Chapter 11 — 47 Days of Betrayal, I Turned the Game Over

“You can try, what's the reason?”

“Just say it's an employee of Ha Khai Minh's company, coming to confirm immigration documents.”

Mike smiled lightly.

“Okay, pamper me.”

At exactly five o'clock in the afternoon, the phone rang again.

“Nien An, you guessed right, old people are more likely to be questioned.”

“What did he say?”

"I pretended to be Ha Khai Minh and knocked on the door, saying I needed to confirm the documents. He said Lam Tri Vien was not here and had taken his daughter to Kelowna."

“Yes, Kelowna is a small town about four hundred kilometers east of Vancouver, located by the lake, there are not many Chinese people, very suitable for hiding.”

“Did he say specifically where they were?”

“No, but I mentioned that Lam Tri Vien has an acquaintance there who seems to work on a farm.”

“He said his last name was Ma.”

“He even has acquaintances in Kelowna, how many ‘friends’ does he have?”

Mike was silent for a beat.

"Nien An, your husband's network of relationships is wider than we thought. These people are most likely all prepared in advance for this escape."

“Then look up each person individually.”

“Okay, I will send someone to Kelowna today.”

The night waiting for that news was so long that it was suffocating. I sat at the table in the hotel room, with a drawing of the Hai Duong Loan project in front of me. I picked up the pen and then put it down again, my mind had absolutely no room for work. In my mind, there is only Tieu Hoa. Being woken up at four o'clock in the morning, dreamily being put in a car, a small child's biggest fear is being pulled up in the middle of the night, she must have panicked. Then sat on a dark highway for several hours, arriving in a strange, unfamiliar place. Did she ask dad when mom was coming? Does the baby cry? I don't dare think anymore. The phone screen lights up. Mother's message.

"Nien An, today I made cinnamon flower cakes that Tieu Hoa likes the most. When will you take her home?"

I typed a few words and then deleted them. Finally just answer.

“Almost, Mom.”

The next afternoon, Mike's people sent a message.

“Found in Kelowna, your husband is at a place called Sunshine Farm, the owner is Ma Hongbo, a distant relative of his.”

Distant relatives. Married for nine years, I've never heard of this name.

“Confirmed my daughter is there?”

“Confirmed, this morning I took a picture of a little girl walking around in the backyard.”

“Send me a photo.”

Photo sent. Taken from afar, a bit blurry, but I recognized it immediately. She was wearing a red coat, the one I bought for her last winter. She said the red color was like a strawberry, which was her favorite color. I looked at the photo for a long time. Then put the phone away and call lawyer Tran.

“Lawyer Tran, he is in Kelowna, I need the Canadian side to act immediately.”

"Miss To, I was also about to tell you, the Canadian police have reviewed the evidence and the arrest warrant, they have agreed to coordinate the arrest, and are expected to deploy within forty-eight hours."

“Forty-eight hours?”

“Yes, they need time to coordinate with the local unit, Kelowna in the interior of British Columbia, which is managed by the RCMP branch.”

Forty-eight hours. I can wait.

“What will happen to Tieu Hoa after being arrested?”

"According to Canadian law, when the guardian is arrested, the minor will be temporarily received by the child protection agency. You need to prepare documents proving the relationship and a custody decision to apply for emergency guardianship."

“I'm all prepared.”

“Good, then I will ask a lawyer from Vancouver to accompany you.”

“This time It's really coming.”

Forty-eight hours. To me, every minute that passes feels like a year. The first day, I did almost nothing. Just sitting in my room, staring at my phone. That afternoon, Han Chinh called.

“Miss To, I have seen the new plan.”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, I just want to say that this version is better than the last one, how did you finish it so quickly?”

“Just luck.”

He was silent for a bit.

“I heard you've been having personal problems recently?”

"I'm not asking for details, just want to say one thing, you're the most professional designer I've ever met, no matter what happens, your ability is still there."

“For the Hai Duong Loan project, I proposed to the council to increase the budget, from 800 thousand yuan to 1,200 thousand yuan.”

“Increase by half?”

“Because I see the added value in your designs, we don't want to save money, but are willing to spend money on something worth it, your work is worth it.”

“General Manager Han…”

“No need to thank me, you help me create a structure that can stand for a long time, that is the best response.”