Chapter 9 — Champion Bodyguard of the Female President

Within just three days after the failed assassination attempt at Kieu Phat Tower, the video recording the moment Bach Nguyen defeated the attacker spread at breakneck speed across social networking platforms. Although the image was quite blurry and only recorded a limited angle from a panicked employee's phone camera, what was shown in that short clip was enough to arouse the curiosity of millions of viewers - a figure moving so fast that it was almost impossible to see clearly, taking down an armed man in a split second.

"Mysterious bodyguard of female president Kieu Phat" quickly became a trending keyword, attracting countless articles analyzing and speculating about the true identity of the man in the video. Some people think he is a former military special forces officer, others speculate he was once a professional martial arts athlete, and there are even more far-fetched theories about his mysterious origin.

Vu Thao Nguyen, socio-economic reporter for a major television channel, was one of the first people to recognize the potential of this story. She quickly contacted Kieu Phat's media department and asked to interview Tue Lam about the incident, but was politely refused on the grounds that the company was coordinating an investigation with the authorities.

Undeterred, Thao Nguyen turned to find out through other sources - company employees, security teams, and even people living near Tue Lam's apartment area. She found out information about the appearance of a strange man who often accompanied the female president in recent days, but no one knew his identity or background.

"Ms. Lam, a reporter keeps calling to ask for an interview about the incident the other day," Thuy Linh reported at the morning briefing, her face somewhat tense. "They also sent people to wait in the lobby of the building, trying to take pictures of Mr. Bach Nguyen."

Tue Lam sighed and gently rubbed her temples, which were aching due to pressure from many sides. "I understand they are just doing their job, but if Bach Nguyen's true identity is revealed now, it could jeopardize both him and our investigation plan."

"I think we should hold a short press conference, give an official explanation but not reveal too many details," Thuy Linh proposed. "If we keep silent, the media will only spin more and more uncontrollable hypotheses."

Bach Nguyen, sitting in the corner of the room listening to the conversation, spoke up. "I agree with that proposal. But we need to agree on a simple, easy-to-believe story that doesn't reveal any clues about Van Son Mon or the relationship between me and your family."

After a period of discussion, the group agreed on a plan - the company would issue a brief press release, confirming that it had hired a personal security expert with extensive experience to strengthen protection for the leadership after a series of recent security incidents, without going into personal details for reasons of professional confidentiality.

The short press conference took place the next afternoon, represented by Thuy Linh speaking on behalf of the company, with the remote monitoring presence of lawyer Tran Huu Khang to ensure all statements were within the allowed legal framework. Although it did not completely satisfy the press's curiosity, this announcement did somewhat cool down the public opinion fever, as difficult questions about the specific identity of the "mysterious bodyguard" were skillfully avoided.

However, not everyone is easily convinced. Vu Thao Nguyen, with her persistent professional nature, continued to quietly investigate privately. She found the small village at the foot of Van Son mountain - where Tue Lam had stopped by to rent a car before going up the mountain - after finding it from an old car rental invoice that an anonymous colleague provided her.

Here, the driver who took Tue Lam recounted, without revealing specific details about the exact location, that a city girl hired him to drive her to a remote mountain area, where it was rumored that there was a group of self-sufficient hermits. This information made Thao Nguyen even more curious, but when she tried to find a way deeper into the mountain, she was politely but firmly stopped by a group of young men wearing gray martial arts uniforms, and was informed that this was a private area and no strangers were allowed.

Returning to the city empty-handed, Thao Nguyen still did not give up. She began to dig deeper into the Kieu family's history, digging up old articles about the fire that happened at their villa eighteen years ago, hoping to find some connection between the past and the mysterious bodyguard in the present.

Meanwhile, at Kieu Phat Tower, public attention also led to mixed reactions within the company. Some employees expressed admiration and felt more secure knowing that there was such a good security expert protecting the board of directors, but there were also many whispers and doubts about the true relationship between the young female president and the bodyguard who was always standing by her side.

"There's a lot of speculation," Thuy Linh whispered to Tue Lam on a rare free afternoon, when they both sat and rested in their private office. "Some people even say that you and Bach Nguyen have a special relationship, not just a boss and a bodyguard."

Tue Lam blushed slightly, although she tried to remain calm. "That's not as important as finding out who is behind the plot to harm me and the company. As long as those rumors don't affect the investigation, I don't care too much."

But in her heart, she could not deny that, since the day she met Bach Nguyen again, the emotions in her heart had begun to change in a direction that she did not dare to name clearly. Every time he appeared next to her, the peace of mind she felt came not simply from a sense of protection, but also from a familiar warmth, as if a long-lost piece of her life had finally found its rightful place.

As for Luong Khac Viet, the sudden appearance of a security expert with such extraordinary abilities was clearly beyond his calculations. In a private call with To Manh Kha, the man who arranged the recent failed assassination, his voice could not hide his anger.

"Who brought that guy into the company? Why didn't you get the information first?" Luong Khac Viet spoke harshly over the phone, his eyes clearly showing concern even though he was trying to stay calm in front of other people in his private office.

To Manh Kha replied, his voice no less tense. "I'm letting people find out about him. But this guy's background is very obscure, without any official records of his background or training. It's as if he fell from the sky."

"Find it out," Luong Khac Viet ordered, his voice cold. "If he is really as dangerous as shown in that video, we need to know his weakness before considering the next step. Our plan cannot be ruined by an outsider."

The call ended, Luong Khac Viet sat quietly in his private office, his eyes looking out the glass window with an unpredictable pensive look. Thirty years of waiting for the opportunity to reclaim what he believed should rightfully be his, he did not allow any unexpected obstacle to ruin his carefully prepared plan. But deep in his mind, a vague uneasiness also began to arise - the fear that the appearance of that mysterious bodyguard might not be simply a coincidence.

He opened his desk drawer, took out an old, yellowed photo of three young men standing in front of a small processing factory, smiling brightly and proudly - it was him, Kieu Thanh Nghia, and the third shareholder who had passed away long ago. Thirty years ago, they were like-minded friends, contributing capital to build the first foundation of Kieu Phat, each person had an equal third of the shares, no one was bigger than the other.

The turning point came in the fifth year, when the processing factory was at risk of bankruptcy because an export shipment was owed by a foreign partner. Someone offered to buy the whole thing back to cut losses, and he — then in his early thirties, more afraid of nothing than anything else — insisted on selling. Kieu Thanh Nghia, on the contrary, mortgaged her entire house to borrow more capital to hold on, convincing the third shareholder to lean towards her. That bet won big, the small processing factory became the forerunner of an entire corporation. But right after that, in the first restructuring meeting, it was Kieu Thanh Nghia who proposed to put all strategic decision-making power in the hands of "those who dared to believe in the company in the most difficult times" - a statement that was applauded, and also a statement that stripped him of his actual executive power without taking away a single share. For the next twenty-five years, he remained on every annual report, still received regular dividends, but was never once consulted before a major decision was made.

"You took away everything that should belong to me," he muttered to himself, his eyes staring at Kieu Thanh Nghia's youthful face in the old photo, the bitterness pent up for three decades clearly visible in every line of his face. "I'm only afraid of losing everything once in my life, and you're remembered as a hero who dared to take risks. You turned my fear into proof that I'm not worthy. This time, I won't let you or anyone stop me from taking back what I deserve."

He put the photo back in the drawer and slammed it shut as if he wanted to seal away a whole past filled with resentment. Outside the glass window, the city was still bustling with lights, completely unaware of the underground storm that was silently forming behind the luxurious walls of the headquarters building, a storm that could sweep away everything Kieu Phat had worked hard to build over the past thirty years, if no one stopped it in time.