Chapter 2 — After My Brother Passed Away, I Received a Mysterious Text Message

I hung up the phone and immediately called a car to the police station in the area where my brother's apartment was located. Outside the glass window, the city lights receded at breakneck speed. I tightened my grip on the phone. His palms were wet with cold sweat. Parents called again. I hesitated a bit then switched to silent mode. We can't let them know about this now. Their emotions have completely collapsed. If you say anything, it will only make them more miserable, and may even alarm the other person. If the killer really exists... Then it's very possible that he's watching my family's every move. When you get to the police station. The person on duty was a middle-aged police officer who looked quite tired. After listening to my presentation, his expression was no different from the female operator from before. It's still professional sympathy. And a little bit of skepticism is hard to hide.

"Miss Chu, we understand your feelings when you have just lost a loved one."

"But we receive many of these messages every day."

"Most of them involve fraud."

He pointed at the anti-fraud propaganda poster on the wall. I shook my head.

"Comrade Ly, this message does not ask me for money."

I looked at the name tag on his chest and calmly called him by his last name.

"It simply states a 'fact', while at the same time making a 'suggestion'."

"I want to ask you a question in return."

"If this is a scammer, what is his purpose?"

"It's about creating chaos, then taking advantage of the opportunity to cheat money."

"But he didn't."

"He just told me that the truth would be hidden, then told me to wait."

"This is completely inconsistent with the logic of a scam."

Comrade Ly leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms across his chest. A look of judgment began to appear in his eyes.

"Sounds reasonable."

"Did you study psychology?"

"I work in product management, a job that often requires me to research user behavior and logic."

I showed him the phone and saw the two messages.

"This phone number is a virtual number, the origin cannot be traced."

"The time the text message was sent was only about fifteen minutes before my parents called to tell me the news."

"It shows that this person is most likely near my family, or has the ability to monitor their communications."

"He knows my parents told me the news."

"That's why I immediately sent a text message to stop me from returning."

Comrade Ly's expression gradually became serious. He picked up a pen and wrote something in the notebook in front of him.

"What good will it do him to stop you from going home?"

"I do not know."

"Maybe my return will hinder some of his plans."

"Or maybe..."

I stopped for a moment.

"...he wants to borrow my hand to make this matter really big."

That's the only guess I can think of right now. The stranger didn't seem to want to take action himself. He wanted me to be the one to stir things up. Comrade Ly pondered for a moment.

"We will send someone to block off your brother's apartment to conduct a re-examination."

"But until there is clear evidence, we cannot determine this is a criminal case."

"That's the process."

"I get it."

I nodded.

"Can I have the contact information for the police in charge of this incident?"

"I want to follow the progress of the case at any time."

Comrade Ly looked at me, his eyes a bit complicated. He wrote one phone number and name on a piece of paper, then tore it off and gave it to me.

"Captain Truong Vien of the criminal police team will be in charge."

I walked out of the police station. The night wind blew across my face, cold. I felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness and helplessness. But in my heart it's very clear. I can't back down. I called my mother. The phone was picked up almost immediately.

"Tieu Tinh! Where are you? Why don't you answer the phone!"

Mother's voice was both impatient and angry.

"Mom, I'm sorry. My phone ran out of battery just now."

I lied for the first time. My heart ached like it was stabbed by a needle.

"I can't buy the earliest train ticket, I can only buy the one tomorrow morning."

"What's wrong with you? Your brother is already like that and you still won't come home right away!"

Mother's cries and scolding came through the phone. I put the phone away a bit, waiting for her to calm down.

"Mom, even if I go home right now, I won't be able to help anything."

"You two should rest first, don't let your health decline."

"I'll be home tomorrow morning."

I coaxed him for a long time before hanging up. I leaned against the wall and raised my head to look at the starless night sky. Right at that moment. The phone vibrated again. Still the same strange phone number.

"Very good, you didn't come back."

“Now, let's go to your brother's apartment.”

"Be careful, don't let anyone find out."

"After entering the house, find the third floorboard next to the window in the living room and pry it up."

"What you want to find is below."

Looking at the address in the message, my heart almost jumped out of my throat. That is the detailed address of Chu Duong's apartment. From the floor to the house number, everything is clearly written without missing a single detail. The level of knowledge the person who sent the message had about my brother was beyond imagination. Not only did he know I wasn't going home. But he also knows that his brother's apartment is hiding a secret. The third floorboard is next to the window in the living room. Why that place? I didn't have time to think too much, so I immediately stopped a taxi on the side of the road.

"Uncle, take me to this address."

I showed the phone to the driver. He glanced and then started the car.

"Girl, why are you going there this late?"

"That area is newly developed, there are very few people at night."

"I'm going to find my brother."

I replied briefly, not wanting to say more. The car sped away into the night. I squeezed the phone tightly, my palms were cold. Memories of his brother continuously appeared in his head.