Chapter 9 — From Collapse to Brilliance: I Don't Need You

A week after that practice session, Diệu Kỳ received a brief email from Nhan Bách Sơn's email address, inviting her to his office on the third floor of the Dawn Institute building on Friday afternoon. She read and reread that email many times, trying to guess what the purpose of the meeting was, but the content was only a few lines, not revealing any further details.

At the appointed time, she stood in front of the office door and knocked lightly three times. A familiar voice rang out from inside. "Come in."

Bách Sơn's office is surprisingly neat and tidy for someone who is both a lecturer and a busy investor. On the wall hung several certificates of merit and a large whiteboard covered with research diagrams and charts written in neat, sharp handwriting. He sat behind the desk, motioning for her to sit in the chair opposite.

"Thank you for coming," Bách Sơn said, closing the open notebook in front of him. "I want to talk to you about a research opportunity."

Diệu Kỳ sat up straight, trying to stay calm even though she couldn't help but feel nervous. "I'm listening."

"The Dawn Institute is currently implementing a research project on biotherapy that applies gene editing technology to treat a number of rare genetic diseases," Bách Sơn began to explain, his voice becoming more serious and focused. "This is a key project of the institute, receiving funding from both the scientific research budget and the startup investment fund that he is in charge of. The project is in the pre-clinical stage, preparing to enter testing on animal models before moving on to the next steps."

He paused for a moment, observing her reaction before continuing. "The current research team is in need of an additional person in charge of data management and quality control - a job that requires meticulousness, high caution, as well as systematic thinking about protecting the integrity of research information. After observing how you have worked in the past, I believe that you are the right person for this position, even though you are only a first-year student in the conversion program."

Diệu Kỳ was stunned for a moment. This is an opportunity that she never dreamed of - participating in the most important research project of the institute, after only a few months of changing majors. But she also understands that behind this invitation is a great trust that she needs to be worthy of.

"I'm honored to have your trust," she said, trying to keep her voice calm despite her pounding heart. "But I want to ask directly, did you choose me just because of yesterday's homework, or is there another reason?"

Bách Sơn looked at her, a bit surprised by that straightforward question, then smiled slightly. "Good question. Not just because of that assignment. I've been watching how you study throughout the past semester — the way you approach problems always has a special caution, not just stopping at completing the assignment, but also always asking questions about potential risks, the worst scenarios that can happen. That's a rare quality, especially in a young person."

He paused, his eyes becoming deeper. "I'm also curious about the real reason why you're so cautious. But I'm not forcing you to share if you're not ready. I just want you to know that I trust your abilities and qualities, based on what I've observed, not because of any personal relationship."

Those words touched Diệu Kỳ deeply. This was the first time, since her reincarnation, that someone judged her purely based on her true abilities, not influenced by any prejudices or relationships from the past. That feeling is completely different from being loved in the old lab - where affection and trust, although sincere, were too easily exploited and manipulated.

"I accept," she said, her voice firm. "I will try my best not to disappoint your trust."

"Good." Bách Sơn nodded with satisfaction and opened another file on the table. "Your work will start next week. You will work directly under my guidance, along with a small team of two other graduate students. Your first task will be to rebuild the project's entire data storage and control process in the direction you proposed in the assignment — ensuring all original data is stored safely, can be compared and verified at any time." Diệu Kỳ nodded, feeling a new flow of energy filling her heart. This was exactly the opportunity she needed — not only to rebuild her career from the ground up, but also to equip herself with the tools and practical knowledge to protect herself from future data manipulation schemes, even though she knew the road ahead would not be smooth.

In the following days, Diệu Kỳ threw herself into her new job with all her enthusiasm. She worked tirelessly, constantly learning from two fellow graduate students — one named Khuong, who specialized in molecular biology, and another who specialized in biostatistics. Both were somewhat surprised by Diệu Kỳ's incredible speed in absorbing knowledge, even though she had only changed majors for less than half a year.

Bách Sơn often stops by the shared office to check on progress, and each time, he spends time privately discussing complex technical issues with Diệu Kỳ. Gradually, those business conversations began to expand beyond the purely professional scope — he asked her about the difficulties during her studies, about her feelings about moving into a completely new field, and sometimes, about her future plans after completing her studies.

Diệu Kỳ realized that in Bách Sơn's constant seriousness and calmness, there was a sincere concern that he did not easily express. He's not the type of person to show off his emotions, but the small actions — the fact that he always remembers the exact details she shared, the fact that he proactively gives her access to more in-depth research materials, the fact that he always patiently re-explains complex concepts without seeming uncomfortable — all show a genuine respect and trust for her.

One late afternoon, when the whole group had left, leaving only Diệu Kỳ who was diligently completing the progress report, Bách Sơn suddenly appeared at the office door, holding two cups of coffee.

"Still working?" he asked, placing a cup of coffee on her table.

"Yes, I want to finish this part before leaving," Diệu Kỳ replied, looking up at him with grateful eyes.

Bách Sơn pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her, looking at her for a moment. "You work so hard. Don't forget to take care of yourself too."

That simple sentence, although nothing special, made Diệu Kỳ feel a strange warmth welling up in her heart - a feeling that she had not experienced for a long time, since the painful final days of her previous life, when no one cared about whether she was okay or not.

"Thank you, teacher," she said, her voice shaking a little. "I will pay more attention."

Bách Sơn smiled, then stood up, preparing to leave. Before walking out the door, he turned to look at her one more time. "Ah, one more thing. You don't need to call me teacher in conversations outside of work. Just call me Bách Sơn."

Diệu Kỳ looked at his back disappearing behind the door, feeling indescribably excited. She knew that her relationship with this man was gradually going beyond the boundaries of a normal work relationship — and for the first time since her reincarnation, she allowed herself to hope for something good, beyond the plan of defense and revenge she had drawn up for herself.

She sat for a while longer, taking a sip of the gradually cooling coffee, looking out the window where the city lights began to sparkle in the twilight darkness. She thought about the distance she had traveled since waking up in a panic that morning — from a medical student bewildered by the memories of a life that had ended unfairly, to a person who was gradually rebuilding a solid foundation for her own future, through her own ability and unremitting efforts.

She opened her work notebook and briefly wrote down the tasks that needed to be completed next week for the new project. But before closing the notebook, she stopped writing for a moment, writing a small line in the corner of the page, unrelated to work: "Perhaps, not everything in this life is a trap. There are things, if lucky enough, can still be the beginning of something sincere." She looked at that line for a moment, then smiled slightly, closed the notebook, packed her things to leave, feeling more relieved than any day since she returned to the past.