Chapter 6 — Reborn From A Call

"A woman, said to be your college friend, named To Uyen." I paused for a moment, turned my chair to face the window. "I didn't see you." The assistant nodded, turned around and was about to leave. I called her back: "Tell the receptionist to tell her, I don't know this person." After the assistant left, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a moment. To Uyen. This name has not appeared in my life for a long time. Last month, when Tieu Chau had a video call with me, he mentioned something. To Uyen and Lam Chau broke up a long time ago, it was said that Lam Chau had an affair with a first-year graduate student. "It's worth it," Tieu Chau said at that time, "dog bites dog." As for To Uyen, her work is not going well, her feelings are not going well either. I heard that I recently wanted to switch to personal media and went everywhere to find people to help me. I don't know what she came to see me for today. Investment, work, or the cheap saying "after all, we are best friends". But regardless of the type, my answer is the same. In my world, there has long been no place for her anymore. In the evening, I went alone to a small pub on the banks of the River Thames. This is a habit I developed after coming to London. Every week, give yourself an evening alone, drink a glass of wine, and watch the lights on the river. The phone vibrated, it was a message sent by Professor Tran Duy Minh. "Khuong Hu, how are you thinking about the collaborative project at MIT? They really hope you can join the consulting team." I answered "yes professor, I will answer you next week", then put the phone down. MIT. It's another name that I never dared to think of. I raised the glass of wine, gently touching my reflection on the river surface. "Dear you, Khuong Hu is twenty-two years old." "Thank you for listening to that phone call that night." "Thank you for choosing to believe in yourself." The wine slid down my throat, a bit bitter, but the final aftertaste was sweet. Just like the path over the past few years. The beginning was bitter, the process was arduous, but the end was a bright light that I won for myself. I remember a sentence I read a long time ago. "When you decide to live for yourself, the whole world will give way to you." I didn't believe it before. I used to think that love is the whole of life, I used to think that if I just give it, I would be cherished, I used to think that best friends are forever harbors. Only later did I understand. Your true harbor is yourself. The real gamble worth betting on is your own life. I put down my glass of wine, stood up and left the bar. The London night wind blew the river's moisture into my face. I pulled my coat tightly, my steps light. Tomorrow there are new projects to see, new meetings to hold, new worlds to conquer. As for me, I will never stop because of anyone who doesn't deserve it.