Chapter 15 — I Return From The Deep

"I don't do these things for him. I do them for Ms. Trieu. Ms. Trieu's matter is resolved, the rest... is Tong Uyen Nghi's retribution. There is no need for him to be a judge."

Luc Tham was silent for a while. Then let out a sentence: "Your brother once came to find me." I turned my head to look at him. "When?"

"Two days ago. Don't know where to look up my information. Go straight to the company."

My eyebrows furrowed. “What did he say?”

“Ask me what our relationship is with you.” The corner of Luc Tham's mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to laugh but held back. “Not very friendly attitude.”

“So what?”

"I said it was friends. He didn't seem to believe it. He stared at me for half a day, left a sentence 'If you hurt her, I won't forgive you', then left."

I was stunned. Don't forgive me? What qualifications does he have to say that? Four years ago, he personally sent me to prison, why didn't he think of this?

“Don't think anymore.” Luc Tham saw through my feelings, "It doesn't matter what his attitude is. Your work is almost done. Take care of your health first."

I put the paper cup on the armrest. "I know." After the water infusion, it was 1 am when we returned to the motel. There is a new message on the phone. Giang Tu Hanh. Just one sentence:

"Nien So, I saw Professor Trieu Dung's story. I'm sorry. Can you reply to a message letting me know where you are?"

I looked for a long time. Then text back two words:

“No need.”

Send. Turn off the machine. Sleep.

—

【Chapter 6】 Notice of execution of Song Uyen Nghi has been released. Stripped of Associate Professor title. Destroy all academic achievements related to that topic. Terminate labor contract. Announcement to the whole school. The news blew up Linhai University. WeChat, Weibo, Zhihu message boards, everywhere are talking.

"Tong Uyen Nghi's academic fraud case" climbed to the top 3 local hot searches.

Comments from netizens lean heavily towards one side:

"That's so bad, ruining other people's lives, I was happy for 4 years."

“This type of person deserves to go to jail, just being stripped of his title is not enough.”

"Professor Trieu Dung, the victim, passed away... so tragic."

Some people also dug up my story.

"That student is also pathetic. She was wrongfully imprisoned for 4 years, and now she has cancer."

“Oh my god, what a human tragedy this is.”

I don't watch those things. It was Luc Tham who took the screenshot and sent it to me to see.

"Public opinion has flared up. Now Tong Uyen Nghi must wear a mask when going out."

I don't feel anything. It's numb. Perhaps because my body is getting weaker and weaker, I no longer have enough strength and excess emotions to worry about those things. Lately I've started to feel short of breath when walking. Climb stairs no more than 2 floors. Wen Nhuoc Duong introduced me to an Oncology doctor and told me to come for a general assessment to see if there was still a possibility of conservative treatment. I agree. See you next Wednesday. But before that Wednesday, something happened that was beyond my expectations. Tuesday afternoon. I'm at the motel making arrangements to move Miss Trieu's grave back to her hometown——Trieu An Binh said he wanted to take his sister back, now that his honor has been restored, he can be buried in the ancestral cemetery. The phone suddenly rang. Luc Tham. Picking up the phone, his voice was more urgent than usual.

"Tong Uyen Nghi jumped from the building."

I was stunned. "What?"

“At 2:40 this afternoon, jumped from the 17th floor The apartment complex she lives in. Not dead, two broken legs, being treated in the hospital."

I opened my mouth, my mind blank.

“What's the situation now?”

“The person is in the ICU. Temporarily kept alive, but the spine was damaged and it is still unclear whether the lower half of the body can recover."

I sat on the edge of the bed, holding the phone tightly. What should I feel? Refreshing? No. Are you angry? Neither. Just an indescribable emptiness. She jumped from the building. Because she lost everything.