Chapter 7 — Melting Glacier

7Right in the polar simulation chamber worth hundreds of millions, the pride of the A Dai Institute of Environmental Sciences... It's over. Tham Duc Chi also ended his life. Both of their careers are probably about to be buried here. "What's the panic?" Tham Duc Chi's reaction was faster than mine. He immediately got off of me, took off the tie that tied my wrists, and quickly adjusted my clothes. He himself also buttoned his shirt and tightened his belt, but the vest and tie could not be reused. He quickly glanced towards the surveillance camera — right there was the blind spot. His face regained some of its usual calmness. "Don't move here, wait for me to signal." After speaking, he walked to the door, cleared his throat and said outside: "Principal Vuong, it's okay. Just now... Ms. Lam had a slight plateau reaction, combined with a low temperature, so she passed out. I gave first aid, and she's fine now." Director Vuong listened even more impatiently: "Fainted? Is it serious? Do I need to call an ambulance?" "No need." Tham Duc Chi unlocked the door, "I'm a doctor, I've taken care of it. A little rest will be fine." When he said that, his face wasn't red, his heart wasn't racing. I rolled my eyes at him. I didn't know you also knew medical skills? Ah... that's right, you once said that first aid is a mandatory skill when conducting field surveys. Damn it, even lying makes sense. The door opens. Director Vuong and a group of staff rushed in. Tham Duc Chi stood at the door, stopping them. "Don't everyone go in, the temperature difference is big, the patient needs to rest." Then he turned his head to look at me, signaling with his eyes. I immediately understood, transformed into a "professional actor", weakly leaning against the wall, looking like I was about to die. Tham Duc Chi walked over, took off his white blouse and put it on me, then bent down and picked me up princess style. "Let me take you back to the room to rest." He carried me, looking straight, walking through the group of people standing in front of the door. All eyes turned to him, with an expression of admiration like "Professor Tham is such a good person". Only I know how this serious-looking person on the outside had just forced me to the point of crying. He carried me into his private office. It was a typical room for scholars, with three walls lined with high-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with thick documents and books. He gently put me down on the expensive-looking genuine leather sofa, then turned around to pour water. His gait is still a bit unsteady. Apparently, the alcohol combined with the extreme physical exhaustion just now had left him almost exhausted. I lay on the sofa, looking at his busy back, feeling confused. What just happened in the simulation compartment was like a dream that was both wild and unbelievable. But the red marks on my wrists from the tight tie, along with the lingering feeling of pain in my body, remind me that it's all real. He brought a cup of warm water and sat down next to me. "Drink some water." I took it and took small sips. Both were silent, the only sound in the room was the sound of me drinking water. The atmosphere... is somewhat awkward. The person who broke the silence was still Tham Duc Chi. He looked at me, his eyes serious as ever. "Lin Nhien, let's talk." "What?" I was a little afraid to look him in the eye, "Let's talk about your violent behavior just now, or should we discuss how to explain to Director Vuong why we were in the simulation compartment for so long?" He choked, his ears turning slightly red. "...About the violent behavior, I'm sorry." He paused, his voice lowered, "I lost control... I just... missed you too much." "As for the matter with Director Vuong, I will handle it properly without affecting you." "So what do you want to say?" I put the glass of water on the tea table and finally took it all

looked at him courageously. He was silent for a few seconds, as if arranging his words. "Talk about our future." He took out an object from his pocket and placed it on the tea table in front of me. A small velvet box. I froze. "What... is this?" "Open it and see." My hands trembled slightly. I slowly opened the box. Inside was not a ring like I thought, but a small, quiet blue stone that had been meticulously polished. It looks like blue gemstone, but under the light it reflects a deeper and purer light. “This is benitoite — blue pillar mineral.” Tham Duc Chi's voice rang in my ear, "It is one of the rarest minerals in the world. The hardness is very high, but the structure is brittle, extremely difficult to cut and polish." He picked up the stone and placed it in my palm. "It took me three months to grind it into this shape." I looked at the small stone in my hand, then looked up at him. Suddenly, I understood something.