Chapter 3 — Behind the 50cm Wall Is a Secret

The quality of my sleep is luxuriously good. In the absolute silence, I could even hear the sound of blood flowing through my body. It's a whole new world. When I woke up, there was no more tinnitus and no more headaches. I pulled the curtains, gentle sunlight poured in, there was no more buzzing sound. I made myself a cup of pour-over coffee, the aroma spread throughout the room. Opening the computer, my mind has never been so clear. The ideas that were once cut off by the noise are now reconnected like pearls, returning little by little. In just one morning, I completed the content that had not progressed three days before. Scarily high performance. I finally got what was mine back— Tranquility. And that fifty centimeter thick wall is my guardian angel. It stood there, quietly, bringing an incomparable sense of security. In the afternoon, I went out to buy some supplies. The elevator door opened and I saw an unexpected person. Manager Tieu Truong. He looked at me with a complicated expression, as if he wanted to say something again.

“Miss Chu…” He gently pushed his glasses.

“Is there anything wrong?” I asked.

"Uh... has Mr. Vuong been bothering you lately?" He asked very carefully.

I shook my head.

“No, it's been very quiet lately.”

“That's good, that's good.” Tieu Truong breathed a sigh of relief, but the worry on his face still did not disappear.

He hesitated a bit, then still couldn't help but say:

“But… Ms. Chu, we recently received a complaint from Mr. Vuong.”

“He filed a complaint against me?” I was a bit surprised.

“Yes… he said… his house has been… very hot lately.”

My heart moved slightly, but my face remained calm.

“Hot? Didn't he install four air conditioners?”

“Yes, we also find it difficult to understand.” Tieu Truong frowned, "He said he had turned all four on to the highest setting, but not only was the house not cool, but it was like a steaming oven, the walls were so hot that it burned to the touch."

The wall is so hot it burns. Those six words, like a key, unlocked a guess in my mind.

“He also said that electricity bills have skyrocketed recently.” Tieu Truong added, "He suspected there was a problem with the line, or... you did something to his house."

I burst out laughing.

"What can I do to his house? I'm just a normal, law-abiding homeowner."

“Yes yes, we said the same to him.” Tieu Truong nodded repeatedly, "We checked the common line, everything is normal. So I also want to ask if there is anything unusual on your side."

“My place is completely normal.” I replied lightly, "Maybe his air conditioner is not of good quality, so tell him to contact the company to have it checked."

The elevator stopped. I walked out, Tieu Truong did not follow. I could feel his scrutinizing eyes, but I didn't mind. When I got home, I closed the door. Leaning back against the door, the conversation just now replayed in my head. Hot wall. Electricity bills skyrocketed. A bold, almost perfect, speculation gradually emerged. I walked to the other wall, put my hand on it. There was no heat at all. I opened my computer and started searching.

“Thermal conductivity coefficient of industrial soundproofing cotton.”

“The heat from the hot air conditioner cannot escape, which is the consequence.”

“In a closed space, heat is bounced back.”

Each search result, Every professional article... confirms my thoughts. The high-density mineral wool I use is a top-notch soundproofing material. At the same time, it is also a leading heat-insulating and heat-retaining material. It's like a mirror. Not only does it reflect sound— It also reflects heat. The four hot spots in Vuong Chan's house are like four large-capacity ovens, baking day and night on the common wall between the two houses. Previously, that heat would pass through the wall, some of it would dissipate into my house, and most of it would dissipate into the air. But now— I used fifty centimeters of insulation, completely blocking that path. That huge amount of heat has nowhere to escape. They can only accumulate in the wall. Then it was returned to the only place that could receive it— Vuong Chan's house. The louder he turns on the air conditioner, the faster the refrigerant circulates and the more heat is released. All that heat, "reflected" back by my wall, continuously heats his apartment. His house— Has become an oven that heats only one way. But the fuel... was provided by him. I looked at the scientific explanations on the screen and laughed. This is the perfect revenge. I did not use any illegal tricks. I'm just protecting my legal rights, in the space that belongs to me. As for the temperature in his house— It is a consequence of his own actions. Doesn't concern me. At night, I slept better than ever. In the middle of the night, I was awakened by a strange sound. Not noise. But the suppressed, painful moans... echoed from outside the door. Along with the cries of women and children. I quietly walked to the door, looking through the cat's eyes. Under the hallway light, Vuong Chan's door was wide open. A woman, probably his wife, was holding a child sitting on the ground crying. The baby's face was red and he was sweating profusely. Vuong Chan stripped naked, held a cardboard, and frantically fanned it into the house. But what he fanned out... seemed to be just billowing waves of hot air.

"I can't live anymore! This house really can't live anymore!" His wife cried, "Look at me, it's so hot! I'm going to get heat stroke!"

“Shut up!” Vuong Chan shouted in frustration, "I've already called the repairman, they'll come tomorrow!"

“Fix what! Didn't they just come yesterday? They said there was no problem with the air conditioner!”

“So what is the problem!” Vuong Chan kicked the wall hard, making a dull sound.

He looked around, sweat pouring down, his eyes filled with confusion and despair. Suddenly— His eyes stopped at my door. There is no longer the arrogant, contemptuous look like before. It was a look mixed between fear, suspicion... and a little bit of begging. He… seemed to finally be starting to understand something. The next day, the repairman did not come. The person who came... was Vuong Chan himself. Early in the morning, my doorbell was rang continuously. The rhythm is intense, carrying an impatience that cannot be hidden. I slowly finished my breakfast, drank the last sip of coffee, then walked out the door.

“Who is that?” I asked through the intercom, even though I already knew.

“I, Vuong Chan.”

His voice came through the speaker, hoarse, no longer as domineering as before.

“What's the matter?”

“You... you open the door, we talk story.”

“You and I have nothing to say.” My voice is cold.

“No, yes! Very yes!” He said urgently, “It's about the wall! Please, Miss Chu, open the door first!”

Those two words, coming from his mouth, are rare. I don't open the door. Just calmly replied:

“Mr. Vuong, I'm very busy. If you come to complain about noise, please find management."

“It's not noise! Not!" He almost screamed, “It's my house! My house is about to turn into a furnace! Please open the door, I will explain!”

I remained silent and did not respond. I know, the more urgent he is, the more proactive I will be. Outside the door, Vuong Chan started banging on the door. Knock, knock, knock!

“Chu Vu! She opened the door! I know you're playing tricks!”

“Come here for me!”

His patience ran out, his rogue nature resurfaced. I laughed coldly. Looks like... it's still not hot enough. I turned around and left the door, put on my headphones, and continued processing work emails. Even though he cursed outside. About ten minutes later, the cursing stopped. Next was Tieu Truong's voice.

"Mr. Vuong, calm down, say something slowly, don't affect others."

“Calm down? How calm am I!” Vuong Chan almost collapsed, "Smell it! Smell the heat in my house! The wall is about to burn!”

"This... we should wait for a professional to check..."

“Wait? My wife and children had to go to the hotel! How long can I wait?

It became chaos outside the door. I took off my headphones and walked closer to the cat's eyes. Vuong Chan was holding Tieu Truong's collar, his face was red, like he was crazy. Tieu Truong was panicked and confused. The neighbors also opened their doors and looked out curiously.

“It's her! It was she who played tricks on my wall!” Vuong Chan pointed at my door and shouted at everyone.

“I tell you, Chu Vu! If you don't come out, I'll smash this door today!”

He actually started kicking the door. The door vibrated each time "bang". I frowned slightly. Looks like... it's time for him to completely give up hope. I took the phone and dialed 110.

“Hello, I want to report to the police. The address is area XX, building X, apartment XXX. Someone is breaking down my door, threatening my personal safety.”

My voice is calm and clear.