Chapter 2 — Behind the 50cm Wall Is a Secret

If civilized ways cannot solve the problem— Then we must use the language they understand. Having to use a language they don't understand... but it hurts them to the bone. I stood up and walked to the wall that was vibrating non-stop. Put your hand on it. You can clearly feel each small, steady but firm vibration. It's this wall. Origin of the problem. Also the key to solving. Vuong Chan is right. The outer wall is a common area. He has the right to use it. But the inner wall— Is my private domain. I have full control. A crazy thought slowly formed in my head. I turned back to the computer. Don't open the complaint page anymore, don't look up the law anymore. I opened the shopping page. In the search box, I typed each word.

“Industrial, high-density soundproofing cotton.”

Website reloads. All kinds of brands, thicknesses, and specifications appear before your eyes. I don't choose the most expensive one. I chose the most professional looking store, the comments were all: "The next room has KTV on but still can't hear anything." The consultant responded very quickly.

“Yes, how thick do you need?”

I looked at the screen, typing each word.

“What is your thickest type…?”

“Yes, the thickest mine is the 5cm mineral wool board, which has excellent soundproofing ability.”

“So how many square meters do you need?”

I took a ruler and measured that wall carefully. 5 meters long, 2.8 meters high. Total 14 square meters. I went back to the computer and answered.

“This wall, I want to cover it all.”

“Yes, 14 square meters, right?”

I typed two words.

“Ten classes.”

The other end was silent for exactly one minute. Then send back a shock emoji.

"You... ten layers? Are you sure? That will be up to 50cm thick, taking up a lot of space in the room."

“I'm sure.”

“And… the cost will be quite high.”

“I don't care about money.”

In my mind I could almost see what a wall covered with 50cm thick soundproofing would look like. It will no longer be a wall. It will be a fortress. A fortress of absolute silence. Staff do not advise anymore. She quickly calculated the total price and shipping for me. Not a small number. But I didn't hesitate, I immediately paid. Order is created. Looking at the words “Your order has been confirmed, expected delivery within 3 days” appearing on the screen— I smiled for the first time in a week. And full of anticipation. Three days later, a large truck stopped under the apartment complex. Four workers wearing protective gear used carts to transport each roll of soundproofing cotton covered with waterproof tarpaulin, one by one, up the elevator. That scene looked like a film crew transporting props. In just a moment, my front door was filled with giant cylinders. At that moment, Vuong Chan opened the door to take out the trash. Seeing this scene, he froze, then immediately showed an undisguised sarcastic smile. He leaned against the door frame, his tone sarcastic:

"Oh, Ms. Chu, is this... a big win? Are you preparing to renovate the house?"

I didn't pay attention to him, just focused on commanding the workers to move things inside. Seeing that I didn't react, he continued:

"Buying so many cotton blankets... are you planning to sleep in the living room? It's fair, the bedroom is so noisy, how can you sleep?"

In his words, he was filled with his triumph prevail. I stopped, turned my head, looked at him. My eyes held no anger, no argument, not even any emotion. As if looking at something unrelated. Vuong Chan felt guilty when I looked at him, the smile on his face stopped for a moment.

“Look at what? Am I wrong?” He tried to be aggressive.

I slowly spoke, my voice not loud, but clearly:

“It has nothing to do with you.”

After speaking, I stopped looking at him and turned to say to the workers:

“You guys put it here for me.”

Vuong Chan has probably never been ignored so decisively. He lost interest, muttered a "psycho" curse, then picked up the trash bag and left. I close the door. Cut off all outside gazes. In the living room, soundproofing cotton is piled as high as a mountain, gray blocks stacked on top of each other. I walked over and opened a roll. It's a dark gray material, extremely compacted. When you hold it, it feels heavy and firm, not at all like regular cotton. I raised it up, taller than me. This is my battlefield for the next twenty days. I don't need anyone's help. Because of this, it must be done by myself. This is not just about installing soundproofing cotton. This is the construction of my boundaries, the rebuilding of dignity, a wordless declaration of war. I changed into old clothes, put on gloves and a mask. From the toolbox, I took out the prepared electric nail gun, along with each box of steel nails. First step: clear the wall. I moved the bed, wardrobe, desk—all the furniture against the wall—to the living room. In the bedroom, only the bare wall remained, still transmitting very light vibrations. I stand before it. It was as if you could see through it and see four machines standing arrogantly on the other side. I lifted the nail gun and pressed the first soundproofing cotton sheet tightly against the wall. Aim for the edge, pull the trigger. A deep sound rang out, the steel nail pierced the cotton layer, penetrating deeply into the wall. I readjusted my position. The pounding sound of the nail gun echoed in the empty room. Compared to the previous drilling sound, it was much more pleasant. Each sound seemed to announce my counterattack. The first class is the hardest. I have to make sure each soundproofing cotton sheet fits tightly together, without leaving any gaps. All night long, I repeated measuring, cutting, and fixing. Sweat soaks clothes. My arm was so sore that I could barely lift it. But my spirit was strangely excited. When the first layer of soundproofing, like a thick gray armor, completely covered the wall— A miraculous change happened. The world… instantly became quiet. The buzzing sound and vibration penetrated the bones and disappeared. I took off my earplugs and tilted my head to listen. Absolute silence. A luxurious silence that makes people want to cry. I have succeeded. But that's just the beginning. My goal, is ten classes. In the following days, I completely entered a state of isolation from the world. During the day, I close the curtains, under the dim light, layer by layer of soundproofing cotton on the wall. The second, third, fourth layer... The wall gradually, clearly visible to the naked eye, encroached deeper into the room. It gets thicker and thicker, more and more solid. Like a quiet monster, growing in my room. In time Meanwhile, Vuong Chan also seemed to realize something. The noise in his house stopped every now and then. Then, he used force to hit the wall, as if investigating.

“Cop! Knock!”

The dull sound transmitted. I still felt the vibration, but the sound was completely suppressed by the thick layer of soundproofing. I stopped, smiled coldly, and listened. Then continue your work. A week later, I completed the fifth class. Twenty-five centimeters of soundproofing material, making my bedroom look smaller. But the quality of sleep has reached unprecedented levels. On the tenth day, the seventh class was completed. Vuong Chan's wall-banging behavior began to become more frequent. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, he knocked a few times. But to me, that sound is no different from the buzzing of mosquitoes. Even... a little funny. It must be very difficult for him to understand. Why did the "noise weapon" he was proud of... suddenly lose its effectiveness? Of course, he will never know. Not only was I not defeated by his noise— I was also using a method he couldn't understand, preparing an extremely elaborate "gift" for him. A gift... needs time to "ferment". On the fifteenth day, the ninth class was completed. The wall had protruded forty-five centimeters. It looks a bit strange, like a giant gray wall cabinet. But I don't care at all. I placed my hand on that sturdy "new wall", feeling an unprecedented sense of safety in my heart. Day twenty. I picked up the last piece of soundproofing cotton. This is the tenth grade. It is also the ending of the entire project. I put all my strength into it and installed it in the prepared position. Raise the nail gun. The last steel nail, declaring the project complete. I stood in the middle of the room, looking at my work. An industrial soundproof wall fifty centimeters thick. It's quiet. Like the inside of a fortress. I threw down my tools, took off my dusty clothes, and walked into the bathroom. Take a long hot bath. Then, I returned to the bedroom—where I could finally put my things back—to lie down on the familiar bed. In the room— Absolute silence. Pure. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep. From tonight onwards— The insomniac… will no longer be me.