Chapter 7 — Debt Book at the End of the Alley

The man entered the restaurant at peak lunch time, when Dieu was busy serving rice to a row of customers waiting in line. He was wearing a crisp white shirt, gold-rimmed glasses, and carrying a shiny black leather briefcase — he didn't look like any of the restaurant's regulars, and didn't look like he'd come to eat.

“Excuse me, are you Dieu, Ms. Hanh's daughter?” he asked, his voice was polite but something made Dieu immediately feel uneasy.

“Yes, what do you need?” Dieu replied, still holding the spoon in her hand, trying to maintain a normal look in front of the waiting customers.

“I am a representative of Kim Phat financial company,” he said, pulling out a file from his briefcase. "I came to inform you about Ms. Hanh's loan, which is currently due for payment and needs to be resolved as soon as possible."

Dieu felt like there was an electric current running down his spine. She put down her spoon, signaled Uncle Tu to temporarily take over the customer for her, then led the man to a quieter corner of the restaurant.

"Can you be more specific? What loan?" Dieu asked, trying to keep her voice calm even though her heart was pounding.

The man opened the file and showed her a signed loan contract. "Loan eighty million dong, signed on November 15 last year, interest rate as agreed, deadline to pay all principal and interest is thirty days from today."

Dieu held the contract, her eyes scanned each line, stopping at the signature at the bottom of the page. It was her mother's signature, unmistakable — but looking closely, she felt something was wrong, the handwriting was a bit stiffer, a bit different from the signature her mother used to sign on other documents she had seen. She didn't dare confirm right now, she just silently remembered that difference.

“Thirty days,” Dieu repeated, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “What if I don't pay in time?”

“According to the terms of the contract,” the man replied, his voice still polite but cold, “the company has the right to conduct debt collection measures according to regulations, including valuation and handling of collateral if any, or transfer the file to the legal department.”

“What is collateral?” Dieu asked, her voice really starting to tremble.

The man flipped to another page in the file, pointing to a highlighted paragraph. “According to the contract, the right to use this business premises is given as partial collateral for the loan.”

Dieu read those words and felt like the floor beneath her feet had just collapsed. The restaurant - the place her mother built for more than twenty years, the place that raised her family - is being used as collateral for a loan that she, her biological daughter, never knew about.

“I need time to learn more about this loan,” Dieu said, trying to regain composure. “My mother is currently in the hospital and cannot handle it directly. I hope you will understand and give me more time.”

“I understand the family's situation,” the man replied, his voice seemed a bit softer, but his eyes still remained cold and professional. "But the company still has to follow the process, the thirty-day period has been extended to the maximum according to the policy. You should prepare a financial plan early to avoid incurring additional penalty fees."

He gave Dieu a business card, with the name "Lam Van Duc — Debt Collection Representative, Kim Phat Finance Company" and phone number. contact, then politely said goodbye, leaving Dieu standing dumbfounded in the middle of the restaurant, still holding the photocopied contract he left behind.

Uncle Tu, after seeing off all the lunch guests, turned around and saw Dieu's pale face and quickly asked. "What's wrong with you? What did that person say to you?"

Dieu showed him the contract, her hands were still shaking. "Look. My mother borrowed eighty million, mortgaged it with our shop, and it's time to pay it back."

Uncle Tu held the paper, his face changed color as soon as he read the signature line. He stood still for a long moment, his hand clenching the paper until it wrinkled.

“Do you know anything about this loan?” Dieu asked, her voice both hopeful and afraid of the answer.

“No,” Uncle Tu replied, his voice unusually stiff. "I don't know your mother borrowed this loan. But..." He hesitated, his eyes avoided looking at Dieu.

“But what?” Dieu asked urgently, feeling that he was hiding something.

"Nothing," Uncle Tu shook his head, trying to regain his normal expression. "Let me find out what company this Kim Phat company is and how reputable it is. Don't worry too much, we will find a solution."

Dieu looked at him, not completely believing in that reassurance, but she also didn't have enough strength to inquire further right now. She put the contract in her pocket, along with the chaotic thoughts swirling in her head.

In the afternoon, when the restaurant was empty, Dieu sat alone and opened his phone to look up information about Kim Phat financial company. The search results didn't yield much specific information — just a simple, sketchy website listing "quick financial support" services, no clear headquarters address, no information about official operating licenses.

She called Huong and told her everything that happened that afternoon. After listening, Huong was silent for a moment before speaking, her voice was serious.

“Sounds like bad credit, Dieu,” Huong said. "You have to be careful. This type of company often pretends to be a legitimate financial service, but actually lends at exorbitant interest rates, then uses all kinds of tricks to confiscate assets when the debtor cannot repay in time."

“So what should I do now?” Dieu asked, her voice extremely confused.

“First of all, don't rush to sign or commit to anything else,” Huong advised. "You need to find a lawyer to advise you to see if this contract is legal, if there are any unfavorable or shady clauses. Let me ask if there is anyone familiar in this field who can help you."

Dieu thanked Huong, hung up the phone, sat quietly looking out at the yard in front of the shop, where the sunset was gradually falling, dyeing the whole alley in a pale orange color. She thought of her mother who was in the hospital, of the debt book hidden in the closet, of Uncle Tu's evasive attitude, and now the specter of a bad credit loan that was directly threatening the very home that had sheltered her throughout her childhood.

She had never felt so alone and helpless, but at the same time, a new determination was silently growing inside her — a determination to find the truth, no matter how complicated and painful it was, to protect what was left of her family.

That night, Uncle Tu returned to the shop after returning home to take a shower, with a serious expression different from that at noon. He sat down opposite Dieu and placed a small stack of papers on the table.

“I asked about a few acquaintances who work in the banking industry,” he said, his voice low. “This Kim Phat company is not on the list of officially licensed credit institutions. It operates in the shadow of a financial consulting service, just like what your friend said.”

“So does that mean this contract is not legal?” Dieu asked, a ray of hope flashed.

“Not really,” Uncle Tu shook his head, his voice cautious. "This type of civil loan between an individual and a private company, even if that company is not an official credit institution, can still be considered legal if it has full signatures and seals and does not violate the ceiling interest rate according to the law. The danger is if they deliberately add ambiguous terms, or the actual interest rate exceeds the allowable level under the name of service fees."

Dieu took back the contract, carefully read the interest rate written in it, saw that the number recorded was quite low compared to the normal level of black credit that she had heard about, but there was an additional "file management fee" and a vague "renewal fee", the calculation was not clearly explained.

“I find these fees very strange,” she said, pointing to that part. "If added up, the actual interest rate is probably much higher than the number recorded on paper."

“It's a familiar trick of companies like this,” Mr. Tu nodded. “You should find a lawyer to carefully review the entire contract before deciding anything. Don't rush to pay or sign any additional documents without understanding."

Dieu nodded and took note of his advice. “Thank you, uncle. But, uncle," she hesitated, deciding to ask directly what she had been wondering since noon, "what were you going to say just now that made you stop? He said 'but' then stopped.”

Uncle Tu paused, his eyes showing confusion for a moment before regaining composure. "I just wanted to say, I find it strange because your mother is usually careful with money, I don't understand why she took out such a large loan without discussing it with anyone," he replied, his voice a bit more hasty than usual.

Dieu looked at him, feeling like that answer wasn't everything he intended to say, but she also didn't want to force him while they were both tired from the pressure of today. She nodded, letting the story settle down, telling herself she would find another more suitable occasion to ask again.

Before leaving, Uncle Tu stopped at the door and turned to look at her. “Dieu, no matter what happens, don't bear it all alone. Uncle and the neighbors here, everyone is willing to help my mother and me. Don't be afraid to speak up.”

Dieu nodded, touched by those words, although in her heart there was still a doubt that could not be completely erased about what this kind man was really hiding behind his familiar sincere appearance, a doubt that she knew she would have to carry until she found a clear answer.