I discovered my secret by chance due to that damned cunning cat of my neighbour. That Sunday morning my wife took our two little boys to see her parents, leaving me behind with a mess of papers. Then the cat appeared, padding up and down with a rolling gait before my eyes. I guessed the reason for her coming up to my room was that she simply had not found anything to eat in the kitchen. Even worse, with her velvet-covered feet, she jumped up to sit on the table with her arse covering my insurance documents which had just been filled in or had yet to be signed by customers.

I looked at the cat. She gazed back boldly, her eyes shining like pure gold and challenging me with a fixed stare. "Go away, out of my sight!" I yelled, my voice filled with anger. Surprisingly, beyond my expectations, the cat drew her tail between her legs and jumped down to the ground. She had almost reached the door when I said my wish. "You naughty girl, you’d better get the pen I dropped there for me." Gracefully the cat immediately ran back to me with my pen in her mouth. I must tell you never before had that cunning cat obeyed me in such a simple and quick manner.

Now it is necessary to tell you something more about my accident. Being an amateur artist I very much liked to act as a substitute in ‘rough’ scenes. While working as a customer relations official for an insurance company I joined the Amateur Club where artists like me were often asked to act in ‘dangerous’ scenes. As you might guess, I had taken part in many films but not yet enjoyed, at least once in my life, any touch of glory or fame. Never was there any moment I could really see my own face on the screen, except the arms and the legs, the shoulders and the back, the neck and the back of the head. Even so, the assignment was extremely hard and difficult. Nobody could do it without keen interest and enthusiasm.

Sorry for being talkative! I’m now coming back to the accident. I had been asked to perform a somersault which seemed so exciting to me as I was to be hit first by a car and then by a bullet in the forehead and should fall backward on the road. The somersault was the easiest to do, not as difficult as I thought. Then the moment I was struck by the car seemed more complicated but it depended a lot on the scene arrangements. It took almost three hours to prepare a fake wound in my forehead for the shooting scene in which I was wounded- the actual time needed for the camera running was just 30 seconds.

A tab of fake blood was supposed to be hidden under artificial skin that would break when I was gunned down by the hit man as the fake bullet tore a hole in the skin and the thin layer of the tab, letting the blood run down my face from the forehead. What an impressive sight! This time, at last, I would have some close-ups in front even if only for 30 seconds. Everything had run smoothly until the director shouted "Camera, action!" I looked straight into the muzzle of the gun, seeing a flash and hearing an explosion, and was then thrown off the ground into unconsciousness.

Later I was told there had been a terrible mistake about the bullet loaded in the gun. It was real, not fake. What a bloody mistake! And why in God’s name! I think it is not necessary to tell you what happened afterwards to the prop man, the make-up assistant, the director and other concerned people. Nor will I tell you how much the club manager had done to help me. Generally speaking, I had a narrow escape and was paid enough compensation to cover all my medical treatment. After recovering, I returned to work at the insurance company with a small scar like a drop of water in the middle of the forehead. My wife had good reason to make me promise that I would stop what she called my "silly acting game." Yes, I had no right to try it on with her nerve fibres already stretching very thin for the sake of my artistic passion.

Like it or not, I have to connect the accident to my strange ability to ‘hypnotize instantly’. Suppose that the bullet had hit some sensitive part of the brain, infusing into my eyes an invincible power to force the opponent into submission. I can just look straight into the eyes of any person or creature and send out a message and that person or creature will obey my order immediately. Of this I am as sure as rain since I have practised it many times. It is supernatural indeed! First I had a try with my wife and two little boys. Then with some colleagues in my company. Also with my quarrelsome neighbour (the owner of that cunning cat) and my ward leader...But most interesting was my try with customers, especially when I knew for sure they had not bought insurance anywhere else.

In doing so, the turnover I earned for the company kept increasing remarkably and I was becoming a ‘first-rate’ insurer, highly appreciated by the customer relations department manager. My commissions and bonuses surged to an unbelievable level. With just a convincing glint in my eyes I could afford to have almost everything: a large house with every convenience instead of a tumbledown flat, a latest model car, a big savings account... Imagine one day you could do all this just by looking straight into the eyes of another person. In a very short period of time, you know, I had obtained almost all I needed and wanted to have. I could even exchange my wife for a young, charming fashion model if I really wished. Luckily, I was not that greedy.

I felt very comfortable with my job as I could go to the company at any time as I liked. In the morning I woke up lazily like an idle man, opening the newspaper and having a quick look through news briefs about local and foreign tours, advertisements about the latest goods, fashions and pleasures... I was so surprised to see some hot news that I sat up and read it over and over again: a company is looking for actors to cast in a major film that will be released soon by the State through a joint-venture project with some foreign partners.

The advertisement reminded me of the old unlucky days when I was head over heels pursuing my acting career. Such a love which I thought would have cooled down within me, came to life again all of a sudden. I really wanted to be chosen as the male lead in the film as I had always wished for. I really wanted to become famous and wished that I would appear wholly in one piece from close-up to middle and long positions, not just with the arms or the legs, the shoulders or the head, the back or the neck. Even in adventurous scenes I would cast myself without needing a substitute. Oh my God, this thought already made me tremble with joy.

That night I told my wife with a glint in my eyes that I wanted her to let me off that promise and allow me to take part in that ‘silly acting game’. Of course, my wife agreed with an easy nod without knowing why. Next morning I went to register at the company which was recruiting actors. There was no need to prepare at all. With just a convincing glint in my eyes I went through three rounds of hard tests and trials, defeating one thousand and one heavy-weight rivals to top the list of candidates. My face glowed with happiness when I held in my hand the piece of paper for my appointment with the director-a man of rich experience who, as you would like to know, had directed a series of top-rated films.

Soon, he and I were sitting face to face at a table. I felt a tiny shiver when I realised some disadvantages as he had the black glasses over his eyes and a mysterious glossy red cap pulled down low to cover most of his face. And, strangely enough, he did not look me in the eye. Confusion became more confounded when I was unable to make do with a hypnotic stare and looked very clumsy. Even more so when I discovered that he was silently looking at my full reflection in the large mirror nicely placed in a corner of the room.

While observing me he asked questions in a relaxed manner. The more I answered him the more I felt that the chance of becoming the male lead was slipping through my fingers. Judging from frowns on his face, I knew his patience was wearing thin but I still failed to catch the well-concealed glint from his eyes. " Now or never," I said to myself in a sweat and I jumped up like an angry bull in a china shop.

-I really don’t understand why you keep wearing the black glasses? You didn’t even cast a glance over me to see if I am worthy or not...

-Don’t be angry, young man. I really hope you deserve to be the number one candidate. Didn’t you see I was trying to understand you?

-Take off your glasses and just look straight into my eyes. Or don’t you dare?

Lousy challenge! By then I had been overwhelmed with a prediction of failure as my excessive passion had dulled my mind. As a sign of compromise he took off his black glasses and stared at me without blinking an eyelid. I tried to compose myself and send out from my eyes the signals that I knew would be accepted. But, on the contrary, I was completely paralysed by his hard stare that seemed to say: "Fame is blinding your eyes and I think you are not capable of being cast in this difficult role. Please back out and don’t be stubborn!" Without thinking I just nodded and said: " I agree and will back out as you suggest."

I stood in obedience and, before starting to leave, saw him raise his brows to stop me. He had hardly put his damned cap on the table when I noticed with a start that in the middle of his forehead there was also a scar like a drop of water three times bigger than mine. I almost let out a yelp when he smiled generously.

-I noticed something special about you right after you entered the room. There is no need to explain to you about my scar and my supernatural stare. But you should listen to this. I don’t like any imposition, nor have I ever forced anyone to do anything against his will. I expect everything to run naturally according to its potential strength. I think working hard will reap a reward. For a long time now I have worn the cap to cover my scar and the black glasses to conceal my stare. You have forced me to speak out the truth you deliberately didn’t want to understand...

Then, gesturing by hand, he signalled an end to the encounter.

Translated by Nguyen Duc Phu