Chapter 21 — A Diary, A Fallen City

“Including you too… dear lawyer Phuong.”

“Including you… the ‘extremely talented’ private detective, Old Hac.”

“And of course… there's you…”

His eyes stopped in front of the lens.

“…my dear ex-wife.”

As soon as the two words "ex-wife" were uttered, my blood almost froze. He already knows. He knows... everything.

“The game… is over.”

Trieu Vu snapped his fingers. The next second— the door of the safe house where I was staying… was kicked open from the outside. More than a dozen people dressed in black, holding weapons, rushed in like a tide. Cold gun muzzles... pointed straight at my head. I don't protest. Because I understand... in the face of absolute power... any struggle is meaningless. I just quietly looked at the surveillance screen. On it, Trieu Vu held the phone and dialed a number.

“Three… fish have taken the bait.”

On the other end of the line, Trieu Hoanh Vi's satisfied laughter came.

“Bring it… and the notebook back here.”

“I want to see what tricks… Hua Van Hoa's daughter… can still pull.”

Two people dressed in black grabbed me on both sides and pulled me out of the house. Downstairs... a line of black cars was waiting. I was pushed onto one. Run straight towards the Trieu family villa. I watched the night scene recede through the glass window. Inside... cold to the bone. I lost. Completely lost. All my calculations, all my struggles... in front of Zhao Hongwei's huge intelligence network and absolute power... were just like a joke. The car stopped in front of the villa. I was escorted into the office... where I had only seen the screen before. Zhao Hongwei has returned from the party. He sat on the leather sofa, still turning two walnuts in his hand. The face is old... but the eyes are still sharp as knives. He looked at me, smiling. The smile of a winner.

“Miss Hua, we meet again.”

“I have to admit… you're a lot more interesting than I thought.”

“Unfortunately…”

He tilted his head slightly.

“The game… is over.”

He held out his hand.

“Give me the notebook.”

I looked at Zhao Hongwei. Look at the face full of wrinkles... but still cold and cruel. I don't move.

"Star?" He raised his eyebrows, "At this point... are you still planning on resisting in vain?"

Trieu Vu standing behind laughed coldly and walked up.

"Hua Tinh, don't invite wine, don't drink, but like to drink as punishment."

“My father gave you the opportunity... to show you a lot of respect.”

He held a metal detector and scanned me from head to toe. The machine makes a "whirring" sound in front of the chest. He reached out to pull the thing out. I took a step back, avoiding his hand.

“I took it myself.”

My voice is cold. In front of everyone's eyes— I took out a blue-covered notebook from inside and sealed it with a waterproof bag. Trieu Hoanh Vi's eyes... immediately lit up. That's the look of a predator... when it finally sees its prey in front of it. He had waited for this day… for so long. He nodded. Trieu Vu raised his hand. I... withdrew my hand again.

“General Zhao.”

I looked straight at him.

“Before handing over… I want to ask one last question.”

"Speak." he appeared very patient.

Because he knows... the notebook... is already in his hands.

“When did you guys… discover my father's identity…?”

Trieu Hoanh Vi paused for a second. Then burst out laughing.

“So you want to know about this.”

“It's okay… tell me.”

“From the first year he entered Hong Trinh... I felt something was wrong.”

“He's too clean.”

“So clean that… doesn't look like someone who could roll around in the mud.”

"I let people investigate him for a long time... but nothing came of it."

“Resume… flawless to the point of perfection.”

“By the fifth year…”

“We have a problem inside.”

“A money laundering link was arrested.”

“The person who interrogated him… happened to be a classmate at the same police school as your father.”

“They didn't say anything.”

“But just one look… is enough to make me suspicious.”

“At that moment… I knew…”

“next to me… is keeping a police ‘falcon’.”

“I won't touch him right away.”

“Because I know… there must be something in his hand.”

“I pretended not to know…”

“Just let him continue to ‘work’ for me…”

“Just let someone… investigate his family.”

Zhao Hongwei looked at me. His eyes were cold as ice.

“We found you.”

“With your mother.”