Chapter 7 — Healing After Days of Neglect

"20,000? You opened such a big company but the hospital fee was only 20,000?"

"The total hospital bill is 18,000, I gave an additional 2,000 for dad to buy supplements."

"What do you mean? Are you implying that we don't buy supplements for dad?"

“I'm not implying anything.”

“Okay, Huyen Huyen, stop talking.” My father coughed twice. “It's good that Van Van came.”

It's good to be able to come. That sentence stabbed straight into my heart. As if my visit… was some kind of favor.

"Dad, my company still has work to do, I'll go first. If there's anything, please call me."

“You just arrived and are you already gone?” My mother is not happy.

“I have a big project, I don't have free time.”

“What project is more important than your father?”

“It's not about comparison.”

I stood up, holding my bag. Tran Hao Vu coldly snorted.

"It's great to earn a little money. Dad was in the hospital and couldn't sit for ten minutes."

I stopped walking and turned to look at him.

“Brother-in-law, has the lawsuit against your hardware store… been won yet?”

Tran Hao Vu's face immediately changed.

“What does it have to do with you?”

"I heard you lost and compensated 80,000 yuan. Plus the previous 60,000, the total loss is 140,000.

Compensation of 4,200,000... how much is left now? The hospital room was silent. Lam Huyen's face turned pale.

“You… where do you know from?”

"This world is very small, brother-in-law's affairs are not a secret."

I nodded slightly to my father.

"Dad, I'll recuperate well. I'll go first."

I pushed the door out. Behind him, there was the sound of Tran Hao Vu cursing softly, then Lam Huyen's voice coaxed. I don't turn around. Just out of the hospital gate, Co Tham's phone rang.

“Where are you?”

“Hospital, my father is hospitalized.”

“Is it heavy?”

“No, pneumonia.”

"Do you need help? I know some respiratory specialists."

“No need, thank you.”

"Are you free tonight? I want to talk to you about something."

“What?”

"Tham Nguyen Capital is about to set up a creative fund, specializing in investing in design companies. I want to invite you to be an advisor."

“How much does it cost?”

“Annual salary 500,000 yuan.”

“I'll think about it.”

“Don't think anymore, go eat dinner, eat and talk while eating.”

I hung up the phone and got in the car. The passenger seat holds a file. Design contract for the second phase of the cultural and tourism group. Four more cities. Budget 25,000,000 yuan. In just half a year, my company signed contracts for a total of 55,000,000 yuan. But my family members... don't know anything. In their eyes, I'm just someone who opened a "small company" and earned a little "change". There are many things... they never knew. In September, I received an unexpected call.

“Miss Lam, I am Trieu Loi, editor of City Design magazine.

We want to do a separate interview about the startup story of Van Chu Design.”

“Why me?”

“Tham Nguyen Capital Office was voted as one of the ten best commercial spaces of the year.

You are the designer, of course we have to find you.”

“Do you have time next week?”

On the day of the interview, the magazine sent a photographer and two reporters. Take photos, record videos, chat for two hours. Trieu Loi asked a lot. For the most part, I answered straight. Except for winning the lottery.

“Miss Lam, where did the initial capital for you to start your business... come from?”

“Personal accumulated money, plus a little investment.”

"I heard that from the beginning you bought the premises in Binh Giang Nhat Hao? That amount is not small."

“It's just fate.”

“Does your family support you starting a business?”

“My family doesn't know clarify the specific situation.”

"Why so?"

"For personal reasons, it's inconvenient to say."

Trieu Loi did not ask further. The day the magazine was released, Phuong Vien immediately bought ten copies and placed them in a pile on my desk.

“Lam Van, you're on the cover! Look at this picture, it's really cool."

On the cover is me standing in Tham Nguyen Capital's office, behind is a stone wall designed by myself. Title: "9x female designer Lam Van: one year from 0 to 50,000,000" I flipped through the content, the writing was quite good.

“Do you know the circulation number? Two hundred thousand copies, plus online, will definitely exceed a million reads.”

“Aren't you worried that your family will see?”

“They don't read this stuff.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the phone rang. It's Aunt Ba.

“Van Van, it's aunt. You're in the magazine, right? I just saw people sharing the interview! 50,000,000! Does the subsidiary really make up to 50,000,000?!”

“Auntie, that's just the title—”

“Have you seen it yet? Let me send it to him!”

She hung up. Thirty seconds later, the family group exploded. Uncle Hai sent the article link.

“This is our Van Van, right?!”

Aunt Ba: “Who else? 50,000,000! I watched and my hands trembled!” Cousin: "Van Van is so amazing, he hid it so well!" Second Aunt: "Huyen Huyen, your sister is so good, why don't you tell everyone?" Lam Huyen was silent. Tran Hao Vu was also silent. My father sent a question mark. My mother sent three voice clips in a row, but I didn't open them. Ten minutes later, my father called.

“Lam Van, is the person in the magazine you?”

“What does 50,000,000 mean?”

“Total value of design contract, not profit.”

“When did you open the company?”

“Where does the money come from?”

“I save it myself, plus investors.”

“Who invests?”

“A friend.”

“What friend? Male or female?

“Dad, those aren't important—”