Chapter 27 — Fire Behind the Line

Three weeks after Tang Huu Phat was arrested, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department of Hoa Trach City officially announced the conclusion of an additional investigation into the Vinh Thinh warehouse fire, after the case file was reopened in accordance with the legal order. The new conclusion, many times thicker than the sketchy report eight years ago, clearly affirms that Captain Nguyen Khai Binh's death was a deliberate murder, disguised as an occupational accident, and that he died while performing his duties as a dedicated commanding officer, detecting and trying to prevent a serious fraud.

The ceremony to announce the decision to restore the honor of the late Captain Nguyen Khai Binh was solemnly held in the large hall of the City Fire Department, with the participation of representatives of the city's leaders, all officers and soldiers of Fire Team No. 3, along with family and close people who accompanied Thien Ly throughout the journey to find the truth.

Thien Ly stood on the honorary podium, wearing a neat firefighter uniform, next to her mother and younger brother, looking at the posthumous certificate of merit awarded with the highest honor for those who sacrificed their lives for the mission. Her hands trembled as she received the certificate of merit from the city leader, her eyes filled with tears as she read each line recognizing her father's noble contributions and sacrifices.

"Captain Nguyen Khai Binh fell not because of negligence, but because of his unshakable courage and integrity." The city leader spoke to the entire hall, his voice solemn and emotional. "He placed his professional responsibility and conscience above his own life, to protect the truth from being buried by greed and deceit. Today, we not only restore his honor, but also honor that indomitable spirit, as a shining example for all generations of firefighters to come."

The whole hall echoed with prolonged applause, many people could not hide their emotional tears. Captain Dinh, standing in the ranks of officers and soldiers, could not hold back his emotions, letting tears roll down his face, which was tanned from many years of working in the profession.

Ngo Bang Tam, Ho Manh Cuong, and Trinh Nhat Tan stood in a neat row in the honor guard of Fire Team No. 3, everyone wearing the most neat uniform, their eyes filled with pride when looking towards Thien Ly. Manh Cuong, the person who doubted her the most in the early days, now applauded the most enthusiastically, unable to hide the radiant smile on his face.

"I thought she was just haunted by the past." He whispered to Bang Tam standing next to him, his voice full of regret and admiration. "Now I understand, it's not obsession, but an unshakable belief in the truth."

"I already told you." Bang Tam replied, smiling, her eyes also filled with tears because she was touched by the historic moment of her closest friend.

The city leader's speech also mentioned that the city will name a new road in the newly renovated Dong Kieu area after the late Captain Nguyen Khai Binh, as a permanent tribute to his contributions and sacrifices. That announcement caused the whole hall to once again ring with applause, and Thien Ly felt like her heart was about to burst with emotion.

After the ceremony, Trong Khiem was invited to speak as the investigator directly in charge of the case. He stood on the podium, his eyes looking to Thien Ly in the crowd before starting.

"I came to Hoa Trach city with the sole mission of investigating a series of unusual fires." He said, his voice sincere and full of emotion. "But in the process, I met a woman with extraordinary courage and perseverance, who spent eight years of her life searching for the truth for her father, even in the face of doubt, loneliness, and real danger to her life. Without Thien Ly, perhaps this truth would forever be buried in darkness. She is the living proof that justice, no matter how delayed, will ultimately prevail, when there is people who never give up their belief in righteousness."

Thien Ly felt tears rolling down her cheeks when she heard those words, not because of sadness, but because of an incomparable happiness and pride. She looked around the hall, saw her mother's face radiant even though there were still tears in her eyes, saw Viet Cuong standing straight and proud, saw her close teammates who had gone through many hardships with her.

After the official ceremony, Thien Ly's family and close people held a smaller, more cozy ceremony at the cemetery where her father was buried. Standing in front of her father's simple grave, Thien Ly placed the certificate of merit she had just received on the grave, along with the white chrysanthemums that Uncle Thien always brought every year.

"Dad, I have fulfilled my promise to you." She spoke, her voice choked but filled with serenity. "The truth has been exposed, your honor has been completely restored. I hope you can now rest in peace, no longer having to carry any injustice."

Mrs. Van Khanh knelt down next to her daughter, placed her hand on the tombstone, her voice trembled but was full of rare peace. "Brother Binh, my children and I have been waiting for this day for eight years. Now, we can finally truly let you rest in peace, no longer burdened by unanswered doubts."

Viet Cuong, standing next to his mother and sister, also placed a small bouquet of flowers on his father's grave, his voice low and full of maturity. "I'm proud of you, dad. And I'm also proud of Ly, who never gave up, no matter how long it took."

Mr. Tam Rang and Uncle Cao Van Thien were also present, both standing quietly behind the family, their eyes filled with the relief of people who had finally let go of the burden of secrets that had weighed on them for many years.

"Mr. Binh, I'm sorry for making you wait for justice for so long." Mr. Thien said, his voice choked, placing a stick of incense on the temporary altar set up right at the cemetery. "But I hope, even though it's late, this truth is enough for you to feel at ease."

Trong Khiem stood a distance away, respecting the family's private space, but his eyes never left Thien Ly, full of sympathy and a deep love that had grown with each difficult day they went through together. When the ceremony ended, she walked up to him, took his hand, and they both looked toward her father's grave in the gentle afternoon sunlight.

"Thank you for being with me throughout this journey, dad." She whispered, though it wasn't clear whether she was talking to her father or to the man standing next to her. "I think dad will really like him, if he has a chance to meet him."

Trong Khiem squeezed her hand, a warm smile appeared on his lips. "I also hope I will be worthy of that trust, Thien Ly."

Before leaving the cemetery, Mr. Tam Rang lingered alone at the grave, placing his hand on the stone stele, his voice whispering words that only he and his deceased friend could fully understand. "Captain Binh, I kept my promise, even though it was eight years late. Please forgive me for my delay, and please rest assured, because your daughter has grown up to become exactly the person you always wanted."

Thien Ly stood watching that scene from afar, not wanting to interrupt that private moment, feeling a deep gratitude for the man who courageously broke the eight-year silence to bring justice to her family.

On the way back home, the whole family sat in the same car, no one said much, just enjoying the rare peace after many turbulent days. Viet Cuong looked out the window, watching Hoa Trach city sinking in the sunset, then turned to his sister, his voice gentle. "Sister Ly, I think now I understand why you chose this profession. Not only because of your father, but because you truly believe in protecting the truth and the weak."

"Thank you for understanding, Cuong." Thien Ly smiled and held her younger brother's hand. "That means a lot to me."

That afternoon, as the sunset stained the quiet cemetery, Thien Ly felt complete peace for the first time in eight long years — not the peace of forgetting the pain, but the peace of finally finding the answer, finally being able to let her father rest in peace and honor.