7: The crisis of needing to retake exams and the "pity" of top students.

In the end, Excellence failed to "perfectly arrange" his time as the system had "suggested."

Under the immense pressure of the new task [First Step of Invisibility], and the dual torment of staying up late for days studying the "hand-crafted Guide" and tinkering with that pile of scrap metal under his bed until three or four in the morning, his energy had long since been completely drained.

For him, the classroom was no longer a temple for absorbing knowledge, but a paradise for catching up on sleep.

His brain's CPU resources were completely monopolized by the system tasks, leaving not even a sliver to spare for the headache-inducing amplifier circuits and feedback models of "fundamentals of analog circuits."

Consequently, his make-up exam, without any suspense, resulted in failure.

The afternoon the grades were released, Excellence sat in front of his dorm computer, his hands trembling as he entered his student ID and password to log into the academic administration system.

When that bright red, glaring "58" jumped into his view, he felt as if all the sounds in the world had vanished, his vision went dark, and it felt as if the sky had truly collapsed.

Fifty-eight points!

Just two damn points short! Two points!

Was the grader's heart made of iron? What would it hurt to give two extra points of mercy?! Did the flamboyant signature on my paper not sufficiently demonstrate my Excellence (which it didn't)?!

This meant more than just an ugly grade; it was a real, tangible problem: he would have to pay an extra, hefty retake fee, squeeze out precious time next semester (heaven knows what kind of ghost tasks the system would issue then) to attend classes with the underclassmen, face the inevitable "heart-to-heart" with his counselor, and the most terrifying part—the endless, disappointment- and worry-filled "caring" phone calls if his parents were to accidentally find out.

"Excellence, oh Excellence! You have truly wasted the name your father gave you!"

In the counselor's office, the young counselor looked at the student before him, whose head was almost drooping onto his chest, heartbroken, tapping his knuckles on the desk. "Eight out of ten times during roll call, you're nowhere to be seen! Your lab reports look like ghost scribbles! The data error in your last experiment was ridiculously large; I even suspect you hooked the voltmeter up to your own head! I gave you a chance to make up the exam, and you actually managed to get a 58! Tell me, what on earth are you thinking about every day? What are you actually busy with?"

Excellence stood in front of the desk like a prisoner under interrogation, unable to voice his grievances, his throat feeling as if it were stuffed with a wad of waterlogged cotton.

Was he supposed to lift his head, look him in the eye, and tell the counselor: "Teacher, I've been hand-crafting a miniature nuclear fusion device in my dorm at night, and I'm currently working on developing optical camouflage; this relates to the progress of human civilization and the security of my browser history"?

He could guarantee that the moment he said it, he wouldn't be in the counselor's office the next second, but undergoing an evaluation at the school's mental health center.

He could only bury his head lower and mumble a promise with a voice that was almost swallowed in his mouth: "Teacher... I know I was wrong... It's just that I've been... in a bad state lately... I didn't review enough... Next time, no, I will definitely work hard when I retake it, I will definitely study properly..."

Coming out of the counselor's office, Excellence felt completely drained, his footsteps unsteady, as if he were walking on cotton.

The light of the setting sun was somewhat blinding, yet he felt as if everything before him was gray. For the first time, he had such a real and profound understanding of the phrase "life is hopeless."

He hung his head, like an eggplant withered by frost, wandering aimlessly along the bustling campus paths.

Around him were the happy laughter and chatter of classmates who had just finished class, discussing where to go for dinner or which club activity was fun; all of this was completely out of sync with him, as if separated by a transparent, sad film called "failing the exam."

"Excellence."

A cold and familiar voice, like melting snow in early spring, carrying a hint of chill, came from behind him.

Excellence's body stiffened abruptly, and he instinctively wanted to stuff the crumpled, shameful report card in his hand deep into his pocket.

He turned around slowly, extremely reluctantly.

Su Mu was standing a few steps away, the golden glow of the sunset outlining her slender figure and fair profile.

She was still holding a few books in her arms, her gaze landing calmly on him, first looking at the unhideable, heavy frustration and dark circles on his face, then keenly catching the ball of paper in his hand that he hadn't had time to hide, as well as the sub-heading "Grade Inquiry" faintly visible on the edge of the paper ball.

A girl's thoughts are always delicate. She immediately understood a little of what was going on.

"The make-up exam..." She paused, choosing a relatively euphemistic word, "...didn't go too well?"

Excellence felt his cheeks burn instantly, searing hot.

In front of a super top student like Su Mu, who consistently topped the rankings and received scholarships until her hands were soft, the sense of shame of an academic failure like him was magnified infinitely; he simply had nowhere to hide.

He let out a muffled sound, almost squeezed from his nose: "Yeah..." The voice was as low as a mosquito's hum, and he wished the ground would immediately crack open so he could crawl into it.

Su Mu was silent for a moment. Her long eyelashes drooped slightly, as if she were thinking about something.

She had actually always harbored a little curiosity. Why had this classmate, who seemed completely uninterested in studying and even somewhat lazy, appeared furtively at the chemistry experimental building a while ago, with tiny scratches and burn marks on his hands that only come from doing precision experiments?

But his current make-up exam grade nakedly proved that he really hadn't put his mind into orthodox studies. This contradiction made her feel a hint of incongruity.

"This semester, you..." Su Mu lifted her eyes, her gaze falling on Excellence's face again, that gaze clear and direct, as if it could reflect the panic in one's heart, "Did you encounter any difficulties? Or... is there something else... distracting you?"

She rarely asked an extra question; this was already beyond the scope of the concern she usually showed to ordinary classmates (especially male classmates).

Excellence was stunned, lifted his head, and caught off guard, met Su Mu's eyes, which were clear to the bottom and carried a purely inquisitive meaning.

Under the gaze of those eyes, he almost impulsively confessed everything—that damn system, the madness of hand-crafting fusion, the absurdity of the invisibility task, and that social death threat hanging over his head!

The desire to confide surged like a flood, battering the levee of his rationality.

But in the end, his remaining rationality and a deeper, unknown fear (Would I be treated as a lunatic if I said it out loud?) held him back tightly.

He abruptly lowered his head, avoiding those overly clear eyes, his voice dry and powerless: "No... no difficulties. It's just... just that I didn't study well, I was too playful..."

He repeated the pale and powerless excuse, finding it ridiculous even to himself.

Su Mu looked at him, this appearance of being impervious to reason yet clearly hiding something on his mind, and the curiosity in her heart not only did not disappear but became even stronger.

She pondered for a moment, appearing to have made a decision.

She opened her backpack, which looked like it could hold a lot and was organized in perfect order, and took out a very thick, loose-leaf style notebook.

The notebook's cover was a clean, light blue, without any flashy patterns, only the subject names written in elegant and neat handwriting: "fundamentals of analog circuits" & "Digital Electronic Technology."

"These are my notes," Su Mu handed the notebook over, her tone still flat, with no discernible emotion, "The key points, formula derivations, problem-solving approaches for typical examples of these two courses, and some easy-to-make-mistake points I've summarized are all written inside. You... take them. They should be useful when you retake the course."

Excellence looked at the notebook handed to him, simply unable to believe his eyes, completely stunned.

The private notes of the department beauty and top student Su Mu?! This was the "martial arts secret manual" that countless people in the physics department dreamed of, and borrowing it even once was as difficult as ascending to heaven! It was said that those who had read her notes could improve their final grades by a whole tier! She actually just easily and proactively shoved them to him, this academic failure who had just failed a course?

"Class... class monitor... this... this is too valuable..." Excellence was flattered, his hands even trembling, not daring to take it, as if the notebook weighed a thousand catties, "I... I can't take it, what if I lose it or get it dirty..."

"Just take it." Su Mu, without allowing any argument, shoved the notebook directly into his arms. Her fingertips inadvertently touched the back of his hand, bringing a trace of a cool sensation.

"I hope you can really put some heart into it." Her tone seemed a tiny bit softer than usual, almost imperceptibly, "Your name... is Excellence, you shouldn't just be like this now."

Having said that, she no longer gave Excellence the chance to refuse or thank her, turned around, and holding the remaining books, walked away with a steady gait.

The setting sun stretched her shadow long; Excellence, holding that heavy notebook that seemed to still carry a faint ink fragrance and the light scent of the girl, stood there blankly, his heart feeling as if a bottle of five flavors had been overturned, complex beyond description.

There was shock, unbelievable touched feelings, strong shame for his own incompetence, and a hint of... something he himself hadn't even noticed, a quietly budding, inexplicable palpitation? The radiance of a top student, it turned out, also had warmth.

[Analysis: The target 'Su Mu's' favorability towards the host has slightly increased (+5). Motivations may include: 'General sympathy for the vulnerable,' 'Curiosity about the reasons behind abnormal behavior,' 'Regret over wasted talent and potential.' It is recommended that the host seize this opportunity to attempt technical-level exchanges, striving to convert her into potential technical support and cover.] The system's voice sounded calmly, like the most precise instrument, analyzing and dismantling the scene just now, which was filled with complex human emotions, into cold data and strategic suggestions.

Excellence: "...System, can you stop analyzing everything like a galgame walkthrough? Also, who is a 'vulnerable individual', hey!" He complained powerlessly in his heart.

However, the system's cold and utilitarian analysis was like a bolt of lightning, suddenly giving him a dangerous spark of inspiration.

Who was Su Mu? The recognized top student of the physics department! Her theory was solid, her hands-on ability was said to be very strong, and she had participated in electronic design competitions and won awards. She had the authority to freely enter and exit the laboratory, could access more professional equipment and materials, and might even know teachers in related fields...

If he could... if he could drag her into the water? No, no, no, not drag her into the water, but... win her "help"? Even if it was just occasional guidance, or making things convenient, borrowing a corner of the lab to use...

A bold idea, one that was frantically testing the edge of courting death, like pandora's box, slowly opened a crack in Excellence's tired yet exceptionally active mind.