Chapter 20 — The Fateful Trial

He was forced to lie face down on the floor, still scolding Ms. Ly: "You dare to sell out my sister! Do you think Duong Hoa can protect you?" Ms. Ly cried and said, "I don't want to go to jail." Lam Quoc Cuong sneered: "It's too late for you to hand it over now. Duong Hoa's son's original registration has been overwritten with an application for cancellation. Without the final authentication code, she won't be able to restore her household registration smoothly in this lifetime." The police immediately asked: "Where is the authentication code?" Lam Quoc Cuong closed his mouth tightly and did not say another word. I flipped open that household registration book. The first page is Ha Tuan. The second page is my name. The third page lists the name Ha An An. But the date of birth was sixteen years ago. Inside is a folded piece of paper. Opening it, I saw a pre-printed line: *"Final confirmation of the correction of the identity of newborn Ha An An, requires a joint application from two guardians."* In the signature of the applicant, there was Ha Tuan's name. In the space above the remaining signature, fill in my name. At the bottom of the paper, there was a series of handwritten numbers. Seeing that series of numbers, Ms. Ly's face suddenly changed.

“This is not an authentic code. This is the code of the medical records cabinet. The real original is still in the storage room in the basement of the hospital.”

16 As soon as Ms. Ly uttered the words "basement storage room", Lam Quoc Cuong's face completely darkened. He was held tightly by the police's shoulders, still trying to resist:

“That place has been abandoned for a long time, even if you go down you won't find anything.”

Ms. Ly cowered in the corner of the wall, sobbing: "Found it. The archive cabinet must have keys from both the director and the archives staff to open it. No one else can open it. In the past, I only took away the receipt, the original records were not under my management." I picked up the cement paper bag, the bloody scratch on the back of my hand was still burning. But I don't care about that pain. I just want to know where they hid my son. The police asked someone to escort Lam Quoc Cuong downstairs, then asked Ms. Ly to lead the way. Behind the old building there is an iron door. On the door hung a sign "Abandoned area of the hospital", the lock was covered with dust. Ms. Ly pulled out a set of keys from inside her uniform, her trembling hands tried the third time to open it. As soon as the door opened, a cold, musty air blew into my face. The stairs leading down, the emergency light on the wall emitted a dim blue light. Standing at the entrance, my back exuded a layer of chill. The police officer looked at me: "Miss Duong, you can wait up here." I shook my head: "I have to see it with my own eyes." Because I no longer dare to entrust any important links to others. I followed them downstairs. The sole of the shoe stepped on a puddle of water, the sound echoed in the empty basement. Going to the end of the street, a row of iron cabinets appeared. Each cabinet has a number on it. Ms. Ly held the piece of paper, looked at the handwritten numbers and read: "Area B, row 7, cabinet number 13." We followed the order number to find it. On the outside of cabinet number 13 is a yellowed seal. One corner of the sealing edge was peeling off, as if someone had touched it. The policeman squatted down to take a look, his expression hardening: "The seal has traces of being taped." Ms. Ly's legs became weak: "I have never touched it. Me." I really don't dare touch this place." The police did not pay attention to her. After taking photos for evidence, they called the archives staff to open the cabinet. During the few minutes of waiting, my phone kept vibrating. It was Ha Tuan calling. I didn't pick up the phone. Very quickly, he sent a message. *"Duong Hoa, your mother just had a heart attack and has been taken to the emergency room."* I looked at that line, my fingers didn't even move.