Chapter 17 — Fascinated by the Rooster Farmer Raising His Children

After the failure of his plan for internal division and indirect financial pressure, Tuong Bach Uy realized he had underestimated the solidarity power of the Binh Xuyen farmer alliance. Realizing that indirect pressure measures were not enough to cause this alliance to collapse, he decided to escalate his tactics. He called a meeting with the senior management team. His voice no longer held the calm and calculating tone as before, but was mixed with impatience.

"We've spent nearly two months and still haven't made significant progress." He said, slamming his hand on the table, his voice sharper than ever before the assistants sitting silently around him. "Not only did that alliance not disband, it also signed contracts with two new supermarket chains, attracting more farmers to participate. It's time to use tougher measures."

"Mr. President, what more can we do that stays within the legal framework?" Kieu Dac Nhan asked, his voice somewhat reserved, his hand tightening the pen in his hand, feeling increasingly uneasy about what his boss was planning.

"Who says I need everything legal?" Tuong Bach Uy replied coldly, his eyes no longer had any hesitation. "Cutting off the supply of seeds and fertilizers from agents with whom we have partnerships makes Binh Xuyen farm have difficulty in production. At the same time, let people closely monitor Dinh Vinh Khang's family, learn about weaknesses to apply direct pressure if necessary."

Kieu Dac Nhan was silent, a feeling of insecurity rose in his heart when he heard about "family surveillance". He began to realize that what his boss was doing went far beyond the boundaries of a normal competitive business strategy, approaching acts that could seriously violate the law.

"Dear Chairman, Mr. Vinh Khang's baby is only six years old." He blurted out, unable to contain the rising guilt. "Is it necessary to involve their entire family?"

Tuong Bach Uy looked at him with cold eyes. "Kieu Dac Nhan, this is business, not a love affair. I don't ask you to harm anyone, just collect information so we know the other person's weaknesses. If you are not brave enough to do this job, I will find someone else to replace you."

That tough sentence made Kieu Dac Nhan silent, not daring to protest further, but in his heart, the seed of doubt about the ethics of the work he was doing began to germinate stronger than ever.

*

A few days later, Vinh Khang discovered that the source of tree seeds and organic fertilizer that he often bought suddenly announced that they would stop cooperating with the vague reason "change in regional distribution policy". He called everywhere to ask questions but only received vague and evasive answers. He had to rush to find alternative sources of supply from other provinces, causing transportation costs to increase significantly, directly affecting production plans for the new crop.

More worryingly, one afternoon, when Khanh Vy took Tieu Yen home from school, she noticed a strange car parked near the school gate. The people inside did not hide their observation of them, their eyes blatantly following every step of the mother and daughter. She cautiously drove her child home quickly and told Vinh Khang the incident as soon as he returned from the fields.

"I think they're trying to threaten us." Vinh Khang said, his face darkened with concern for the safety of his daughter and wife, his hands clenched into fists on the table. "We need to inform the local police about this situation, and we need to be more careful when traveling."

That night, a more serious incident happened: the farm's main greenhouse system had a sudden power cut at midnight, causing the automatic irrigation system to stop working for many hours, causing significant damage to a part of the vegetable area in the most important growing stage of the crop. During the inspection, Vinh Khang discovered signs that the power line had been intentionally cut with specialized tools, not a random incident due to weather or normal technical problems.

"This is no longer normal business competition." Khanh Vy said, her voice shaking with indignation when she saw the damage. "This is intentional destruction of property, which could constitute a criminal offense."

Vinh Khang took photos of the entire scene, recorded details of the time of the incident, and called the commune police that night. Although local authorities did not have enough evidence to immediately identify the culprit, making a scene record was still an important step as evidence for legal developments that may occur later.

Early the next morning, when both husband and wife were checking the extent of the damage under the morning sun, many farmers in the alliance voluntarily came to help repair the damage, bringing spare seedlings and repair tools. The image of simple people not afraid of difficulties, ready to support each other in times of trouble moved Khanh Vy to tears, strengthening her determination to protect this community to the end.

*

The next morning, Tieu Yen, already sensitive to instability, asked her father with worried eyes. "Dad, is there a bad person who wants to harm our family? I saw you and Mom talking with very scared faces."

His daughter's innocent question made Vinh Khang's heart ache, recalling the fear he had witnessed in her after her mother passed away. He sat down, held his child in his arms, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible. "It's nothing, Mom and Dad are just dealing with some work issues. Just rest assured and go to school, Mom and Dad will always protect you, no one can harm you."

But after her daughter went to school, when only the two of them remained in the quiet house, Vinh Khang turned to Khanh Vy, his eyes filled with determination mixed with worry. "Honey, I can't let this affect Tieu Yen's safety. Maybe we should reconsider whether we should continue to confront such a great force."

Khanh Vy held his hand, her eyes were steady even though they were also full of worry. "I understand your worry. But if we step back now, not only will our family suffer, but all the farming households that have trusted and joined the alliance will also lose everything. We cannot let them win by bullying and intimidation. But I agree, we need to increase Tieu Yen's safety first."

They decided to take Tieu Yen to school at flexible times every day, asked close neighbors to help pay attention whenever strangers appeared near the house, and installed more security cameras around the farm area. Although these measures make daily life more stressful, they both agree that their daughter's safety was a priority that cannot be compromised.

*

That same day, Mr. Ly Van Ben convened an emergency meeting of all farmer households in the alliance, informed about recent events and called on everyone to be more vigilant and united in the face of the increasingly bold tricks of the enemy.

"My people, they are trying to scare us into giving up." He spoke, his voice full of determination despite his old age, his hands shaking but his eyes still burning with determination. "But I believe, the more united we are, the more difficult it will be for them to defeat us with such tricks. I have lived in this land all my life, I will not let anyone take away what our ancestors left behind in such an unfair way."

Applause of agreement echoed throughout the hall, the simple but steadfast faces of farmers clearly expressed their determination not to back down under pressure. Witnessing that solidarity, Khanh Vy and Vinh Khang felt a great source of strength, motivating them to continue the fight to protect their land and the future of the entire community, even though they knew that there were many more difficult challenges waiting ahead, especially when they did not know that Tuong Bach Uy was preparing for a decisive blow at the upcoming public land auction in the area.

After the meeting, many farming households voluntarily organized into small groups, taking turned guarding the Binh Xuyen farm area at night, to prevent further acts of vandalism. It was an image that deeply touched Khanh Vy - people who had never been formally educated in management or business strategy, but understood better than anyone else the value of community solidarity in the face of adversity.