Chapter 20 — Female Lawyer and Torn Will

Three months after the court verdict was announced, Tue Minh received an unexpected call from Duy Bach on a rare Saturday morning when she had time to rest. “We need to meet,” he said, his voice unusually serious. "The investigation team just caught Lam Duc Toan, the person hired by Kim Yen to break into her office. He has been on the run for the past few months, but was finally arrested while trying to leave the country with fake documents."

This news surprised Tue Minh — she thought that, with Kim Yen's full confession, the case involving Lam Duc Toan had been closed as a minor detail in the entire case. "Did he declare anything new?" she asked, an uneasy feeling rising in her heart.

"Yes," Duy Bach replied, his voice low. "He claimed that, in addition to the money he received from Kim Yen, someone recently contacted him, offering to pay a much larger amount of money for him to lie in court, placing all responsibility on Kim Yen alone, in order to reduce Quoc Hung's guilt in the upcoming appeal."

"Who contacted him?" Tue Minh asked, her voice tense.

"That's what worries me," Duy Bach said. "He did not know the exact identity of the contact person, only transacting through an intermediary, but the money was transferred from an account linked to the new defense attorney that Quoc Hung's family hired for the appeal trial — not Cao Nguyen Bang, who refused to continue the case, but another lawyer, with a reputation in the world for using tactics at the thin line of legality."

This information raises a new concern - it seems that, despite being convicted, Quoc Hung's supporters have not given up trying to reduce his crime, and are even willing to use illegal tricks to achieve that goal. Tue Minh immediately contacted Anh Vu and Thanh Nha to inform them of this development. They were both shocked at the possibility that the case could be overturned in an unfavorable direction.

"We need to prepare carefully for the appeal hearing," Tue Minh said in an emergency meeting held that afternoon at Anh Vu's office. "If the other side is trying to manipulate witnesses, we need to ensure our entire chain of evidence remains strong, unable to be swayed by any tampered testimony."

"I don't understand," Thanh Nha said, her voice filled with confusion. "Mr. Hung admitted his guilt in court. Why is someone now trying to help him get away with such tricks?"

"Maybe Mr. Hung himself is not behind this," Duy Bach speculated, his eyes serious. "It could be someone else in his network of old business contacts who fear that if he continues to fully cooperate with the investigation while serving his sentence, they may be implicated in other shady transactions that have yet to be discovered."

This hypothesis opens up a worrying possibility of a much more complex network of interests than they ever knew, hidden behind the seemingly closed case. Duy Bach decided to expand the investigation, focusing on tracing the exact origin of the money transferred to Lam Duc Toan, as well as determining the identity of the new lawyer representing Quoc Hung.

Meanwhile, Tue Minh spent time consolidating the entire evidence file, ensuring all documents and testimonies were safely stored, with many authenticated copies to avoid the risk of manipulation or destruction. She also contacted Ms. Sau Cam and Mr. Dinh Van Sang, important witnesses, to ensure they were fully protected against any pressure or threats that may occur during this sensitive period.

"I'm not afraid," Ms. Sau Cam said firmly when Tue Minh visited to discuss safety issues. "I've kept silent for too long, Ms. Minh. I won't let anyone threaten me into taking back what I said, no matter what happens."

Mr. Dinh Van Sang, when contacted by Duy Bach to inform him of the situation, also expressed the same determination although his voice was still a little shaky with worry. "I've lived in regret for twenty-five years because I was silent once," he said over the phone. "I won't make that mistake again, no matter what pressure I face."

To ensure absolute safety for important witnesses, Duy Bach arranged a security team to discreetly monitor the situation around Ms. Sau Cam's house and Mr. Sang's residence during the period before the appeal hearing. At the same time, he also coordinated with the prosecutor's office to propose the application of official witness protection measures according to the law, ensuring that any recorded testimony cannot be invalidated just because a witness suddenly changed his testimony under pressure or enticement.

The old housekeeper's steadfastness, along with the consensus of all those involved, created a solid wall against the risk of the case being manipulated. Two weeks later, Duy Bach's investigation team tracked down the identity of the person behind the bribe money — none other than Le Minh Dat, a former business partner of Quoc Hung, with whom he had participated in a number of shady financial transactions in the past and feared being implicated in the investigation if Quoc Hung continued to fully cooperate with the authorities.

With this new evidence, Le Minh Dat was arrested on charges of witness bribery and obstruction of justice, and opened an additional line of investigation into other suspicious financial transactions he had made with Quoc Hung in the past. The appeal hearing, when it took place, not only did not reduce Quoc Hung's crime, but also caused his sentence to be considered more aggravating due to the discovery of additional details related to attempting to obstruct justice after being convicted.

When the official appeal session ended with a completely unfavorable result for Quoc Hung's faction, Anh Vu held a short press conference to inform the public and the media about the entire development, emphasizing the group's commitment to thoroughly cooperate with the investigation agency to clarify all remaining violations, no matter who they are directly related to. "We will not tolerate any attempt to distort the truth, regardless of who is behind it," he declared to the camera, his voice calm but firm. "Thanh Dat Textile and Garment Group is committed to rebuilding trust based on absolute transparency, without exceptions."

That statement received widespread support from public opinion, further strengthening the image of a young but upright leader, willing to put the truth above any relationships or personal interests. For Thanh Nha, the arrest of Le Minh Dat and the fair conclusion of the appeal hearing also brought a deep sense of relief, although she still couldn't help but feel heartbroken when she saw her brother continue to face increasingly severe legal consequences.

As things gradually calmed down, Tue Minh felt a deep sense of relief, mixed with an important lesson that she will always remember throughout her career — that justice, once achieved, still needs to be constantly, steadfastly defended, against the tireless efforts of those who always find ways to slip through the cracks to avoid responsibility. She looked at Duy Bach, who had stood by her side through every challenge, and knew that, although the road ahead might present other unexpected challenges, she would never have to face them alone again.

That evening, when all legal procedures related to the Le Minh Dat case were temporarily arranged, Duy Bach took Tue Minh to a small riverside restaurant, where the city lights shimmered on the water, to celebrate together after a series of consecutive stressful days. "We've come a long way," he said, raising his glass of water to offer her, his eyes filled with appreciation. "From a wooden box containing scraps of paper, to turning over a case that seemed to have been forgotten for twenty-five years, and now, successfully stopping a plot to manipulate justice. I am proud to accompany you throughout this journey."

"And I'm equally proud to have you by my side," Tue Minh replied, raising her glass in response, her smile radiant under the soft light. "I think no case in my career has taught me as many profound lessons as this one — about truth, about justice, and about the love between strangers that can become a real family, in a way I never dared to dream of."

Duy Bach looked at her with gentle eyes and gently held her hand on the dining table. "I hope you will always consider me part of your definition of family," he said, his voice warm and sincere. "Not just at work, but for the rest of the way ahead."