness and helplessness welling up in her heart.

"Classmate, excuse me... are you looking for Excellence, the student who used to live here?" A gentle, low, and magnetic voice suddenly spoke up not far from her. The tone was perfectly measured, carrying just the right amount of concern and polite inquiry—neither abrupt nor unnatural, as if it were just a passerby's casual question.

Su Mu was startled by the sudden voice, her heart skipping a beat. She quickly turned around, alertly looking toward the source of the sound. She saw a middle-aged man, dressed in a well-tailored, high-quality dark gray suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with an elegant and composed demeanor. He had appeared a few steps away without her noticing. The man appeared to be around fifty, his hair meticulously combed, a warm and relaxing smile on his face. His eyes, seen through the lenses, seemed gentle and full of concern, and he exuded a trustworthy, scholarly kind of approachability.

Su Mu instinctively took half a step back, putting a safe distance between them, her gaze quickly and carefully scrutinizing this unfamiliar uninvited guest: "You are...?" Her voice carried obvious wariness.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to have startled you," the man immediately apologized with a smile, his expression growing even more gentle. He calmly took out an exquisite cardholder from his suit's inner pocket, extracted an elegant and high-quality business card, and handed it over with both hands. "My surname is Chen, Chen Ming. I'm a project advisor for a program called the 'Youth Science and Technology Innovation Talent Support Plan,' under an organization called the 'International Youth Science Exploration Foundation.' The Foundation had some contact with Excellence before, and we were very impressed with his talent and that... um... unique innovative spirit."

He spoke at a measured pace, his wording precise and appropriate, his gaze meeting Su Mu's scrutinizing eyes with sincerity: 'I heard he recently obtained a rare opportunity to participate in an overseas top-tier exchange program? That's truly commendable. I happened to be in University Town to handle some other matters, and since he used to live here, I thought I'd drop by to get a feel for his former learning environment. I didn't expect to run into you. You... are his classmate?'

Su Mu took the business card, her fingertips touching the smooth cardstock. It clearly bore the embossed golden emblem of the 'International Youth Science Exploration Foundation' (an abstract Earth encircled by a ring of stars), along with the words 'Senior Advisor - Chen Ming' and a set of contact numbers and email addresses. The title and organization seemed very formal, even carrying an air of prestige. She remembered Excellence vaguely mentioning this foundation before, but his tone at the time didn't seem positive—it even carried a hint of... barely perceptible resistance?

'Yes, I'm his classmate.' Su Mu's tone remained flat, her inner vigilance not diminishing in the slightest despite the other party's proper appearance and words. This 'chance encounter' was too coincidental, so coincidental it aroused suspicion. 'But he left a long time ago, and none of us have any news about him.' She deliberately emphasized 'none of us' and 'any news,' her gaze fixed on him, trying to catch any subtle changes in his expression.

'Yes, ah, what a pity, and a bit worrying too.' Consultant Chen adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone naturally revealing a hint of sincere regret and just the right amount of concern. 'Classmate Excellence showed extraordinary, even rare, potential in Applied Physics, especially in Energy Conversion and that... wildly imaginative Interdisciplinary Innovative Thinking. After our internal evaluation at The Foundation, we placed great importance on him and originally planned to provide key support. This exchange program opportunity is indeed rare; I heard it involves some cutting-edge sensitive fields with extremely high confidentiality requirements, so temporary loss of contact is understandable. It's just...'

He shifted the topic seamlessly, appearing completely natural, as if merely out of an elder's concern for an outstanding junior and a focus on academic progress. He asked casually, 'Classmate, from your expression earlier, it seems you were quite close to him, right? Before he left, did he talk to you about anything related to the project? Or... more specifically, did he... um... leave behind any special research notes, unfinished manuscripts, or some... unique design sketches, data materials, things like that?'

His tone was filled with appreciation for talent and emphasis on academic achievements: 'You know, these sudden, long-term closed projects can sometimes interrupt some very valuable personal research. Our foundation really wants to continue supporting his research direction. Perhaps through some special internal channels, we could find a way to pass along some of his previous sparks of inspiration or unfinished ideas—it might even help his project. Even just some scattered fragments could be very valuable.'

Consultant Chen's words were flawless, his emotions sincere, his reasons sound, completely portraying the image of an academic gentleman who cherishes talent and is dedicated to public welfare. However, Su Mu's extremely sharp and logically rigorous mind instantly caught several very subtle inconsistencies: the probability of this 'chance encounter' was too low; his focus on specific items like 'research notes,' 'design sketches,' and 'data materials' went beyond ordinary academic concern; especially the word 'unique'—it immediately set off alarm bells in her mind, instantly reminding her of Excellence's previous mysterious, 'hand-crafted' devices that attracted inspections from the Education Bureau and even caused him both excitement and frustration, and those draft papers filled with formulas as cryptic as ancient texts!

This person was absolutely not as simple as he appeared! His purpose was definitely not mere concern or academic support! He was fishing for information! He was probing! He was looking for something specific! Excellence's 'departure' was very likely connected to this so-called foundation and those 'hand-crafted' things of his!

Almost in the blink of an eye, Su Mu made her judgment. She immediately shook her head, her expression perfectly controlled, carrying just the right amount of regret and confusion: 'No. He left very suddenly, just briefly mentioned there was a great opportunity, and hurried off without leaving anything behind. He didn't even say a proper goodbye.' She paused, sounding even more distant. 'Sorry, Consultant Chen, I have a class next, so I need to go.'

With that, without waiting for any further response, she casually stuffed the business card into the side pocket of her backpack, hugged her books, turned, and walked away quickly, her steps steady but with a barely noticeable urgency. Only after walking far away and turning onto a busy main road did she feel the gentle yet tangible gaze disappear from behind her, though her palms were already slightly damp with cold sweat.

This Consultant Chen definitely had issues! He wasn't simply concerned about Excellence! Beneath that scholarly exterior hid something calculating and intensely purposeful. He was fishing for information, he was looking for something! Excellence's 'departure' was likely related to this so-called foundation! Did they... did they do something to Excellence?

Back in her dorm, Su Mu couldn't sit still, her mind restless. She kept replaying every detail of her conversation with Consultant Chen, and the more she thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. A chill slowly crept up her spine. Excellence might not have gone to any exchange program at all—he might have gotten into some huge trouble, even... possibly lost his freedom! That stern young 'official,' this suddenly appearing, smiling-yet-dangerous Consultant Chen... the forces they represented seemed to be circling around Excellence, engaged in some unknown struggle or... control?

What should she do? Report it to the police? Would the police believe her reasoning, which had no evidence and bordered on speculation? They'd probably just think it was an overreaction from a young girl worried about a missing friend. Go to the department head or school administrators? They'd likely already been given a unified story and would just dismiss her with official rhetoric.

A deep sense of helplessness and intense worry for Excellence's situation coiled around her heart like cold vines, tightening more and more, almost suffocating her. For the first time, she felt so clearly and strongly that behind her ordinary, peaceful campus life, there seemed to lurk a dark, vast whirlpool, and the person she cared about was trapped at its very center, isolated and helpless.

Subconsciously, she took out her phone, opened WeChat, and clicked on that all-too-familiar, now-grayed-out profile picture of Excellence. Her finger hovered over the cold screen for a long time, typing and deleting, over and over. Finally, all her words condensed into the simplest question, carrying all her anxiety and unease: 'Excellence, where are you? Are you okay?'

The message was sent, but like a stone sinking into the sea, there was no reply. The gray profile picture remained silent, as if wordlessly hinting at some ominous sign.

But this time, Su Mu's eyes held more than just worry and helplessness. Beneath the deep concern, an unprecedented, resolute light quietly ignited. She gripped her phone tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. She was determined—she couldn't just wait passively anymore, couldn't stay in the dark. She had to do something, at least try to figure out what exactly had happened to Excellence. Even if her strength was meager, even if the path ahead was unknown, she would try to touch that cold whirlpool.