Chapter 8 — I Return From The Deep

And the experience of 4 years ago tells me——don't hold out hope. Sunday evening. One day before testimony. I sat on the bed and reviewed the document one last time to make sure there were no mistakes. Suddenly there was a noise. It wasn't a phone call, it was a knock on the door. Motel room door. Knock knock knock. I stood up cautiously. I didn't tell anyone about this motel, except Luc Tham.

“Who is that?”

The person outside the door did not speak. Knock three times again. I walked to the door and looked through the cat's eye hole. The hallway is dimly lit. There was a person standing outside the door. Tall, thin, black coat. Giang Tu Hanh. My heart suddenly skipped a beat. How did he find his way here? I was silent. He seemed to know I was looking.

“Nim So.”

The voice was so hoarse that it had no shape.

“I know you're inside. Open the door.”

I took a step back, not moving. Silence for more than ten seconds. He spoke again.

“That news… I ordered someone to take it down.”

I was a bit surprised.

"I already talked to Uyen Nghi. At the testimony tomorrow, no one will get in your way."

Stop.

“Nien So, open the door. I have something to tell you.”

I stood behind the door, my hand on the doorknob. Do not twist. I don't know in what capacity he said these words. Guilty? Or go and clean up the mess for Tong Uyen Nghi? What about taking down the news? She has already spread that story. Those who watched that news had a judgment in their hearts. What happens after we talk? Say what? Are you telling Tong Uyen Nghi to stop, or are you telling me to stop? I don't believe him. It's not that I don't want to believe. But I don't dare to believe it anymore.

“Jiang Tu Hanh.” I spoke a door away, my voice very light.

“Go home.”

It was silent outside for a long, long time. It was so long that I thought he was gone. Then I heard an extremely soft noise——like the sound of a forehead hitting a door panel.

“Sorry.”

Two words. Go through the crack in the door and get inside. I let go of the door handle and took two steps back. Sit down on the bed. Hug the pillow. It was quiet outside again. About ten minutes later, footsteps sounded in the hallway, fading away. He's gone. I bowed my head, feeling my hands were shaking. Not because of emotion. It's because of anger. Four years ago, when I knelt in the snow. Did he say sorry? Are not. What he said was——"Niem So, the evidence is clear, I can't offend the Song family because of you. Go in there and try to think well." It's been four years. Now it's time to say sorry. Based on what? I don't sleep well. Coughing throughout the middle of the night, the blood stains on the tissue were more than the previous few days. Woke up at 5 a.m. in the morning, my throat was burning. Wash your face, take medicine. Stuff all documents into the bag. At 7 o'clock, Luc Tham's car parked on time downstairs at the motel. I got in the car. He glanced at me: "Didn't sleep well?"

“It's okay.”

“Your face looks very bad.”

“All the time.”

He didn't say more, handed over a cup of hot soy milk. I took it and took small sips. The hot liquid flows into the stomach, making the body feel a little more comfortable. The car drove towards Lam Hai University. On the way, he briefly explained the situation: "I got the full video tape and gave it to Lawyer Chau. The process of entering the building, swiping the card, and opening the locker is all there. Clearly there was no theft."

“One more thing.” His voice stopped slightly. “Last night someone came to my lab Tong Uyen Nghi.”

I turned my head to look at him.

“Not my people,” he said. “At three o'clock in the morning, someone swiped her research team member card to go in, stayed for 20 minutes and then left.”

“Who do you think it is?”

“Hard to guess. But if she arranged it herself——”

“Destroy the evidence,” I continued. Heart sinks.

“Is there anything else in those old cabinets?”