Chapter 16 — Dawn After the Crack

Lam Niem So stood up.

“Make this person's company disappear.”

Trieu Toan glanced at Lam Tri Vien. Lam Tri Vien nodded.

“Do as my daughter says.”

Within a week, three things happened at the same time. Story one: Hai Thanh police officially established an investigation case against Tran Quoc Dong and Tien Duc Hai on suspicion of kidnapping and child trafficking. Tran Quoc Dong was arrested and detained, Tien Duc Hai was escorted away from his home in the suburbs. Story two: Cam Lan Group canceled all plans to cooperate with Tran Quoc Luong's construction materials company. Not only that, Lam Tri Vien also let Trieu Toan hand over all evidence of Tran Quoc Luong's tax evasion - which was accidentally found during the investigation - to the tax authorities. Story three: The first six works of the "So Kien" brand were launched, and sales on the first day exceeded the eight million yuan mark. The name Lam Niem So and her status as the golden lady of Lam Thi Group blend together, creating a huge source of commercial energy. The fractured aesthetics of the “Rang Dong” collection became the hottest topic in the jewelry world that month. When the news reached Tran Canh Tham, he was dealing with another mess. His father was detained, his company was under tax investigation, and his own salary - because his company was actually just a subsidiary of Tran Quoc Luong - was also stopped. Phuong Di Nhien's stomach was more than four months old, she started asking him for living expenses. His bank account balance was less than three thousand yuan. That afternoon, he received a phone call from Tran Quoc Luong in the boarding house.

“Canh Tham, is your ex-wife crazy?”

“Eldest uncle, she doesn't listen to me anymore…”

"Didn't listen to you? He's the Lam family's fortune, worth three hundred billion! Why didn't you coax him carefully at first?"

“How would you know…”

"How do you know? It took your father and I so many years to set this trap! Raising her, marrying her to you, waiting for you to give birth, then taking the baby out to negotiate with the Lam family. You're already good, raising a daughter outside, and even demanding a fair share with her. You're the one who forced her to leave, step by step!"

Tran Canh Tham's hand holding the phone tightened.

“Eldest uncle, don't scold me…”

"If I don't scold you, then who will? That's three hundred billion! Do you have a brain?"

The other end of the line hung up. Tran Canh Tham threw the phone hard on the bed. Phuong Di Nhien carried a bowl of instant noodles and walked out of the kitchen.

“Who called?”

“Stop asking.”

"Canh Tham, next week you have to go for a prenatal checkup, I'll transfer you two thousand..."

“I don't have money.”

"What do you mean you don't have money? Don't you still have a salary..."

"The company is ruined! My father is also in jail! Can you stop bothering me?"

Phuong Di Nhien held a bowl of instant noodles and stood there, tears silently falling.

"You said you would divorce after having children. Can you divorce now?"

Tran Canh Tham raised his head to look at her.

"She filed the divorce petition. But the property division hasn't been completed yet - she said she doesn't need a house."

“So that house belongs to you?”

"What's the use of belonging to you? If you can't pay the installment, the bank is about to foreclose on the house."

Phuong Di Nhien slowly put the bowl of noodles on the table and picked up her bag.

“What do you do? position?"

“I'm going back to my mother's house.”

“Tran Canh Tham, I came to you because you said you have a house, a stable job, and are about to be promoted. Now that I don't have anything, are you forcing me to eat instant noodles with you?"

“In my belly there is my child!”

“I will raise this child myself.” Phuong Di Nhien put her bag on her shoulder and walked out the door, "But it's not like living with me."

The door closes. Tran Canh Tham sat alone in an empty rented house, the bowl of noodles on the table steamed and slowly cooled. He picked up his phone and scrolled to Lam Niem Chu's WeChat profile picture. The profile picture has changed – before it was a white chrysanthemum, now it is the logo of the “So Kien” brand. He exited WeChat and opened the news app. Suggested home page: "The Thien Kim Lam Thi Lam Niem So: From abandoned child to new star of the jewelry design world." Small text below: “First week sales of So Kien brand broke through the twenty million yuan mark.” Tran Canh Tham stared at those numbers, reading each word carefully. Twenty million yuan. The day he asked to divide the money fairly, her savings were only thirty thousand yuan. The day the divorce verdict came out, Lam Niem So just happened to go into the delivery room. Tong Dao brought the verdict to the hospital and sat in the hospital room reading it to her.

“The marital relationship is dissolved, custody of the child belongs to the female party. The male party does not need alimony - because the female party voluntarily waives this requirement. Real estate property belongs to the male party and the female party voluntarily gives it up.”

"Good." Lam Niem So leaned back on the hospital bed.

“You don't even need alimony?”

"No need."

“He'll think you're pitying him.”

“What he thinks is his business.”

Tong Dao put the sentence away and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Your father said he will arrange the best Head of Obstetrics Department for you.”

“No need. The doctor here is very good.”

"You're not polite at all, spending $300 billion to go to a regular hospital room."