Chapter 9 — After My Brother Passed Away, I Received a Mysterious Text Message

The car turned into an old residential area. Stop at the foot of a low-rise building.

"This is my old house."

"Abandoned for many years."

"No one knows this place."

He turned off the car engine.

"For the time being, you can stay here."

He took out a key and a brick phone.

"This is a spare key."

"And this phone has never registered information."

"From now on, only use it to contact me."

I take it. His phone number was stored inside. Comrade Ly looked at me.

"Don't trust anyone."

"Even me."

"Before seeing the whole truth."

"The only person she can rely on..."

"Only myself."

I tightened my grip on the phone. Gently nodded.

"Thank you."

He shook his head.

"No need to thank me."

"I just don't want to see a good cop turn bad."

"I also don't want a girl to lose her brother..."

"The truth is lost again."

He drove away. I entered the unfamiliar apartment. Lock the door. Lean your back against the door. It feels like all the strength in my body has been drained. Right at that moment. The phone in my pocket vibrated. It's a text message from a mysterious phone number.

"Good job."

"You've won precious time."

"But comrade Ly can only temporarily shield you."

"Very soon, he himself will be in danger."

"The real counterattack..."

"It's just starting now."

"The evidence in the computer is just a map leading to So Minh's crimes."

"But you're still missing a key to open that map."

"Let's go to Thiet Quan gym on Son Tuyen street."

"Your brother rented a locker there."

"The key is gone."

"You have to figure out how to open it yourself."

"Inside..."

"It's something your brother really wants to leave behind."

"Last words."

I stayed up all night. The sky outside the window gradually changed from solid black to the pale white of dawn. The apartment that comrade Ly arranged was very quiet. Also very safe. But just close your eyes. I saw my brother's face again. Truong Vien's cruel eyes. So Minh's cold smile. In my hands are two phones. A brick phone given by comrade Ly. Represents the last bit of faith left in the system. The other is my phone. That mysterious phone number is like a ghost. Just leading the way. Just silently observing my every move. A locker without a key. Sounds like an impossible task. I'm not a spy. Not a professional thief either. I'm just an ordinary product manager. Product management... That thought suddenly made my mind work again. What are the strengths of a product manager? It is system analysis. Understand operating rules. Then find loopholes or take advantage of those same rules. Just left a mark. Alarm can be activated. I need a legitimate reason. A reason enough for the gym to voluntarily open that locker for me. It's just morning. I used my brick phone to call Thiet Quan gym. The other end of the line quickly picked up the phone. It was the voice of a very young girl.

"Hello, Thiet Quan Fitness please listen. How can we help you?"

I cleared my throat. Intentionally make your voice sound professional, decisive, even slightly urgent above.

"Hello."

"I want to meet your manager."

"May I ask who you are?"

"I am from the Office of the General Director of Tinh Vong Science and Technology."

I arbitrarily made up a last name.

"My last name is Vuong."

"Your company's employee is Mr. Chu Duong, right?"

"Let me check a bit..."

The other side was silent for a few seconds.

"Yes, Mr. Chu Duong is our yearly package member."

"The situation is like this."

"Director Chu just had an unexpected business trip abroad."

"Going in such a hurry that I forgot an extremely important document in the gym's locker A113."

"This afternoon we have an international meeting."

"That document must be retrieved."

"He asked me to help him handle it."

I spoke very quickly, the amount of information was overwhelming, deliberately creating a feeling of extreme urgency. Clearly the opponent was distracted by me.

"Ah... but ma'am, we have a rule that we cannot take items on behalf of members, and we also need the owner's key..."

"Lost the key."

I immediately interrupted.

"Director Chu's intention is to be able to pay all the unlocking fees and fines, if any."

"You must have a spare key or master key, right?"

"Most importantly, this document concerns an international cooperation project of our company with a European partner."

"If there is a delay, the consequences are not something a gym can handle."

I deliberately emphasized the last sentence. Turning a small matter into the risk of a major trade dispute. That's how to take advantage of the rules. Customers of high-end gyms are usually people with money or status. What they fear most is disappointing customers. Or get yourself into trouble. The other end of the line was silent. I heard the sound of a girl discussing with someone in a low voice.