Chapter 18 — Anonymous Drawing

Three weeks after the tense briefing, the detailed technical design phase of the Old Wharf project officially began, and as expected, Mr. Huan's office needed to present a structural adjustment plan to an internal appraisal subcommittee of Kien Nguyen Group, including structural engineers, financial experts sent by Mr. Bach Dien, and legal representatives.

The meeting went smoothly for the most part, until the financial expert sent by Mr. Bach Dien — a middle-aged man named Dong, famous for his strictness in controlling costs — began to question the fifteen percent budget reserve that Dieu Linh proposed for the central skylight project.

"Fifteen percent is quite a high reserve level compared to the group's usual standards, which only accept a maximum of ten percent," Mr. Dong said, his voice stern. "I suggest cutting this item, or changing the material to a cheaper option to ensure compliance with internal regulations."

"The fifteen percent reserve is based on calculating the risk of price fluctuations in imported polycarbonate materials in the current market context," Dieu Linh explained, her voice calm but firm. "I have attached a detailed analysis report. If it is reduced to ten percent, the risk of budget shortfall midway through construction is very high, which could lead to having to temporarily stop the project to apply for additional capital, causing much more serious delay in progress than if there was a full provision from the beginning."

"I understand your point of view, but internal regulations are regulations," Mr. Dong insisted. "I cannot over-approve unless there is special approval from higher leadership."

The atmosphere in the meeting room became tense, Dieu Linh felt a familiar frustration rising - the feeling of having to constantly prove, explain, and defend each of her professional decisions against a rigid bureaucratic system, something she had never encountered when working on smaller projects in Uncle Huan's office.

Khoi Nguyen, sitting at the end of the table as an observer, clearly felt the escalating tension, and even though he reminded himself to maintain an absolute professional distance, he knew, this was exactly the situation in which he needed to speak up - not to defend Dieu Linh because of personal feelings, but because he, as someone who had carefully researched the construction materials market during the process of preparing the project proposal, knew that her analysis was completely well-founded.

"Please allow me to comment," Khoi Nguyen spoke up, his voice was calm and purely professional. "I have been monitoring the price fluctuations of imported materials over the past six months, and the data shows that polycarbonate price increases have exceeded ten percent in just the last quarter due to exchange rate fluctuations. I believe that architect Dieu Linh's fifteen percent reserve proposal is both technically and financially reasonable, based on actual market data, not an arbitrary number."

"But that's still exceeding internal regulations," Mr. Dong objected, although his tone was less harsh after Khoi Nguyen's intervention.

"Internal regulations are set to control risks, not to apply machinery regardless of the actual context of each project," Khoi Nguyen replied. "I suggest we submit this issue to the Chairman to request exception approval, based on the full risk analysis report that architect Dieu Linh has prepared. This is a professional decision, which should be considered based on data, not based on emotions or rigid rules."

After a period of further discussion, the subcommittee agreed to postpone the decision to submit the report to a higher level for consideration, instead of immediately rejecting Dieu Linh's proposal as Mr. Dong initially wanted. The meeting ended in a less tense atmosphere, although many things still remained unresolved.

After everyone left the meeting room, Dieu Linh stayed behind to collect documents, and Khoi Nguyen, even though he knew he should keep his distance, still couldn't help but step a little closer.

"Thank you for speaking up earlier," she said, her voice still reserved, but not as cold as the previous meetings. "However, I hope you understand, I don't need protection just because—"

"I don't protect you because of personal feelings," Khoi Nguyen interrupted, his voice serious, deliberately using the old way of addressing in this moment, as a reminder of sincerity. "I speak up because your analysis is technically correct, and I don't want to see a correct technical decision rejected simply because of the rigidity of internal processes. If you're wrong, I won't speak up, no matter who you are."

Dieu Linh looked at him for a moment, feeling something in her heart stir slightly - not complete forgiveness, it was too early to talk about that, but a small recognition that, perhaps, the way he treated her now was completely different from the image she had assigned to him over the past eight years.

"Okay," she said, her voice softening a bit. "I take note of that."

"I also want to say one more thing," Khoi Nguyen continued, his voice more cautious. "I know you may have to face a lot of pressure from within the corporation during the implementation of this project, not only financially, but possibly also with questions about the relationship between the two of us. I promise, I will always ensure that all decisions related to your expertise are evaluated fairly, based on your true ability, not based on anything else."

"I hope you keep that promise," Dieu Linh said, then turned to collect the rest of the documents, but this time, before leaving the room, she stopped for another second, looking back at him. "Thank you. Really."

She left, leaving Khoi Nguyen standing alone in the empty conference room, feeling a fragile sense of hope that he didn't dare let himself believe in too much — but still, it was the first time in eight years that Dieu Linh said to him a thank you that came from sincerity, not just common courtesy.

A week later, the fifteen percent budget reserve proposal was officially approved by Mr. Bach Son after reviewing the full risk analysis report, accompanied by a brief note sent to the entire appraisal subcommittee: "Technical decisions should be based on data and expertise, not on rigid administrative limits. It is recommended that the subcommittee be more flexible in cases with a similar clear basis in the future." Dieu Linh, when receiving the approval notice, felt relieved, not only because the project continued on schedule, but also because she realized that this corporation, at least at the highest leadership level, really values expertise rather than imposed power.

In the following weeks, technical meetings between Mr. Huan's office and Kien Nguyen's project management department took place regularly once a week, and Khoi Nguyen, although not always present in person, still regularly participated in important technical exchanges, always maintaining a professional and proper attitude as his promise. Gradually, the work exchanges between the two, although still maintaining a certain distance, began to have more natural moments - an off-the-cuff question about Ms. Ut Thao's health progress, a brief comment on a design detail they both found interesting, small pieces that gradually reconnected a part of the bridge that had been broken for eight years.

Dieu Linh, although still maintaining a cautious attitude, began to realize that the grown man working with her today, with his calmness, respect for expertise and without using power to influence any decisions, seemed to be trying to prove something beyond a simple apology - although she was not yet ready to name exactly what that was.

There were evenings, after finishing a long technical meeting, she sat alone in the office, looking out the window at the city lights gradually rising, and suddenly remembered the afternoons spent laboring over the drawing of "Tree Gon House" years ago, when everything between the two of them was still simple, not entangled by the layers of status, power, or unfinished heartbreaks. She didn't know whether she was gradually softening again, or simply learning how to work professionally with someone who was once important to her, and that question, she told herself, probably didn't need to be answered right now, when the work ahead still had a long, arduous path to complete.