Chapter 3 — After the Rain, There's No Turning Back

"Thanh Duong Fund was established seven months ago and conducted three purchases. The supplier was a wholly owned subsidiary of Trung Hai Technology, a company affiliated with Bac Ngan Group, and a shell company controlled by your cousin."

“In the so-called public utility deployment, each set of equipment is quoted at a price four times higher than the market.”

“You install the first round for free in mountainous areas, then make money from local government procurement orders and the capital market in the next ten or hundred rounds.”

“Is that called public good?”

Chu Tu Bach's face completely darkened.

“Only commercialization will help the project survive.”

“I have never been against commercialization.”

I looked at him.

“I object to you using my name to gild your business.”

He suddenly burst out laughing. That smile was very tired and very strange.

“Kien Vi, you are always so stubborn.”

"I think contracts, patents and rights are all very important. But have you ever thought, based only on your small laboratory, when will 'Vu Dang' be widely deployed?"

“Do you know how many people in the mountains can't wait every year?”

I bowed my head and closed the lid of the noodle box.

“So I signed a free pilot agreement with the emergency response agencies of three provinces.”

Chu Tu Bach was stunned. I raised my eyes.

“Initially the contract will be announced next week.”

“The core algorithm is freely open to the government's emergency response system. The commercial interface charges fees, public utility deployment must be publicly audited, and all procurement prices are transparent.”

“It's not like just giving that thing to you can be called saving people.”

His eyes flashed with surprise. Maybe at this point he realized I wasn't acting impulsively. I was soon on a different path.

“Trinh Kien Vi.”

His voice lowered.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

I looked at him.

“Because half a year ago, I discovered that Trung Hai Technology was internally testing a warning system called 'Son Hoa Xuong'.”

“The interface has changed, the parameter names have changed, but the core model structure remains the same.”

“You guys stole my ‘Dang Case’.”

Chu Tu Bach said nothing. The sound of rain tapping on the window. At that moment, from his silence, I received the answer. How strange. When people are really disappointed, they won't tremble all over or shed tears like in TV dramas. I just feel hungry. The noodles have cooled, and a layer of oil floats on the water. I pushed it away.

“Chu Tu Bach, three minutes have passed.”

He took a step forward.

"Kien Vi, I admit that within the company there are people who have handled things inappropriately. But things have come to this point, a press conference has been held, public opinion has also arisen. Now you take a step back, we can be on the same name."

“In the same name?”

“Yes.”

He speaks very fast.

"'Vu Dang' is still yours, but Thanh Duong Fund is in charge of implementation, Trung Hai Technology is in charge of operation and maintenance. When we successfully list, you can discuss anything you want. Shares, positions, laboratories, I will give them all to you."

I asked:

“What if I don't back away?”

He looked at me for a long time.

“You will lose very unsightly.”

I nodded.

“Okay.”

Chu Tu Bach apparently did not understand.

“Get what?”

“Okay, your last sentence has also been recorded.”

I pointed at the camera in the corner of the wall.

“Lawyer Ky said that threats during negotiations can also be used as supporting evidence.”

Chu Tu Bach suddenly turned his head. Ky Tram Chu walked out from the meeting room next door, holding a ceramic cup in his hand. He very politely nodded to Chu Tu Bach.

“Good evening, General Manager Chu.”

The blood on Chu Tu Bach's face gradually disappeared. He looked at me as if he knew me for the first time. I calmly said:

“You see, I'm not stubborn.”

“It's just that my memory is good.”

“Every debt you owe me, I remember clearly.”

The next day, Diep Thanh Duong posted a long article on social networks. Don't mention my name. But every sentence is about me. She said the path of public service is very difficult, and kindness will be misunderstood. She said some people, because they have been hurt, consider all approach as robbery. She said she doesn't blame anyone, she just hopes children in the mountains will soon hear the warning from loudspeakers. Finally, I also posted a photo. In the photo, she squats on a muddy mountain road, bending down to tie a little girl's shoelaces. The little girl raised her head to look at her, her eyes clear. The comments section was filled with sympathy.

"Thanh Duong, don't cry, you did very well."

"There are some people who are truly cold-blooded. Once caught in the rain, they wanted to tear off other people's umbrellas."

"Trinh Kien Vi's behavior is so unsightly. Women working in technology are just a sophisticated type of selfishness."

I read that article twice and then turned it off. At twelve noon, I posted the first statement. The content is very short. First, I do not refuse to implement public benefits. Second, what I reject is the monopoly of private enterprises without being licensed and not subject to public audit. Third, I have granted free pilot rights to the emergency response agencies of the three provinces, and relevant documents are verifiable. Fourth, Trung Hai Technology is suspected of infringing on the algorithm copyright, trade secrets and patent rights of "Vu Dang". My side has initiated legal proceedings. Last sentence: Goodness needs light, public good needs transparent books even more. After the statement was posted, the search board exploded again. This time, the direction of public opinion began to change. Someone investigated the purchase price of the Thanh Duong Charity Fund. A normal rainfall monitoring box has a market price of three thousand eight hundred yuan, they quoted a price of sixteen thousand. A set of loudspeakers in the village has a market price of two thousand yuan, they reported eight thousand seven hundred.