Chapter 17 — Hockey Stars Can't Overcome My Figure

Final Profile

Thuy Dung called Cao Viet Anh again after five days of silence, her voice on the phone sounded much more relieved than the previous conversation. "I thought it over," she said. "I can't continue to live with this guilt anymore. I agree to meet with you and tell you the whole truth, but I need to be assured of the safety of myself and my small family."

Cao Viet Anh, along with a lawyer he trusted and had cooperated with for many years, arranged a discreet meeting with Thuy Dung in another city, where she currently lives. Yen Thao could not be present in person because of concerns about being recognized, but Chan Phong offered to go with Cao Viet Anh, as a reliable supporter rather than a famous player who could attract attention.

The meeting took place in a small cafe, where Thuy Dung, with red eyes from emotion, told the whole story. Four years ago, while working part-time at Y Duc clinic, she became unexpectedly pregnant with a married man, falling into financial hardship. Dinh Ha Vy, who at that time often visited the clinic because of family shares, approached her with a proposal: she gave birth to the child, then ceded custody of the child to Ha Vy for a sum of money enough for her to stabilize her life, in exchange for which she had to sign an absolute confidentiality agreement and never contact the child or reveal the truth.

"I agreed because at that time I had no other choice," Thuy Dung said, her voice choked up. "I didn't know exactly what she intended to use the baby for. I simply thought she wanted a child for some personal reason. It wasn't until I saw the news that she announced the baby was the child of a hockey star that I understood the whole plan behind it."

She agreed to provide an official notarized statement, and agreed to perform a DNA test to confirm her true blood relationship with little Bin, on the condition that this information would only be used to protect the child and expose the setup, not for the purpose of regaining custody of the child from Ha Vy — a condition that both Cao Viet Anh and Chan Phong agreed to respect.

Three weeks later, the results of an independent DNA test, performed at a reputable assessment center without any connection to Kim Vong's family, confirmed what Yen Thao had long suspected: little Bin was not related by blood to Tong Bao Duy, and was directly related to Thuy Dung.

Before leaving the coffee shop that day, Chan Phong asked Thuy Dung one more question that he felt necessary to ask. "Do you ever regret your decision?"

Thuy Dung was silent for a long time before answering, her eyes looking far away out the cafe window. "Every day," she said softly. "I don't regret giving my child a better chance at life than what I was able to give at the time. But I do regret not finding out more about that woman's true motives, and for remaining silent for so long while knowing full well that my child was being used as a tool for a plot whose cruelty I could not imagine."

"Are you willing to officially testify?" Cao Viet Anh asked again to make sure.

"I'm ready," Thuy Dung nodded, her voice now much steadier than when the conversation began. "That child deserves a life not built on lies, no matter how harsh the truth."

When she received the results, Yen Thao sat silently in the analysis office, her emotions were a complex mixture of relief, indignation, and a deep sadness for the innocent child who had been turned into a tool in the adults' plot.

"We've got all three pieces of the puzzle," Cao Viet Anh said during the closing meeting at his apartment, spreading out all the documents on the table — a statement of cash flow from Kim Vong Group to Y Duc clinic and to Thuy Dung's personal account, Thuy Dung's notarized testimony, and independent DNA test results. "This is a dossier that is enough to convince anyone, even the most skeptical."

"So when do we announce it?" Chan Phong asked.

Yen Thao thought for a moment before answering. "I think we should not announce it immediately. If we give this evidence to Pho Dinh Khang or to the press right now, Ha Vy and her father will have time to counterattack, hire lawyers, and find ways to defame us, just like what they did with the last article."

"So what do you suggest?" Cao Viet Anh asked.

"I think we should wait until a point where they are no longer able to dodge or counterattack in time," Yen Thao said, her voice gradually becoming more assertive. "A mass media moment, witnessed by the entire team's leadership and the public, where they were forced to face the evidence head-on without the opportunity to prepare a counter-narrative."

Chan Phong nodded, understanding what she meant. "The final match for the Platinum Cup."

"That's right," she confirmed. "If Ha Vy is going to do something bigger before the most important match of the season — and I believe she will, because that's when there's the most attention — we'll wait for that exact moment to announce the truth, right when she thinks she's won."

Cao Viet Anh nodded in agreement with that strategy, although he could not hide his concern. "This is a big gamble, Ms. Yen Thao. If you wait too long, the risk of being exposed or being counterattacked first will increase. But if successful, this will be an irrefutable blow."

"I know the risks," Yen Thao said, her eyes more determined than ever. "But I have learned from my own work as a tactical analyst that sometimes, the timing of a strike is as important as the power of that strike. We will prepare carefully, keep absolute secrecy, and wait for the right moment for all the evidence to maximize its power."

The meeting ended with a clear plan: they will continue to consolidate their records, prepare all backup plans, and wait for the approaching final - a match that now, for Yen Thao, carries a much greater meaning than simply a championship trophy.

Before Yen Thao and Chan Phong left the apartment, Cao Viet Anh held them back for a while, his voice becoming serious. "I need both of you to understand clearly that once we release this file, there will be no turning back. Kim Vong's family will find every way to retaliate, maybe by legal means, maybe by media. Both of you need to be mentally prepared for those consequences, even if we are right about the truth."

"We are prepared," Yen Thao replied, her voice firm, without any hesitation. "We understand the cost, and we accept it, because the cost of silence is much greater — not just for me, but for an innocent child trapped in a lie not of his making."

Cao Viet Anh nodded, his eyes shining with respect for her determination. "Then let's prepare carefully for that moment."

On the way home, Chan Phong drove more slowly than usual, as if he wanted to prolong the quiet time before the two had to return to the stressful grind of the coming days. "Are you scared?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Scared," Yen Thao admitted. "But I fear more if I do nothing, and let an innocent child continue to grow up amid a web of lies built by adults just for money. That fear is greater than any risk I may face."

Chan Phong nodded, looked at her for a moment before turning back to focus on the road ahead. "Then we will face it together, step by step, until the day we no longer have to fear anything."

She looked out the car window, the streetlights passing continuously in the darkness, and felt that, even though there was still a battle ahead with an unknown outcome, she was no longer the girl standing dumbfounded in the backstage of the stage that day. She had found her own voice, and this time, she will not let it be extinguished again, no matter who was trying to extinguish it, or how strong the power and money behind them was.