Two days passed in a flash.
Early that morning, a thick mist still shrouded the village roads, and dewdrops sparkled on the grass under the first rays of dawn. A silver pickup truck pulled up in front of Van Thien's house.
The driver hopped out and called out loudly: "Brother Sau! It's time to go!"
Thien's father emerged from the house, carrying a bag of specialized tools. "Coming! Wait a moment!" He turned back and shouted, "Thien! Are you ready, son?"
Van Thien stepped out from behind the house. He wore his familiar brown t-shirt, khaki shorts, and flip-flops. A traditional khăn rằn scarf was wrapped around his right wrist, and a small backpack slung over his shoulder.
"I'm ready, Dad."
His father nodded. "Let's move."
His mother stood at the doorway, watching them leave. "Make sure to call home when you get there, you hear?"
Thien smiled. "Yes, Mom!"
As they climbed into the truck, they saw a young girl about seventeen years old. Thien's father asked, "And who is this...?"
The driver replied, "Ah, this is Bao Uyen, Uncle Ut's daughter. He's swamped with work, so he asked me to look after her."
"Oh, I see," Thien's father said, surprised. "Hello there, little one."
Bao Uyen didn't respond, leaving him momentarily stunned, though he didn't take it to heart and boarded the truck. Thien followed, noticing her eyes briefly graze over him as he sat down.
The pickup began to roll, leaving the familiar village roads behind. The national highway stretched out before them, passing through vast fields and small towns as they headed North.
Wind rushed through the windows. Thien sat by the glass, gazing out at the distant houses. He reached up instinctively to touch the necklace around his neck.
It... was vibrating again.
He frowned. Strange...
Bao Uyen stole a secret glance at his face, but Thien didn't notice.
The truck eventually turned into Long Thanh Airport. Upon getting out, the driver explained, "Since Hai Phong is a long way off, Uncle Ut treated the four of us to plane tickets to fly straight there, then we'll head to Thuy Nguyen."
After checking in, the four of them boarded the aircraft. Thien chose a window seat. To everyone's surprise—including his father and the driver—Bao Uyen sat right next to him.
The driver chuckled, "Well, that's odd. Normally, this girl won't sit near anyone except her old man. Whether it's a car or a bus, she always sits alone. Why is she sticking so close to Thien today? Could it be...?"
Thien's father laughed it off. "No way. Thien spends all his time with the kids in the neighborhood; he has no experience being around girls."
Thien just gave a dismissive smile as the plane took off. High above the clouds, he was admiring the blue sky when he felt a weight on his shoulder. Bao Uyen had fallen asleep, leaning against him. What shocked him was that she was clutching his arm tightly, making it impossible for him to move. Not wanting to disturb her, he remained still.
Eventually, the plane approached Hai Phong. The flight attendant's voice came over the intercom:
"Chào mừng quý khách đã đến với thành phố Hải Phòng. Giờ địa phương hiện tại là 11h30 Nhiệt độ ngoài trời là 25°C Vì sự an toàn của quý khách, vui lòng giữ nguyên vị trí, thắt dây an toàn cho đến khi máy bay dừng hẳn và tín hiệu thắt dây an toàn đã tắt..."
And then an announcement in English rang out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Haiphong. Local time is 11:30 AM. The outside temperature is 25°C..."
The announcement woke Bao Uyen. Realizing she was leaning on his shoulder, she recoiled slightly, her face flushing with embarrassment. Thien asked gently:
"Are you awake? Did you sleep well?"
She lowered her head, her cheeks turning bright red. "Yes... very well... Thank you, brother Thien."
Thien gave a soft smile and turned back to the window.
After landing, they got into another car. Thien's arm was quite numb from sitting in one position for so long. Seeing him rotate his shoulder, Bao Uyen asked softly, "Are you... okay?"
"I'm fine, don't worry," he laughed.
The car drove across the Hoang Van Thu Bridge. From the heights, Thien looked out at the scenery—flower gardens and old French architecture blended with bustling streets. The North Cam River urban area was rising with modern government buildings where marshes once lay.
Thien suddenly felt a shiver. He felt a strange connection to this land. The necklace vibrated intensely.
"Once we cross this bridge, we'll be in Thuy Nguyen," the driver noted.
Sunlight reflected off Thien's necklace, but in that moment, the water below the bridge... rippled. It wasn't the wind or the current. It was as if something had glided past very fast, very deep.
Thien narrowed his eyes. A cold chill ran down his spine. He looked down at the river instinctively. For a split second, he had the feeling that someone down there... was staring back up at him.
Beneath the Thuy Nguyen River, inside the black armored submarine, the soldier reported: "Sir, according to the signal, the target is now in Thuy Nguyen."
The Red-Eyed Black Dragon smirked, revealing his crimson-stained teeth on the holographic display. "I didn't expect him to come to me. Saves me the trouble of hunting him down."
He looked at his subordinates. "Drop anchor. We stay here."
He stared at the red dot representing Thien's location, his eyes glowing like embers.
"Prepare... for the hunt."