Chapter 18 — A Promise At The Cable Car Station

The meeting was held in the old waiting room of the lower station, where rows of plastic chairs still had paint stains from the previous tourist season. The bank representative sat on one side of the table, the traffic officer and district police sat in the middle, and Linh's family, Duy's family, Mrs. Nam, Mr. Khang and Ms. Hanh sat on the opposite side.

The tin box was not placed on the table. It was sealed in a safe, but the photos, receipts, film rolls, and maintenance books were arranged in numerical order. Linh asked people not to call them "this family's evidence" or "bank papers". They are documents that need to be examined.

“What is today's goal?” asked the traffic officer.

“Temporarily stopping the sale of Duy's family house,” Ms. Thao said through the screen. “Preserve original records, prevent transfer, and determine the responsibility of those who modified the data.”

Bank representative, Mr. Phuc, opened the file. "The loan exists legally on the system. The bank cannot delete it itself."

Mai turns on the computer. "Your system recorded three changes in the borrower's name. The last time was from the computer of Le Quoc Toan, the former asset handling manager."

"Toan has retired. The account may be used by someone else."

“Yes. Therefore, we request that access logs be preserved.”

Mr. Phuc looked at the bank officer next to him. This person nodded slightly, but did not open the file.

Duy put a copy of the contract on the table. "My father's signature is on the equipment appendix, not the loan contract. The two pages are merged later."

Mr. Phuc said: "Only an appraisal can make a conclusion."

“We agree to the appraisal,” Linh replied. “But during that time, banks cannot use unverified versions to sell assets.”

The government representative asked Duy's family about the payment. Duy gave his mother a list of money transfers for ten years, each small amount clearly recorded. Mai added tuition receipts were withheld due to debt.

“The family paid part of it,” she said. “But no one explained where that money was accounted for.”

Mr. Phuc said: "It is an internal process."

“Internal processes cannot remove the name of the device recipient,” Linh replied.

Mr. Khang would like to speak. He was in a wheelchair, his voice was weak but clear:

"I was the cable supervisor in 2009. I saw the annex being changed. I kept the book and the torn paper. I know Hung, Vinh and Quang were all present."

Officer records testimony. Hung was invited in from the next room, sitting some distance away from Mr. Khang.

“I don't remember,” Hung said.

“Have you ever logged into your Van Lo 08 account?” Mai asked.

"Are not."

“The device logs in using your code.”

“The code can be stolen.”

Ms. Hanh gave the photo. The third photo zooms in on Hung's younger face, holding the drawer in his hand. “You are present in the weighing room.”

Hung looked at the photo. "I'm an employee. I follow orders."

“Whose orders?” the officer asked.

“Quang.”

“Where is Quang?”

"I do not know."

Tu laughed dryly. “You know he went to the cabin with Vinh.”

Hung turned around. “You are a child.”

“I'm old enough to remember.”

Linh stopped Tu. “Let the testimony be recorded.”

Tu sat down and told the story of the first time he took Vinh and Quang off the line. He clearly stated the time, location, vehicle and amount of money received. He did not minimize his silence, nor did he blame it all on Vinh.

"I received money for my father's medicine. I didn't sign the fake papers. But I took them away."

Ms. Hanh looked at Tu. “Little brother, you don't need to apologize to me.”

“I need to apologize to dad.”

The bank representative asked why these This document only appears after the line is about to close. Linh replied:

"Because the box was deposited at the upper station, and the person holding the two halves of the ticket had to wait until the day the line stopped. The sender didn't want someone to be able to open it arbitrarily."

“It's a family story, not a legal basis.”

“Yes. The legal basis lies in receipts, maintenance books, film rolls, system records, and signatures.”

Mr. Phuc looked at the file box. “If the documents prove errors, the bank will consider making adjustments.”

“It's not an adjustment,” Duy said. “It's giving the house back.”

“Need a court decision.”

“So the bank must temporarily stop selling until the court decides.”

Government officials asked bank representatives if they approved of temporarily suspending the auction. Mr. Phuc said he needed to ask his superiors for advice. Ms. Thao asked to clearly state in the minutes that the bank had not committed.

The meeting lasted more than three hours. Each side gave part of the information, but no one admitted their mistakes. Linh felt tired, but did not allow the meeting to turn into a place where everyone repeated the phrase "waiting for verification".

“I propose a temporary arrangement,” she said. "The bank stopped all redemption procedures for thirty days. Duy's family continues to pay the non-disputed portion. The original documents are sealed and transferred for appraisal. All related persons are not allowed to contact the witness privately."

“Thirty long days,” said the bank representative.

“Twelve years is even longer.”

Mr. Phuc looked at the officers. They make small exchanges. Finally, he signed a document noting the request for suspension, but added the condition that the bank had the right to reconsider if the family did not pay this month's payment.

Mai immediately transferred the agreed amount. Duy signed to confirm.

“This is not an admission of debt,” Ms. Thao reminded. “Just preserving assets during inspection.”

Mr. Khang looked at the signature on the document. “At least this time everyone reads before signing.”

Hung is not allowed to leave the room. Nam, the contractor, signed a statement about the rental account. Le Quoc Toan was summoned, but could not be reached by phone.

When the meeting ended, Ms. Nam opened the door for people to stand outside and listen. They don't know all the laws, but they know the story about the cable line. An old worker recognized Vinh's name in the photo; Another person said he saw Toan at the station before the line closed.

Linh wrote down the information and did not immediately consider it as evidence. Ms. Thao reminded her to verify independently.

Duy went out to the yard and looked at the cable line with the lights turned off. Linh stood next to him.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“We have thirty days.”

“It's not the end.”

“But it's time.”

“Mai can continue studying during that time.”

“If the documents are correct, the house will be returned.”

“If the records are just enough to prove wrong, there is still negotiation.”

Duy looked at her. “I don't promise everything will be okay.”

"I can not."

"Good."

Linh asked: "Good?"

“Because for the first time I heard someone tell the truth instead of telling me to wait.”

In the room, Mr. Khang called them. He gave Linh one last piece of paper from the maintenance book. On it was written the old address of a bank warehouse in town, along with the words: "The reconciliation has never been entered into the system."

Mai read the address. “This warehouse closed last year.”

“The records may have been moved,” Linh said.

“Or deleted,” Duy replied.

Outside, a test cabin turned on its lights for a few seconds and then turned them off. From the station speaker, the announcement voice automatically rang out:

“The Van Lo line will close permanently after forty-eight hour."

Linh looked at the two halves of the ticket on the table. They have two days left to find a counterpart, before anyone can say that the box is just an old story that doesn't have enough power to change the new records.

Ms. Thao sent her work schedule for the next two days. The next morning, Mai and the bank compare the data; At noon, Mr. Phuc and Ms. Hanh worked with the appraiser; In the afternoon, Linh and Duy went to the old warehouse to find a comparison copy; That evening, Tu submitted additional testimony. Each action has witnesses, a deadline, and a way to save copies.

“No one voluntarily meets Toan,” Thao reminded.

Tu asked: "What if he actively looks for us?"

“Record, keep your distance, call the police.”

Mrs. Nam brought tea for everyone. “You guys are turning my shop into a law office.”

“You can charge a fee,” Linh said.

“The fee is so you don't miss meals.”

Mai opened the stack of papers and distributed the cake to each person. Duy received his portion but forgot to eat it until Mai pushed the plate back.

“I need strength to go to the warehouse.”

“I know.”

“I always know after someone else reminds me.”

Linh smiled lightly. Duy looked at her, but did not object. The way they spoke became less sharp, not because the debt was lighter but because each person understood the other's fears.

At the end of the station, Hung was led to the car. He turned back to look at Linh. “If you look for a comparison, you will see that your father is not clean either.”

"I know."

“You still protect him?”

“I don't protect. I am determined.”

Hung bowed his head and walked away. His words were no longer enough to sway her. The dead may be wrong, but being wrong doesn't mean you have to accept the mistakes of others.

That night, Linh slept in a small room next to the restaurant. Before turning off the lights, she checked the box photo, signature and film roll. No image can solve the debt on its own. They just build a bridge between things that were once separate.

The phone rang at 02:17. A text message from an unknown number: “The old warehouse no longer has any records. But the reconciliation copy is in the hands of someone who has never signed it.”

Linh woke Duy up. He read, then called Mai and Tu. No one knows who the person who never signed is.

Out in the yard, a maintenance cabin turned on its lights for three seconds. On the glass door, there is an additional text:

“The person who doesn't sign can still keep the key.”

Duy took the lamp and walked out. Linh followed behind, without him reminding her. The two people looked up at the closed cable line, understanding that the final challenge before releasing the records lay not in a bank office, but in the person holding the last key whose name they did not yet know.