Chapter 17 — Fake Lover Turns Out to Be Fiancee

Tang Bao Tran's phone vibrated continuously as soon as she stepped into the elevator. The number of notifications jumped up so fast that she thought her phone was faulty. A video recording part of the battle in the underground parking lot the night before suddenly appeared on social networks, accidentally recorded by the hotel's security camera from a far corner. The image is not too clear but enough to see a man alone confronting a whole group of people carrying weapons, with incredibly agile and flexible movements.

The video quickly went viral, attracting hundreds of thousands of views in just a few hours, accompanied by countless comments discussing the identity of that mysterious man with extraordinary martial arts skills. Some people also cut and paste, analyze each movement, and compare it with famous martial arts sects, but no one can determine exactly which sect it is.

"Miss Khue, this video is causing a stir on the internet." Tang Bao Tran hurriedly ran into the office, holding the phone and showing it to Gia Khue. "Fortunately, the camera didn't show his face clearly, but his figure resembles Bach Dang."

Gia Khue watched the video, her heart beating fast as she remembered the horrifying battle last night. "I hope no one realizes it's him. If this story spreads too widely, it will cause a lot of trouble."

But although no one knows the exact identity, rumors about a mysterious expert behind protecting Duong Gia Group have begun to spread in the business world, causing many partners and competitors to be more cautious when intending to cause difficulties for this company.

In his office, Luong Khac Binh also watched the video, his face darkened when he realized that his plan to revive the old feud not only failed to remove the thorn in his side, but also unintentionally helped enhance his opponent's reputation.

"Sir, news of the battle has spread everywhere, many of our partners are showing shyness, some even doubt whether our company is behind that attack, because recently the dispute between the two sides is no longer a secret in the world." The assistant reported, his voice careful.

Luong Khac Binh slammed his hand on the table, his voice filled with rare anger. "What kind of business is that guy Ta Vo Tam doing? I just wanted him to quietly handle it neatly, but unexpectedly it turned into a public performance in the hotel parking lot, attracting the whole world's attention."

"Perhaps he underestimated his opponent's strength." The assistant replied, not daring to say anything more because he knew the owner was in anger.

Luong Khac Binh stood up, walked back and forth in the office, rethinking the entire strategy. "Okay, the old way doesn't work anymore, we need another plan. Find out if Ta Vo Tam has any further plans, and prepare a backup plan. We can't bet everything on such an unprofessional gangster organization."

"Yes sir, I will contact you immediately." The assistant replied, hastily retreating from the room.

Meanwhile, at Duong Gia Group headquarters, the atmosphere was much more positive when news of the test results of herbal samples from Vo Danh Mountain was officially announced, showing that the quality was much superior to the old supply. Mr. Duong Khac Nguyen held a small press conference, announced the upcoming new product line, and skillfully refuted previous false rumors with clear, specific scientific evidence.

"We are proud to announce that Duong Gia's new product line will use rare herbal ingredients, sustainably harvested from high mountains, and directly support the lives of local ethnic minorities." Mr. Khac Nguyen spoke to reporters, his voice full of confidence. "We are committed to transparency in the entire production process, inviting any independent inspection agency to inspect directly."

The press conference was successful beyond expectations, helping to regain much of consumer confidence, and sales began to show signs of recovery in the following days. Gia Khue stood behind the scenes watching the press conference, her hands clasped together not because of worry anymore, but because of a joy that kept overflowing into a smile, when she saw her and Bach Dang's efforts begin to bear fruit right before the reporters' eyes.

"We did it." She turned to talk to Bach Dang, who was standing next to her in his usual protective role, even though the wound on his shoulder was still hidden under his vest.

"This is the effort of you and the entire company team, I only contribute a small part." Bach Dang humbly replied, but his eyes also showed joy at this common success.

However, success on the business front comes with another consequence that neither of them anticipated. Bach Dang's reputation, although no one knows his true identity, has begun to attract attention from many different sides in the underground world, including those who are curious to learn more about the mysterious sect behind such a talented young master, and those with bad intentions who want to take advantage of the situation for personal gain.

That evening, while the two were having dinner with their family, Mr. Duong Khac Nguyen's phone suddenly rang, the number displayed a strange international area code. He frowned as he answered the phone, his face gradually turning unusually serious.

"Who's calling, dad?" Gia Khue asked when he saw his father hang up the phone, his eyes full of worry.

"A former partner abroad reported that someone is inquiring about the true origin of the Duong Gia Group, especially interested in its connection to a martial arts sect in the mountains." Mr. Khac Nguyen replied, his voice lowered. "Apparently, this is attracting wider attention than we thought."

Bach Dang and Gia Khue looked at each other, both feeling an uneasy premonition gradually growing. The victory over Ta Vo Tam seemed to have resolved the immediate danger, but in reality, it may just be the beginning of a much more complicated chain of events, when two opposing forces, one from the old gangsters, the other from the modern business world, are gradually finding reasons to join hands with each other.

After dinner, Bach Dang called the forest ranger station to inform his master about the latest situation. A few hours later, a response message was sent, in the familiar and calm voice of director Huyen Van.

"What did Master say?" Gia Khue asked when she saw Bach Dang read and re-read the message with a thoughtful expression.

"Master said, even though Ta Vo Tam lost the battle, he has a suspicious and cruel nature and will definitely not be willing to let it go. If anyone in the business world is trying to contact him or the Black Wind Gang, that is a much more dangerous sign than a normal duel." Bach Dang replied, his voice heavy. "Master told me to be extra careful, especially pay attention to anyone showing unusual symptoms around you and your family."

After hearing this, Gia Khue became even more worried. "So what should we do now?"

"I think it's time for us to proactively find out who is behind the recent upheavals, instead of just being passively defensive." Bach Dang said, his eyes determined. "Tomorrow, I will ask Tuan Kiet to help scout out news among technology drivers. They often know many things happening around the city that the mainstream press does not report."

Gia Khue nodded in agreement, and decided to ask Bao Tran to review the entire list of partners and customers who had recently shown unusual behavior, to find clues about who was silently causing trouble behind the scenes. Both of them understand that the sooner they proactively learn, the more likely they are to prevent bigger risks that may come in the near future.

That night, before going to bed, Gia Khue stood by her room window, looking out at the garden where the light from the guest house's living room was still on, knowing that Bach Dang was still awake planning for the coming days. She silently prayed that everything would be okay, even though in her heart she still couldn't completely dispel the feeling of insecurity that was gradually growing about the challenges that were yet to appear ahead.

The next morning, as expected, Bach Dang met Do Tuan Kiet again at a familiar sidewalk cafe, asking for his help in finding information among the technology driver community, those who often move around the city and know a lot of trivial news that few people pay attention to.

"Don't worry, let me ask about the members in the group." Tuan Kiet nodded firmly, drained his cup of coffee and stood up. "Lately there have been rumors about groups of strangers appearing around the downtown area, dressed in dirty clothes, maybe it has something to do with you."

"Thank you very much." Bach Dang said, squeezing his friend's hand. "If you have any news, please notify me immediately."

Tuan Kiet patted his friend's shoulder with a familiar generous smile. "Don't worry, we're brothers, we share blessings and misfortunes together."

Looking at his friend disappearing in the flow of people passing by, Bach Dang secretly felt warm because in the midst of the oncoming storm, he still had sincere friends willing to stand side by side, not for any benefit or calculation, but simply for the love between people.