Chapter 17 — Back Before The Wedding Day

Three days after the show, as expected, Ms. Kim Chi summoned Bao Ngoc to her private office early in the morning. Khanh Linh stood in the hallway on the twenty-second floor, pretending to wait for the elevator so she could monitor the situation, feeling anxious and worried.

Twenty minutes later, Bao Ngoc walked out, his face pale but still trying to remain calm. She went straight to where Khanh Linh was standing, her voice trembling. "She was very angry. She said if I didn't sign in the next two days, she would consider me incompetent for the new position, and might reconsider my entire current position at the company."

"Did you say anything?" Khanh Linh asked, pulling you into a hidden corner.

"I said I need more time to consult with a private lawyer, as you advised," Bao Ngoc replied, taking a deep breath to calm down. "She was not satisfied, but she couldn't force me to sign immediately in front of many other people in the office."

"You did very well," Khanh Linh said, holding her friend's hand tightly. "This is proof that unjust pressure is being used to coerce you. I will immediately report to Uncle Kien."

At noon, Khanh Linh and Lam Quoc Bao met lawyer Kien at his office to update the latest situation. Mr. Kien listened and carefully recorded every detail before speaking.

"Given what you just told me, especially the direct threat of reconsidering your position if you don't sign within a specific time limit, this is pretty clear evidence of coercion," he said, his voice serious. "But I still advise that we need at least one more piece of evidence about the actual cash flow, or an official document clearly showing the transaction content, to ensure that when reporting, the authorities have enough grounds to intervene immediately, avoiding the situation where they have time to destroy the evidence."

"I will try to get more evidence in the next few days," Lam Quoc Bao said, his eyes determined. "I already have access to part of the financial system, just need to find the right moment."

"Be careful," Mr. Kien advised. "If you are caught illegally accessing sensitive areas, you may get into legal trouble, or even be charged with the opposite. Make sure all actions are within the scope of your work authority."

"I understand, I will only access data under my financial management authority," Lam Quoc Bao replied, nodding seriously. "I won't do anything that exceeds the limit."

That afternoon, while Khanh Linh was working in the design room, Dang Khoa suddenly appeared, his face carrying a different serious look than usual.

"Do you have time to talk?" he asked, his voice somewhat tense.

The two of them went to the small balcony area at the end of the hallway, where few people passed by. "What's the matter?" Khanh Linh asked, trying to stay calm.

"I know you and Bao Ngoc are hiding something from me," Dang Khoa said frankly, his eyes both suspicious and a bit hurt. "My mother has been very stressed lately, often calling Bao Ngoc to her room, and you seem to be investigating something. Can you tell me what's going on?"

Khanh Linh was silent for a moment, considering carefully. She understands that this is a sensitive time - if she reveals too much, it could put Dang Khoa in an awkward position between her mother and the others. right, but if she hides it completely, she could lose an important potential ally who could have direct access to Kim Chi.

"Mr. Khoa," she said, choosing her words carefully, "I can't say everything right now, but I hope you believe me when I say, there are things going on in the company that I believe, if you knew, you wouldn't agree with. I have no intention of harming anyone, I just want to protect what is right."

Dang Khoa looked at her for a long time, his eyes were full of complexity - confused, hurt, but also with a hint of understanding. "Is it related to my mother?" he asked, his voice low.

Khanh Linh did not answer directly, just remained silent, but that silence was a clear enough answer. Dang Khoa sighed, leaned against the balcony railing, his eyes looking far away at the city below.

"I know my mother wasn't always transparent about her business," he said, his voice sour. "But I never dared to face that truth clearly. Perhaps, I was too weak, too afraid to stand up against my own mother."

"No one blames me for that," Khanh Linh said, her voice softening. "But if the day comes when you have to choose between the truth and silence, I hope you will choose the right side."

Dang Khoa nodded, did not say anything more, just quietly left with a more thoughtful look than usual. Looking at his back, Khanh Linh felt an indescribable complexity in her heart - she did not hate him, nor did she completely trust him, but she understood that perhaps, even in this calculated game of chess, there were still people torn between conscience and family responsibility, just like Bao Ngoc herself had been.

Late that night, when Khanh Linh was preparing to go to bed, she received an urgent call from Lam Quoc Bao, his voice was full of excitement mixed with worry. "Can you come out and talk? I just found something important."

The two met at a twenty-four-hour coffee shop near Khanh Linh's house, which was empty at late hours. Lam Quoc Bao placed his laptop on the table and opened a bank transaction statement.

"I found a test transfer worth five hundred million dong, made this afternoon, from the group's reserve account to Thinh Phat company's account," he said, pointing to the transaction line marked in red. "This seems like a small test transaction before they make the official large transfer, to ensure all money transfer channels are smooth, without technical problems."

Khanh Linh stared at the screen, her heart beating faster. "So that means, they are preparing for the final step. This is the proof of actual cash flow that Mr. Kien needs."

"That's right," Lam Quoc Bao nodded, "but this is just a test transaction, the amount is still small compared to the two billion dong listed in the draft contract. If we act now, it may be enough to prevent a larger transaction before it happens."

"But if they act too early, when the amount of money is not large enough to constitute a serious embezzlement crime, they may only be subject to light administrative sanctions, and then find other ways to continue the plot later," Khanh Linh said, her voice thoughtful, carefully considering between taking immediate action and waiting. wait more.

"What do you think we should do?" Lam Quoc Bao asked, his eyes filled with confidence in her decision.

"I think, we need to wait a little longer until the transaction is officially done, but at the same time prepare all options to be able to intervene immediately when the time is ripe," Khanh Linh replied, her voice determined. "We only have one chance to act decisively. We cannot miss it by acting too hastily or too late."

Lam Quoc Bao nodded in agreement and backed up all data to a separate hard drive before closing the laptop. "I will continue to closely monitor all moves in the coming days. Don't worry, I will immediately notify you of any new developments."

Saying goodbye to Lam Quoc Bao in front of the cafe, Khanh Linh walked into the quiet night, with a heavy heart but also full of determination. She knows that the coming days will be a decisive time, and she needs to stay mentally strong and alert more than ever so as not to miss the most important moment in the entire journey of rewriting her destiny.

When she got home, she gently opened the door so as not to wake her sleeping parents, and gingerly walked up to the room. Before going to bed, she opened her notebook and wrote down the last lines of the day: "A test transaction of five hundred million has been made — the first evidence of actual cash flow. Dang Khoa has begun to doubt his mother, which could become an important variable in the coming days. All the pieces are gradually falling into place — just waiting for the most appropriate time to strike."

Closing the book, she lay down on the bed but sleep did not come immediately, her mind was still busy with calculations and scenarios that could happen next week. Only when the late night moonlight gently filtered through the curtains did her mind gradually calm down, falling into a fitful sleep but enough to regain strength for a new and challenging day waiting ahead.