Chapter 2 — Dawn After the Crack

On Friday morning, Lam Niem So wore a loose black dress with a low ponytail. Her belly was so big, she stood in front of the mirror and tried turning around, mocking herself, she looked like a penguin. When she was about to go out the door, Tran Canh Sam was eating breakfast.

“Where are you going?”

“I have work.”

She did not explain, called a taxi and went straight to Cam Lan Group headquarters. Cam Lan Group, the leading jewelry brand in the country. The headquarters building is forty-six stories high, with a glass-covered exterior, dazzling in the sunlight. When Lam Niem So registered at the front desk, besides her, there were seven other finalists. All were young, neatly dressed, some even carrying expensive designer handbags. No one is like her, carrying a seven-month pregnant belly. The receptionist looked at her twice.

“Lam Niem So? Rang Dong collection?”

“Please come to the meeting room on the 32nd floor.”

In the elevator, a male contestant wearing glasses pushed her glasses frame, his eyes scanning her from head to toe.

“Are you coming to take the exam too?”

“From which company?”

“I participated in the free competition.”

He didn't ask more, but his slight smile said everything. In the conference room on the 32nd floor, five judges sat in the front row. Lam Niem So drew number six. The five people before her all had respectable backgrounds. People come from famous studios, people study abroad, people are elite seeds of long-standing brands. When it was her turn, she lifted her belly and stepped onto the podium. Sitting in the middle is an old man with gray hair, wearing a dark gray Sun Yat Sen suit, with a straight back. She doesn't know him. But as soon as he saw her, his hand holding the cup of tea stopped slightly. Lam Niem So connected the projector. Start presenting.

“The core idea of this collection is the beauty of cracks.”

The first page shows a design of a ring. The metal surface retains the fracture lines. In the cracks studded with crushed diamonds, the incoming light will reflect into irregular rays of light.

"Things that aren't perfect, don't need to be fixed. That's the answer in itself."

The meeting room was silent for a few seconds. A female judge spoke up:

"What is your technical plan? With this irregular pattern, the finished product rate will not exceed 30%."

Lam Niem So turns the slide.

"I tested it. Using controlled micro-explosion technology during the metal forming stage, then using vacuum setting method to fill in crushed diamonds. This is experimental data."

The gray-haired old man put down his cup of tea.

“What's your name?”

“Lam Niem So.”

He looked at her for a long time.

“What are you wearing around your neck?”

Lam Niem So reflexively touched the collar, a piece of silver chain was revealed.

“Just an old thing.”

He nodded and did not ask further. The presentation ends. She returned to the waiting area. The man wearing glasses approached.

"The presentation isn't bad, but in competitions like this, in the end it's all about the background. You understand."

Lam Niem So did not answer. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the results were announced. Rang Dong collection, highest score in the whole council. The organizing committee staff gave her an envelope.

"Miss Lam, congratulations on winning the Champion award. The reward is twenty thousand yuan, in addition, Cam Lan Group would like to discuss with you about the design cooperation contract."

Twenty thousand yuan. Her hands trembled slightly. The man wearing glasses stood next to him, sharp face has changed markedly. Lam Niem So put away the envelope and took the elevator down. The elevator stopped on the 20th floor. A man stepped in. Tall, thin, wearing a black shirt, the sleeves rolled up twice. In his hand he holds a file of documents. He glanced at her, then looked down at her stomach.

“How many months has it been?”

“Seven months.”

“Come here alone?”

He took out a business card from his pocket and gave it to her.

“Co Tham, Cam Lan Group Investment Department. Are you today's champion?”

“How do you know?”

“I watched the live broadcast of the security guard session in the surveillance camera room on the thirty-second floor.” He said, “Your design is very interesting.”

The elevator reached the first floor and the door opened. Co Tham leaned over to let her go first.

“Miss Lam, you can contact me at any time about cooperation.”

Lam Niem So put his business card in his pocket and walked out of the Cam Lan building. The sun was very hot, she stood on the steps and texted Tong Dao: First prize, bonus twenty thousand. Tong Dao answered immediately: !!! Tonight I invite you to eat hot pot!!! Lam Niem So put the phone away and called a car home. In the car, she received a WeChat message from Tran Canh Tham: There's a party tonight, you won't come home to eat. She did not answer. When she got home, Tran's mother was cooking in the kitchen, and Tran's father was watering flowers on the balcony. No one asked where she went. She returned to her bedroom, put the award certificate and contract intent in an iron box, placed with a silver lock. On the phone there is an unread email from the Cam Lan Cup Organizing Committee: Ms. Lam Niem So, founder of Cam Lan Group, Mr. Lam, would like to have a private meeting with you. Please let me know when you can arrange a time. Lam Niem So stared at the three words "Mr. Lam" for a long time. The founder of Cam Lan Group, surnamed Lam. Her last name is also Lam. She shook her head and replied to the email: Next Monday afternoon. Then turn off the phone and go to sleep. Saturday morning, Tong Dao arrived. She is Niem So's college classmate, and is currently a lawyer at a law office. She works decisively and speaks even more decisively. The two sat in the milk tea shop in front of the apartment complex, Tong Dao pushed a file in front of her.

"Phuong Di Nhien, twenty-six years old, joined Tran Canh Tham's company last year, marketing department specialist."

Tong Dao turned to the first page, which was Phuong Di Nhien's basic information.

“The investigation revealed that her relationship with Tran Canh Tham did not begin recently.”

Lam Niem So held a glass of hot milk and said nothing.

"Started when you were three months pregnant. Four months now." Tong Dao pulled out a few photos, "This is the history of them going in and out of the hotel together. I asked someone to look it up. A total of seven times."

Lam Niem So looked at Tran Canh Tham's hand holding Phuong Di Nhien's waist in the photo and felt her stomach flip.

“There's more.” Tong Dao's voice was low, "Last month, Phuong Di Nhien had her HCG checked once."

“What do you mean?”

"It was a pregnancy test. But after that there was no record of making a maternity record, perhaps it was just a bird's shadow and a fish's toothpick."

Lam Niem So put down the glass of milk and unconsciously stirred the straw with her fingers.

“Dao Dao, I want to move out.”

Tong Dao looked at her: "Think carefully, right?"

“Think carefully.”

"Move to my place. My apartment has two bedrooms and a living room, close to the hospital."

“I will pay the rent.”

“Why are you being so polite to me…”

“I will pay.” Lam Niem So looked at her friend, "I don't want to owe anything anyone else.”

Tong Dao looked at her for a few seconds then nodded: "Okay. One and a half thousand a month, friend price.”

“Thank you.”