Chapter 18 — The Secret in the Basement B2

16I stared at the screen. The whole person seemed to be locked in place. In the video... The girl is wearing a red raincoat. The two words embroidered on the sleeve... Under the blazing firelight... They appear clearly. It's me. I don't remember at all. I don't remember ever going to that old office building. Don't remember the fire that year. I don't even remember... There was once a woman who rushed into the fire... To carry me out. The man named Luong looked at me through the screen. The corners of the lips slightly raised.

"Protected you very well."

"He made everyone tell you that..."

"On Kieu passed away due to illness a long time ago."

"Unfortunately..."

"As long as one person ever existed..."

"It will definitely leave a mark."

My throat felt like something was stuck in it.

"...What happens after that?"

"...How was my mother after that?"

The man surnamed Luong did not answer immediately. He bowed his head. Press a few keys on the keyboard. The video continues to play. After being knocked down... The woman loosened her grip. The little girl in her lap rolled to the side. Right then... Someone picked up the little girl. That person has his back turned to the camera. Wear security uniform. Legs are a bit limp. I immediately turned to Mr. Ma who was lying on the hospital bed. Three years ago... It was Uncle Ma who brought me out of the fire. His eyelids trembled slightly. Like I just heard something. Uncle had difficulty opening his eyes. Lips moved slightly. I immediately ran to the bed.

"Uncle Ma..."

"It's me."

His voice was as weak as a thread about to break.

"Don't watch..."

"Don't watch anymore..."

It's too late. The fire in the video becomes more and more intense. The woman was dragged into a black car. Next to the car... is Thieu Chan Hai. He was younger then than he is now. On his face... Full of panic. Standing next to him... is Mieu Tue. With driver Cao. In the far corner of the frame... Another man wearing a hat appeared. When he raised his hand... On his wrist... Revealing an old bronze watch. Not Thieu Chan Hai's watch. That watch... Only later fell into his hands. In my head... A thought suddenly flashed. So cold that my fingertips went numb. That day... The person who really gave the orders... Was not Thieu Chan Hai. The man surnamed Luong seemed to read my thoughts.

"You are very smart."

"You're so smart..."

"Usually don't live long."

The commander immediately shouted loudly. Ask the technical staff to find the source of the video. The technician types continuously on the keyboard. Less than a minute... His face turned dark.

"The signal is relayed through three layers."

"Last point..."

"Located right on the warehouse's internal network."

"It could be very close."

Just as he finished speaking... Outside the cold storage room... Suddenly the sound of metal rubbing was heard. Like someone is pulling a very heavy object. To block the door. A policeman immediately rushed to open the door. The door didn't budge. The remaining person quickly picked up the communication device. Call outside. At that moment... The signal... Suddenly disappeared. On the screen... The man surnamed Luong slowly raised his hand. In his hand... Was a remote control.

"Nguyen Nam Tu."

"I give you two options."

"The first."

"Leave Uncle Ma behind."

"Take your people away from here."

"Open filing cabinet number three..."

"Right behind you."

"Inside..."

"There's something Wen Qiao left behind."

I'm slow turn around. In the deepest corner of the cold storage room... Sure enough, there was a row of iron cabinets. On the door of the third cabinet... Stick a yellowed label. The code is almost completely blurred. Only remains... A handwritten letter. Manh Ky An immediately blocked in front of me.

"Don't touch it."

At that moment... Han Lap Thanh was also brought into the warehouse. He just saw the man surnamed Luong... His face immediately changed.

"Do not open!"

I turned. Han Lap Thanh's lips trembled.

"Not an ordinary filing cabinet."

"That year..."

"After On Kieu hid the accounting book inside..."

"The group of the Luong family..."

"Renovated the entire cabinet."

"Just open the door..."

"Everything inside..."

"It may be canceled."

The man surnamed Luong laughed.

"Han Lap Thanh..."

"You're still as talkative as ever."

"No wonder..."

"That year the fire couldn't burn him to death."

In the blink of an eye... Han Lap Thanh's face turned pale. I stared at the screen.

"You want me to open that cabinet."

"That means..."

"You yourself can't get what's inside."

The smile in the eyes of the man surnamed Luong faded a bit.

“You can understand that.”

"That cabinet..."

"Two-factor authentication set up."

"It's Wen Qiao's bloodline information."

"It's an old key..."

"In Uncle Ma's hands."

I immediately looked towards Uncle Ma. His fingers curled slightly. Your keys... Used to appear in basement B2. But now... Sealed as evidence. The man surnamed Luong seemed to be enjoying my despair.

"The key..."

"Not here."

"On him..."

"There's still half left."

I bent down to look at Uncle Ma. Suddenly... Uncle used all his strength. Hold my sleeve tightly. In my eyes... Full of tears.

"Nam Tu..."

"Don't open..."

"What my mother..."

"Use your life to lock it..."

"It's not..."

"Let me exchange my life for it."

That one sentence... Makes my heart ache. However... The sound of metal dragging outside the door... Gets increasingly heavier. The cold air in the room... Also began to weaken. Suddenly... The ventilation box in the corner of the wall sprayed white mist. Brings an unpleasant pungent smell. Khuong San is not here. Manh Ky An's expression immediately changed. He used his sleeve to cover his nose and mouth.

"He's planning on locking us all in here."

From the screen... The voice of the man named Luong rang out again.

"Ten more minutes..."

"This place will lose power."

"The cooling system will also stop working."

"Uncle Ma..."

"I won't be able to hold out."

"You guys..."

"Same."

He stopped. Then looked straight at me.

"Nguyen Nam Tu."

"Open that cabinet."

"Stop looking at all of them..."

"Die with you."