Chapter 24 — Female Lawyer and Torn Will

The day of the extraordinary shareholders' meeting has finally arrived, after three weeks of non-stop, stressful preparation. The grand hall of the hotel where the meeting was held was filled with shareholders, media representatives, and financial analysts, all eagerly awaiting the outcome of one of the most closely watched corporate governance battles in the textile industry that year.

Tue Minh sat in the front row, along with Anh Vu's legal team and advisors, her hands clasped tightly around the file containing all the evidence of Kim Phat's opaque behavior that they had diligently collected. Kim Phat's representative, led by a middle-aged man named Do Hoang Nam, sat on the opposite side, his face exuding the confidence of a seasoned investor with experience in business acquisition battles.

The meeting began with a presentation from Kim Phat's representative, making arguments about the need to "modernize" the leadership, along with attractive profit forecasts if they took control. "We believe that, with the professional, experienced management team we can bring in, the value of your shares will grow dramatically over the next twelve months," Mr. Nam announced, his voice filled with the conviction of a professional salesman.

When it was his turn, Anh Vu stepped up to the podium, not with fancy slides or promising profit forecasts, but simply told the real story of the past six months — from discovering and handling embezzlement, to rebuilding trust with partners, to how he personally resolved the crisis at the factory just ten days earlier.

"I'm not promising impressive short-term profits," he said, his voice sincere looking straight at the crowd of shareholders. "I promise transparency, integrity, and a vision of sustainable development, where the value of this corporation is built not just from profits, but from the true trust of customers, partners, and the workers who contribute to creating it."

After that, Tue Minh was invited to present the legal evidence, carefully presenting every detail about how Kim Phat incited internal employees to violate information security obligations, along with a complaint that had been sent to the State Securities Commission and initial responses showing a high possibility that an official investigation would be opened.

"If shareholders vote in favor of changing the board of directors now, while the investigation into the non-transparent behavior of the party proposing the change is still ongoing, you may be placing your own investment at unnecessary legal risk," Tue Minh warned, her voice calm but persuasive.

Mr. Do Hoang Nam stood up to object immediately, his voice still maintaining the calmness of a professional negotiator. "The allegations that the lawyer just presented are just suspicions that are under investigation, there has never been any official conclusion from the competent authority," he said. "I recommend that shareholders should not let unverified information influence their important investment decisions."

"That's a reasonable point of view, if it weren't for another clause in the dossier I just received this morning," Tue Minh responded immediately, her voice sharp, pulling out an additional document. "The State Securities Commission has officially confirmed the opening of a preliminary investigation into Kim Phat Group on suspicion of manipulating internal information, just a few hours before this meeting took place. I believe, this is no longer a simple question, but a legal reality that shareholders need to seriously consider before placing their trust in the party proposing changes."

This unexpected announcement, coming at a decisive moment, caused the entire hall to stir. Mr. Nam, although he tried to remain calm, could not completely hide the confusion that flashed across his face. This is the turning point that Tue Minh has been silently waiting for, when information about the official investigation, even though it is only in the preliminary stages, is strong enough to shake the confidence of hesitant shareholders.

The atmosphere in the hall became more tense than ever when representative Kim Phat tried to refute, but their arguments gradually became weak in the face of the amount of specific evidence that Tue Minh presented. Mr. Le Dinh Son, who considered carefully before deciding to continue cooperating with the group, stood up to speak in support of Anh Vu in front of all shareholders, an action that had a significant influence on other shareholders who were still hesitant.

"I have closely watched how Mr. Vu has handled every crisis in the past six months," Mr. Son said, his voice echoing throughout the hall. "From a stranger to the business world, he has demonstrated rare bravery and integrity. I believe in the future of the corporation under his leadership more than promises of profits from an investment fund whose real motives we still do not understand."

When the official voting time came, the atmosphere in the hall became suffocating. Tue Minh held Anh Vu's hand tightly under the table, both of them could not hide their excitement as each vote was counted. Duy Bach, although he did not have voting rights, was still present to give moral support, standing at the back of the hall, his eyes following Tue Minh with undisguised pride.

After nearly an hour of tense vote counting, the final results were announced — Kim Phat's proposal to change the board of directors received only forty-two percent of the votes in support, much lower than the sixty-five percent threshold required according to the company's charter. Anh Vu was officially confirmed to continue holding the position of chairman of the board of directors, a decisive victory against the hostile takeover attempt.

Applause echoed throughout the hall when the results were announced. Many shareholders stood up to congratulate Anh Vu. Those who were once skeptical now expressed their sincere trust in the young leader. Representative Kim Phat, although disappointed, still maintained a professional demeanor when approaching to shake Anh Vu's hand. "You won deservedly," Mr. Nam said, his voice somewhat reluctant but sincere. "Perhaps, we have underestimated the power of integrity in this era."

As everyone gradually left the hall, Anh Vu turned to hug Tue Minh in bursts of happiness. “We did it,” he said, his voice choked with emotion. "Thank you, for once again standing by my side in the most important moment."

"This is your own victory, Anh Vu," Tue Minh replied, smiling brightly. "I only helped him gain a solid legal foundation, but it was his sincerity and bravery that truly convinced the shareholders' trust."

Duy Bach approached, put his arm around Tue Minh's shoulder in a proud gesture, his eyes filled with love as he looked at her. "I always knew you would make it," he whispered in her ear. "And I'm proud to be a part of this amazing journey of yours."

Outside the hall, when a crowd of reporters gathered around to interview about the results of the meeting, Thanh Nha was also present to witness this important moment, her eyes filled with tears of emotion when she saw her nephew standing firmly before the biggest challenge in his young career. "Grandpa is definitely smiling somewhere," she said as she hugged Anh Vu, her voice choked up. "I have proven that you were not wrong in placing your trust in me."

"I just hope I'm worthy of that trust," Anh Vu replied, tightening his arms around his aunt. "But I know, I'm not alone on this journey — there's you, there's Ms. Minh, there's Mr. Bach, and there are the workers who have believed in me even in the most difficult moments."

That evening, the whole group — Anh Vu, Thanh Nha, Tue Minh, and Duy Bach — celebrated their victory together at a small restaurant, not with the luxury of successful businessmen, but with the simplicity and warmth of people who had gone through an arduous journey together to get to this day. Amidst the laughter and shared stories, Tue Minh realized that the biggest victory did not lie in the percentage of votes, but in the sincere bond that was built between people who were once separate pieces of a heartbreaking story, and have now become a real family.