Chapter 9 — 35 Currency Salary, Exchanged For An Entire Empire Collapse

Lam Phong looked at me. Then slowly say:

"I know you have in your hand the USB that your father left behind."

"But I didn't expect you to dare to confront Wang Kun directly."

"To Tinh, you are even braver than I thought."

I looked at the old man struggling in pain in a wheelchair. The last bit of hope in my heart completely disappeared. He can't tell me the truth anymore. Right at that moment. Mr. Lam in the wheelchair suddenly became agitated. He used all his remaining strength to try to lift his still moving arm. Tremblingly he pointed towards the cabinet in the corner of the room. More urgent sounds were made in the throat. Eyes staring in that direction.

"Dad, what do you want to get?"

Lam Phong immediately stepped forward. I also followed. It is a very old iron cabinet. The top is covered with dust. Lam Phong opened the cabinet. Inside are some old objects. Mr. Lam's finger pointed down to the bottom drawer. A small box covered with oilcloth. Lam Phong took out the box. Remove the outer tarp layer. Inside is a mini safe. Type with encryption key.

"What is this?"

Lam Phong was also stunned. Obviously he never knew this thing existed. Mr. Lam became even more agitated. Guttering sounds came from his mouth. Fingers tiredly tapping on the armrest of the wheelchair.

"It's a code!"

I immediately understood.

"He's typing in the code!"

We held our breath. Carefully follow his fingers. The rhythm is very slow. But it's extremely clear. A six-digit number sequence. It's my father's birthday. Lam Phong followed that sequence of numbers. Turn each lock. The safe opened. There is no gold or silver inside. No real estate documents. Just an old-fashioned tape recorder. And a tiny Sony tape player. Lam Phong put the tape into the machine. Press the play button. After the buzzing sound of electricity. A voice that I will never forget for the rest of my life rang out. It's my father's voice.

"Chan Hoa, do you really want to do that?"

It's in the car. Apparently he had secretly turned on the tape recorder beforehand.

"Old To, don't blame me."

"If you want to blame me, blame me for not knowing the times."

Vuong Zhenhua's voice was cold as ice.

"What did you do to General Engineer Lam?"

"Inside his glass of wine there was something I added."

"You must be sleeping very well now."

"In a moment..."

"He will join you guys in 'driving in a tired state' and crash into the abyss."

"Animals!"

My father roared.

"The same."

"I have already found someone to sign the project report."

"Use your own handwriting."

"After you die."

"You will become a hero."

"And my wife and children..."

"I will 'take good care'."

"I risk my life for you!"

Right after that. It was the sound of fierce fighting. The sound of a car crashing. Silent scream. A loud explosion rang out. Everything fell silent. The recording ends. I stood motionless in place. Tears streamed down my face. A hundred times more cruel than I imagined. My father did not passively die in an accident. But at the last moment of life. To prevent Vuong Chan Hoa's plot. To protect a colleague who is in a coma. He risked his life to fight the murderer. He is the true hero. The person who tried to turn everything around in the last moment. And Vuong Chan Hoa. Not just murder. He also impersonated my father. Falsifying project reports. School Project Phong... From the beginning it was a huge scam. A construction of crime built with my father's blood and honor. Lam Phong punched the wall hard. Blood immediately flowed down from between his fingers. His eyes were bloodshot. Look at his father. The man was imprisoned as an invalid for ten years. The only survivor in this entire conspiracy. He used his broken body. Use your last remaining bit of sanity. Protect that final truth. For ten long years. He is always waiting. Waiting for someone who can expose the entire truth. I turned that tape over to the police. That was the last straw that crushed Vuong Chan Hoa. Faced with irrefutable evidence, his psychological defense completely collapsed. He confessed all his crimes. Including bribing truck drivers. Created an "accident" on the pass that year. Including forging my father's signature. Including the detention of General Engineer Lam. At the same time, the news spread to the outside that he had run away with the money. A tangled web of crime. Lasted for ten years. Finally completely ripped apart. Vuong Zhenhua was sentenced to death for many crimes. This includes the crime of intentional murder. Crime of commercial fraud. And many other serious illegal acts. Execute the sentence immediately. Vuong Khon as an accomplice. You also have to live the rest of your life in prison. The Truong Phong project was urgently suspended. The government established a special investigation team. Conduct a review of all relevant people. Causing the whole industry to shake violently. The company was declared bankrupt and its assets were liquidated. Those who once stood and watched me make fun of me. Those who took the opportunity to push me into the abyss. Finally, the family broke up. The future is unclear. I used the compensation I received after the liquidation process. Transfer mother to a better rehabilitation hospital. General Engineer Lam was also taken to a professional treatment facility. Lam Phong quit his job. Wholeheartedly stay by his side to take care of him. The lives of our two families. Finally back on track. A calm trajectory. But peace. After completing everything. I took my mother out of this city. Move to a coastal town in the South. I'm looking for a very normal job. No more endless reports. No more projects that leave people exhausted day and night. Every day you can leave work on time. Take mom for a walk on the beach. The sea breeze blew her silver hair. Smile on mother's face. It's the most beautiful sight I've seen in the past ten years. Sometimes. I still call Lam Phong. He said his father's condition was a little better. He was able to recognize him. He said thank you. I replied. The people we should thank are our elders. In the darkest hour. Used my life and dignity. Light the way ahead for us. A weekend afternoon. I sat in a rocking chair on the balcony. Flip through old photo albums. A photo suddenly fell down. That's a photo of me and my dad together when we were kids. On the hillside named "Binh Minh". Dad lifted me up high. In the photo. How brightly he smiled. Sunlight penetrates the clouds. Fall down on me. Extremely warm. I looked toward the horizon where the sea met the sky. The seagulls are catching the wind. Spread your wings freely. The phone suddenly rang. It's a strange phone number. I hesitated for a moment. Then still picked up the phone. On the other end of the line was a gentle male voice.

"Hello, may I ask if you are Miss To Tinh?"

"Yes, it's me."

"We are the Binh Minh Bridge project management board."

"We found the original design left by General Engineer To Kien Quoc in the past."

"We would like to respectfully invite you, as his relative, to attend the bridge construction groundbreaking ceremony."

Tears immediately welled up in my eyes. I heard myself choking out an answer.

"I will definitely come."