Chapter 14 — Dawn After the Crack

More than three hundred guests sat down, the lights dimmed, and the projector turned on. Lam Niem So stepped onto the stage.

“Hello everyone. I am the chief designer of the brand ‘So Kien’, Lam Niem So.”

She pressed the remote, and high-resolution images of six works appeared one after another on the large screen. Applause rang out for a few seconds. She began presenting the design ideas and technical details of each work. At the fourth performance, in a corner under the stage, someone raised their hand.

“Designer Lam, I have a question.”

It's a young male reporter wearing glasses - Lu Van Ban. Lu Van Ban stood up: "As far as I know, the crack aesthetic concept of the 'So Kien' brand was originally proposed by Mr. Trieu Bang Trinh of the Cam Lan product department. Two years ago he submitted a related design plan. May I ask if your design has any relationship with Mr. Trieu's plan?" Under the stands, whispers rang out. Trieu Bang Trinh sat in the third row, calmly straightening his back. Lam Niem So stood on the podium, not showing any signs of confusion.

“A good question.” She said, “I'll answer the relationship question first – there aren't any relationships.”

"But Mr. Trieu's plan was submitted two years earlier than the time she took the exam."

“Then let me ask you a question.” Lam Niem So moved to the next slide, on which were two comparison photos - on the left is Trieu Bang Trinh's design from two years ago, on the right is her "Rang Dong" collection.

"In Trieu Bang Trinh's plan, the crack is surface treated in the final stage, using chemical corrosion to create it. Those lines are repetitive and have a mass stereotype. The essence of his design is - creating fake cracks on the intact metal base."

She flipped to the next slide.

"In my design, the cracks are created at the metal shaping stage using controlled micro-explosion technology. Each crack is unique and cannot be copied. The technical process is completely different, and the visual effect is also completely different."

She zoomed in on the details of two photos of the actual product.

"The lines on the left look like printing. And on the right, they look exactly like natural ice cracks. These are all people in the industry here, can these two things be equated?"

There was silence for two seconds below. Then someone clapped. The applause gradually spread. Lu Van Ban still wanted to say something more, when Chau Dao sitting in the front row - the same person who had questioned her at the previous exchange - suddenly spoke up.

"Tieu Lu, they have already clearly outlined the technical principles for you, what else do you want to get involved in? The technical roadmap is completely different. If this is called plagiarism, then all the ceramic factories that make cracked glaze in this world will have to sue each other in court."

Lu Van Ban's face turned red and he sat down on the chair. Trieu Bang Trinh in the third row, his face looked like he had just swallowed a fly. Lam Niem So stood on the stage and glanced at him, not commenting another word. She flipped the slide to the last page.

“Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to announce something.”

The hall returned to a quiet atmosphere. On the projector screen appeared a photo - a photo of Lam Sung Son, Lam Tri Vien and Lam Niem So.

“My name is Lam Niem So. The biological granddaughter of the founder of Lam Thi Group, Mr. Lam Sung Son, daughter of Mr. Lam Tri Vien. Twenty-eight years ago, I was carried away from the hospital by bad guys on the second day after I was born. This year, I came home.”

The whole hall was buzzing. More than three hundred people spoke in unison. The flash light flashes continuously. Lam Sung Son stood up from the VIP seats in the first row, walked close to the stage, and stood next to Lam Niem So. He took the microphone.

“Lam Niem So is my grandson. Kidnapped twenty-eight years ago, this year thanks to DNA testing, his identity was confirmed. The kidnapping case is currently under investigation.” He glanced around the hall, "From today, everything about her will be the responsibility of the Lam family."

Applause mixed with chatter lasted for a long time. Trieu Bang Trinh quietly left his seat without realizing it. Tham Tinh Van sat in a corner, holding a glass of red wine, smiling.

“I told you this girl is not simple.” She spoke softly.

After the press conference ended, everything happened faster than Lam Niem So expected. The news immediately reached the top of searches of the day - "The designer of Cam Lan's new brand is actually the 28-year-lost treasure of Lam Thi Group".