You said you failed your college entrance exam and are now crowdfunding to build a university?

Li Qi and his men quietly followed the suspicious vehicle. Twenty minutes later, the car turned off the provincial highway and drove into the courtyard of a solitary self-built building about forty kilometers away from Haichuan University.

The house was hidden behind the roadside woods, completely inconspicuous.

Li Qi got out of the car and, taking advantage of the darkness, looked around the two-story building, his mind filled with doubts.

This location avoids the regular patrol area around Haichuan University and allows for quick travel, making it an excellent base for infiltration.

"Action! Arrest them!" he ordered in a low voice. Several team members moved with the speed of cheetahs, silently scaling the low wall and rushing into the courtyard, heading straight for the brightly lit room on the second floor.

The door was suddenly kicked open, and three people were gathered around the computer. They turned around in surprise at the sound, but before they could see who it was, the police officers pounced on them and pinned them to the ground, their hands tied behind their backs.

Li Qi strode into the room, his gaze sweeping across the room, and his heart suddenly tightened.

Of the three people subdued on the ground, two had typical Chinese faces, while the third was a blond, blue-eyed foreigner!

The results of the raid sent chills down Li Qi's spine. Among the devices found in the hidden parts of the room were a large number of secretly taken photos of the exterior of Haichuan University, architectural structural analysis diagrams, and even several blurry audio recordings containing keywords such as "Seventeenth Mountain," "energy reaction," and "core area."

After an overnight interrogation and database comparison, the foreigner was identified as a professional intelligence agent holding a US passport who used business trips as a cover to operate in eastern and southern Sichuan for a long time, specializing in collecting high-tech and defense-related intelligence for a foreign organization.

Their specific target for this operation was Haichuan University, and the "Seventeenth Mountain" experimental base deep within the university, which was classified as top secret.

"You're here for controlled nuclear fusion?" Li Qi stared at the disheveled but still arrogant American spy, his tone as cold as ice.

"I won't say anything until my lawyer arrives," the other person said defiantly in broken Chinese.

Li Qi was too lazy to waste time with him, and turned to look at the other two Chinese men who were handcuffed and looked ashen-faced, his eyes filled with disgust that was almost overflowing.

Americans, when they fight for their country, at least have a stance. But these two people, born and raised in China, are willing to act as "white cores" for petty gains or empty promises, helping outsiders steal their country's core secrets in an attempt to shake the foundations of the nation.

Such people are more hateful than foreign enemies.

The interrogation proceeded unexpectedly smoothly. Perhaps knowing that their crimes had been exposed and they could not escape punishment, the two Chinese suspects quickly broke down and cried out everything they knew.

They were recruited during their early years of studying abroad, and after returning to China, they used their positions to collect non-classified but potentially valuable information.

This time, we received direct instructions from our superiors to do everything in our power to find out the location and security vulnerabilities of the Haichuan University experimental base, and preferably obtain some "samples" or "data".

Li Qi's lips twitched as he listened. He simply wanted to treat his brothers before leaving by taking them to the Haichuan University cafeteria for the legendary "farewell dinner," which was how he stumbled upon their rendezvous.

If those three idiots hadn't run into him, he'd probably be dozing off on the way back right now.

He went outside, the night wind blowing on his face, bringing a slight chill. He took out his phone and dialed the number of the branch office leader.

"Hello, Deputy Director, it's me, Li Qi. The situation has changed, and I estimate I'll have to stay in Haichuan for a few more days."

He gave a brief report on the capture of the spy and his accomplices, as well as their specific objectives.

"I suspect this may not be an isolated incident. Haichuan University now possesses controlled nuclear fusion technology, which is like holding the Imperial Seal of the State in its arms. It's too conspicuous. A university's regular security can prevent academic exchanges, but it can't prevent this kind of organized spying."

"I request an extension of the mission period, to be changed to covert protective monitoring and patrols of Haichuan University and the surrounding area."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. The leader understood the significance of Haichuan University and controlled nuclear fusion better than he did.

Soon, the decisive order came: "Approved! Mission changed. Your team is to immediately assume covert alert status. Your primary mission is to ensure the absolute safety of Haichuan University and its key technologies!"

"If you need any support, just ask, and the branch office will coordinate everything!"

"Yes!" Li Qi breathed a sigh of relief, a heavy sense of responsibility weighing on his shoulders, but it also invigorated him.

After hanging up the phone, he returned to the temporary command post and announced to his team members who were watching him expectantly, "It's approved from above."

"New mission: Protective stakeout, key target Haichuan University. We're already locked in a standoff here before we receive any new orders."

Upon hearing this, the team members were initially taken aback, then their faces revealed a mixture of amusement and glee, along with a hint of joy. This meant that for a long time, they would have to endure the elements and remain hidden in this place, waiting for their chance.

But it also meant that they could once again justifiably go to the cafeteria at Haichuan University, where the food was cheap and the taste was comparable to that of a five-star hotel! This was probably the only ray of light in their arduous mission.

Under almost the same starry sky, the light in the president's office at Haichuan University's Qinglong campus was still on.

Wei Ying had just put down the phone when the voice of the highly respected elder from the Ministry of Science and Technology seemed to still echo in his ears.

The other party, representing a higher level, made an extremely generous commitment: to fully cover all subsequent verification research and development and upgrade costs for the controlled nuclear fusion project;

Haichuan University has been officially included in the list of core partners for major national scientific research projects. More importantly, it has opened up an unprecedented channel for Haichuan University students, who will have priority access to top research institutes and national key laboratories under the Ministry of Science and Technology during their future internships.

Those who perform well in the internship assessment can be directly hired without having to participate in the fierce competition.

The institutions under the Ministry of Science and Technology are the "temples" that countless students dream of, and the "golden rice bowls" that countless families place their hopes on.

This promise is tantamount to paving a golden road for the graduates of Haichuan University in advance.

What others might struggle to reach, requiring immense effort and overcoming numerous obstacles, Haichuan students can gain direct access through their outstanding performance during their time at the school.

This is not only a recognition of Haichuan University's scientific research strength, but also a huge affirmation and investment in its talent cultivation model.

Wei Ying didn't have much time to bask in his joy. He composed himself and focused his gaze on the email he had just received on his computer screen: a "Progressive Evaluation Report on Teaching Work at Haichuan University This Semester" sent by Lu Jianhua.