Chapter 14 — From Collapse to Brilliance: I Don't Need You

The entire meeting room turned their eyes to her, unable to hide their surprise at that strangely calm attitude. Bách Sơn looked at her for a moment, his eyes both searching and somewhat confident. "Can you explain more clearly?"

Diệu Kỳ stood up, walked to the whiteboard in the meeting room, picked up a pen, and began drawing the structure of the data storage system she had built since the first days of joining the project. "When I designed the data storage process for the project, I integrated an automatic logging mechanism — every login, every single change to any data file in the system, is recorded with a timestamp accurate to the second, along with a hash of the file before and after the change."

She turned to the computer, opened the internal data management system, and entered the access password. "The document sent to the inspection office states that the safety threshold of the biochemical index was changed at a specific time, with the confirmation signature bearing my name. But if everyone checks the system log at that exact time—" she typed a few commands, the screen showing a detailed data table, "—it will be seen that there were absolutely no logins from my account, nor were there any changes recorded to the data file related to the biochemical index. there."

Mr. Thái Bình Nguyên, who was invited to attend the meeting as a representative of the inspection department, attentively watched the screen and nodded. "How is this syslog stored? Is it possible to be edited after it is recorded?"

"Impossible," Diệu Kỳ replied, her voice confident. "I designed it so that each log record is simultaneously backed up to an independent storage server, completely separate from the main working system, which can only be read but not edited after being recorded. This is a basic principle in forensic data management - the original log data must be protected from those who have access to the main system, to ensure objectivity when comparing." Bách Sơn looked at her, his eyes showing admiration mixed with surprise. He recalled the data management assignment that Diệu Kỳ submitted a few months ago — the idea of storing a read-only copy with a hash code for comparison, which had now become a strong shield to protect herself against an elaborate slander plot.

"In addition," Diệu Kỳ continued, pointing to another detail on the screen, "the font format and layout of the fake document also have some subtle differences compared to the standard report template our team uses. I think, if the inspection department can digitally analyze the original file attached to the anonymous email, it will definitely find more traces proving that this is a crafted document, not coming from the project's internal system."

Mr. Nguyen took notes carefully, then looked up at the entire meeting room. "I will have the inspection department's technical department analyze the original file in detail and compare it with what Diệu Kỳ just presented. If it is true as what you say, this is clearly an intentional act of slander, not an internal error." The meeting lasted for nearly an hour, with engineering being called in immediately to verify the system log data. The results confirmed exactly what Diệu Kỳ had stated — there was no editing activity from her account at the time stated in the denunciation document, and the document itself, when digitally analyzed, showed clear signs of being created using regular text editing software, not from the project's official data management system.

After all questions were clarified, Bách Sơn breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Diệu Kỳ with eyes full of respect. "You saved this whole project from a serious crisis. Without the logging system you built, we would have lost a lot of time, and could have even affected the reputation of the whole project before the scientific council."

"I just did what was necessary to protect the transparency of the data," Diệu Kỳ replied, trying to keep a humble tone even though he couldn't help but feel relieved. This was the first time, since she was reborn, that she actually faced an attack directly from Ý Nhi - even though she didn't know for sure who was behind it - and she had enough ability to protect herself, instead of having to helplessly wait for her fate to be decided like in her previous life.

But she also understands that this is just the beginning. Mr. Thái Bình Nguyên, although he confirmed that the denunciation document was fake, still could not determine the identity of the person behind that anonymous email. The investigation will continue, but the likelihood of finding the real culprit is slim, as the sender used a temporary email account that cannot be easily traced.

That evening, after the meeting ended, Diệu Kỳ stayed in the lab alone, sitting quietly in front of the computer screen, her hands shaking slightly as the adrenaline from the stressful confrontation session gradually subsided. She opened the secret notebook, recorded the entire incident in detail - the time of receiving the notice, the content of the fake document, how she refuted it using the logging system, and even questions about the origin of this conspiracy.

She had no direct evidence to confirm that Ý Nhi was the person behind it, but her instincts and experiences from her previous life told her for sure that this could not be anyone else. The method of attack — slander based on elaborate forgeries, aimed precisely at the most sensitive point in her work, carried out precisely at the moment it could cause the greatest harm — bore the mark of the same manipulative mindset to which she had been a victim.

She added in the notebook: "The first attack has been neutralized. But the enemy will definitely not stop here. It is necessary to strengthen the data protection system more tightly, and find ways to clearly identify the true origin of anonymous emails, if possible. More importantly, we need to be careful with those who may have accidentally revealed information about the project to the outside."

She thought of Khuong, of his panicked expression during the meeting. She didn't blame him - he was clearly just an unwitting victim whose trust was taken advantage of, just like Thảo My and Đình Vũ were taken advantage of in the old lab. But she also understood that she needed to talk frankly with him, find out who he had shared information about the project with recently, so that she could find clues leading to the person behind this conspiracy.

Closing the notebook, Diệu Kỳ stood up, turned off the light, and left the laboratory in the quiet night. Her steps were steadier than ever on the way back to the dormitory. This time, she was no longer a helpless prey — she had become a formidable opponent, ready to confront any plot aimed at her head-on, with the same intelligence and careful preparation that she had built up over the course of a lifetime given to her a second time.

The next morning, Diệu Kỳ proactively found Khuong during break time. He still had a clear look of guilt on his face. "Diệu Kỳ, I'm sorry, I didn't know this was so serious. Was it because I accidentally said something to someone?"

"You don't need to blame yourself too much," Diệu Kỳ said, her voice gentle but still maintaining the necessary seriousness. "But I need you to help me remember carefully. Have you recently shared information about the project, even small details, with anyone outside the research team?"

Khuong thought for a long time, then slowly recounted how she had recently met a student named Ý Nhi, met at a seminar, and often texted to exchange specialized knowledge. He admitted to mentioning a few general details about the project's progress and how the team organized data, although he did not think that such information could be exploited.

Diệu Kỳ listened, trying to keep a calm face even though in his heart he was almost certain about the identity of the person behind this plot. She thanked Khuong, advised him to be more careful in sharing work information, then quietly left, mentally starting to plan out the next steps for her own investigation.

The name Trịnh Ý Nhi rang in her head as a confirmation of what she had hunched all along. She wasn't surprised — only a cold, determined feeling rose, replacing the fear she would have felt had this been her previous life. She understood that Ý Nhi was no longer satisfied with manipulating the old lab, but had proactively reached out further, aiming straight at the new life she was working so hard to build. That means, the fight between them, even though Diệu Kỳ tried to avoid it by leaving, was still inevitable. And this time, she won't let herself passively wait for the next attack.