Chapter 3 — The Parrot Knows Too Much

The next morning, I brought two huge dark circles under my eyes to the company. There's something very strange about the atmosphere in the office. Everyone huddled in groups, whispering, their eyes occasionally glanced at me and then quickly moved away. The story of Truong Vi's disappearance... was clearly linked to the police coming to find me yesterday. I became the eye of the storm. I tried to stay calm, went straight to my seat, turned on the computer, and pretended nothing happened. But I clearly felt the gazes stuck behind me. There is curiosity, speculation, gloating... even fear. Just as I was about to be suffocated by that atmosphere, the phone rang. It's Trinh Hao.

“Chieu Chieu, I'm home, I'm in the parking lot under the company, please come down here for a moment.”

His voice sounded tired, but still very calm. My heart immediately jumped into my throat. What must be faced... has finally come. I held the phone, my legs were a bit soft, and walked into the elevator. How should I tell him? Saying that his pet parrot has now become evidence in a case? Saying that it… is actually a living horror story telling machine? The elevator door opened, I immediately saw Trinh Hao's car. He stood leaning against the car door smoking, his eyebrows furrowed. Seeing me, he put out his cigarette and opened the passenger door.

“Get in the car, let's talk.”

The air in the car was so heavy it was suffocating. I sat restlessly, my hands clenching the hem of my shirt.

“General Trinh… sorry…”

I opened my mouth, my voice hoarse.

“Li Bai… it…”

“I know.”

Trinh Hao interrupted me, his eyes still looking straight ahead, without wavering.

"As soon as I got off the plane, Captain Vuong from the city called me."

I was stunned. Does he know everything? But... didn't show any surprise?

“General Trinh, you…”

“Chieu Chieu.” He turned to look at me, his eyes so complicated that I couldn't read them.

“You taught him how to speak, right?”

“I… I only teach ancient poetry…” I explained in a low voice.

He smiled bitterly, shaking his head. “I knew it would end up like this sooner or later.”

“That parrot… is not normal.”

“It's like a recording sponge, able to absorb all the surrounding sounds, and then at some point… play it all back.”

I looked at him blankly.

“President Trinh, so that recording…”

“Not me.” He immediately denied, his voice decisive.

“I'm not a good person, but not to the point of doing that.”

I believe him. Although Trinh Hao is a cold business person, he still has principles. The voice in the recording was... terrifyingly emotionless, completely unlike him.

“So who is it?” I asked.

He was silent for a long time. It took so long that I thought he wouldn't answer.

“Its previous owner.”

His voice was low, carrying a chill.

“A psychiatrist.”

“Specializes in treating severely mentally ill patients.”

“He said, this parrot once belonged to a patient who had violent tendencies and a very severe antisocial personality.”

“That person often says all his darkest, most twisted thoughts… to the parrot.”

“Then… that person committed suicide.”

“The doctor saw that this bird was not healthy, so he brought it to me.”

I heard it and my spine went cold. It turns out those terrible words... actually came from a crazy person. Ly Bach is just an innocent speaker.

“General Trinh, then let's talk about this with the police close…”

“No way.” He interrupted again.

“There is no evidence.”

"That doctor went abroad last year and can't be contacted."

“Right now, the only evidence… is the parrot.”

“And that parrot… was taken away from your house.”

His words were like a basin of ice water poured straight down on my head. The parrot is at my house. The person who taught him to open his mouth... was also me. In everyone's eyes, I am the most suspicious person.

“Chieu Chieu, listen to me.” His voice became extremely serious.

“Don't get involved in this matter anymore.”

“I will find the best lawyer.”

"If Vuong's team still asks, just say you don't know anything."

“Remember, don't say anything.”

His voice wasn't comforting... but more like commanding. I nodded bewilderedly. Mind is empty. He took me back to the company and told me to go up first. I opened the car door, preparing to get out. The moment he closed the door, my eyes accidentally glanced at his wrist. A watch. Patek Philippe dark blue face. Exactly... the one Truong Vi brags about in the office every day. That watch was like a poisonous thorn, sticking straight into my eye. I almost staggered back to the office. The whispers of colleagues now sound like judgments. Every look that looked at me seemed like a hook, wanting to drag all the fear in my heart out to light. I sat down, my whole body was cold. Trinh Hao's words still rang in his ears. Psychiatrist… mental patient… distorted thinking… He explained so perfectly. So perfect… like it was prepared. A boss cares about his subordinates and takes care of everything. What about the watch? What about that Patek Philippe? Although Truong Vi is obnoxious, his family is very wealthy. His father worked in a mine, he joined the company just to "experience life". That watch was a 25th birthday gift, he treasured it so much that he wore it 24/7, even when he showered, he didn't take it off. On social networks, every three days, I post photos showing off. I forced myself to calm down. Could be just a coincidence. Maybe Trinh Hao also has an identical one. Expensive watches… but not unique. My hands trembled and opened WeChat. I flipped through it for a long time before finding Truong Vi's personal page, which I had blocked before. I clicked. The last post stops at the day before he disappeared. A photo taken in a bar. The lights were dim, he raised his glass of wine. On the wrist… the dark blue watch face is clearly visible. He also wrote: "My blue baby, tonight is even more charming." I enlarge the photo. It's that watch. The pattern of the dial, the shine of the metal strap... are exactly the same as the one I just saw on Trinh Hao's wrist, no mistake. My blood immediately turned cold. Trinh Hao is lying. Definitely a lie. The story about the psychiatrist, about the mental patient... he made it all up to trick me. Why did he have to trick me? There's only one possibility. It was he who told those secrets in front of the parrot. He is the one who is truly... cold, without any humanity. He gave me the parrot...on purpose. He knows I talk a lot and like to show off, which will definitely make the parrot open its mouth. He knew this parrot was a perfect recorder and playback machine. He wanted to borrow my hand, borrow Ly Bach's mouth... to push all the doubts on me. He wanted me to be his substitute. This realization is worth it more scared than when I faced the police. At that time, I was just facing an unknown danger. And now... the danger has a name and a presence. It's my boss, Trinh Hao. A person who smiles at me every day, gives me work, and pays me. He is right in this building, maybe at this moment he is standing in front of the high-floor office glass door, coldly looking down at me. I felt like an insect caught in a spider's web. The more I struggled... the tighter I was squeezed. In the end, it can only be paralyzed by the venom, and then slowly swallowed. I have to do something. Can't sit and wait to die. But… what can I do? Go tell Officer Vuong that my boss wears the same watch as the missing person? Will they believe it? Trinh Hao just needs to say "I bought it myself", and he can dismiss me. I don't have any proof. But my words, from someone who has been listed as the number one suspect... have no weight at all. They even thought that I dragged others into the water because I wanted to escape the crime. I felt… despair for the first time.