Chapter 15 — After Divorce, I Take Everything Back

The General Judge also increased my commission by five percent. According to this ratio, once the project is finished, my income will rise to a new level. At the same time, Trieu Thanh proposed to cooperate in opening a company. You have the customer base and industry relationships, I have the team and implementation capacity. The two combined, are almost a complete system. I thought seriously for a week and then went to see the General Judge. He was silent for a long time before asking me.

“Nien Senh, are you planning to leave?”

“General Tham, I really appreciate the opportunity you gave me, but I don't want to work forever, I want to try to do it myself.”

“…When are we leaving?”

“After the end of phase two.”

He looked at me for nearly half a minute then sighed.

“Okay, I won't keep it, but you have to promise me something.”

“What?”

“If you have a chance to cooperate in the future, remember me first.”

"Certain."

On the end of phase two, the project was accepted and completely met standards. General Ton held my hand and said a sentence in front of everyone.

"Mr. Lam, in the future you will open your own company, Phuong Chinh will support you, I will sign the first contract with you."

“Thank you, General Ton.”

“There is no need to be polite, a good partner is more valuable than anything else.”

After the meeting, I went to the hallway and saw Trieu Thanh waiting.

"Congratulations."

"Are you ready for the company's business?"

“Almost done, registration next week.”

“Named yet?”

“My Recitation of Actions, Remembrance of Senh, practice in ‘moving forward’.”

He thought for a moment then nodded.

“Niem Hanh… means just move on?”

“Almost.”

He stopped for a moment and then called me.

“Nien Senh.”

“After this stage, I have something to seriously talk to you about.”

I looked at him.

“Just say it.”

He looked straight at me, his eyes very clear.

“I like you, since the first time I saw you present your plan, I knew it.”

“But at that time you were still dealing with old matters so I didn't say anything.”

“Now everything is done, the company is about to do it together.”

“I want to ask—do you want another identity?”

“Other than partners.”

The hallway is very quiet, outside is the city skyline. I looked at him for a long time before speaking.

“Trieu Thanh.”

“Do you know why I never responded?”

“I know, I want to stand firm first.”

“So now?”

I thought for a moment then spoke.

“Now stand firm.”

I paused for two seconds then continued. He was stunned.

“Okay… what do you mean, just ‘okay’?”

“What do you want me to say, thank you for accompanying me all the way?”

He laughed, I laughed too. The two of them stood laughing in the middle of the hallway, so much so that someone in the next room poked their head out to look. He called me once.

“Nien Senh.”

"For dinner tonight, I'll choose an expensive place, you already agreed."

We walked side by side, he didn't hold hands or hug my shoulders, just walked next to me half a step away, not far and not close, just enough to make me feel that distance... perfect. Two years later, Niem Hanh Consulting completed two years of establishment, with annual revenue exceeding forty million, a team of sixty people, and an office converted from a small apartment to an entire floor of a building. Customers from one Phuong Chinh expanded to seven large companies. Ton kept his word as the first signer and also introduced three new partners. General Tham also kept his word, any project that needs to be outsourced thinks of us first, while Trieu Thanh is in charge of customers, I am in charge of strategy and operations, coordinating closely like matching each gear. Once Tri Thu came to visit the company, stood in my office, patted the table and asked: "Do you remember two years ago eating a boxed lunch on the floor?"

“What about now?”

I looked out the thirty-second floor window, the whole city spread out below my feet, and just said: “Now… it's okay.”

“Okay?” Tri Thu rolled her eyes, "Your company's valuation is tens of millions, your account is seven digits, your boyfriend is a co-founder, your new house is one hundred and forty meters away—and you say 'fine'?"

I laughed, “So what do you want me to say?”

“Say ‘this lady is the best’.”

“…Go out.”

“No, this afternoon you invited me to eat sashimi.”

While eating, she asked: "How is Tran Hao's side now?"

“Don't know, don't care.”

“I heard he remarried.”

“Yeah, it has nothing to do with me.”

“And Liu Guilan?”

"I heard that his health is not good, living with Tran Vu, but Tran Vu still does not have a stable job."

I took a sip of tea, "It's not retribution, it's just cause and effect, you reap what you sow." Tri Thu looked at me for a long time and then whispered: "I'm really happy that you can live like you are now. Four years ago, I was afraid that you wouldn't be able to escape for the rest of your life."

“I was also scared.”

“But you did it.”

“Yes, I did it.”

Three years later, on an autumn afternoon, I stood in front of the new office glass door, coffee in hand, on the table was Phuong Chinh's phase four cooperation contract worth eighty million. Next to it, there was an invitation from another listed company that wanted to have a strategic partnership with Niem Hanh. When the phone rang—it was Trieu Thanh.

“Are you done yet?”

“Just finished.”

“I'll come pick you up.”

“What's for dinner?”

“Whatever.”

“Then eat hot pot, there is a new restaurant with high scores.”

I hung up the phone, looked down at the street below, and saw a young girl with her hair tied up, a backpack on her back, walking quickly—exactly like me ten years ago. At that time, I had just gotten married, bussed, saved every penny, thinking that the future would be better, but I did not expect that every penny saved would feed others. Back then I didn't know how much I was worth, how much I could earn, and what kind of person I could live—but now, I know. I looked down at my left hand, on the ring finger was Trieu Thanh's proposal ring, no ostentation, no sky-filled roses, just a question in the conference room: "Nem Senh, this place we built together, I want to ask you here." I said "okay", the wedding was simple, only inviting close people, no one from the Tran family, no need to announce. That night he asked me: "Have you ever regretted it?"

“Never, not even for a second.”

“What if we don't take that step?”

"Maybe I'm still in the Tran family's living room, earning two and a half thousand a month, looking at other people's faces to make a living."

He hugged me and said: "So you left right."

"I know."

The autumn wind blew through the window, I put down my cup, my phone lit up—a text message from him: “I'm here, downstairs.” I packed up my documents, turned off the lights, went through the reception desk, listened to the employee remind me of the meeting schedule for tomorrow morning, and then stepped into the elevator. The door closed, the floor numbers gradually jumped down: 32, 31, 30... I watched them slide down and remembered the girl on the bus, the one who gave away both her salary card and her whole life. Niem Senh, you did it. The door opened, the lobby was brightly lit, outside the door Trieu Thanh was waiting, lowering the car window to wave at me - I stepped out, the cool wind, the sky was high, the road was long, and each step... strangely steady.