Chapter 12 — Champion Bodyguard of the Female President

The monthly meeting of the Board of Directors took place on a Monday morning, in a more tense atmosphere than ever before. From the moment Tue Lam entered the meeting room, she felt the judgmental eyes of some members, different from the usual support in the first months of her inauguration.

Luong Khac Viet, sitting in the opposite position, opened the meeting with a tone that seemed worried but contained sharp calculation. "Before getting into the main content, I want to raise an issue that has worried many shareholders recently. A series of security incidents occurring at the company, most recently an attempted assassination right at the headquarters, has seriously affected Kieu Phat's image and reputation before partners and investors."

Tue Lam remained calm, even though in her heart she had already somewhat predicted the direction of today's meeting. "Mr. Viet is right, security incidents are a concern, and we are coordinating closely with the authorities to investigate and clarify. At the same time, the company has also significantly enhanced protection measures."

"The problem is not just about strengthening protection," Luong Khac Viet continued, his tone starting to become sharper. "The problem is, these incidents have continuously occurred since Ms. Lam took over as Chairman. I don't want to attribute anything, but shareholders have the right to question whether the current governance capacity is enough to ensure the safety and stability of the company."

A few council members whispered quietly, their eyes shifting between Tue Lam and Luong Khac Viet with obvious concern. Tue Lam realized that this was the counterattack that she and Bach Nguyen had predicted - when being investigated, the mastermind would not sit idly by, but would find a way to turn the situation around, making her the target of questioning.

"Are you implying that these security incidents are my fault?" Tue Lam asked directly, her voice did not waver even though the pressure from the other side was increasing.

"I didn't say that," Luong Khac Viet replied, his tone pretending to be gentle. "But Ms. Lam must admit that since she brought an unknown bodyguard into the company, the security situation has not only not improved, but also more serious incidents have occurred. Some shareholders have questioned whether this decision is really wise, or just an emotional decision, lacking careful consideration by a leader who is too young and inexperienced."

That statement was like a knife aimed straight at the opponent's carefully calculated weakness - Tue Lam's youth and inexperience was always the card that Luong Khac Viet used to sow doubt in the hearts of other shareholders. A few council members began nodding in agreement, their eyes clearly showing wavering.

Tue Lam took a deep breath, trying to stay calm under the overwhelming pressure. "If it weren't for that bodyguard, we probably would have held a completely different meeting today, to commemorate the victims of a successful assassination, instead of discussing my administrative abilities. I believe that ensuring the life safety of the company's leadership is paramount, and I will not apologize for making that decision."

Lawyer Tran Huu Khang, sitting next to her, spoke up in support. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to emphasize that, according to preliminary investigation results from the police, the attacks targeting Ms. Lam were all well-planned, showing that there is a third party with significant motives and resources who is deliberately destabilizing the company. Putting full responsibility on Ms. Lam in this context, I fear, is unfair and somewhat hasty."

Luong Khac Viet looked at lawyer Khang with cold eyes for a moment, then quickly regained his composure. "I fully respect lawyer Khang's views, but as people responsible for thousands of shareholders and employees, we cannot rely solely on the hope that everything will be fine. I propose that the Board consider establishing a special oversight committee to temporarily more closely monitor Ms. Lam's executive decisions, until the security situation is completely stabilized."

That proposal, although skillfully expressed in the name of common good, is actually a step to limit Tue Lam's executive power, creating a premise for the next steps in Luong Khac Viet's acquisition plan. The atmosphere in the meeting room became extremely tense, the council members divided into two distinct opinions.

After nearly an hour of fierce debate, thanks to the steadfast support of long-time shareholders who were deeply attached to Mr. Kieu Thanh Nghia, along with the sharp arguments of lawyer Khang, Luong Khac Viet's proposal to establish a supervisory committee was finally not approved, even though the vote ratio was only a very narrow difference.

When the meeting ended, Tue Lam walked out of the meeting room feeling exhausted as if she had just gone through a real battle, even though there was no physical contact. Bach Nguyen, who was waiting outside the meeting room as his bodyguard, immediately recognized the tired look on her face.

"Was the meeting very tense?" he asked, gently placing his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

Tue Lam lowered her hand from his shoulder, her voice still shaking slightly from the pressure she had just experienced. "Uncle Viet is trying to force me into a corner. He openly questioned my ability in front of the entire Council, and also tried to form a supervisory committee to limit my executive power. Fortunately, that proposal was not passed, but I fear that this is only the beginning."

"He feels threatened," Bach Nguyen commented, his face becoming unusually serious. "The fact that he had to openly attack you in front of the Council shows that he sensed the risk that his plan could be discovered. The more panicky a person is, the easier it is to reveal loopholes."

Tue Lam frowned. "But it also means he will be more reckless. If he feels he is running out of time, he may choose more extreme measures."

Bach Nguyen nodded, his eyes looking into the distance as if he were calculating the enemy's next moves. "That's why we need to speed up the investigation even more. I will start monitoring Pham Trung Nghia tonight. You need to be twice as careful in the coming days, especially when moving outside the company and apartment."

On the way back, sitting in the car, Tue Lam looked out the window, her mind heavy with thought. She knew that the battle for control of the company was no longer just taking place in the dark, but had officially come into the light, openly before the entire Board of Directors. And she also understands clearly that the closer she got to the truth, the more dangerous the road ahead will become than ever, requiring her to be even more steadfast to not only protect herself, but also protect the legacy that her father had worked so hard to build over the past thirty years.

That afternoon, before leaving the company, Tue Lam stopped by Do Thuy Linh's office to update the situation. Thuy Linh, after hearing the entire story of the meeting, could not hide her indignation. "Uncle Viet is revealing his true nature more and more. Ms. Lam, I think we should start recording all of his statements and actions in meetings, so that later, if needed, we can use it as evidence that he intentionally caused internal unrest."

"I think so too," Tue Lam replied, "but we have to do it very discreetly. If he discovers that he is being followed back, he will be even more cautious, making it even more difficult to collect evidence."

Thuy Linh nodded and jotted down a few notes in the notebook she always carried with her. "I will quietly save the minutes of the meetings and compare them with what he said to the media to see if there are any conflicts. Sometimes, it is the inconsistent words that are the biggest loophole of a person trying to hide something."

Leaving Thuy Linh's office, Tue Lam felt somewhat comforted knowing she was not alone in this battle. Among the people she trusts - the devoted Thuy Linh, the sharp lawyer Khang, the persistent Nha Ky, and now Bach Nguyen always standing by to protect her - she feels a collective strength gradually forming, strong enough to confront the sinister plot that Luong Khac Viet has painstakingly arranged for many years.

That night, Tue Lam took out the minutes of the meeting that Thuy Linh had just given her, re-read each of Luong Khac Viet's statements again under the light of the desk lamp, the red pen in her hand circled each word "consideration", each word "supervision committee" - words he chose so carefully that no shareholder could refute them, but combined into a plan no less clear than the knife slowly pressing into her neck. She closed the file, turned off the light, but still lay awake for a long time in the dark, listening to Bach Nguyen's steady footsteps patrolling the hallway like the only reassuring count in the middle of the night.