Chapter 19 — After Doctor Diep Disappeared

Diep Nam Sanh sat on the edge of the bed in the rented room, listening to the sound of rain flowing down the eaves, hitting the tin roof outside the window, making tinkling sounds. This is a coastal town in the southwest border region. The people in the town spoke the local language, which she did not understand very well. The house she rented was located at the end of a small alley, with two bedrooms and a living room, the walls were peeling and mossy, and the window frames were leaking air. The landlord was an old woman in her sixties. She accepted her three-month rent, gave her a set of keys, and didn't ask any unnecessary questions. Right arm started to hurt again. On rainy days like this, severed nerves seem to come back to life, each wave drilling deep into the bones. Diep Nam Sanh took out a bottle of painkillers from the bedside table drawer and poured two pills into his palm. … Co Han Chau hadn't slept for three days. Trieu Minh stood opposite the desk, holding a stack of reports, his face extremely unsightly.

"Mr. Gu, I found it."

Co Han Chau raised his head, his eyes filled with blood: "Where?" Trieu Minh swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

“The lady used a fake ID card to buy three plane tickets for three different flights, flying to Kunming, Nanning and Chengdu respectively.”

He turned a page: "After arriving in Kunming, she transferred to the bus to Hekou. On the trip to Nanning, she did not get on the plane at all. On the trip to Chengdu, she used a different identity."

“We've arrived in Ha Khau, what now?”

“I lost track.”

Trieu Minh lowered his head: "When we got to Hekou, all the clues were broken. That side is the border gate, there are a lot of people passing by, the camera coverage rate is less than thirty percent, our people searched for forty-eight hours, but couldn't find anything." Co Han Chau's fist pounded on the table, the tea cup tipped over, water spilled all over the table.

“If you don't find out, then continue investigating, what am I raising you for!”

Trieu Minh did not dare to answer. There were two knocks on the office door. Tham Moc Ngung carried a thermos box and pushed the door open, wearing a milky white cardigan, her hair flowing smoothly over her shoulders.

“Han Chau, you haven't eaten anything for three days.”

She walked to the desk, opened the thermos box, inside was a steaming bowl of rib soup.

"Tu Mac was waiting for me to come home for dinner today, but kept asking where dad had gone."

She reached out to touch Co Han Chau's sleeve, her voice was thin and soft.

"Nam Sanh was just angry for a while, she has a strong personality, I'm not surprised anymore, after a while she will come back."

Co Han Chau did not look at her. He stared at the flight information on the computer screen, his fingers constantly rolling the mouse. Tham Moc Ngung took another step forward. A strong smell of perfume wafted over. Diep Nam Sanh also used this type before. Co Han Chau's nasal cavity suddenly contracted. He smelled that familiar smell, a sour liquid suddenly rolled up in his stomach and rushed straight up his throat. It's not nostalgia. It's nausea. He turned his head sharply and glared at Tham Moc Ngung: "Who let you in here?" Tham Moc Ngung was stunned: "Han Chau?"

“Get out.”

Three words hissed out from between his teeth, without any warmth. Hand Tham Moc Ngung stopped in midair, the lid of the thermos box still clamped on his fingertips. Her lips trembled, her eyes turned red, as if she had suffered great injustice.

"Han Chau, I'm just worried about you..."

"I said get out, can't you understand human language?"

Co Han Chau's voice suddenly soared, and he threw the pile of documents on the table to the ground. Trieu Minh took two steps back in fear. Tham Moc Ngung picked up the thermos box, stood there stunned for a few seconds, then bowed her head and retreated.