Sweet of tears

**Defusing the Bomb**

Following Thanh Anh's instructions, they prepared a bag with the necessary bomb-defusing tools. From below, Thanh Anh opened the top hatch of the elevator to receive the bag. It contained specialized equipment for bomb disposal, along with a radio for outside communication.

"Ms. Thanh Anh, I'm going to guide you through the bomb defusal. Listen carefully, and ask if you don’t understand anything," a special forces officer said through the radio.

"No need for that, turn off the lights," Thanh Anh replied.

After her refusal, everyone watched the elevator camera as she quickly donned an optical mask. This mask made it easier to see the reflected light from the wires in the photodetector trigger. They turned off the lights as the light would interfere with her vision during the defusal.

She cut the wires for the photodetector trigger. When they saw this, the others turned the lights back on.

Next, she removed the bomb's outer casing, revealing numerous components. She needed to cut the power wire connected to the photodetector trigger. The circuit here was exposed; she looked for a plastic piece to use as a shield. Wait, "shield", that's it! The letter had mentioned "having a shield is useless". So, the shield he referred to was meant as a clue. ERA—why a major tournament? This place doesn’t use the term for professional leagues. Wait! Overtime, ERA, reversed, a major match. Could it be referring to the second bomb? If we don’t know the exact location, it’ll waste a lot of time.

At that moment, outside:

"Duan, according to our investigation, about 30 minutes ago, a small explosion occurred in the elevator of the stargazing tower. The elevator was stuck in the middle of the tower. Then another explosion severed the cables, causing the elevator to fall quickly. It’s currently stuck between the second and third floors due to the automatic braking system," Mo An Nien reported.

"Mr. Bac Minh, Ms. Thanh Anh has cut two wires but now seems to have stopped. We’ve been talking to her, but she’s not responding," the special forces officer shouted.

Hearing this, Bac Minh Duan’s group rushed over, their faces panicked.

"Thanh Anh, can you hear me?" Bac Minh Canh Nghi called out.

She could hear but didn’t respond or move because she was deep in thought. Several minutes passed before she came to, hearing Bac Minh Duan’s shouting.

"I can hear you," she replied softly.

"Why aren't you continuing with the defusal? If you’re unsure which wire to cut next, let Canh Nghi guide you," Bac Minh Duan said, somewhat relieved.

"No, I'm just thinking."

"There’s less than 10 minutes left. Hurry up and defuse the bomb," Nam Cung Liet urged.

She didn’t reply, lost in thought for a moment.

"I can’t continue the defusal."

"What? What do you mean you can't continue? You’ve already cut two wires. There are only three more left: the yellow wire at the LCD screen, the white wire connected to the mercury compass, and the black wire to disable the remote detonator," Bac Minh Canh Nghi explained urgently.

"To the brave girl, this is your reward for courage. A hint about another larger bomb will appear on the LCD screen three seconds before this one explodes," Thanh Anh said, her voice carrying a haunting somberness.

Hearing this, everyone’s faces turned pale. They were barely able to stand.

"No, forget that clue. Defuse this bomb first, then we’ll continue searching," Bac Minh Duan said helplessly.

She didn’t respond, putting the radio aside and calmly sitting alone in the elevator. Unlike her calm demeanor, the outside was in chaos. People were running disorderly, and Bac Minh Duan and the others were restless, shouting into the radio.

Time ticked away, minute by minute. With one minute left, Thanh Anh picked up the radio, ready to wait for the final ten seconds. When only three seconds remained, the screen finally displayed a message.

"Remember, it's an anagram: E V I T."

At this moment, Bac Minh Duan stood still, gazing at the tower. His ears rang, eyes blurred, unable to hear or see clearly. Perhaps everyone felt the same, standing frozen in place.