Chapter 4 — From Collapse to Brilliance: I Don't Need You

Monday morning, Diệu Kỳ stood in front of the training room door, holding a file that he had carefully prepared all weekend. She spent two days writing and rewriting her statement of reasons for changing majors, weighing each word to be convincing enough while not revealing anything related to her inexplicable memories.

She knocked on the door and entered the small office where Ms. Hanh, the department's academic affairs specialist, was sitting behind a desk full of papers. Ms. Hanh looked up, a bit surprised to see an excellent student like Diệu Kỳ proactively come to see her early in the morning.

"What do you need, Diệu Kỳ?"

"I want to apply to change majors, miss." Diệu Kỳ placed the file on the table, her voice was calm but firm. "I would like to transfer from Medicine to Biotechnology."

Ms. Hanh picked up the file, flipped through a few pages, her eyes could not hide her surprise. "You are one of the students with the highest scores in the class, and you are joining Professor Tuan's lab - an opportunity that many students dream of not having. Are you sure about this decision?"

"I've thought about it very carefully," Diệu Kỳ replied, her eyes never wavering. "I realized that I am more suitable for applied research in biotechnology, instead of the traditional clinical path. I want to try my hand at a field where I believe I can contribute more."

That was the reason she had prepared, a reason reasonable enough that no one could question her further, but vague enough not to reveal the true motive behind her decision. She couldn't tell anyone that she was trying to escape a future she had experienced, a future that ended in an unjust death in a cold prison cell.

Ms. Hanh looked at the file for a while longer, then sighed. "Switching majors midway like this is quite rare, and usually requires an interview to reassess abilities with the new major's admission board. Are you sure you're ready to start from scratch in a completely different field? You will have to learn a lot of basic knowledge from scratch."

"I'm ready." Diệu Kỳ nodded decisively. "I know this path won't be easy, but I'm determined." Ms. Hanh looked at her for a long time, then finally nodded, took a pen and signed the confirmation of receiving the application. "Okay, I will forward this file to the council to arrange an interview. But I advise you to think carefully, and remember to inform Professor Tuan of your decision in advance, don't let him hear the news from others."

"Yes, thank you. I will inform the teacher."

Diệu Kỳ walked out of the office, feeling relief mixed with a vague worry. The first step has been completed. But she knew, the hardest part was still ahead — she had to deal with the reaction of Professor Tuan, who had high hopes for her, and with her lab friends, who certainly wouldn't understand why she would give up such a promising path.

She took a walk around campus before returning to the lab, trying to organize her thoughts. The biotechnology industry was not a random choice. In her previous life, during the gloomy days waiting for the trial, when there was nothing left to do but read books to forget the pain, Diệu Kỳ accidentally read an article about breakthroughs in the field of gene therapy and applied biotechnology - a field that was growing explosively, where the boundaries between academic research and commercial entrepreneurship were blurred, where true ability was evaluated by specific results, not just by relationships in a closed lab.

Furthermore, this is an area that she has never been to in her previous life, meaning she does not have any connection with Ý Nhi, does not have any precedents that she can take advantage of to continue manipulating. It is a completely new land, where Diệu Kỳ can rebuild her reputation from scratch, relying entirely on her true abilities.

That afternoon, Diệu Kỳ came to meet Professor Tuan in his private office, a small room filled with books and research documents, the warm yellow light from the old desk lamp shining on the calm face of the respected professor.

"Teacher, I have something to tell you." Diệu Kỳ stood in front of his desk, hands clasped together, trying to keep his voice calm.

Professor Tuan put down his pen and looked at her with familiar, concerned eyes. "What's the matter, Diệu Kỳ? Sit down first."

She sat down in the chair opposite and took a deep breath. "I applied to change majors this morning. I want to switch to Biotechnology."

The room fell silent for a long while. Professor Tuan looked at her, his eyes clearly showing shock that he did not try to hide. "What do you say? Changing majors? Diệu Kỳ, you're the best student I've supervised in years. You're participating in the most important clinical trial project the lab has ever received. Are you going to give up all that?"

"I know this decision is very sudden, teacher, and I'm really sorry for not being able to tell you sooner," Diệu Kỳ said, her voice low, carrying a sincerity that she didn't need to fake. "But I've been thinking a lot lately, and I realized that the clinical medical path is not where I want to stay long term. I want to try in another field, where I can apply scientific knowledge in a different direction."

"But why so suddenly?" Professor Tuan asked, his voice mixed with genuine disappointment and worry. "Did something happen in the lab that made you feel uncomfortable? If there's any problem, just tell me, I'll help you solve it."

Diệu Kỳ paused for a moment before that question. She knew, if she told the truth—even a small part of it—about her suspicions about Ý Nhi, she would only make things more complicated, possibly making the professor doubt her motives, or worse, make Ý Nhi wary sooner and change tactics.

"No, it's nothing," she replied, trying to keep her voice casual. "I simply want to challenge myself in a new field. I am very grateful to you for what you have taught me, and I will always cherish the time I spent working in your lab. But I need to follow the path that I feel is most right for myself."

Professor Tuan looked at her for a long time, his eyes searching but not finding any signs of deception or hesitation. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "I respect your decision, Diệu Kỳ. Although I'm really sorry to have to let you leave the lab, I believe that you thought carefully before making this decision. I just hope you remember that, no matter which path you take, this lab's door is always open if you need help."

"Thank you very much, teacher." Diệu Kỳ bowed her head, feeling a genuine emotion rising in her heart. Even though she had mentally prepared in advance, she still couldn't help but feel choked by the tolerance of the teacher who had always trusted and supported her all these years.

When she left Professor Tuan's office, news of her request to change majors began to spread in the lab. Thảo My was the first person to run to find her, her face full of confusion. "Diệu Kỳ, are you serious? Are you really planning to change majors? Why? What happened?"

Đình Vũ and Nhật Lam also stood nearby, their eyes full of doubt and confusion. There was only one person standing in the far corner, observing the entire scene in silence, his eyes flashing with an imperceptible light - that was Trịnh Ý Nhi.

Diệu Kỳ recognized that look, even if it was only for a split second. She didn't know exactly what Ý Nhi was thinking right now — maybe surprise, maybe a bit of wariness, or even a silent relief knowing that the most influential person in the group was about to leave. But no matter what her feelings were, Diệu Kỳ knew she needed to maintain her stance.

"I've thought it over," she told Thảo My, her voice gentle but firm. "I want to try another field. This is my own decision, and has nothing to do with anyone in the lab."

Thảo My was still shocked, but it was not convenient to ask more in the crowd. Diệu Kỳ smiled slightly at you, then turned and walked away, leaving behind a lab full of unanswered questions, and a person who was silently recalculating his plan before this unexpected change.

On the way back to the dormitory, Diệu Kỳ passed by a hallway filled with the department's achievement plaques, including a photo of the entire immunology lab receiving the outstanding student research award last year - a photo that she was always proud of in her past life every time she passed by. She stopped for a moment, looking at her own smiling face in the photo, Thảo My's, Đình Vũ's, Nhật Lam's standing next to Professor Tuan.

There was a part of her, no matter how determined she was, that still felt regretful when she had to leave what she once built. But she understands that regret was the price to pay for a safer future. She took out her phone and took that photo as a way to preserve the best of this time, before everything was tainted by conspiracies that only she knew in advance.

That evening, she opened her secret notebook and wrote a brief note: "The day she applied to change majors. Ý Nhi's reaction when hearing the news: silent observation, no clear expression of emotions, but subtle changes in her eyes. Need to continue to monitor how she adjusts her tactics after I leave the lab." She closed the notebook and put it in a locked drawer, silently telling herself that from today, every step she took had to be more carefully calculated than ever.