Chapter 12 — The Secret Pages of Room Seven

Three days after the second foray into Room Seven, the atmosphere in An Tâm Clinic began to change in a way that only those who observed closely could notice. Nhã Vân was the first person to feel that difference, when she noticed that the number of security cameras in area B had increased significantly overnight. The corners that had been vacant before were now equipped with new surveillance equipment, with the protective film still intact.

Next, the nursing shift schedule was also completely disrupted. The empty fifteen-minute window she had used to sneak into the special quarantine area now always had at least two security guards standing watch, taking turns patrolling instead of appearing only at fixed times as before.

"They are tightening security," Nhã Vân said to Bách Nguyên during the remaining short and rare meeting, when both had to come up with enough excuses to talk privately without attracting attention. "Did they spot us?"

"I don't think they know exactly who it is," Bách Nguyên replied, his voice was also full of worry. "If they knew it was you or me, we wouldn't be sitting here talking comfortably like this. But perhaps they would have detected traces of someone breaking into Room Seven — a box of files moved, a layer of dust disturbed, any small detail that could make a cautious person like Chu Bảo Hạnh suspicious." Nhã Vân nodded, realizing that their caution during the second break-in was probably not meticulous enough to leave no trace. She recalled how Bách Nguyên had to leave in a hurry after her warning message, possibly not having time to rearrange everything as perfectly as before.

In the days that followed, the tension in the hospital became more and more evident. Tưởng Nhã Kỳ, the person in charge of the isolation ward, began to appear more often in ward B, with cold eyes scanning each patient as if looking for something unusual. She interrogated more carefully every time a patient asked permission to leave the room outside of prescribed hours, and even installed a temporary checkpoint right at the entrance to the corridor connecting area B and the isolation area, where previously there was only a simple magnetic door.

Nhã Vân also noticed that Chu Bảo Hạnh appeared in the treatment area much more often, no longer limited to the administrative area as before, but often inspected the patient rooms, carefully observing each patient's face with an unusual attentiveness compared to the usual busyness seen before.

One afternoon, while sitting in the small library with Mrs. Tram, Nhã Vân noticed that she seemed more restless than usual.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Tram?" She asked softly.

"I heard the nurses say they just received new instructions to review all long-term patient records in Ward B, paying special attention to recent hospitalizations." Mrs. Tram lowered her voice, her eyes filled with worry. "You should be careful, Lam. I have a bad feeling."

Nhã Vân squeezed her hand, trying to reassure her even though her heart was filled with the same insecurity. "I'll be careful. You should too."

That night, Bách Nguyên tried to meet her alone during the short time between two shifts, his voice filled with seriousness. "I just overheard a conversation between Chu Bảo Hạnh and someone whose identity I don't know on the phone when I happened to pass by her office. She said, 'I will personally check all the recent hospital admission records, especially the cases with unclear relatives.' I think that refers directly to you."

Nhã Vân's heart beats faster. Her hospital admission records, though carefully prepared, still have certain gaps under close scrutiny — no obvious relatives, no previous medical history, a simple name with no last name or middle name. If Chu Bảo Hạnh really begins to investigate deeply into such records, it will only be a matter of time before she discovers something unusual.

"We need to speed up the process," she said, her voice determined even though she was filled with worry. "We don't have much time left."

"I agree." Bách Nguyên nodded. "But we can't act rashly either. If we show any signs of panic, it will only make them more suspicious."

In the following days, Nhã Vân was forced to adjust her entire behavior, trying to become more obscure and less noticeable than ever. She limited conversations with Ms. Tram in public, avoided appearing near the quarantine area or the basement, and even pretended to appear more depressed during psychological evaluation sessions so that no one would doubt her unusual alertness.

But behind that quiet exterior, she and Bách Nguyên still silently continued to collect every small piece of remaining evidence, more cautious than ever, clearly aware that every wrong step could now cost them their own safety, and worse, could cause the entire effort to rescue Diệu Kỳ and the other victims to completely collapse before reaching the destination.

Late at night, standing by her room window looking out at the dark quarantine area in the distance, Nhã Vân clearly felt one thing: this criminal network, even though it was forced into a defensive position, still possessed power and cruelty great enough to crush anyone who dared to challenge it. And she knew, the real battle was still ahead, much more fierce than what she had experienced since the first day she stepped foot in this place.

The next morning, a small incident made her even more wary. During breakfast time, a new security guard, an unfamiliar face that had never appeared in Ward B before, stood quietly observing the entire dining room from a far corner, his eyes systematically scanning each patient, unlike the way the old security guards usually did - they usually just stood guard at the door, rarely observing each face so closely. Nhã Vân lowered her head to eat, trying to keep her appearance as normal as possible, but she clearly felt that his eyes lingered on her a little longer than the others, even if only for a split second.

She told this to Bách Nguyên as soon as she had the chance, her voice could not hide the worry. "I think they're hiring more people to do a more thorough review, not just based on paperwork but to directly observe each patient."

"That's a sign they're really worried," Bách Nguyên replied, his face also showing an equally tense expression. "An organization only increases such direct monitoring when it no longer trusts its paper filing system, when it suspects a real internal threat exists, not just an external threat."

He also told her that he himself began to feel a change in the attitudes of his colleagues around him. Nghiêm Đình Vũ, the head doctor of the department, who has always had absolute trust in the management board, recently suddenly asked all doctors in the department to report in more detail on any activities outside of official working hours, citing "preparation for the upcoming inspection", but Bách Nguyên had a hunch that request actually came from Chu Bảo Hạnh's pressure, wanting to more strictly control all staff movements in the hospital.

"If they start to doubt me," Bách Nguyên said, his voice low, "I could be transferred, or worse, removed from this hospital altogether before we can get anything done. We need a backup plan, in case one of us can no longer stay here." Nhã Vân nodded, realizing the urgency of the situation. She began to think about the need to contact Ngọc Diễm more often, ensuring that all evidence collected had at least one copy stored safely outside the hospital, in case anything unexpected happened to her or Bách Nguyên in the coming days. She also began to consider the possibility of having to seek the support of the official investigation agency earlier than expected, even though the current evidence was not yet complete enough to ensure a successful arrest, avoiding an early alarm that would cause the entire network to promptly disperse the evidence and escape before the law could intervene.

Before parting ways that night, the two agreed to temporarily stop all risky actions for the next few days, only focusing on observing and keeping a strong cover, waiting for a more suitable time to continue getting closer to the final truth still hidden behind the locked doors of An Tâm Clinic.