Chapter 7 — After the Rain, There's No Turning Back

A young female volunteer next to her laughed and helped the old woman out. At 4:20 a.m., the last household in Cuu Kieu Thon completed the relocation. At four thirty-seven minutes, the northern slope of Thanh Thach Cau collapsed. In the surveillance image, the whole mountain looked like a giant beast suddenly turning around. Mud swept down trees, rocks and broken electric poles. The road at the beginning of the village immediately disappeared. Everyone was silent. On the other end of the screen, there was a frightened child crying. I sat in front of the computer, my fingers numb. A long time later, the voice of the director of the Emergency Response Office, Van Do, came. He said:

"Engineer Trinh, three areas have evacuated one thousand two hundred and sixty-four people. There are currently no casualties."

There were no casualties. I closed my eyes. Those four words were as light as a feather, but so heavy that they almost made me unable to breathe. I remember the words blurred by water in my father's notebook. Mountains don't kill people. News that comes late kills people. This time, the news did not come late. After dawn, public opinion completely reversed. Last night's relocation video was posted online. The photo comparing Thanh Thach Cau before and after the landslide is like a resounding slap in the face of all those who doubted me.

“Saving more than a thousand people is still called cold blooded?”

“So why didn't Trung Hai's system give a red alert?”

"Trinh Kien Vi does not refuse public benefits. She only refuses that there are people taking advantage of public benefits to make money, right?"

“I'm sorry for scolding her before.”

There are many apologies. But I don't have time to watch it. I was busy reviewing the next risk points in Van Do, and had an emergency meeting with the emergency response agencies of the three provinces. Until the afternoon, Ky Tram Chu placed a cup of hot coffee in my hand.

“Drink some.”

I rubbed my eyes.

“I'm not sleepy.”

“You haven't slept for twenty-eight hours.”

“How do you know?”

“When you called me at one o'clock in the morning, your voice still sounded human.”

He said.

“Now it's like a technical report that speaks for itself.”

I picked up the coffee and took a sip. Bitter enough to make you frown.

“No sugar?”

“You once said that staying up late and drinking sweets would make your hands shake.”

I was stunned. I just said this out of the blue once. Ky Tram Chu turned around to look at the rain outside the window. He did not give credit, nor did he explain. At that moment, I suddenly understood what silent reliability was. Not cradling you in the palm of your hand. It's about remembering what you need, but not deciding for you. At dusk, Chu Tu Bach arrived at the laboratory. He was blocked outside the door. The receptionist girl came in and asked if I wanted to meet. I thought and said:

“Let him in.”

When Chu Tu Bach walked in, his whole body seemed to have been stripped of all its bones. Dark eyes under the eyes, stubble on the chin.

“The Thanh Nhai incident investigation team has arrived.”

He said. I nodded.

“That's the right thing to do.”

He looked at me, his voice dry.

“The order to adjust the threshold of ‘Son Hoa Nhat’ was not given directly by you.”

I raised my eyes.

“But I know.”

The blood on his face disappeared.

“Tu Bach.”

This is the first time I didn't call him by his full name.

“I wasn't like that before.”

His eyes lit up slightly. Maybe he thought I was about to soft hearted. I continued:

“Or you could say, I just never had the chance to become like that before.”

That light went out. His throat moved.

“Kien Vi, I really regret it.”

“Yes.”

“Looking at the landslide video last night, I thought if people really died…”

He couldn't continue talking. I'll say it all for him:

“You will be scared.”

He nodded. I said:

“Chu Tu Bach, you don't regret hurting me.”

“I regret it because this has really become serious.”

He suddenly raised his head.

“No!”

I'm very calm.

"If there had not been a landslide last night, if my red warning had ended up being just 'a scare', today would you have let the media continue to say I caused panic?"

He opened his mouth. But no answer. The answer lies in silence. His eye sockets turned red.

“Can we really go back?”

I looked at him. Outside the window, the sun had just cleared after the rain, the horizon was covered with a layer of pale yellow light.

“Impossible.”

“Water does not flow backward.”

He stood for a long time. Finally, he took out a ring box from his pocket and placed it on the table.

"Originally, I intended to give it to you at the wedding."

I don't touch it.

“Take it away.”

His voice was very quiet.

“Kien Vi…”

“Take it away.”

I repeat.

“I don't accept things that come late.”

Finally, Chu Tu Bach also left. After the door closed, the receptionist sneaked her head in.

“Engineer Trinh, are you okay?”

I laugh.

“It's okay.”

She breathed a sigh of relief, then said in a low voice:

“You were so cool just now.”

I asked:

“Where is cool?”

She thought for a long time and said seriously:

“It's the type... of not giving yourself to others.”

I was stunned. Then burst out laughing. That's right. In life, the most important thing is not to give yourself to others. Don't give it to love. Don't give face. Don't give in to other people's expectations. Your name, your hands, your path must all be held in the palm of your hand.