Chapter 4 — Melting Glacier

4I drank half a bottle at once, leaned back tiredly on the chair: "Not happy. I'm tired of being wild, now I want to... become a monk." My best friend rolled his eyes: "It's truly glorious. I can't forget that ice mountain, can I?" I remained silent, admitting it. "It's worth it." She said while driving, "But, to be honest, there is this job, I think you will like it. A Dai's Environmental Science Research Institute wants to take a promotional photo series and make a short documentary for the newly built 'Polar Environment Simulation Chamber', with a very high budget. Will you go?"A Dai. These three words were like an electric shock, making me immediately sit up straight. "Don't go!" I made up my mind. For the rest of my life, I don't want to have anything to do with A Dai, or anything related to geological research anymore. "The budget is really high, enough for you to go on ten more trips to the tropical rainforest." My friend coaxed me. "No way!" "Furthermore, I heard that this simulation capsule is super cool, for the first time in the country, it can simulate from the North Pole to the South Pole with all kinds of extreme environments, dozens of degrees below zero, ten degrees of wind, and even auroras. Don't you like taking pictures of challenging things like that the most?"My hand, refusing to listen, clenched tightly. For a photographer, the attraction of this topic is fatal. "...Tham Duc Chi, he has..." "Don't worry," she interrupted, "I have already researched, this project is from the Institute of Environmental Sciences, and he is at the Department of Geology, two different things. Moreover, now he must have graduated with a doctorate, stay at school as a lecturer, busy teaching students every day, where will he have time to take care of these things."I was convinced. For the money, and also for that cool simulation capsule. I told myself, it's been three months, even if we meet, we're adults, just pretend we don't know each other. A week later, my team and I appeared at the building of the A Dai Institute of Environmental Sciences. Welcoming us was the person in charge of the project, a deputy director named Vuong. Director Vuong was very enthusiastic and led us to visit that famous simulation compartment. It is a giant structure, white as a space capsule, located right in the center of the laboratory. The outside is filled with pipes and complex control equipment. "Miss Lam, this simulation compartment is our treasure." Director Vuong introduced with pride, "Today to coordinate your filming, we will lower the temperature to minus twenty degrees, simulating the Antarctic environment. You must prepare to keep both equipment and staff very warm." I nodded, and the assistant commander began to set up lights and camera tracks. Everything was ready to fall into place, we stood behind the thick observation glass door, watching the thermometer inside the simulation compartment gradually drop, white cold air began to permeate. Just as I was about to let the model in for the photo shoot, the laboratory door opened. A person walked in. He wore a well-tailored dark gray suit, a white blouse, gold-framed glasses, and neatly combed hair without a stray strand. Compared to three months ago in the glacier, he was a little thinner, and... his aura was much stronger. No longer does he look like he only knows how to bury his head in research, but looks... closer to life! My heart skipped a beat. I instinctively wanted to avoid it, but there was no time. He walked straight towards us, his eyes focused precisely on me. That look was no longer distant and calm like before, but contained something... deep, I couldn't guess. Like ten thousand years of ice at the pole, underneath there is like an underground stream waiting to flow. "Director Vuong." He nodded slightly in greeting, his voice low. "Oh, Duc Chi, you're here." Principal Vuong laughed and introduced, "It's a good time, let me introduce to you. This is Lam Nhien, in charge of taking pictures for the first time."

Hey, very good craftsmanship." Then he turned to me: "Miss Lam, this is Professor Tham Duc Chi. Although he is in the Department of Geology, he is also the technical advisor of this simulation chamber project. Today, a special invitation came to check for us.” My scalp immediately went numb. Technical advisor? Dear friend, you scammer! I will deduct your salary immediately! I forced a smile: "Professor Tham, hello." Tham Duc Chi looked at me without smiling. He just nodded slightly, then turned his eyes to the simulation compartment. "How prepared are you?" "The temperature has dropped to the set level, Professor Tham." A researcher replied, “I have to go in and check the equipment parameters.” He said as he took off his vest, revealing a white shirt and a dark blue tie inside. "Hey, Duc Chi, it's cold inside, let the students in." Director Vuong advised, "No, I have to manually calibrate this sensor initially." His voice was calm but powerful.