Writer Duong Binh Nguyen
But at some point, the resolution of the case takes a backseat to the age-old question: what is the nature of evil? The deeper the reader delves into the case, the more they find themselves not standing amidst the crimes, but amidst the people. Suffering people, people who have lost their identity and humanity in a virtual space.
There, ethical questions occasionally arise only to be swallowed up by the boundless world . A bottomless ocean. A sea without a horizon. A land no longer separated by borders, where each person is a lonely, gray oasis.
A glimmer of humanity
Duong Binh Nguyen was often affectionately called "Brother Red Shoes" by his friends and colleagues. This nickname likely originated from his collection of short stories, "Red Shoes." But suddenly, those "Red Shoes" became increasingly rare in the literary world.
Occasionally, we see the Red Shoes appear in the newspapers, then nothing more. We don't see any new books with the name Duong Binh Nguyen on the cover. Although many of his stories, written nearly a decade ago, are still remembered by a considerable number of readers.
And he returned. Unexpectedly, but not abruptly. He returned with a more mature, different, and fuller work: the novel * The Wind Still Blows Through the Tropical Rainforest *.
Over the past few years, along with the development of information technology, cybercrime has become increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable. It threatens, harasses, and endangers lives. Life seems to have changed so rapidly in just a few years, sweeping away countless lives and innocence.
As a crime novel, *The Wind Still Blows Through the Tropical Rainforest* features murders, deaths, and police investigations. They are all caught in a labyrinth created by ordinary people. But those who created this labyrinth don't know that a monster lurks within it. And once that monster appears, no one can control it.
In that labyrinth of despair, a glimmer of humanity is the only light people have to find their way out. To rediscover a glimmer of faith in life. To see that evil is a deadly monster, but not the only monster we need to destroy.
Duong Binh Nguyen (right) shares his thoughts with readers about his new work - Photo: TTD
Examining the true nature of humanity
From the mountains of Viet Bac to the streets of Hanoi . From the 1990s to the present day. From the raw, unadorned world to the virtual space. Duong Binh Nguyen gradually expands the scope of his novel, *The Wind Still Blows Through the Tropical Forest *.
A broad enough scope to encompass many different fates. From victims of loan apps to those whose identities have been compromised... this reflects the complexity of current data crime, where anyone in society can become a victim.
The Wind Still Blows Through the Tropical Forest, published by the People's Police Publishing House.
The central character of the novel is the young investigator Lãnh Hoàng Bách. Through Bách's investigation, readers gain some insight into the online world.
The internet may be virtual, but the deaths it causes are real. The terrifying thing is that it doesn't need to approach or directly attack; it slowly pushes people to the brink of despair.
No one understood that abyss better than Lãnh Hoàng Bách. The unique aspect of *The Wind Still Blows Through the Tropical Forest * lies in the fact that Dương Bình Nguyên doesn't construct a dry investigation but delves deep into the characters' psychology.
They are people burdened by the past, facing the present, a present that seems cruel as it is constantly surrounded by invisible and intangible evil.
Duong Binh Nguyen quotes Wong Kar-wai's films, where Wong Kar-wai's characters become the reflections of other characters, mirroring their inner selves. It's as if the reflection on the stainless steel pitcher at the bar is full of nostalgia and regret, like when Le Hoang Bach sees "they are somewhere else, in other times" (p. 222).
The refined writing style, rich imagery, and poetic details do not diminish or soften the sadness and the scale of the tragedy.
It reveals the "unbearable lightness" of existence, a lightness that Luu Bach Dan once felt: "I carried the baby outside. It was weightless, like a rose branch in the cold season" (p. 36). Light, fleeting in an instant, yet haunting for a long time. And then, many years later, the red eyes will return when "A beam of light from the street lamp shines through the window, falling onto the table in the shape of a thin knife. Suddenly I remember the eyes of the little girl from years ago. In the dimly lit room, it was the only beam of light that refused to go out" (p. 37).
Alongside the storyline of Lãnh Hoàng Bách are the diary entries of his senior colleague Lưu Bạch Đàn. These are beautiful pages in this crime novel.
Therefore, we are not just talking about "The Wind Still Blows Through the Tropical Rainforest" as a topical novel (data crime). Over time, we are also talking about its literary value. What remains here are sentences like the gaze of a tiny creature just rescued.
Writer Duong Binh Nguyen
Duong Binh Nguyen (real name Duong Van Toan, born in 1979, from Thai Nguyen province) is currently a writer, holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and is the Head of the Special Programs Department of the People's Police Television (ANTV).
Beginning his writing career in the 1990s, Duong Binh Nguyen impressed readers with his short story collections such as "Village of Beauty," "Returning to Paradise," "Hidden Fragrance of Flowers," "Red Shoes," and "Paris Love Story ."
His latest novel, *The Wind Still Blows Through the Rainforest *, is about data crime and ethical conflicts in the digital age.
This book won the A prize in the novel, short story, and essay writing competition "For National Security and Peaceful Life" organized by the Ministry of Public Security in collaboration with the Vietnam Writers Association.
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HUYNH TRONG KHANG
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/gio-van-thoi-qua-rung-nhiet-doi-20260125093058706.htm
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