Chapter 20 — Fake Lover Turns Out to Be Fiancee

The new product launch ceremony of Duong Gia Group was held in the large lobby of a luxurious convention center, hundreds of guests including partners, press, and loyal customers were present. Brightly illuminated stage lights, rows of delicately arranged product display tables, all create a perfect setting for an important business event.

But behind that flashy appearance, everyone in the organizing committee knows that this will be a real battle, not only in terms of business but also a life-and-death confrontation between underground forces. If tonight's counterattack plan fails, not only will the reputation of a corporation that has worked so hard to build collapse overnight in front of hundreds of cameras pointing straight at the stage, but the safety of nearly five hundred people laughing and chatting in the banquet hall, including Mr. Duong Khac Nguyen and Bao Tran standing among the guests, will also be put in danger. As for Bach Dang, there is a fear even greater than winning or losing in business: if he falls tonight, the oath to protect Gia Khue he whispered under the moonlight last night will forever be just an empty promise that will never have a chance to be fulfilled.

Gia Khue stood on stage, giving her opening speech in a calm and professional voice, even though she was extremely tense inside, her eyes occasionally glanced towards the main door, where Bach Dang was standing alert in an elegant suit, his sleeves hiding a few carefully bandaged marks from old wounds that had not yet fully healed. At her collar, the jade pendant shaped like half a lovebird still lay still as usual, only tonight, every few minutes she unconsciously raised her hand to gently touch it once, as if just feeling the familiar warmth under her fingertips would give her a little more courage to fully go through this fateful evening.

As expected, in the midst of the exciting ceremony, a group of strangers began to creep into the conference hall under the guise of guests, dressed neatly but with undisguised murderous intent in their eyes. An elderly customer, unaware of the danger looming in the middle of the crowd, enthusiastically waved to a hunky-shouldered subordinate passing by, asking him to bring an extra glass of wine because he mistakenly thought he was a waiter. This caused the other man to stand still for exactly three seconds, not knowing how to react before quietly sneaking away, leaving the old customer bewilderedly waiting for the wine to arrive. Leading that group of people was Ta Vo Tam, wearing a luxurious black suit, but his gait still exuded the temperament of a genuine gangster.

"Bach Dang, it's time for us to complete unfinished business." Ta Vo Tam spoke, his voice echoed throughout the conference hall, causing all the guests to turn around in surprise and look, whispers arose everywhere.

Gia Khue on stage paused for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and continued to signal to the security team that had been arranged as planned. Bach Dang stepped out into the middle of the hall, facing Ta Vo Tam directly in front of hundreds of surprised eyes. Following a reflex that had been ingrained in his blood for twenty-five years, he clasped his hands slightly to bow before realizing that in this situation, that polite bow was like inviting the other person to strike first. He quickly put his hand down and immediately changed to a defensive position, silently cursing the damn habit that he still refused to give up even though he had lived on the street for so long.

"Are you planning on causing trouble at a public event like this?" Bach Dang asked, his voice still calm even though he knew clearly that this was a pre-arranged trap.

"This is the best way for the whole world to know the truth about you, about the so-called successor Tieu Dao Coc who is hiding behind the scenes working for a mediocre company." Ta Vo Tam smiled coldly, waved his hand to signal, the subordinates immediately lined up to surround, some began to overturn tables and chairs, creating chaos in the conference hall.

Just when the tension reached its peak, Gia Khue stepped forward, her voice resounding powerfully through the event's speaker system, not showing any trembling even though her hands hidden behind the podium were clenched until they turned white. "Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps this is a good time for us to announce another important fact, directly related to what's going on right now." She stopped for just one breath, her eyes swept straight towards a round table in the third row, where Luong Khac Binh was sitting among the guests with an expression trying to keep calm. "Mr. Luong Khac Binh, perhaps you should stand up and personally explain to all of you present here, why your private car appeared in front of an abandoned warehouse in the suburbs at midnight, right around the time our company continuously suffered a series of inexplicable incidents."

The entire conference hall simultaneously turned their heads towards Luong Khac Binh, dozens of lenses immediately pointed straight at him. Luong Khac Binh stood up, his face suddenly changed color for a split second before regaining the inherent composure of a seasoned businessman.

"Miss Duong Gia Khue, I don't know what you are referring to, but this is clearly a blatant slander, a serious insult to the honor of me and Hung Thinh Group." He protested loudly, his voice sharp and full of fake indignation. "I will sue you in court for defamation, creating a story to harm a competitor in the middle of a public event like this."

"So please listen to this recording, then decide whether to sue me or not." Gia Khue replied, her voice cold and unflinching, signaling the technical team.

She signaled the technical team to show on the large screen behind the stage all the evidence they had collected, including suspicious financial transactions between Hung Thinh Group and accounts related to the abandoned warehouse, and a recording of the conversation between Luong Khac Binh and Ta Vo Tam that Bach Dang had secretly recorded during previous surveillance. The familiar voice of Luong Khac Binh himself rang out clearly through the speaker system, repeating word by word the plan to "have people mix in and cause trouble, creating a scandal right at the event" that he discussed with Ta Vo Tam in the abandoned warehouse that night. Less than half a minute after his denial was finished, he was mercilessly exposed by his own voice, causing Luong Khac Binh's face to turn from red with anger to pale, and his legs buckled and he had to hold on to the back of the chair to stand.

The whispers in the conference hall grew louder and louder, the reporters present immediately pointed their cameras at the screen, recording all the evidence being shown publicly. The female reporter named Yen that Gia Khue had previously contacted also quickly sent the news directly to the editorial system, causing the information to spread at breakneck speed while the event was still taking place.

With no words left to defend himself, Luong Khac Binh turned around in panic and tried to run through the crowd, but was stopped right at the door by the security team and several plainclothes officers of the authorities, secretly invited by Gia Khue in advance.

"Mr. Luong Khac Binh, please stay to clarify some issues related to the financial transactions that have just been announced." An investigator spoke up, his voice serious.

In the midst of that chaos, Ta Vo Tam, seeing that the coordination plan had been exposed, his eyes full of anger turned to Bach Dang. "Do you think that just by exposing this plot you can stop me? Today, one of us must fall to end this feud!"

He rushed forward with amazing speed, his subordinates simultaneously attacked the surrounding security team to clear the way. Bach Dang quickly reacted, repelling the first attack, at the same time shouting loudly for all guests to evacuate the dangerous area, and with one hand pushed aside a tilted banquet table that was blocking the escape route of a group of panicked service staff.

This time, Ta Vo Tam no longer used the old style that Bach Dang was familiar with from the previous match. Each of his moves is now more magical, more dangerous, as if during the past days of recovery, he did not lie still in one place but quietly practiced one last great move, pouring all that was left of a lifetime of holding grudges into each strike. A punch narrowly grazed Bach Dang's temple, forcing him to take three steps back to maintain his defensive stance. Sweat began to form on his forehead even though the air conditioning in the hall was on full blast. Around him, the sound of guests screaming and running away, the sound of tables and chairs collapsing made it even more difficult for him to both shield the crowd and wholeheartedly deal with that relentless attack.

In the midst of the chaos, a subordinate separated from the crowd, weaved through the rows of tilted chairs and rushed straight towards the stage, where Gia Khue was still standing next to the laptop controlling the presentation screen, clearly aiming to extinguish the evidence before there was any more damage to his side. Before Gia Khue could scream, he grabbed her wrist tightly and pulled her back, but the mornings of practicing in the villa garden were not in vain: she turned around to follow the pull instead of resisting, lowering her center of gravity just as Bach Dang had taught, then used her elbow to nudge her opponent hard in the ribs, causing him to let go of her hand in pain for a split second, enough for her to step back, quickly grab the laptop, hug it close to her chest, and shout for the security team standing nearby to rush over. restrain him. In just that brief moment of struggle, the piece of jade pendant around her neck flew out of her shirt, sparkling under the stage lights.

Bach Dang, busy dodging Ta Vo Tam's dangerous knife, still caught a glimpse of that flash of pearl from the corner of his eye. Just a flash of light, but enough to make him remember more clearly than ever why he was not allowed to fall tonight. He remembered the nights sitting alone in the garden, reviewing old matches over and over again, remembering the way his breathing stopped for exactly half a beat before each of Ta Vo Tam's all-out moves, those small signals that the opponent didn't even know he was revealing. Sure enough, while Ta Vo Tam waved his hand to prepare to unleash the move that was considered the ultimate technique, putting all the remains of twenty-five years of hatred into a single blow, his breath slightly stopped for exactly half a beat as Bach Dang had predicted. Just waiting for that, he dodged to the side as quickly as lightning, and at the same time launched a counterattack with all his strength to hit the opponent's wrist holding the weapon.

A dry "crack" sounded, the short knife flew out of Ta Vo Tam's hand, falling to the floor with a clatter, and he took three steps back, his right arm drooping motionless, his face discolored with pain and extreme surprise. This is not luck, nor thanks to anyone's help, but the result of the sleepless nights Bach Dang spent dissecting every smallest detail in the old match.

"You..." Ta Vo Tam staggered, his eyes could not hide the shock when he realized that his arm had completely lost feeling. But he refused to stop, swinging his leg and kicking a reckless blow with his left hand, at the same time shouting loudly for all the remaining subordinates to rush in and surround him, determined to use the majority to fill the gap in strength that had left him far behind.

More than a dozen silhouettes of people approached at the same time. Even though the convention center's security team tried to hinder them, they were quickly overwhelmed by numbers. A few guests who had not yet had time to escape panicked and rushed into the corner, screams echoed throughout the hall. Bach Dang stood between the panicking crowd and the gradually closing siege, clearly feeling that even if he had defeated Ta Vo Tam, it would be difficult for him alone to cope with this overwhelming number and still ensure that no one among the guests was injured.

At that very moment, a strong wind suddenly blew from the main door, a figure in a blue robe appeared with unbelievable speed, his body was as light as a leaf blowing in the wind, in just a blink of an eye he stood in front of the siege, his sleeves gently waved back dozens of subordinates who were about to rush forward.

"Master!" Bach Dang exclaimed in surprise when he realized that the person who had just appeared was Dao Huyen Van, arriving promptly as promised.

"I told you, master will be there in time." Master Huyen Van smiled, his sharp eyes swept over the subordinates who were falling down due to the force just now, then stopped where Ta Vo Tam was holding his motionless arm, the broken short knife lying at his feet. "It seems my disciples have already solved the most difficult part themselves, I just arrived in time to clean up the remnants of this army." He turned to Ta Vo Tam, his voice low and majestic. "Ta Vo Tam, twenty-five years later, have you still not given up this meaningless hatred?"

Ta Vo Tam stopped when he saw the appearance of Daoist Huyen Van, his eyes were both surprised and filled with unconcealed fear before the person who had defeated his master in the past. "Huyen Van... did you also personally go down the mountain for your disciple?"

"I came down the mountain not only for my disciples, but also for the sake of righteousness." Master Huyen Van replied, his voice was calm and full of majesty. "In the past, your master committed a crime and must suffer the appropriate consequences. That is fair. If you still want to continue on that wrong path, today I will not show mercy."

"Ta Vo Tam, today you lost not because of lack of bravery, but because you chose the wrong path from the beginning." Bach Dang said, his voice was both tough and a little sympathetic, his breathing was still heavy after the decisive blow just now. "The feud between the two sects should have ended twenty-five years ago, when the right was clearly defined."

Ta Vo Tam stood still, his right arm still hanging down without any feeling. Looking around, he saw that his accomplices had been mostly controlled by the security team and the police who had just arrived in time. And in front were two teachers and students, Tieu Dao Coc, with completely superior strength - one had just personally defeated him with his own hands, the other had just waved his sleeve and quelled the entire group of subordinates. Finally, he bent down and picked up the half-broken short sword with his left hand, placed it on the ground in front of him, then knelt down, a helpless sigh echoed in the conference hall that had become unusually quiet after the chaos.

"Perhaps... it's time for the Black Wind Gang to truly end this path of hatred." He spoke, his voice filled with fatigue, as if a burden that had been hanging on all his life had just been lifted.

The police quickly controlled all Ta Vo Tam and his accomplices, and at the same time escorted Luong Khac Binh away to investigate and clarify allegations of collusion to sabotage businesses and collude with subjects with criminal records. The product launch event, despite going through a tumultuous time, eventually became the place to expose the entire truth, helping Duong Gia Group not only escape the crisis but also win great sympathy and trust from the public thanks to its courageous and transparent handling.

Gia Khue ran to Bach Dang's side as soon as all danger had passed, hugging him, unable to hide her tears of happiness mixed with relief. "It's over, it's really over." In that embrace, the piece of jade pendant around her neck pressed against his chest, transmitting a strangely familiar warmth through the vest, as if the very token that had led them to each other was now also quietly witnessing this peaceful moment.

Bach Dang raised his hand to gently stroke her hair. His eyes were still a little absent-minded after the battle, but the corners of his lips were able to curl up into a smile of relief. "Are you okay? I saw someone grab your arm just now."

"I'm fine." She looked up, slightly raised her chin with unprecedented pride, still holding the laptop containing evidence like a treasure. "Thanks to someone taking the trouble to teach me a few self-defense moves in the garden every morning, I don't have to just stand there and watch anymore."

Bach Dang laughed out loud, a light laugh that let go of all the tension that had been pent up throughout the evening. He bent down and placed a light kiss on her forehead in the middle of the conference hall, which was still strewn with ruined tables and chairs.

Master Huyen Van stood looking at the two embracing each other, a gentle, satisfied smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, knowing that not only had the recent battle ended well, but the whole long journey that he had secretly arranged twenty-five years ago, was finally coming to a perfect ending as he had always expected.

Mr. Duong Khac Nguyen, who had just run backstage after hearing the news, stood silently looking at the scene before him, his eyes never leaving his old friend who he had not seen for twenty-five years. "Brother Huyen Van, you're still as cool as ever."

"Khac Nguyen, long time no see." Master Huyen Van clasped his hands and bowed with a rare warm voice. "Seeing these two children grow up and be happy together like this, I see that all the years of waiting were worth it."

The two old friends hugged each other in the middle of the conference hall, still strewn with ruined tables and chairs, not caring about the curious eyes of the lingering guests. Around, the company's staff began to clean up the scene, while reporters were still busy interviewing and recording to promptly report on the shocking incident that had just occurred.

"Thank you, master, for coming in time." Bach Dang said, letting go of Gia Khue to bow his head and bow to his master in accordance with his sect's style.

"You did very well." Master Huyen Van patted his student's shoulder, his eyes full of pride. "I only came to support when needed, but most of the credit belongs to the courage and intelligence of you and Gia Khue."

Gia Khue stood next to him, bowing slightly to greet the master whom she had just met for the first time but had heard about on the phone many times. "Thank you for coming down the mountain to help us."

Master Huyen Van looked at her, his eyes gentle as if he was seeing the image of an old friend who had passed away in her face. "No need to thank me, you are the living proof that fate, no matter how arranged or delayed by anything, will eventually find its way to its destination."