Chapter 16 — A Diary, A Fallen City

“Lawyer Phuong's teacher... is waiting for you inside.” The driver briefly explained. "The situation right now is too sensitive, going straight to the Police Department would be very easy to expose. This place... is absolutely safe."

I nodded, opened the door and walked down. There was a man standing in the yard waiting. He wore civilian clothes, was in his mid-fifties, had sharp eyes, and still had the tough demeanor of someone who had been on the front lines. Seeing me, he walked quickly back.

"You are Hua Tinh, right? Hua Van Hoa's daughter."

In his eyes... there was scrutiny, regret, and even a bit of unspoken guilt.

"I'm Truong Chan Quoc. Captain that year... of your father."

I looked at the man in front of me. The person who used to be my superior and teammate that my father trusted the most. I said nothing. Just quietly took out a dark blue notebook from inside. His breathing immediately quickened. He reached out his hand to receive... but his hand trembled slightly in mid-air. He had been waiting for this… for more than ten years.

“Son…” he looked at me, his voice hoarse, “these past years… have been hard for you.”

I shook my head.

“How was my father… exposed?”

That's what I want to know the most. Truong Chan Quoc's outstretched hand paused. All the excited emotions on his face... were immediately covered by a layer of heaviness.

“Go inside and talk.”

He sighed, turned around and led me into the house. Outside is just a normal farm. But inside... there was a completely different atmosphere. In the living room, besides him, there were two other people. They were wearing plain clothes, but they sat straight and had sharp eyes. They were clearly well-trained police. Truong Chan Quoc did not introduce. Just signaled me to sit down. He placed the notebook in the middle of the table, as if placing a treasure.

“Your father… is the best police officer I have ever led.”

His voice was low, carrying distant memories.

"Smart, careful, patient. Five years undercover in the Hong Trinh Group... without a single mistake."

“The evidence he collected… was enough to root out Zhao Hongwei's entire network.”

“According to the original plan… just a week before revealing our identity, we were preparing to collect the net.”

He stopped.

“Action information… leaked.”

My heart clenched.

“Is there an insider?”

He nodded heavily.

"The people who knew the plan at that time... were only five people. Including me."

“We investigated for a long time… but that person was hidden too deep, we couldn't get them out.”

“Zhao Hongwei received the news first and immediately started the purge.”

“Your father… was the first target.”

The air seemed frozen.

“Your father realized the danger.”

“He did not choose to withdraw.”

Truong Chan Quoc looked at me, his eyes full of respect.

“Because he knew… if he left at that time, this notebook would be destroyed, everything would return to nothing.”

“So… he made an extremely bold decision.”

“He deliberately created the illusion that he was preparing to flee with money... to lure most of the pursuers out of position.”

“Then… for the last little while, he returned to see you.”

“He used the safest way… to give the most dangerous thing… to the safest person.”

I closed my eyes. Throat tight.

“After doing everything…”

“He just walked with your mother… onto the road of no return.”

“That's not running away.”

“That was… a distraction.”

“He used his own life my life… in exchange for your last chance… and for this notebook.”

My tears fell again. It turns out that eighteenth birthday... was not a reunion day. It's a goodbye. His smile... the gift he gave... every sentence he said... were all things that had been prepared in advance. don't know anything.

“The insider… is still on the team?” I wiped my tears and asked.

“The possibility is very high.” Truong Chan Quoc spoke slowly. "Over the past ten years, anyone who wanted to re-open the case... encountered obstacles, and some even had 'accidents' with unknown causes."

"The protection force behind Trieu Hoang Vi... is so large that it's hard to imagine."

If we bring this notebook to light now... insiders will definitely report it. Zhao Hongwei has hundreds of ways to escape crime. It can even come back to bite us. will be the first to be wiped out.

“So now… what do we do?”

"Wait." Truong Chan Quoc said.

He opened the notebook, his eyes sharpened.

“Waiting for an opportunity… makes it impossible for him to turn around.”

“Her father took very detailed notes. Each amount of money... is associated with a person, an event."

“Those people… are the links in his network.”

“If we can only uncover one important link… have evidence independent of the book… we can nail him.”

He sighed softly.

“Those people… are either in very high positions, or they have nothing left to lose.”

“To turn them over… is almost impossible.”

The room fell silent. A heavy silence. This… is a deadlock.