Chapter 9 — Dawn After the Crack

“The tone is not small.” Chau Dao laughed, "But it's good for young people to have the will to progress. It's just..." He glanced at her stomach, "Building a brand is not something that happens in a day or two. With this condition of yours, how long can you last?"

“I was pregnant but still won first prize nationwide.” Lam Niem So took a sip of juice, "This situation is enough."

People around burst into laughter. Chau Dao's face turned slightly embarrassed, he picked up the glass of wine and turned away. Tham Tinh Van walked over from the side, lowering his voice very low.

"It's not good for you to offend Chau Dao. His relationships in the industry are very wide."

“He questioned me first.”

“Do you think on occasions like this no one will question you?” There was something indescribable in Tham Tinh Van's voice - like he was watching a funny show, but also like a pre-planned plot. “Someone like you with no backing suddenly parachuted into the position of chief designer, the whole industry is waiting to see your joke.”

“Then let them see.” Lam Niem So turned her head to meet Tham Tinh Van's eyes, "Director Tham, you called me here today, not just to let me 'show my face', right?"

Tham Tinh Van burst out laughing.

“You're smart too.”

“You want to humiliate me.”

Tham Tinh Van's smile froze.

“You think too much.”

“Then I'll just assume you have good intentions.” Lam Niem So placed the glass of juice on the tea party table, "Thank you, Director Tham, for introducing me. I'll go back first."

As she turned to walk away, her phone vibrated. It's a message from Trieu Toan: The origin of Tran Quoc Dong's fifty thousand yuan that year has been found out. Transferred from the account of a person named Tien Duc Hai. Tien Duc Hai, that year was Deputy Director of Hai Thanh Hospital No. 1. Lam Niem So stood outside the banquet hall door, looking at this message. The Deputy Director of the hospital transferred fifty thousand yuan to the security guard. Right after a newborn baby goes missing. She put away her phone and entered the elevator. Lam Niem So did not go home immediately. She called Tong Dao.

"Dao Dao, can you help me investigate someone? Tien Duc Hai, Deputy Director of Hai Thanh Hospital No. 1 that year."

"Okay. I have information for you tonight."

It was nearly ten o'clock when she got home. Lam Niem So took a shower, then sat on the bed and waited. At eleven thirty, Tong Dao's phone rang.

"Looked it up. Tien Duc Hai, currently retired, lives in the suburbs of Hai Thanh. He has a daughter named Tien My Linh, married in the province."

Tong Dao paused for two seconds.

“You guess.”

“You say it.”

“Tran Canh Tham's eldest uncle, Tran Quoc Luong.”

Lam Niem So closed her eyes. Tien Duc Hai's daughter married Tran Quoc Dong's biological brother. A Deputy Director, a security guard, the two families are in-laws. After the child went missing, the Deputy Director transferred fifty thousand yuan to the security guard, and the security guard quit his job and left Hai Thanh. This line has already been strung together.

“Nien So.” Tong Dao's voice was very deep, "If this is true... the Tran family knew who you were from the beginning."

This sentence made Lam Niem So's whole body cold. The Tran family knew who she was from the beginning. What about Tran Canh Tham? Does he know? Did he marry her, by chance or by arrangement?

"Dao Dao, Canh Tham and I met each other at a friend's party. Who... organized that party?"

Tong Dao scrolled through his phone: "Wait a minute I still have the history of chatting in the group back then. The initiator was Vuong Loi, Canh Tham's high school friend."

“Look up the relationship between Vuong Loi and the Tran family.”

At one o'clock in the morning, Tong Dao sent another text message. Tong Dao: Vuong Loi is the nephew of Tran Quoc Luong's ex-wife. All coincidences are by design. Lam Niem So sat on the bed, rubbing her stomach, the baby in her belly kicking continuously, seemingly uneasy. She sent a message to Co Tham: Tomorrow I want to meet Mr. Lam. There's something very important. Co Tham replied at one thirty in the morning: What time? Niem So: Nine o'clock in the morning. At nine o'clock the next morning, Lam Niem So sat in Lam Sung Son's office. Trieu Toan was also present. She laid out every piece of investigative information on the table. Tran Quoc Dong, guard at Hai Thanh Hospital No. 1. Tien Duc Hai, Deputy Director of Hai Thanh No. 1 Hospital. Five thousand yuan transfer. Tien My Linh married Tran Quoc Luong. Vuong Loi arranged a party for her to meet Tran Canh Tham. After listening, Lam Sung Son, without saying a word, stood up and went out to stand in front of the window with his back to everyone, his shoulders heaving slightly. Trieu Toan was next to him, taking notes constantly. Silent for two minutes, Lam Sung Son turned around.

“They stole my niece, then married her to their own family.”

His voice was very light, but each word carried an extremely suppressed anger.