Chapter 18 — Fake Lover Turns Out to Be Fiancee

In a discreet room in the basement of an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, Luong Khac Binh personally met Ta Vo Tam, a meeting that both wanted to keep absolutely secret, not revealing any traces that could implicate the reputation of the businessman who always built a neat public image.

"Mr. Ta, I heard that you lost the last match." Luong Khac Binh opened his mouth, his voice was calm but contained undisguised contempt.

Ta Vo Tam, his shoulder still wrapped in bandages from the wound that had not yet completely healed, his eyes flashed with anger at those blunt words. "That was just a fight, not the entire war. The Black Wind Gang has many other ways to achieve its goal."

"I don't care what method you use, I only care about the results." Luong Khac Binh sat down on an old wooden chair in a damp room, his cold eyes looking straight at the other person. "But I think, maybe we should cooperate instead of each acting individually. You want revenge for the sect, I want to eliminate obstacles in business, our goals revolve around the same person and those who are protecting him."

Ta Vo Tam frowned and thought for a moment before speaking. "What kind of cooperation do you propose?"

"It's simple." Luong Khac Binh smiled coldly, took out a file and placed it on the table. "I will provide you with information about Duong Gia Group's schedule, relationships, and weaknesses, giving you the opportunity to approach Bach Dang more easily without having to face dangerous direct confrontations like last time. In return, when you strike, make sure to cause enough damage to seriously weaken Duong Gia Group, creating conditions for me to capture the remaining market share."

"You want us to be a tool for your business ambitions?" Ta Vo Tam asked, his voice filled with contempt.

"Not a tool, but a mutually beneficial partner." Luong Khac Binh replied, undeterred by the other person's attitude. "You got what you wanted, you got revenge for the gang feud that had been going on for twenty-five years, I got what I needed, the market no longer has any competitors. It's a win-win situation, why worry about who makes tools for whom?"

Ta Vo Tam was silent for a long time, his eyes scanning the documents filled with detailed information about the Duong family, about daily travel schedules, and about weaknesses in the security systems of both the company and the private villa. Finally, he nodded, accepting the offer.

"Okay, I agree to cooperate. But remember, Luong Khac Binh, the duel with Bach Dang is the honor of the Black Wind Gang, I will not let you interfere in how I handle him." Ta Vo Tam said, his voice full of warning.

"Of course, I only care about the end result, how it is done is your business." Luong Khac Binh stood up, brushed his sleeves as if he had just completed a normal business deal, not at all concerned that he had just shaken hands with a dangerous gang and criminal organization.

After Luong Khac Binh left, Ta Vo Tam sat alone in the dark room, opened the file to study carefully, his eyes lingered for a long time on a photo of Gia Khue standing next to Bach Dang at a public event. The corner of his lips curled up in a cold, calculating smile.

"Bach Dang, you can protect me in a duel, but can you protect everyone you cherish at the same time?" He muttered to himself, then took out his phone and called to summon the remaining subordinates of the Black Wind Gang, and began planning a plot on a much larger scale than the previous single battle.

Meanwhile, the dangerous meeting that just took place in the basement of the abandoned warehouse has never reached the ears of anyone at Duong Gia Group. Bach Dang and Gia Khue are still focusing on business, gradually regaining their normal rhythm of life after their victory over Ta Vo Tam. But unusual signs began to appear more and more in the following days.

First, the security camera system around the company's main warehouse area suddenly had continuous technical problems for many days. Although the technical team had thoroughly checked, they could not find a specific cause. Next, several key employees in the company began to receive strange calls, offering large sums of money to provide inside information. Although no one had accepted, the increasing number of calls made everyone feel insecure.

"Something's wrong." Gia Khue told Bach Dang one evening, when the two sat down to review reports about unusual events that had continuously occurred over the past week. "It feels like someone is silently probing every corner of the company, looking for loopholes to attack."

Bach Dang nodded, his spine slightly cold, just like the feeling every time he stands before a match and doesn't know where his opponent is hidden. "I feel that too. It seems like, your business rival and my gangster enemy, no longer act alone like before."

Gia Khue looked at him, her eyes full of worry. "Do you think they shook hands?"

"I can't say for sure, but all signs point to a very high possibility." Bach Dang replied, his voice low and serious. "If that's true, the situation will be much more complicated and dangerous than what we have faced before. We need to find concrete evidence, and prepare ourselves for a comprehensive war on both fronts, business and crime."

The two looked at each other, their eyes filled with determination even though they knew that the road ahead was full of thorns, but also full of faith in the power of love and unity that they had built together over the past weeks, ready to face any sinister plot that lay ahead.

That evening, Bach Dang received a call from Do Tuan Kiet, his friend's voice was full of urgency. "Bach Dang, I just heard the news from a driver friend who often runs suburban routes, saying that he saw a luxury car parked near an abandoned warehouse in the west of the city, where it was rumored that a group of strange gangsters had gathered. The person sitting in the car was called 'Mr. Binh' by the private driver, and was dressed very neatly in a business-like manner."

Hearing the nickname "Mr. Binh", Bach Dang and Gia Khue, who were sitting next to them listening through the speakerphone, were simultaneously stunned. "That Mr. Binh, is that Luong Khac Binh?" Gia Khue asked immediately, her voice tense.

"I don't know that name, I just heard the driver call it that, but listening to the description of the car, it's truly an expensive car that only the upper class can afford to own." Tuan Kiet responded over the phone.

Hanging up the phone, Gia Khue turned to look at Bach Dang, his face pale with worry. "So as expected, Luong Khac Binh has contacted Black Wind Gang directly."

"We need to tell your father immediately." Bach Dang said, his voice serious, his hand holding the phone ready to call.

Mr. Duong Khac Nguyen, after hearing his daughter present all the information, his face became very heavy. "If that's true, Luong Khac Binh has no longer kept the limits of normal business competition. He has stepped into the line of seriously violating the law by colluding with criminal organizations. We need to collect enough evidence, not only to protect ourselves, but also to bring him to light of the law."

"Do you think we should ask the investigation agency for help?" Gia Khue asked.

"Don't be in a hurry. If we act too early without real evidence, we will alert the enemy, making them more cautious and more difficult to expose." Mr. Khac Nguyen replied in a thoughtful voice like that of a businessman with extensive business experience. "For now, just quietly gather more information, wait for the right moment before taking action."

Bach Dang nodded in agreement, silently comparing this calmness with his own master - the same type of person, facing the biggest storms and still able to sit still and sip a sip of tea before making a decision.

"I will ask Tuan Kiet to continue monitoring that warehouse area to see if there are any more movements." Bach Dang said. "At the same time, I think it's time to contact my master to ask for advice. This matter is now no longer simply a personal grudge between me and Ta Vo Tam, but involves the safety of the entire company and my family."

That night, a message was sent to Vo Danh Mountain through the familiar ranger station, carrying all the information about the collusion between Luong Khac Binh and Ta Vo Tam. Bach Dang stood on the balcony, looking at the crescent moon hanging in the city sky, both worried and determined, knowing that the upcoming battle would no longer simply be an honorable duel, but a comprehensive war requiring both intelligence and strength to protect everything he had cherished since the day he set foot down the mountain.