Chapter 19 — Champion Bodyguard of the Female President

One week after the rescue in the Eastern Industrial Park, lawyer Tran Huu Khang and his legal team completed the entire file, combined with the investigation results from the police after questioning To Manh Kha and his accomplices. Faced with the weight of evidence, To Manh Kha finally confessed the entire truth in exchange for leniency, clearly confirming that Luong Khac Viet was the person who directly hired him to carry out the attacks and kidnappings.

An extraordinary meeting of the Board of Directors was convened, with the full attendance of all members, representatives of the investigation agency, and in the presence of the media who were informed in advance of an "important announcement" related to the company's governance situation. Vu Thao Nguyen, a female reporter who has persistently followed the story of the "mysterious bodyguard" for many weeks, sat in the last row, camera in hand, her eyes unable to hide her excitement at the premonition that she was about to witness a historic moment for Kieu Phat Group. Luong Khac Viet, even though he had felt the instability in recent days when he learned of To Manh Kha's arrest, still tried to remain calm when entering the meeting room, his neat suit could not hide the slightly trembling fingers on the hand holding his briefcase, not expecting that this would be the last meeting he attended as a member of the Board of Directors.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Tue Lam opened the meeting, her voice sounded authoritative and calm, completely different from the tension of previous meetings. "Today, I convened this meeting to announce the results of the investigation regarding a series of serious security incidents that have occurred over the past three months, as well as the truth behind my father's medical condition."

She signaled for lawyer Khang to show on the big screen the entire chain of evidence she had collected - the diagram of the front company network leading to Luong Khac Viet's trust fund, the recording of Pham Trung Nghia's testimony, the photos and transaction books from Mr. Khe herbal medicine, and the forensic examination conclusion confirming the blood cloud toxin in Mr. Kieu Thanh Nghia's blood.

The atmosphere in the meeting room became silent, all eyes focused on Luong Khac Viet, who was getting paler and paler, his hands clenched on the armrests of his chair. "These... these are baseless accusations," he tried to argue, his voice no longer holding its usual composure. "You can't just rely on the testimony of a criminal and an old man selling illegal medicinal herbs to accuse me."

"So how do you explain that your phone number appears in Mr. Khe's transaction record, exactly matching the personal phone number you are still using?" Lawyer Khang asked, continuing to show detailed evidence. "And how to explain the fact that the family trust fund that you secretly control is behind all nine front companies that have been secretly buying Kieu Phat shares for the past two years?"

Luong Khac Viet remained silent, his face changed color continuously, trying to find a reasonable explanation. "The phone number can be faked. I authorized someone else to manage that trust fund a long time ago. I have no idea what they use it for."

Tue Lam walked up to the front of the conference table and put down a discolored file that she personally asked the archives department to search for in the past few days in the company's old document warehouse. "So I would like to remind you of a much older story, Uncle Viet. This is the minutes of the company restructuring meeting twenty-five years ago, right after the company had just escaped the brink of bankruptcy thanks to my father's decision. It clearly states that you were the only person who opposed the plan of mortgaging the house to hold on, and after that, full authority to decide on the strategy was given to, I quote verbatim, 'those who dared to believe in the company in the most difficult times' — not you." She looked up, her sharp eyes looking straight at him. "For the past twenty-five years, you've been receiving regular dividends, your name is still on every annual report, but you've never once been consulted before a single major decision. That's the real motive behind everything you've done, isn't it? Not for money, but for a dishonorable dish that you've been swallowing for a quarter of a century."

That sentence was like a knife cutting into Luong Khac Viet's never-healed wound. He stood stunned, his lips moved but he could not utter a word of rebuttal. His bloodshot eyes looked at Tue Lam as if realizing for the first time that the girl he had always considered immature and inexperienced was actually the one who read his heart more clearly than anyone. The representative of the investigation agency, sitting in the back row, took the opportunity to stand up and approach him. "Mr. Luong Khac Viet, we have enough evidence to believe that you are directly involved in the act of poisoning Mr. Kieu Thanh Nghia, organizing attacks and kidnappings targeting Ms. Kieu Tue Lam, and manipulating the stock market through front companies. Please cooperate with us at headquarters for further clarification."

In that moment of being cornered, something no one expected happened. Luong Khac Viet, his eyes bloodshot with anger and despair, suddenly reached out and grabbed the heavy crystal medal placed on the conference table - a gift of gratitude for the thirty years of founding the company that he had been given - and swung it strongly towards Tue Lam who was standing closest, screaming with madness. "If I lose everything, I won't let you sit there and judge me in peace!"

The entire conference room stood up in panic, the sound of chairs falling, and screams rang out from a few older shareholders. But before the crystal could touch Tue Lam even an inch, a figure passed from the corner of the room so fast that no one could see clearly. Bach Nguyen appeared right in the middle of the two people, one hand swiped away Luong Khac Viet's swinging wrist, causing the crystal to fly off course, shattering on the marble floor into hundreds of sparkling pieces. The other hand gently placed on Tue Lam's shoulder, pulling Tue Lam back behind him in one seamless movement without a pause.

"That's enough," Bach Nguyen said, his voice cold as ice, standing between Luong Khac Viet and Tue Lam, his eyes looking straight at the person who had just nearly caused trouble with a calmness more terrifying than any anger. Two security guards immediately rushed in to control Luong Khac Viet, yanking his arms behind his back, taking away all ability to act violently again.

He collapsed on the chair, no longer having any strength to resist, his breathing was ragged because his own crazy action had just failed miserably in front of the entire Board of Directors and the media. Bach Nguyen stepped closer, standing opposite Luong Khac Viet, his voice trembling because he suppressed an anger that had been smoldering for eighteen years. "Do you know who you took away that night of fire?"

Luong Khac Viet raised his head to look at him, his eyes slightly confused at the unexpected question amid the panic that had not yet subsided. "Who are you?"

Bach Nguyen's voice was cold but contained a world of pent-up pain. His hand unconsciously raised up to gently touch the frayed red thread on his wrist, like a reflex to find support before reopening an old wound. "I am the son of Tat Dinh Long and his wife, the two of them died in the night of the fire he caused to cover up his failed assassination plot. The burn on my left shoulder is still intact that night, eighteen years later it has never faded, just like the past eighteen years I have always wondered who took away my parents. Today, I have the answer."

Luong Khac Viet's face was pale. For the first time during the confrontation, he was truly frightened by the eyes of the young man standing in front of him, not because of the martial arts power he had just shown, but because he realized that the nine-year-old child he had pushed into orphanhood had now grown up and stood tall right in front of him demanding justice. He trembled, his voice cracking without any strain left. "You... you don't understand. Thirty years ago, I personally contributed to building this company, yet Kieu Thanh Nghia sidelined me just because of a few disagreements! I deserve to have what I'm trying to get back!"

"So you admit that all the accusations are true?" Although Tue Lam's voice trembled slightly with emotion, she still maintained the necessary sharpness, stepping out from behind Bach Nguyen to face him directly one last time.

Luong Khac Viet looked at her, his eyes were full of hatred that had been pent up for three decades, but also mixed with the emptiness of someone who had just lost the last game. "That's right, I did everything. I had someone set fire to your villa eighteen years ago, after the plan to poison your father failed because the dosage was not enough. I poisoned him again this time when the opportunity was ripe. I did everything to take back what should belong to me, and I have no regrets!"

That public confession, witnessed by the entire Board of Directors, representatives of the investigation agency and the media, officially closed the entire chain of mysteries lasting eighteen years. The police quickly escorted him out of the meeting room in a heavy silence that covered the entire room. His steps staggered and stepped on broken pieces of crystal still on the floor, closing a dark chapter lasting nearly two decades in the history of Kieu Phat Group.

After Luong Khac Viet was escorted away, the meeting room remained in stunned silence for a long time before whispers began to ring out. One of the oldest shareholders, who had been with Mr. Kieu Thanh Nghia since the early days of establishing the company, stood up, his voice filled with emotion. "Miss Lam, on behalf of the shareholders, I apologize for ever doubting your executive ability. What you have done in the past three months, under such terrible pressure, proves that you are completely worthy of the position of Chairman that your father entrusted to you."

Scattered applause rang out, then quickly spread throughout the meeting room, like a belated but sincere recognition of what Tue Lam had experienced and overcome. She stood silently amid the applause, her emotions so overwhelming that she couldn't speak. She could only bow her head in choking thanks, her hands still shaking slightly from the moment she almost encountered danger just a few minutes ago.

"We would also like to propose that the Board of Directors should consider awarding a worthy compensation to the family of Mr. Tat Dinh Long, who sacrificed his life to protect the Kieu family eighteen years ago, but was never fully recognized because the whole truth was hidden at that time," another member of the Board spoke up, his eyes looking towards Bach Nguyen with deep respect, still a little panicked at what he had just witnessed.

Tue Lam nodded immediately, her voice filled with determination. "This is not just a matter of financial compensation, but of honor that needs to be fully restored to a person who sacrificed his life for duty and loyalty. I will propose that the Council officially recognize the contributions of Mr. Tat Dinh Long and his wife in the company's annals, as silent heroes who have contributed to protecting Kieu Phat's existence until today."

Bach Nguyen stood silently listening to those words, a feeling of warmth mixed with choking rose in his heart. For eighteen years, he never dared to dream that one day his parents' merits would be publicly acknowledged before the highest authorities of the company they sacrificed their lives to protect. This was not only a victory over the enemy, but also the fulfillment of a part of the painful memories that he had carried with him throughout his youth. He looked down at his still bandaged palm, then looked at Tue Lam standing next to him, and realized that the debt of gratitude between the two families had finally been paid with his own hands.

After the session ended, the media present immediately rushed to interview both Tue Lam and Bach Nguyen. Vu Thao Nguyen was the quickest, jumping to the front with the first question about the true identity of the "mysterious bodyguard", but lawyer Khang skillfully intervened, only issuing a brief official press release, scheduling a fuller press conference at an appropriate time after the legal case was handled satisfactorily. Tue Lam held Bach Nguyen's hand tightly as the two walked out of the building, the late afternoon sunlight shining on both of their faces, bringing with them a feeling of relief that had never been felt in many months.

"We did it." Her voice was still shaking with emotion. "After everything we've been through, the truth is finally revealed."

"This is just the beginning of a new chapter," Bach Nguyen replied, squeezing her hand with his intact one. "Now, we need to focus on finding an antidote for Uncle Nghia, so he can wake up and witness the day the company is rescued from this dark plot."