Chapter 1 — Steel Mother

Lying undercover for ten years, I finally wiped out the entire drug trafficking organization. The day I returned to my true identity, in the line of people coming to pick me up, there was not the person I wanted the most - my daughter. My husband pointed to a girl wearing heavy makeup and told me that she was our daughter. She lives in the penthouse I once bought for my daughter, using the extra card I left behind — the password is her birthday. The receipt shows that last week alone she spent three hundred thousand. But... even the mole in the corner of the eye is different. I smiled, pulled out the gun, and pressed it straight to his forehead. "Three seconds. Tell me where my daughter is. I'm not as bad a shot as I remember." 1 Ten years. I destroyed the largest drug trafficking organization in the Golden Triangle. The day I returned to work as Linh Tieu, the sun was so hot that it was blinding. Colleagues in the project team came to pick me up, and my husband - Co Ngon - was also present. Only the person I was most looking forward to – Niem Niem – was nowhere to be seen. Co Ngon pointed to a strange girl. She wore heavy makeup and smelled of strong perfume. “Linh Tieu, this is Niem Niem, she's grown up.” I looked at her. Look at the corner of your eyes, it's clean and spotless. My daughter has a tiny mole in the corner of her left eye. I remember clearly. I smiled. Raised the gun and pressed it straight to her forehead. Cold metal pressed against warm skin. "Three seconds. Tell me where my daughter is." I shoot a gun and it never misses as much as I remember. The girl screamed loudly. Co Ngon rushed forward, his face pale. "Linh Tieu, are you crazy? She is Niem Niem!" I don't care. My eyes fell on the necklace around the girl's neck. It's a platinum necklace. The pendant was designed by myself. Inside is stored Niem Niem's first baby tooth. My fingers started counting down. “Dad…” 2 The girl's body trembled like a sieve. "I said! I said it!" Her voice was choked as if she was about to cry. Co Ngon tried to rush forward and snatch the gun from my hand, but I turned around and elbowed him straight in the chest. He groaned and took two steps back. Ten years undercover, my body is no longer what he remembers. "Two." My voice was cold and without any temperature. The girl collapsed completely. “She… she is at the ‘Morning Star’ rehabilitation center outside the suburbs!” ‘Morning Star’ rehabilitation center. I've heard this name before. A concentration camp for “problem children,” known for its harshness and high death rate. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold hand. Why? Why is my daughter, my Niem Niem... in that place? I retracted the gun and put it behind my belt. The girl went limp, sitting on the floor. On Co Ngon's face was horror mixed with anger. “Linh Tieu, please listen to my explanation—” I kicked him away. “Get away.” 3 I rushed out of the penthouse. As the elevator was descending, I called team leader Lao Truong. “Old Truong, help me look up the ‘Morning Star’ re-education center.” “Address, person in charge, all surveillance camera access.” “I need it now.” On the other end of the phone, Lao Truong did not hesitate at all: "Yes, in the next five minutes all authority will be sent to your phone." “Linh Tieu, you—” I hung up. I don't have time to listen to his worries. In the underground parking, A black SUV was parked quietly. It's a car that the Special Department gave me specifically. I opened the door and got into the car. The sound of the engine roared like the suppressed scream of a wild animal. The car rushed out of the tunnel and into the traffic flow. The phone vibrates. It's an encrypted file sent by Lao Truong. Address, person in charge, map of the interior structure — all complete. There's even a link into a real-time monitoring system. I clicked. Dozens of small monitoring boxes appeared on the screen. Corridors, living rooms, solitary confinement rooms... Cold. Stuffy. I watched each frame in turn. My hands are shaking. I'm afraid of seeing what I don't want to see. Mom's Remembrance... Mom's home. I... just try to wait a little longer. 4 The car sped along the highway. The sound of the wind whistled through the door, like the plaintive screams of thousands of people. I finally saw a dead corner in the surveillance screen. No — not a dead corner. Someone used a cloth to cover the lens. But I recognized the room number on that door. 307. Is an isolation room for serious diseases. My heart seemed to stop beating for a moment. I stepped on the gas pedal all the way to the bottom. The off-road vehicle was like a black bullet, rushing toward the suburbs. The “Morning Star” rehabilitation center is finally in sight. Soaring white walls, the tops are covered with high voltage wires. Looks like a prison. The security guard in front of the gate tried to stop me. I didn't slow down at all. BAM! I drove straight into the car and broke open the heavy iron gate. The harsh sound of metal twisting rang out. I rushed straight in. The front of the car stuck in the middle of a flower bed, then stopped. I threw open the door and walked down. Several men in uniform rushed forward, electric batons in hand. “Who are you! How dare you barge into the center of the ‘Morning Star’!” I didn't reply. Just pull the gun straight out from behind your back. The black muzzle of the gun was pointed straight at them. In just a split second, everything was silent. I walked towards the white building in the middle. Walking towards room 307. My steps were extremely steady. But every step I take is like stepping on the tip of a sharp knife. 5 The door to room 307 is locked. I raised my foot and kicked hard. BAM! The door panel slammed against the wall, making a dry sound. The room was very dark. The windows were nailed shut with wooden boards. The air was filled with the smell of mold and antiseptic. And there was a skinny figure, huddled on the iron bed in the corner. It's Niem Niem. With just one look, I recognized her. Even though it is now skinny and deformed. Dry, yellow hair like a tangled mess of weeds. On her body was a loose hospital gown, her wrists and ankles were marked with lace marks. Hearing the noise, it startled and raised its head. Eyes that were once as bright as stars, now only emptiness and fear remained. It looked at me, its lips moved, but no sound came out. At that moment, my tears burst. In ten years of living between life and death, I have never shed a single tear. But now, I cry like a child. I walked over and slowly knelt down in front of it. “Nien Niem… it's mom.” My voice was so hoarse and shaky that I didn't even realize it. “Mom is home…” Its empty eyes wavered slightly. Then, as if mustering the last bit of strength, it reached out towards me. That arm is covered with needle marks. I held my child's hand. Cold. Skinny. Only the leather remains bone. I hugged it tightly. The baby was as light as a feather. I felt my child's weak breathing, and the unusual rise and fall of her small chest. I quickly unbuttoned my child's hospital gown. Before my eyes was a long, freshly healed scar, stretching from the sternum to the lower abdomen — looking like a disgusting centipede crawling on my skin. My whole body was cold.{Read full version at Van Ha Tuong page} I picked up my baby and rushed out of the room. The crowd of people waiting outside the door wanted to rush in. I held my child, raised my gun and circled in front of them. “Whoever dares to stop, I will kill.” 6 I carried Niem Niem into the back seat of the car. Then rush straight at the fastest speed to the best private hospital in the city. This hospital is where I once used my life in exchange for power and resources. I parked the car straight in front of the emergency area. The director personally led people out to wait. When he saw Niem Niem in my arms, his expression immediately changed: "Hurry! Prepare the operating room! Call all the experts immediately!" Niem Niem was pushed into the emergency room. The red light turns on. I stood in the hallway, covered in blood. There is other people's blood, there is also my own blood. When I broke the door, my arm was scratched. But I didn't feel any pain. All my senses were focused on that tightly closed door. A few hours later, the door opened. The director stepped out, took off his mask, his face heavy. “Officer Lam, the situation… is very bad.” "The child suffered from long-term malnutrition, many soft tissue bruises, and serious psychological damage." “The most important thing… is the heart.” “The girl… had half of her pericardium removed.” My head is empty. Pericardium... In the past, in order to save her weak congenital heart, I ran around, begged for all kinds of relationships, and was able to secretly bring back an experimental gene drug from abroad. That drug can stimulate regeneration of the heart muscle and pericardium. It's what saved my child's life. Yet… why was it cut? "Where is the medicine? Where is the gene medicine I left behind?" I grabbed the dean's hand and squeezed it tightly. The director sighed. “That medicine… was taken away by your husband, Co Ngon, a month ago.” “He said… used for ‘Nem Niem’.” "We checked the records, that girl's name is indeed To Niem, the same name as your daughter." To Niem. That impersonator. I understand. Everything… I understand now. Not only did they steal my child's identity, they also stole his life-saving medicine. A salty taste rose in my throat. Before my eyes... it became dark.