Chapter 16 — The Secret in the Basement B2

14That voice... It was so hoarse that it felt like its throat had been burned by fire. I tightened my grip on the phone. The flashlight shines straight into the crack in the door. Behind the door... Is a man. He was wearing a baseball cap. Half of the face is in darkness. But the exposed skin... It's covered in distorted scars. Manh Ky An's breathing suddenly stopped.

"...Han Lap Thanh?"

The man did not answer. Just slowly raise your hand. Unlock the electronic lock from the inside. The door opened. Two police officers immediately rushed to control him. But... He didn't resist at all. Instead, slowly raise both hands. The voice was so calm it was scary.

"The person I'm waiting for..."

"Not you guys."

His eyes stopped on my face. Just one look... It sent a chill down my spine. The central control room... Much larger than I thought. All four walls are covered with surveillance screens. Company lobby. Basement B2. Finance department. Even... The image in front of my house. All appear clearly on those screens. My employee card... Is plugged in right next to the center console. The device generates an authentication code... Placed on a black card reader. Besides... Is a voice emulator program that is still active. On the screen... My voice model is clearly visible. The announcement to blockade the building just now... It was broadcast from here. Khuong San immediately rushed to the financial calculator.

"Fifty seconds left!"

I stood in front of the authentication camera. The screen lights up again.

"Please perform facial authentication."

I looked straight into the lens. But right after that... A line of red text appeared again.

"Verification of real person failed."

Khuong San almost burst into tears.

"Someone has taken control of the camera!"

Manh Ky An immediately went behind the control desk. There is a very small black data cable. The other end is connected to a microscopic device. He immediately pulled it out. The screen flashes twice. Still failed. At that moment... Han Lap Thanh suddenly spoke.

"Cut the yellow wire."

Everyone simultaneously turned to look at him. He said softly.

"The Luong family..."

"Would love to leave the back door."

"Yellow wire..."

"It's a fake image transmission."

Manh Ky An only hesitated for less than half a second. Immediately jerk the wire trough. Sure enough... Inside there is an additional yellow wire connected separately. He held the pliers. A screen on the surveillance wall immediately went black. The authentic camera... Finally pointed correctly at my real face. I stood up straight. The system starts scanning. The blood on my forehead... Still flowing down. The system issues a notification again.

"Face data is compromised."

"Please complete movement verification."

"Please blink."

I followed.

"Please turn around."

I followed.

"Please read the random number sequence."

"7... 3... 6... 9... 2..."

Authentication symbol... Still keeps rotating. Khuong San's finger hovered over the final Cancel confirmation button. Her whole body was shaking so much that she could barely stand.

"Nam Tu..."

"Hurry..."

I stared at the screen. At that moment... Han Lap Thanh suddenly burst out laughing.

"What they're really afraid of..."

"Not that money."

I immediately turned around.

"So what is it?"

"You saw that old file."

He replied slowly.

"Dossier set..."

"Her mother left it."

My mind felt like someone had hit me hard one shot.

"...Who did you just say?"

Han Lap Thanh looked straight at me. That name... Like a cold needle. Stabbed straight from my ear to my heart. From childhood to adulthood... I rarely heard that name mentioned. Family members only said... My mother passed away early due to illness. No photos available. There are no relics. Even... I don't even know what she looked like when she was young. But... Uncle Ma once said. I am very similar to the woman that year. Mieu Tue also said... My eyes are like hers. Not like a stranger. Just like my own mother. The system emits a tone.

"Face authentication successful."

Khuong San almost rushed straight forward. Firmly press the Revoke confirmation button. A progress bar appears on the screen. Canceling a pre-booked transfer order... When the progress bar reached 99%... Suddenly stopped. Everyone... Everyone held their breath. The very next second... A blue notification appeared.

"Successful recall."

Khuong San's legs were soft. She plopped down on the ground. While crying... But... I didn't feel relieved at all. Because in my head... Han Lap Thanh's words still keep echoing. The old file... my mother left it behind. I walked step by step in front of him.

"Where is she?"

Han Lap Thanh bowed his head.

"I do not know."

"I just know..."

"Three years ago..."

"During that fire..."

"She brought out an original accounting book."

"That notebook..."

"Can you prove..."

"Thirty million Thieu Chan Hai received..."

"Not investment money."

"Money buys lives."

The whole control room... Only the buzzing sound of machinery echoed. Manh Ky An's face turned pale.

"That year..."

"What my senior investigated..."

"This is the clue."

Han Lap Thanh nodded slightly.

"So..."

"He didn't make it to the next day."

I clenched my hands.

"What about my mother?"

Han Lap Thanh raised his head and looked at me.

"Never stepped out of that trap."

I was just about to ask again. At that moment... The large screen in the center of the surveillance wall suddenly lit up. The image switches to... The third floor of the hospital's emergency department. Right in front of Uncle Ma's hospital room. A female nurse was lying unconscious on the floor. A person wearing a white blouse... was pushing Uncle Ma's hospital bed. Go straight towards the emergency stairs. On the monitor screen. Ma's heart rate... Is fluctuating violently. Right below the image... A line of text slowly appeared.

"Block money..."

"...so what?"

"I still take it away."