Chapter 12 — Anonymous Drawing

Ngo Khoi Nguyen left Truc Giang to study abroad right after graduating from high school at an international school, studying Business Administration with a focus on Real Estate and Urban Development at a university in the UK, then continued to study for an additional two years with a master's degree in Urban Planning. His father wanted him to have a solid management foundation to later take over the group, but Khoi Nguyen, during the six years he was away from home, never stopped drawing for a day.

He signed up for additional evening classes on architectural design at an art academy near the school, not to get an official degree, but simply because he could not give up the passion that had been sparked from those afternoons sitting under the tree years ago. In the dormitory, his roommates often saw him staying up late, not to study for management lessons, but to sketch out construction drawings with no names, no specific projects, simply a way for him to keep from forgetting the part of him he used to be, before everything fell apart.

He had never had a serious relationship during his six years abroad, although there was no shortage of flirtations from his school friends and the children of the international elite with whom he regularly interacted at family events. Some nights, he sat alone in his room, took out a copy of his old sketchbook - something he always carried with him no matter where he went - and wondered how Dieu Linh was living now, and whether she was still as angry with him as before.

One time, during the summer vacation of his third year of college, he returned to Truc Giang to visit his family, and couldn't help but drive near Cay Gon alley, standing from afar looking at the familiar alley, hoping to stumble upon her silhouette. He didn't dare to go in completely, afraid that his sudden appearance would hurt her more. He just stood there for a long time, then quietly turned away when he saw Mrs. Ut Thao - who now had an assistant to help with the sales duties - come out to set up the goods, reminding him of the warm cups of green bean sweet soup from years ago.

He did not have the courage to go over and ask, so he just went home, opened his sketchbook, and started sketching a new idea - this time no longer a small house or a vague community center, but a much more specific design, based on the same riverside land near Cay Gon alley that he had shown to Dieu Linh in the notebook in the past. He learned that the land was currently under the city's planning and was expected to be auctioned for a public project in the near future.

"What do you plan to do with that land?" Mr. Bach Son asked, when he happened to see the drawing on his son's desk during that summer vacation.

"I want our group to bid to develop it into a community center," Khoi Nguyen replied, his voice rarely serious. "Not a commercial real estate project, but truly for the community — libraries, free classrooms, common living spaces for people around that area."

Mr. Bach Son looked at his son for a long time, recognizing in his eyes a determination he had never seen before, even during his presentations about other business projects of the group. "What reason did you do that? Just because that's the area you used to live in?"

"Partly because of that," Khoi Nguyen admitted, not hiding it. "But also because I think it's the right thing for our group to do. Dad always says, architecture is not to show off to the rich, but to solve problems for those who need it the most. I want to do that right, at least once, with my own efforts."

Mr. Bach Son nodded, did not ask further, but in his heart he also vaguely guessed that this project had a much deeper meaning for his son than what he was willing to say.

During the first time returning home, Khoi Nguyen also had to face other expectations from his family, not only related to work. His uncle, Mr. Ngo Bach Dien - Vice President in charge of finance of the group, who always puts the stable interests of the family company first - regularly organizes parties to meet partners, including the Ha family, owner of a large construction materials corporation that is a long-time strategic supply partner of Kien Nguyen.

"The Ha family's daughter, Ha Y Nhi, returned from studying a Master's degree in Business Administration in Singapore and is now in charge of market development for the family company," Uncle Dien said during a family meal, his voice full of meaning. "She's talented, she's in the same profession as our family, and our two families have been close friends for a long time. You should take the time to find out, maybe they'll be compatible, both cultivating feelings and strengthening the cooperative relationship between both sides."

"Thank you for your concern, but I think love affairs should be left natural, not tied up for business reasons," Khoi Nguyen replied, remaining polite but firm. "I believe Y Nhi also does not want to be seen as a chess piece in the chessboard of cooperation between the two families."

Mr. Bach Son, sitting nearby, just silently observed, did not interfere in the conversation, but his eyes somewhat approved of the way his son handled the situation. Mr. Bach Dien, although a bit disappointed, did not force him further, just gently reminded him that "you just think, I'm just suggesting, there's nothing to worry about".

Khoi Nguyen met Ha Y Nhi several times after that at joint work events between the two corporations, and realized that she was a straightforward, realistic person, with no intention of taking advantage of family relationships to put emotional pressure on him - which made him gradually see her as a trustworthy colleague rather than an arranged marriage partner. But he also understood that as long as the benefits of cooperation between the two families remained, Uncle Dien's implicit expectations would not easily disappear, and this might be a source of pressure he had to face in the future.

After completing his studies abroad, Khoi Nguyen returned to Truc Giang, started working at Kien Nguyen Group from a middle-level project manager position, refused his father's request that he immediately accept a higher position, insisting on proving his ability himself before being assigned a big responsibility. He spent the next two years quietly building reputation within the group, while persistently promoting the riverside land project proposal, overcoming many doubts from the board of directors about the financial feasibility of a purely non-profit project.

In the eighth year after leaving Cay Gon alley, the project was finally approved by the board of directors, under the official name: "Old Ben Community Cultural House" - the name Khoi Nguyen himself proposed, reminiscent of the old river wharf where he and Dieu Linh used to sit and study on summer afternoons many years ago, although no one on the board of directors knew the private meaning behind that seemingly simple name.

According to the group's regulations on transparency in large projects, the selection of the design unit for the project will be organized as a public architectural competition, inviting architectural offices inside and outside the city to participate, and scored by an independent jury of industry experts, ensuring there is no intervention from the investor in the final result.

Khoi Nguyen, as the investor's representative, does not have the right to directly choose the winning bidder - something he proactively proposed and firmly maintained throughout the preparation process, even though many people on the board of directors, including his uncle Mr. Ngo Bach Dien, believe that he should retain the right to make the final decision to ensure the project vision goes in the desired direction.

"I believe in a fair and transparent process from start to finish," Khoi Nguyen said in a resolute tone during the bidding regulations approval meeting. "This project means more to me than any other project of the corporation. That's why I want it to be done by the most worthy person, chosen by true ability, not by anyone's subjective wishes, including mine."

No one in the meeting room knew that, when he said those words, Khoi Nguyen's mind was filled with the image of a young girl standing under a cotton tree, sharing a handful of charcoal sticky rice with him, and a promise "we'll meet again in ten years, let's build this community center" that he had never forgotten, even though eight years had passed since that promise was said on a hot summer evening, under the yellow streetlight shining down on the small alley where everyone was. start.