Chapter 5 — Fire Race

Rearranging the remains of my mother and grandfather。 But in my mind there are always a series of guesses。 What will the DNA results... be? Will it confirm my suspicions? Or… deny everything? Whatever the outcome, I will face a whole new world — perhaps even a collapsed world. My father has become more and more quiet these past few days. His eyes looking at me... contained extremely complex emotions. Was there worry, fear, even... a ray of relief? It was like... he was also waiting for a final verdict. One week later. The assessment center called。 “Miss Lam, is that right?” “The results of your DNA test are out.” At that moment, my heart stopped beating。 “So… what was the result?” My voice was dry and trembling。 “The report has been encrypted and sent to your email。” “Please check your mailbox.” I turned off the computer. My hands shook as I turned on the computer. Opened the email inbox. Clicked on the message marked encrypted. Entered the password. A PDF file appeared before my eyes. I held my breath. My eyes slid straight to the conclusion. 【Sample A (Lin Wan) and sample B (Lin Kien Guo) – Probability of parent-child relationship: 0%】 Zero percent. Otherwise. I am not Lam Kien Quoc's biological daughter. Even though this result was vaguely predictable。 But when I actually saw that number —— the shock was still like a tsunami ravaging my mind。 I felt like all the blood in my body rushed to my head。 The dizziness rose in waves。 I tried to force myself to continue reading down。 【Sample A (Lam Van) and sample C (Lam Chi Vien's hair sample) - probability of blood relationship...】 My heart was like hanging in the throat. 【…Due to the severe decomposition of sample C, some positions cannot be analyzed, so it is impossible to draw a definite conclusion about the blood relationship.】 【However, in the positions that can be analyzed, it shows that:】 【Sample A and sample C have a direct blood relationship - belonging to the grandfather and grandchild generation.】 【The degree of coincidence is much higher than the probability of random chance in the normal population. usually.】 Direct blood relationship from grandfather to grandchild! That means... Grandpa Lam Chi Vien - is my biological grandfather! So… Who is my biological father? Are Lam Kien Quoc's brothers - as in name? (Even though I've never heard of him having any siblings.) Or... A possibility... so scary that I don't dare to think about it... At the end of the report there is a small note. Additional analysis appendix: 【In the DNA sequence of sample A (Lin Wan), a rare form of DNA mitochondrial haplogroup (Haplogroup 【Geographical origin noted: Southeast Europe.】 Rare form of mitochondrial DNA? Anonymous sample? Europe… Southeast? What is this again? My identity... is it more complicated and more distant than I ever imagined? While I was blankly staring at the report. The phone rang. The person calling was my father – Lam Kien Quoc. I hesitated a bit then picked up the phone。 “Van Van.” His voice was strangely calm。 Even carrying a bit of fatigue and relief as if he had just been liberated。 “The results… are there, right?” It seemed like he already knew。 Or rather —he never didn't know. "Yes." I replied softly. “Dad…” That word “dad”… momentarily became strange in my mouth. “Dad… already know?” “I… I'm not…” “I know.” He interrupted me. “I know what you want to ask.” “Van Van.” “Sorry, child.” “Dad kept it from me… all these years.” His voice contained immense torment. “The story of the past... is very complicated.” "My grandfather... is also helpless." “I promised him, I also promised your mother…” “That he would really protect you

Good." “Let me grow up like a normal child.” “Not having to carry the past too heavily.” “So…” “So… whose child are you?” I finally asked the most important question. The other end of the line was silent. A very long silence. It was as if twenty years had passed through time. “I…” His voice was hoarse and extremely difficult. “I… am the daughter of my grandfather – Lam Chi Vien.” Oh! My mind is blank. Even though I had vague premonitions before, when I heard him admit it with my own ears - that shock and suffocating sense of absurdity were still like lightning striking in a clear sky. Grandpa… is my biological father? So… what should I call Lam Kien Quoc? Brother? "That day... your grandfather returned..." My father's voice seemed to be lost in old memories. “It's to... send you back.” “He knows that the road ahead is full of danger, nine parts death, one part life.” “And your mother at that time… was already pregnant with you.” “You are my grandfather's biological child。” “Before he left, he entrusted everything to me。” “Thank you, father, to take care of your mother and raise you up。” “To the outside world, it will be said that you are my father's daughter。” “He said —that is the only way for me to live safely。” “Because… those who pursue him —— will never spare his blood。” Pursuit? Isn't it just "missing"? In the end-of-mission report, it still says "missing"? “Dad… you… I…” I was so confused that I didn't know what to call him. “The end of mission report said… you were missing.” “That's not true。” My father's voice was full of bitterness. “That's… an even more elaborate lie。” “Your grandfather's mission… involves too many things。” “Even though the boss has been captured, there are still remnants of forces hunting for you。” “And there's… that 'talisman' you brought with you that year。” “That thing… is the real life-killing talisman。” “There are many people who want to claim it。” “So, he must die —— completely and absolutely dead。” “Even the state of ‘disappearance’ —— is not safe enough。” “Only when everyone believes: Lam Chi Vien and his bloodline are extinct, will you truly be safe。” “So… what is that ‘talisman’ —— anyway?” I asked。 “I don't know。” He answered frankly. “Your grandfather never said。” “I just know —— he hid it in an absolutely safe place。” “And warned me —— never to touch it ever。” “Mom's death…” My voice choked。 “Is it… related to that?” The other end of the line fell silent again. After a long while, my father spoke, his voice low and painful: "Your mother... passed away due to difficult childbirth." “But it's also because… knowing too many things, living in worry for too long。” “After giving birth, she was seriously weak。” “Her health became worse and worse。” “Later… she discovered that someone was secretly following us。” “She was very afraid…” “Because she wanted to protect her child… also because… she didn't want to involve dad。” “She…” My father's voice choked. “She chose… to give up treatment。” To give up treatment. It turns out that's it. Not an accident. Not due to common illness. But... because he wanted to protect me. My tears flowed uncontrollably。 “So… what about grandpa?” “Are you really… missing?” “I don't know.” His voice was tired and depressed. “Since he gave the ‘talisman’ to dad…” “There is no more news。” “Maybe… he really died in an unknown place。” “It's also possible… he's still alive。” “Silently guarding something in a place we can't reach。” “Zhu Chinh Tuong… in the safe he left behind —— there's a report on the end of the mission case。” I told my father the whole story related to Chu Chinh Tuong. “Mission end report?” My father was surprised. “Uncle Chu…

How did he get that?" “It was my grandfather who asked him to keep the copy.” “There was also a note written to me by my grandfather himself。” “Telling me to go to Giang Nam and find a person or place named ‘Tinh Tam’。” “Jiangnan… Tinh Tam?” My father repeated. “Dad doesn't remember… what connection he has with Giang Nam.” “‘Tinh Tam’… this name… is so vague。” “Could it be… that is the name of a certain temple?” “Or… is it someone's dharma name?” Clues again fell into deadlock. But at least… I know my identity. Know the pain of parents. Knowing his greatness — and the obscure, unresolved ending. “Van Van。” My father's voice suddenly became a bit pleading. “Now… you know everything。” “What… are you going to do?” I was silent. What to do now?