Chapter 16 — Female Lawyer and Torn Will

The official hearing on the validity of the new will took place at the City People's Court on a clear autumn morning, as golden sunlight gently streamed through the high windows of the courtroom. Tue Minh arrived early, carefully preparing every detail in the thick dossier that she had painstakingly built over the past several weeks - from the meticulously assembled pieces of the will, DNA test results, identification papers, to the official testimony of Ms. Sau Cam, Mr. Doan, and even Kim Yen's confession.

Without the presence of Cao Nguyen Bang as an opponent, the trial took place in a completely different atmosphere than what Tue Minh had imagined at the beginning of the case - no longer fierce debates, but instead a careful and serious verification process by the judge in the face of the entire massive amount of evidence presented.

"Based on the verified evidence, including DNA examination results, legal documents confirming blood relationship, testimony of witnesses, and especially fragments of the original will that have been reconstructed with the support of document experts, the court finds that there is sufficient basis to recognize the content of the will made by Mr. Dam Vinh Thanh three weeks before his death as legal and enforceable," the judge declared, her voice solemn. echoed throughout the courtroom. "Accordingly, Mr. Dam Anh Vu, as the legal grandson of the person leaving the estate, is recognized as the main heir, enjoying seventy percent of the total assets including the right to control the controlling shares of Thanh Dat Textile and Garment Group, in accordance with the wishes recorded in the will."

When the verdict was announced, Anh Vu sat silently in the back row, his eyes filled with tears. Thanh Nha, sitting next to him, held his hand tightly in a loving gesture of support. "Grandpa would be proud of you," she whispered, her voice equally choked.

After the trial, when the remaining administrative procedures were completed, Anh Vu went to Tue Minh and held her hand tightly in deep gratitude that cannot be expressed in words. "I don't know how to thank you enough," he said, his voice filled with emotion. "Not only did you help me find my true identity, but you also helped exonerate my father, helping this entire family, despite the pain, finally find the truth."

"This is my job, but more importantly, this is the justice you and your father deserve," Tue Minh replied, her voice warm. "But Mr. Vu, now that you have officially become the heir, a new journey, perhaps even more challenging than the recent legal battle, is waiting for you ahead - the journey of leading a large corporation, in a context where the company's reputation has been seriously damaged by the recent scandal."

Mr. Vu nodded, his face slightly worried at that prospect. "I never thought I would have to lead such a large corporation," he admitted. "I was just an ordinary warehouse manager until a few weeks ago. I'm afraid I won't be able to shoulder this responsibility, to continue the legacy that my grandfather worked hard to build all his life."

"You don't have to shoulder it all alone," Tue Minh reassured. "I will continue to support you legally during this transition period, and I believe, with the integrity and sincerity you have shown all the time, you can completely rebuild trust for the corporation, in your own way, different from what happened in the past."

That afternoon, an emergency meeting was held at the corporation's headquarters, gathering the entire senior management team and representatives of major shareholders, to officially announce the change in the leadership structure. The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense, full of skeptical eyes looking towards Anh Vu - a young man, from a simple background, who now suddenly holds the fate of an entire corporation with thousands of employees.

"I know, many of you are wondering whether I am qualified to lead this corporation," Anh Vu said, standing before the board of directors with a confidence that he was surprised to realize he could have in this situation. "I don't have a prestigious business administration degree, nor do I have the years of executive experience you would expect from a corporate president. But I have five years of working directly in this company's warehouse, understanding the real difficulties that frontline workers face every day — something that perhaps not many senior leaders have ever experienced."

That sincere statement, although it did not dispel all doubts, partly created initial sympathy from some board members who were also pained by what happened under the old leadership. "What is your specific plan to restore the trust of shareholders and partners after this scandal?" a council member asked bluntly, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

"I plan to invite an independent audit team to review the company's entire financial system, transparently disclosing all results to shareholders and the public," Anh Vu replied, his voice steady even though he was still worried. "At the same time, I will establish an independent business ethics monitoring committee, ensuring that violations that have occurred in the past will not have a chance to recur under my leadership. I believe that only absolute transparency can restore lost trust."

Another board member, Ms. Lam Thi Ngoc Anh, who has been with the group since its early days, spoke in a less harsh tone. "Mr. Vinh Thanh trusted you enough to hand over most of the fortune he built over his life," she said, her eyes searching but not lacking in sympathy. "I think, we should at least give you a chance to prove, instead of hastily judging based on your background. But you need to understand, the grace period will not last long - partners, customers, and the stock market are all closely watching every move of the corporation during this sensitive period."

"I completely understand that, Mrs. Ngoc Anh," Anh Vu replied, his voice solemn. "That's why I also considered bringing in an experienced executive to support me in the early stages, while I focused on restoring corporate culture and internal trust — things I believe I can best contribute based on my own experience as someone who once stood at the lowest position in this organization."

That proposal received a few cautious nods of approval from board members who were concerned about Anh Vu's lack of management experience. The meeting continued for nearly two more hours, with a series of questions surrounding the financial restructuring plan, policies former employees who were loyal to the previous leadership, and a specific roadmap to announce independent audit results to the public.

When the meeting ended and everyone gradually left the room, Tue Minh stayed behind to chat privately with Anh Vu, clearly noticing the tension still etched on his face even though the meeting had temporarily ended in a relatively calm atmosphere.

"You did very well," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder in a sincere gesture of encouragement. "Your sincerity is what this corporation needs most right now, more than any fancy business strategy."

"I just hope I don't disappoint my father, and even my grandfather," Anh Vu replied, his voice still a little worried. "This is a bigger responsibility than anything I could have ever imagined as an ordinary warehouse manager."

"I believe both of them will be proud of you, not because you can become a perfect leader immediately, but because you dare to face this responsibility with honesty and humility," Tue Minh said, her eyes warm. "That's what makes a truly trustworthy leader, different from what happened in the past for this corporation."

The meeting ended with more questions than solid answers, but also left a feeling of cautious optimism in the hearts of many attendees — that perhaps, with the sincerity and determination of a new leader, completely different from what led to the recent scandal, the group still has a chance to recover and grow more sustainably in the future.