Chapter 14 — I Overturned My Own Sentence

Tran Kien Hoa's face... From red to white. From white to blue.

“Co Tham… you…”

He gritted his teeth.

“What do you want to do anyway?”

“I don't want to do anything.”

Co Tham closed the file.

“I have submitted this report to the prosecutor's office.”

“Tomorrow morning, they will officially establish an investigation.”

The whole hall exploded. Tran Duyet took two steps back, hitting the chair behind him hard. Tong Dat stood in the crowd, his face drained of blood, and he couldn't say a word. I stood still. Look at everything before your eyes. One thousand ninety-five days. This moment… It was worth it. Three days after the Chamber of Commerce banquet, Hac City was in complete chaos. Hoa Kien's money laundering case was officially filed for investigation by the Procuracy. Tran Kien Hoa's bank account was frozen. Hoa Kien shares plummeted sixty percent. Local media simultaneously reported:

“Famous businessman Chen Kien Hoa is suspected of money laundering of more than hundreds of millions of yuan.”

At the same time... Ton Minh represented me and submitted a criminal appeal to the court. Reason for appeal:

"New evidence has appeared to prove that the 2019 university entrance exam case was directed by Tran Duyet, and litigant Lam Van was falsely accused."

Attached documents include: One, written testimony and notarized records of Truong Vy. Second, bank transfer history shows that in June 2019, Hoa Kien Real Estate transferred twenty thousand yuan to Truong Vy's account. Third, evidence proves that Phuong Tieu Linh and Liu Tu Tu once received benefits from the Tran family. Four, documents confirm that Tien Vinh Xuong is also the executor of the Co family's will and Tran Kien Hoa's legal advisor. Year, civil status sealed records. The court officially accepted the case. The afternoon the news was released, I was working in Bang Vien. The phone vibrates continuously. The first call was from Ton Minh.

"The court has already received the application. The trial is scheduled for next month."

“With the current amount of evidence, the possibility of overturning the case is extremely high.”

The second call was from my uncle.

"Van Van, on the news it says Tran Kien Hoa has been investigated? Is it related to you?"

“Oh my god… I… finally…”

"Uncle, I'll talk about the specifics later."

Third call… I picked up the phone.

“Phuong Tieu Linh.”

I leaned back in the chair.

“Phuong Tieu Linh.”

"Long time no see."

“Lin Van, I beg you…”

“Please what?”

“That year, Tran Duyet told me…”

Her voice trembled so much that she almost burst into tears.

"When she told me to take things from your bag, she said it was just a joke. I didn't know things would turn out like this..."

I laughed coldly.

“Stealing my admission notice and ID… is it a joke?”

“I really don't know what she plans to use them for…”

“Phuong Tieu Linh.”

I interrupted her.

“Currently she is working in Tran Kien Hoa's company.”

“But Tran Kien Hoa has been investigated.”

“Guess whose turn it will be next?”

The other end of the line immediately went silent.

"If you now turn yourself in to the prosecutor's office and proactively declare your role in the exam case, you still have a chance to have your responsibility relieved."

“That's your only path.”

“Or you continue to bear the blame for Tran Duyet.”

"Wait until the prosecutor's office can check your head..."

“Then it won't be a matter of you being chosen anymore.”

Ten seconds passed. Finally, her voice trembled said:

“That's smart.”

I hung up. Ly Nhuoc Lam tilted her head from the next table.

“The phone call just now…”

“Old classmate.”

“My case…”

She looked at me.

“I heard that.”

“You can endure better than I thought.”

“Don't have to endure it.”

I looked at the computer screen.

“It's just… the time has come.”

Phuong Tieu Linh surrendered. Her testimony completely coincided with Truong Vy's testimony. On the night of June 5, 2019, Tran Duyet instructed Phuong Tieu Linh to take advantage of the time I took sleeping pills to take the exam notice and ID from my briefcase. The cheating device was purchased by Tran Duyet in advance. On the morning of the college entrance exam, Liu Si Tu secretly stuffed the device into my uniform pocket. The twenty thousand yuan was transferred from the company account to Truong Vy by Tran Kien Hoa's secretary. Each person has their own mission. The plan was so tight it was scary. And the person in command of the whole thing... is Tran Duyet. But the real person behind it... is Tran Kien Hoa himself. In Phuong Tieu Linh's testimony there is a sentence:

"Tran Duyet once told me that her father said he must not let Lam Van pass the university entrance exam."

“She didn't say why, she just said it was her father's request.”