Chapter 16 — Anonymous Drawing

One week after the final presentation, the jury met in private for two days to summarize the scores from five independent judges, scoring according to a predetermined scale for each criterion: technical feasibility, functional suitability, architectural aesthetics, sustainability and budget control. In accordance with the bidding regulations announced from the beginning, the investor's representative - that is, Khoi Nguyen - was not present at all in the grading meeting room, only receiving the final results through an official document sent by the council secretary after all scoring sheets had been compiled and sealed.

The results were announced on a Friday morning: Mr. Huan's architectural office, with a plan led by Chu Dieu Linh, achieved the highest total score among the five finalists, surpassing all three large offices with experience in implementing much larger-scale projects. The scoring minutes clearly state the reason: "The plan demonstrates a deep understanding of actual community needs, a feasible and cost-effective technical solution, and at the same time has high aesthetics and humanistic significance."

When she received the notification email, Dieu Linh read it three times to make sure she didn't read it wrong, then burst into tears right at her desk, unable to control her emotions in front of all her colleagues. When Uncle Huan heard the news, he hugged her like a proud father of his daughter.

"You did it, Dieu Linh," he said, his voice equally choked. "I knew from the beginning you could do it."

The good news spread quickly throughout the small office, everyone organized a simple party that afternoon to celebrate, but amidst that joy, Dieu Linh still couldn't completely get rid of a question lingering in her mind: was this victory really based entirely on her ability, or was Khoi Nguyen's hand more or less behind it?

She decided to call architect Lam Viet Hoa directly - the person she asked for the contact number from the organizers to ask for more detailed comments on her plan - and couldn't help but ask directly the question that was tugging at her heart.

"I'm sorry for the sudden question," she said, her voice careful. "But I want to know for sure, this result is completely based on professional assessment, there is no intervention from the investor's representative, right?"

Mr. Viet Hoa smiled lightly on the other end of the phone, his voice calm. "Don't worry. I've been an independent judge for many years, and have never scored under pressure from anyone. Mr. Nguyen from the investor side was not even allowed to see the list of participating units before presenting, and during the two days of grading meetings, he was not present in the room, nor did he even contact to ask about the results before the official document was sent. It was one of the most transparent bidding processes I have ever participated in, to be honest."

That answer made Dieu Linh somewhat relieved, but also confused her in another way - if this victory was truly based solely on her ability, without any favors, then she no longer had any legitimate reason to refuse the project, or to continue to keep a complete distance from Khoi Nguyen throughout the process of implementing the upcoming project.

Before the official announcement was sent out, Khoi Nguyen was one of the first people in the group to know the results, because he was the one who directly received the sealed document from the secretary of the jury to submit to his father for final approval according to the process. When he opened the envelope and read the name of Uncle Huan's office and the name of the person in charge, Chu Dieu Linh, he had to sit silently in his private office for nearly ten minutes, his hands shaking so much that he had to put the document down on the table.

He brought the results to show his father, trying to keep a calm face as if he were handling a normal job, but Mr. Bach Son, with the sharpness of a father who had followed his son for many years, still immediately noticed something was different.

"What's wrong with you? Is there a problem with the results?" he asked, picking up the document to look at it.

"No problem," Khoi Nguyen replied, taking a deep breath before continuing. "It's just that... the winning bidder, the main architect in charge, is Dieu Linh. My old classmate from high school, who—"

"What year was the girl in Cay Gon alley? The girl you still mention at family meetings every time you talk about ideas for the Old Ben project?" Mr. Bach Son looked up, unable to hide his surprise. He still remembers the story clearly, still feeling guilty about his role in that fateful morning eight years ago at Tan Viet school yard.

"Yes," Khoi Nguyen nodded. "And I can confirm with you, this result is completely fair, I did not interfere in any stage of the scoring process."

Mr. Bach Son looked at his son for a long time, then put down the document, his voice deep and thoughtful. "I believe in you. But I want to remind you of one thing, Khoi Nguyen - this opportunity, if it is truly destined by fate, you should cherish it carefully. Don't let my old hasty behavior repeat itself again."

That advice, although brief, made Khoi Nguyen feel somewhat comforted, but also reminded him of the heavy responsibility that lay ahead - not only successfully completing an architectural project, but also an opportunity, perhaps the last chance, to redeem old mistakes with the person he had never stopped caring for eight long years, even though the two had lived two completely separate lives.

That afternoon, a call came from an unfamiliar number, and when Dieu Linh answered the phone, a familiar voice rang out on the other end of the line, making her heart skip a beat.

"Hello Dieu Linh," Khoi Nguyen said, his voice careful, clearly having prepared every word. "I'm sorry for calling suddenly. I just want to congratulate you, officially, as the investor's representative. Your winning project is completely worthy."

"Thank you," Dieu Linh replied, her voice trying to remain professional, even as her grip on the phone tightened. "I just asked architect Viet Hoa about the transparency of the grading process. He said there was no intervention from your side."

"That's right," Khoi Nguyen confirmed. "I intentionally keep a complete distance from the scoring process, because I want, if you win, it must be your true victory, and has nothing to do with me."

There was a short silence between the two, both unsure of what to say next after eight years of no contact, now forced to speak to each other in an official business setting.

"So... we'll need to work together throughout the project implementation," Dieu Linh said, breaking the silence, her voice trying to keep it matter-of-fact. "I hope we can keep things on a professional level."

"Of course," Khoi Nguyen replied immediately, although there was a slight disappointment in his heart that he tried not to let out in his voice. "I will completely respect the boundaries you set. Next week there will be an official project kick-off meeting, I will let the project management department send the specific schedule to your office."

"Okay. Thank you for calling." Dieu Linh said, then hesitated for a second before hanging up, as if there was something she wanted to say more but couldn't find the right words.

After the call ended, she sat silently for a long time in front of her desk, still holding the phone, feeling her chest filled with conflicting emotions — the joy of winning her career, the relief of knowing it was truly her own victory, and a vague insecurity about what was to come, when she was forced to work side by side, for a long time, with the person who had broken her heart in the most painful way.

She didn't know, on the other side of the city, Khoi Nguyen was also sitting silently in front of his desk, looking out the tall glass window, both happy that he finally had the chance to meet her properly again, and worried about whether the "completely professional" boundary she had just set would be the final wall separating the two of them forever, or just the first step of a long journey to rebuild lost trust.

He opened his desk drawer, took out a copy of the old sketchbook he always carried with him, flipped to the last page, and looked back at the year's dedication. Eight years had passed since the day he wrote those lines, and now, for the first time, he felt the gap between dreams and reality had narrowed closer than ever, even though the road ahead was still very uncertain.