Chapter 14 — I Return From The Deep

At 8:10 a.m., people from the moving company arranged by Tong Uyen Nghi arrived. Blocked outside the door. At 8:30, Tong Uyen Nghi himself arrived. Luc Tham said he stood watching from afar—Tong Uyen Nghi stood in the hallway on the 4th floor, looking at the seal strip on the door and the police outside, his face changing from blue to white. Then she made a phone call. Talked for a long time. After calling, he turned on his heel and left. Very fast footsteps. The sound of heels tapping on the floor was more intense than usual. A week later, things developed rapidly. The Council officially announced the preliminary review conclusion: *"Through the verification process, the accusation of academic fraud against Professor Trieu Dung in March 2020 was intentionally fabricated by Tong Uyen Nghi. The relevant data was edited and spread by Tong Uyen Nghi himself. It is recommended to cancel the academic fraud conclusion of Professor Trieu Dung and restore his honor. At the same time, it is recommended to start the process of handling violations of academic ethics against Tong Uyen. Doubt.”* This conclusion was approved by the School Board. The official website of Linhai University posted the announcement. Professor Trieu Dung's academic fraud label was officially removed. On the evening of the announcement, I went alone to the cemetery on the outskirts of the city. Ms. Trieu's tombstone is located in the innermost row. Very small. The photo on the tombstone has faded. She was smiling, a gentle smile just like in my memory. I squatted in front of the tombstone. No flowers, only a bag of tissues in my bag.

“Miss.” Sore throat.

“…Retracted. That academic cheating hat, taken down.”

The wind blew, the old bouquet of flowers in front of the grave made a rustling sound.

“You have been vindicated.”

I used the back of my hand to wipe the tears from my face.

“Sorry, I'm late.”

“Four years… is too long.”

I squatted there, crying for a long time. Crying so much that my chest hurts like it's about to tear apart. Cry until you cough profusely. In the end, Luc Tham was the one who found me. He stood behind, not speaking. Wait until I finish crying. Then he took off his gray hoodie and put it on my shoulders.

"Let's go home. The night is cold."

I stood up, my knees were weak, I almost collapsed. He rushed forward and grabbed my arm tightly.

“You have a fever.”

I shook my head: “It's okay——”

"The fever has reached 38 degrees 5, so it's okay."

He didn't say many useless words, directly half-led, half-hugged me to the car. I struggled a bit, but couldn't escape. Never mind. That's it for today. Go to the hospital. Emergency department. Give fluids and inject fever-reducing medicine. Lying on the infusion chair in the middle of the emergency room, my mind was dizzy. Luc Tham sat in the empty chair next to him, holding a paper cup and hot water bought from a vending machine.

“Drink some.”

I took it and took a small sip.

“Luc Tham.”

“Yes.”

"Miss Trieu's matter... seems to be over. The next thing is to run the process and deal with Tong Uyen Nghi."

“Yes.”

“But she... won't sit still and die.”

He looked at me. “What do you think her next step will be?” I closed my eyes to think. The person Song Uyen Nghi——academically, she had already lost. With clear evidence, the council concluded that she could not overturn the bet. But she's not the type of person to give up. She will definitely find a way out. And her biggest retreat——

“Jiang Tu Hanh,” I said his name.

Luc Tham said nothing.

“She will find my brother. Crying, making fun of yourself, throwing tantrums. Say I'm slandering her. They say that because I went to prison, I harbored hatred in my heart, so I made up all this to get revenge."

“Your brother will believe it?”

I laughed. The smile has no meaning at all.

“Four years ago he believed. Now, I'm not sure.”

“What if he believes?”

“Then leave him alone.”

I watched every drop of liquid fall into the infusion tube.