Chapter 10 — Fire Race

I understand. All of this… is a plan linked by link. Every step… is extremely important. “So… how do we get out of here?” “How do I get to the old house to get the earrings?” Lam Kien Quoc picked up the tape recorder. Press the play button. An old but familiar voice rang out. It's my grandfather - Lam Chi Vien. 【Thanh Tung, if you can hear this recording, it means the situation has reached the most critical moment.】 【Don't panic.】 【Act according to the plan B I left behind.】 【The road to the old house has been blocked.】 【But to get the 'key', there is not only one way.】 【Remember... 'The moon is on top' willow tree'.】 The recording ended there. “‘Moon on top of the willow tree’?” I frowned. “What do you mean?” “It's a poem.” Lam Kien Quoc replied. “In the song ‘Born Tra Tu – Nguyen Tich’ by Au Duong Tu.” “‘On the moon, the first willow and the star, after the wish, the sunset’.” (The moon rises to the top of the willow tree, the person makes an appointment until dusk) "Nguyen Tich... that is, Nguyen Tieu Tet?" “What does it have to do with earrings?” “It's not Tet.” Lam Kien Quoc's eyes lit up. “But… a place!” “Near the old house, there is a long-standing Nguyen Tieu bakery!” “The name is ‘Star Head Willow’!” “When my mother was alive… she loved eating cinnamon flower dumplings from that shop!” “Could it be…” “The earrings weren't in the old house?!” “Which is the bakery that mom visits most often?!” “Very likely!” Lam Kien Quoc nodded. “My grandfather worked… never according to common sense!” "Mind Tu is wrong, secretly saves Tran Thuong!" (Takes one route as a distraction, then takes another route to reach the real goal) “You know for sure the old house will be watched.” “So I hid the real ‘key’ in a place… the most unexpected, but also filled with the most memories!” This sudden flip made me stunned again! Grandpa's thoughts... are too secretive! “Then… let's go to 'Star Head Willow' now!” "Okay!" Lam Kien Quoc carefully kept the recorder and USB. “But we can't go by car.” “The target is too obvious.” “We will go down the mountain from the small road behind the dojo.” “Take another route to get there.” “We must get the item before dawn, then leave Hangzhou!” We immediately took action. Leave the basement through the underground door. Follow the bumpy mountain road and go down. The sky was pitch black, the mountain wind whistled through my ears. Every step is extremely careful. Nearly an hour later— We finally made it around to the old town. From afar, we can see the sign of Nguyen Tieu's shop "Lieu Sao Dau". The store is not big, the door is closed. In the middle of the night, it exudes an unusual quietness. “How do we get in?” I asked in a whisper. “Follow me.” Lam Kien Quoc led me around to the back of the store. There is a small backyard there. The courtyard wall is not high. He looked around left and right, confirming there was no one. Then take a few steps back, gain momentum and jump up. With both hands supporting one hand, the neat body overcomes the wall! I also imitated. A bit clumsy, but eventually managed to climb inside. The backyard is piled with a few sundries. The back door is locked. Lam Kien Quoc took out a small piece of steel wire from his pocket. A few times of fiddling— With a “click”, the lock opened. I looked at him in surprise. “You… how do you know these things?” “Back then… learned from my grandfather.” He spoke softly, then pushed the door open and entered. Inside the dark shop, a faint sweet scent of cinnamon flowers spread in the air. “Where will the earrings… be?” I asked softly. "Hollow." Lam Kien Quoc turned on his phone's flashlight and panned around. “Every time my mother comes here, she likes to sit at the table near the window.” He pointed to an old wooden table in the corner of the shop. We walked closer. The tables and chairs are all very normal. At first glance, there's nothing special. “Or… it's hidden under the face

table?" I bent down to check. The table had a few old gum stains on it, but nothing else. Lam Kien Quoc tried knocking on the table top and chair legs, seemingly listening to see if there was any empty space. Didn't detect anything either. Could it be... I guessed wrong? The earrings are not here? Just as we were falling into a deadlock— my eyes accidentally fell on the wall next to me. Right next to that table, on the wall hangs a very old painting of the Jiangnan river landscape. The picture frame is made of wood and the paint is peeling. “You.” I pointed to the picture. “Look at this.” Lam Kien Quoc walked over and observed attentively. “This painting… is there a problem?” “Don't you see…” I said, “This picture frame… seems a little thicker than usual?” Lam Kien Quoc leaned closer and used his finger to try typing. Then feel around the edge of the frame. “That's true…” Excitement flashed in his eyes. “Could it be… in the picture frame?” He carefully took down the painting. As soon as I picked it up, I noticed that it was unusually heavy in my hand. He turned it over. The back is covered with a thin wooden board. The four corners have a few small nails fixed. He pulled out the multi-purpose knife he carried with him and carefully pried out each nail. Remove that thin wooden panel. Inside—— Empty? No! In a small groove inside the picture frame, there quietly lies an item covered in red velvet! Found it! Lam Kien Quoc excitedly picked up the velvet package and opened it. Inside appeared— the same pair of pearl drop earrings that I remembered so vividly! Under weak light, pearls emit a gentle, smooth light like water. “Great!” I almost wanted to cry with joy! “We got the key!” Lam Kien Quoc also breathed a sigh of relief. But his expression quickly became serious again. “We have to leave here immediately!” “Snake Shadow's people can discover us at any time!” He carefully put the earrings in his inner pocket. Then reinstall the picture frame as before and hang it back on the wall. Wipe off any marks that may be left behind. We quickly left the back door, crossed the hospital wall, and disappeared into the thick night before dawn. At dawn, we sat on the train to Fujian. To avoid being followed, we chose the slow commuter train line. The train carriage was crowded and noisy, but that chaos gave us some sense of safety. Lam Kien Quoc and I sat next to each other, neither of us slept all night, our faces showing signs of fatigue. “I…” I looked out the window at the scenery passing by. “We've arrived in Fujian... where are we going?” “My motherland… where is it?” “In the depths of Wuyi Mountain.” Lam Kien Quoc replied. “An ancient village called Bach Van Gian.” “That place… is the ancestral place of my mother's family.” "It is also... the earliest location of the Snake Shadow organization." “Grandpa told us to go there… could it be that we want to…” “I don't know.” Lam Kien Quoc shook his head. “But that place… definitely hides the final answer.” “And also definitely… full of traps.” I tightened the lotus-shaped jade pendant in my pocket. There was both insecurity and a glimmer of... anticipation in my heart. That place is where my birthplace was born. It's my mother's past. And perhaps... it's also where my grandfather's whereabouts are hidden. No matter what lies ahead, I must move forward. Don't back down. The train kept swaying and rolling, carrying us, rushing towards an unknown destiny. Two days later, we finally arrived in a small town in northern Fujian. This place is not far from the Wu Di mountain range. In the air there was the cool scent of new tea. We don't stop. Immediately rent a used car that doesn't attract attention. Driven by Lam Kien Quoc, headed straight into the deep mountains. The mountain road becomes more and more winding. Child sign

People also become less and less. A few hours later, we approached the location marked on the map - a place called Bach Van Gian. A valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. The mist is hazy, the scene is like a fairyland. But it also exudes an aura of isolation - like a world isolated from the human world. “The village is located deep in the valley.” Lam Kien Quoc looked intently at the map, his eyebrows furrowed. “But the road to the mountain… seems to be only one.” “Furthermore… according to the symbols on the map, there is a… checkpoint ahead?” Checkpoint? In such a desolate mountain and forest place, is there a checkpoint? There's no need to guess - it's definitely someone from Xa Anh! “We can't take the main road.” I spoke up. “We have to find a way around it.” “But around here is primeval forest.” Lam Kien Quoc looked awkward. “Without a guide, it's easy to get lost.” At that moment - I suddenly remembered what Mr. Luc Ly once said. 【The last time A Vien contacted me… was in the summer of 1995.】 【At that time… he seemed to be working in the Southeast coastal area.】 【He said… sea breeze helps the mind to be more alert.】 Sea breeze… Fujian is also a landlocked area.