Chapter 14 — Champion Bodyguard of the Female President

The morning after the attack at the apartment, although her body was still tired from lack of sleep, Tue Lam still decided to stop by the hospital to visit her father before going to the company, as she has maintained regularly for the past three months. Bach Nguyen walked with her, not leaving even half a step as promised the night before.

In the hospital hallway, they happened to meet Dr. Bui Anh Thu, who was directly in charge of treating Mr. Kieu Thanh Nghia all this time. The young doctor, with a face full of concern, signaled Tue Lam into his private office to discuss, his voice somewhat unusually cautious.

"Miss Lam, I have some findings that I want to discuss with you privately," Dr. Thu said, carefully closing the office door. "During a routine blood test last week, I discovered some abnormal indicators in Mr. Nghia's blood that we had never paid close attention to before, because we initially focused on diagnosing common strokes."

Tue Lam sat up straight, her heart beating faster. "How unusual, doctor?"

"There are traces of a strange compound remaining in the blood, at very low concentrations but can still be detected with in-depth testing," Dr. Thu explained, his voice careful as if he were choosing each word. "This type of compound does not belong to the usual group of drugs we are using for him. I sent the sample to an independent laboratory for further analysis, and the results that came back this morning made me really concerned."

She opened a folder and pointed to a complicated chemical analysis chart. "This is a rare, slow-acting neurotoxin, capable of causing serious cerebrovascular damage if sufficient doses accumulate over a long period of time, creating symptoms almost identical to a natural stroke. This is the reason why for the past three months, we have never suspected an external factor was at play."

Tue Lam felt cold all over her body. What she had suspected for so long now had accurate medical evidence. "So that means my father was poisoned and didn't suddenly fall ill?"

"I don't dare to say with 100% certainty, because this is an extremely rare type of toxin, the medical literature records very few similar cases," said Dr. Thu, "but with the concentration and type of compound detected, the possibility that he was intentionally exposed is very high. This type of toxin is usually extracted from some endemic plant species in high mountain areas, not the type that is easily bought and sold on the regular market."

Bach Nguyen, standing quietly listening from beginning to end, suddenly frowned. The knowledge about mountain and forest herbs that he had learned from his master over the past eighteen years suddenly became unexpectedly useful. "Doctor, can you show me that chemical analysis chart?"

Doctor Thu looked at him with a slightly surprised look at the unexpected request, but still gave him the file to see. Bach Nguyen attentively studied each chemical symbol, comparing it with the knowledge he had been taught by his master about rare herbs and poisons growing in dangerous high mountains.

"I have a hunch," he said after a moment of contemplation, "that this toxin originates from a plant that only grows in the high mountains of the North, where the climate and soil are especially suitable for its growth. This plant is extremely rare, not everyone has the knowledge and access to exploit and refine it into a usable poison."

"That means the mastermind must have connections to a very specific area, or have in-depth knowledge of mountain and forest medicinal herbs," Tue Lam said, her eyes gradually brightening with a glimmer of hope. "This could be an important clue to narrow the scope of the investigation."

"Exactly," Bach Nguyen nodded, "and if you're lucky, the plant that causes this toxin may also come with an antidote that can be made into an antidote. In the traditional medicine that my master taught me, most natural poisons exist side by side with corresponding antidotes, it's just a matter of whether people can find them or not."

Doctor Thu looked at both of them with eyes full of hope and surprise. "If you really have knowledge about this herb, this may be our only chance to find an effective treatment, instead of just being able to maintain the patient's current stable condition without knowing when he will wake up."

Bach Nguyen closed the file, his voice full of determination. "I will contact my master today. If it is true that this toxin originated from the Van Son mountains or the surrounding area, my sect will definitely have records on how to overcome it."

Tue Lam held Bach Nguyen's hand tightly, her eyes filled with hope for the first time after many gloomy months. "If this is true, it means my father still has a chance to wake up. Thank you, Bach Nguyen, thank you for giving me the hope I almost gave up."

Leaving Dr. Thu's office, the two walked to Mr. Kieu Thanh Nghia's hospital bed, looking at his thin, pale face through the glass of the intensive care room. Tue Lam placed her hand on the glass, as if she wanted to transmit her warmth to her father who was lying motionless behind that cold glass.

"Dad, I've found a clue," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I will find an antidote for you, I promise. Dad, just try to wait a little longer."

Bach Nguyen stood next to her, his eyes looking at the man who had treated his family kindly, the man who had knelt all night in front of Van Son Mon to show gratitude for saving his life in the past. In his heart, he was determined to find the truth and cure Mr. Nghia not only because of the promise he made to Tue Lam, but also because of the debt of gratitude between the two families that was still unfinished, a debt that he believes was time to be fully repaid.

As soon as he walked out of the hospital, Bach Nguyen immediately called Dinh Phong Vu, his voice was full of urgency. "Please help me contact my master immediately. I need to ask about a rare poison from the high mountains in the North, capable of causing brain blood vessel damage with symptoms similar to a natural accident. This is an important matter, directly related to Uncle Kieu Thanh Nghia's life."

The call ended, Bach Nguyen stood silently in the middle of the hospital yard, the morning sunlight shining down to brighten his face, which contained both a fierce determination and a newly rekindled hope. If the truth is as true as his hunch, not only will Mr. Kieu Thanh Nghia's life have a chance to be saved, but the entire series of mysteries spanning the past eighteen years will also gradually be fully revealed.

Tue Lam walked up to him and naturally put her hand on his arm, no longer shy like the first days they met. "Do you think this is the same poison that was used in the plot to target your parents in the past? Maybe the mastermind has tested this method a long time ago."

Bach Nguyen pondered for a moment. "I can't rule out that possibility. But the night of the fire last year, my parents died from the fire, not from the poison. Perhaps, the fire at that time was just a backup plan, implemented when the original plan, which may have involved poison, failed or was discovered too early."

"So that means he has been pursuing the plot to harm your family for a long time, trying many different methods over and over again for nearly twenty years?" Tue Lam shivered at the terrifying perseverance hidden in that plot.

"Those who nurture hatred and ambition long enough are often willing to wait any amount of time necessary to achieve their goals," Bach Nguyen said, his eyes looking far into the horizon, where the morning sunlight was gradually dispelling the gray clouds left after last night's rain. "But no matter how patient he is, we will not give him another chance to complete that plot."

They both walked out of the hospital gate, hand in hand, towards the waiting car. The early morning sunlight cast long shadows on the dew-wet sidewalk, and in Bach Nguyen's head, the name of that unknown poisonous plant kept ringing endlessly, like a narrow door that had just opened after eighteen years of groping in the dark - narrow, but enough for him to see for the first time a real ray of light leading towards the person who took away his parents.