Chapter 16 — Mystery At 3 A.M

As soon as An An looked, she recognized those eyes. Bank employee. The woman took sick leave. She looked at An An, her voice was very light.

“Your grandmother really loves you very much.”

“The final path is left to you.”

An An did not move.

“Where is my mother?”

The woman laughed.

“Your mother is where she should be.”

“As long as you lead the right way, she can still live.”

An An stared at her.

“Where is Dong Dien?”

The woman's eyes wavered slightly. In just that blink of an eye, An An understood. She is also afraid of Dong Dien. She's not a core character. She was the one pushed aside by Dong Dien to find the way. An An slowly put her hand into her pocket and grabbed the printed paper. The woman lowered her voice. An An did not go in. The girl suddenly raised her head and looked at the old sign at the end of the alley. Vong Giang photo shop. The word "Giang" on the sign is missing a stroke. From a distance, it looks like another word. An An's head suddenly flashed the sound of tapping on her grandmother's tape. That wasn't a knock on the door. It was the sound of the film clip in the dark room of the photo shop hitting the iron bar. When she was little, she heard it. When her grandmother took her to take pictures, there was a small iron door behind the dark room. Behind the door is not a warehouse. It's a path sandwiched between two buildings leading to the old archives. An An finally knew where the real entrance was. But before the girl could speak, deep in the alley suddenly lit up a red light. Under the red light, Khuong Hoa was tied to an old chair. Her mouth was taped shut, her head drooped helplessly. Dong Dien stood behind her, holding an old-style camera in his hand. The lens points straight towards An An. He gently pressed the shutter button. The flash flashed. An An heard him laugh in the dark.

“Found you.”

The moment the flash flashed, An An did not close her eyes. The girl stared at Khuong Hoa's hand. Khuong Hoa was tied to a chair, the tape on her mouth was shining white in the light. Her left hand dangled next to the chair, her fingertips tapping the wood with each beat. Three short, one long. An An's throat felt like something was blocking it. This is the symbol her grandmother taught her. Not original. It's the path. That means the place Dong Dien shows before his eyes at this time is still just a fake layer. Dong Dien stands behind Khuong Hoa, an old-fashioned camera hanging in front of his chest. After taking the photo, he was in no hurry to approach An An. He enjoyed this feeling of control. The red light made his face half light and half dark. The bank employee stood next to An An, his hands hidden in his sleeves. An An saw a piece of metal sticking out of her cuff. Not a knife. Which resembles a folding key. Dong Dien spoke up. An An did not move.

“Let my mother talk.”

Dong Dien bowed his head to look at Khuong Hoa.

“You have no right to dictate conditions.”

An An's voice is very light.

“If I don't go in, you won't be able to find your way.”

The bank employee immediately turned his head to look at her. Those eyes were too quick. So fast that it seemed like she was also waiting for An An to show her the entrance. An An is even more certain. Dong Dien knows Vong Giang alley, but doesn't know where the real door is. They called her so that she could point out the second layer of sugar that her grandmother had left behind. Dong Dien tore off half of the tape on Khuong Hoa's mouth. Khuong Hoa took a deep breath, her voice was hoarse Almost nothing like her.

“An An, don't come here.”

Dong Dien raised his hand and pressed it on her shoulder. Khuong Hoa's face immediately turned pale. An An's hand squeezed until it hurt. But she still didn't rush forward. It looked at Dong Dien.

“If you touch my mother again, I will forget everything I know.”

Dong Dien burst out laughing.

“A thirteen-year-old child learns from adults to bargain.”

“I don't bargain.”

“I'm just telling you, right now you only have me.”

The alley was silent for a second. The old sign above the red light was blown by the wind and shook slightly. The paint on the words "Vong Giang Photo Studio" has peeled off. The word "Giang" is missing a stroke. An An raised her head to look at the sign. She remembers when she was little, her grandmother used to take her here to take photos of documents. At that time, the photo shop had not yet closed. The front room is filled with yellowed sample photos. The boss always turns off half the lights, saying the dark room cannot meet strong light. That year, An An was playful and once went behind the red curtain. She remembered that there was a drainage ditch in the dark room. At the end of the drainage ditch is a small iron door. It was very dark behind the door. At that moment, her grandmother pulled her back, her fingers cold. Grandma said children cannot go in there, otherwise they will get lost. Now An An finally understands. You won't get lost. And that place was originally connected to a place that was not allowed to be found by others. An An slowly raised her hand and pointed at the photo shop's rolling door. The bank employee breathed a sigh of relief. But Dong Dien's eyes still haven't completely relaxed.

“The door is inside.”

Dong Dien asked coldly.