Chapter 12 — I Return From The Deep

“There is a way,” she said. “If Trieu Dung's blood relative stands up as the applicant——then procedurally there will no longer be any debate about the subject's status.”

A close relative of Ms. Trieu. Ms. Trieu is not married, her parents both passed away before her. The only person…

"Miss Trieu has a younger brother," I said, "Trieu An Binh. He's in the countryside doing a small business."

“Can I contact you?”

“I will try.”

Hang up the phone. I found Ms. Trieu's old notebook. Next to the table of contents in the last few pages, there is a row of phone numbers written in pencil, captioned "An Binh". Phone number 4 years ago. I don't know if I can still call. I clicked. Tut——tut—— The sixth ring.

“Hello?” A middle-aged man's voice, with a regional accent.

"Hello, may I ask, are you Trieu An Binh?"

“It's me. Who is it?”

"I am Giang Niem Chu. Ms. Trieu Dung's student."

The other end of the line was silent for many seconds. Then his voice dropped.

“I miss you. My sister left… you were already inside at that time.”

"Uncle Trieu, I'm out. I need your help with something."

I briefly told him the story. After listening, he was silent for a long time.

“You mean... my sister was wronged?”

"Yes. Now I have enough evidence to prove it. But I need you to come forward as a family member and apply for an official review."

There was another long silence. Then he let out a long sigh.

"When my sister left, she was known as a fraud. I didn't even dare bring her ashes back to my hometown, for fear that neighbors would point fingers."

His voice choked.

“You tell me what to do, I will cooperate.”

I breathed a sigh of relief, almost unable to stand. Holding onto the wall, I gave him detailed instructions on the next steps. Hang up. I sat on the edge of the bed, panting. Chest started to hurt again. These past few days the frequency of pain has increased. Coughing is also more frequent. The blood stains on the tissue turned into small clots. I understand what that means. Time is running out. But I must not fall. Not yet. At the very least——we have to wait until Ms. Trieu's reputation is cleared. At least——wait until Tong Uyen Nghi receives the appropriate punishment. At least——then die. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. After counting, suppress all emotions. Pick up your phone and text Lawyer Chau:

“Professor Trieu Dung's younger brother, Trieu An Binh, agrees to be the applicant, please let me know what procedures need to be prepared.”

Lawyer Chau replied in a split second:

"Good. I will immediately prepare the authorization document and send it by express tomorrow for him to sign. At the same time, notify the council to change the subject of the application. Tong Uyen Nghi's attack to hinder the process will be ineffective."

I put the phone down. In the end—— This game, I did not lose.

—

【Chapter 5】 Five days after the papers signed by Trieu An Binh were sent. The Board officially reinstated the review process. Lawyer Tong Uyen Nghi's warning letter was rejected. The same afternoon this news spread, my phone suddenly received a strange number. I picked up the phone.

“Is that Giang Niem Chu?” Female voice. Young, a little panicked.

“Who are you?”

"I... I'm Trinh Vu Dong. 3rd year PhD student of Tong Uyen Nghi group."

I sat up straight. “What are you looking for me for?” Her voice was small, as if she was secretly hiding from someone to speak story.

"I can't talk for long. I'll just tell you one thing—Miss Tong, today told us to move all old documents for destruction. The reason is that the laboratory needs renovation."

“Didn't the council already seal it?”

"She doesn't touch sealed items. But there are some things... that haven't been sealed yet. In the corner of the room, there's a box of old chemical bottles from Professor Trieu Dung's time, with the date and person in charge written on the bottle label by hand."

My heart skipped a beat.