Chapter 18 — It's Too Late, Doctor Vu

One day before the expanded Board of Directors meeting, an unexpected event caused Dinh Vu and Lam Nhi's entire plan to almost collapse. Even though Vuong Ba Khiem did not know the exact level of evidence that the other party held, he still felt unusual signs - Vuong Tuyet Nhung suddenly lost contact for several days, did not answer the phone, and did not appear at familiar places.

A premonition of danger told him, he immediately deployed a defense plan. Early Wednesday morning, he proactively convened an emergency meeting with close members of the Board of Directors, without the approval of Ton Ba Thanh, citing "a serious problem that needs to be urgently reported related to the hospital's reputation."

During that emergency meeting, Vuong Ba Khiem gave a completely different story — he claimed to have discovered that Dr. Kha Dinh Vu had committed serious deception, hiding a secret marriage for five years with his own personal assistant, seriously violating the rules of professional ethics and the trust the hospital had placed in his representative image.

"This was systematic deception, spanning five years, right in front of all of us." He spoke, his voice filled with mock indignation to the stunned council members. "Not only that, I also suspect that Ms. Chu Lam Nhi took advantage of her position as a personal assistant to approach and bind Dr. Vu for personal purposes, seriously affecting the professional image that the hospital has worked hard to build before the most important investment deal in history."

Some council members, who have absolute confidence in Vuong Ba Khiem's integrity after many years of collaboration, appeared confused and worried about these serious accusations. He cleverly took advantage of that confusion, proposing a solution to "resolve the crisis" - temporarily suspending Dinh Vu's role as the representative face right before the meeting with investors, and giving him temporary authority to manage media and relations issues with the Meridian Healthcare Fund, on the grounds that "a person with experience and reputation is needed to reassure investors in a crisis situation".

An elderly council member, who had worked with Dinh Vu's father for many years before his death, spoke out a gentle protest in the middle of that emergency meeting. "We should not rush to make decisions based on such a one-sided accusation, Vice President Khiem. Doctor Vu has devoted himself to this hospital for many years, we should at least give him a chance to explain before we act." But that single voice was quickly drowned out by the fierceness and sharp arguments that Vuong Ba Khiem had carefully prepared in advance, causing the majority of the remaining members to lean towards supporting his "crisis resolution" plan.

News of this emergency meeting quickly reached Nguyen through a colleague present in the meeting room, who felt something was wrong with the way Vuong Ba Khiem presented the issue. Nguyen immediately called Dinh Vu, his voice was urgent and full of worry.

"Vu, he struck first. Vuong Ba Khiem just held an emergency meeting, accusing you of deceiving the hospital and defaming Nhi, and is trying to convince the board to give him temporary control before the meeting with investors."

Dinh Vu stood still in the office, feeling like the ground under his feet was shaking. This is what he and Lam Nhi feared most - the mastermind counterattacking before they could present the truth, completely reversing the situation in his favor.

"He is deliberately speeding things up to take the initiative." Dinh Vu said, his voice was low but still maintained the necessary calmness. "If he succeeds in persuading the board to suspend me from my role before the official meeting, I will lose my qualifications to present evidence in front of investors."

Immediately, Dinh Vu called Lam Nhi to inform him of the situation. After listening, she was silent for a moment, then spoke in a surprisingly calm voice. "Mr. Vu, this is the clearest evidence that we are on the right track. If he did not feel threatened, he would not have had to react so hastily and openly. We must not panic, we must stick to the original plan."

Her words of reassurance, even though she herself was trying to suppress her own anxiety, helped Dinh Vu regain the necessary calmness. Both of them urgently contacted lawyer Trinh Bao Han to find a timely legal solution. Bao Han advised them to request the right to explain directly to the entire board, citing the hospital's operating regulations, which clearly state that all decisions to discipline senior personnel must go through a fair review process, and cannot be based solely on one-sided accusations from one individual.

Dinh Vu immediately drafted an official document sent to the entire Board of Directors, requesting the right to fully present before any disciplinary decisions were made, and at the same time suggested that this explanation be held within the framework of the previously scheduled expanded meeting with the participation of investors - just as he had originally planned, although now the context has become much more tense and urgent.

Ton Ba Thanh, after receiving both Vuong Ba Khiem's report and Dinh Vu's written request for explanation, appeared confused and worried about the unexpectedly complicated situation that occurred right before the most important event. He convened a private call with both sides, trying to clearly understand the situation before the official meeting took place.

"Doctor Vu, is what Vice President Khiem accused true?" Mr. Thanh asked directly, his voice was stern but still maintained a certain impartiality.

"About me getting married secretly, that's true, Mr. President." Dinh Vu replied, his voice not evasive. "But as for the allegations that my wife took advantage of her position, it is pure slander. I would like to fully present the entire truth, including the real motive behind this, in the upcoming official meeting. I believe that you, and the Board of Directors, deserve to know the whole story before making any decisions."

Ton Ba Thanh pondered for a long time, feeling the sincerity in Dinh Vu's voice, different from Vuong Ba Khiem's impatient, urgent attitude of wanting to gain control immediately. Finally, he made a decision.

"Okay. I will keep the meeting agenda as scheduled, allowing you to fully present before any disciplinary decisions are considered. But Dr. Vu, I hope you understand, this is the last opportunity for you to prove your innocence and responsibility before the entire board and investors."

Hanging up the phone, Dinh Vu breathed a sigh of relief for a moment, but immediately afterwards, a new feeling of tension came - the meeting was no longer simply an opportunity for him to proactively announce the truth as planned, but had turned into a direct confrontation, where he had to fight to protect his honor and career against an opponent who had struck first and was holding a psychological advantage in the hands of the majority of the board of directors.

That evening, Dinh Vu called Lam Nhi and Nguyen to inform them. The three of them sat down to review the entire presentation plan again, calculating in advance any difficult questions or objections that might come from Vuong Ba Khiem or the council members who were leaning towards him. Nguyen suggested arranging the presentation sequence starting with financial motives, then moving on to specific evidence, so that the council clearly understands the context before receiving more sensitive details.

"But if he denies the recording, saying it's just a clipped voice, or turns around and says Tuyet Nhung is not trustworthy because she is in debt to him, what will we use to block his final retreat?" Lam Nhi asked, her voice thoughtful. She was the one who sat directly across from Tuyet Nhung and witnessed with her own eyes the true torment in her eyes, so more than anyone else, she understood that no matter how solid the paper evidence was, it was difficult to move people's hearts like a direct confession. "If Tuyet Nhung himself stands up and speaks before the council, right on the spot, he will no longer be able to deny or blame him."

Nguyen nodded in agreement, considering it the last backup plan, only launched when absolutely necessary so as not to lose the element of surprise. That night, all three agreed: Nguyen would privately contact Tuyet Nhung, who had agreed to cooperate fully since the meeting at the coffee shop, so that she would be available in a small room adjacent to the conference hall on the morning of the meeting, waiting quietly, only coming out when she received the signal - a precautionary measure that all three hoped would not be needed, but still had to prepare carefully like every other possibility.

"We only have one chance to get it right." Dinh Vu said, his eyes looking around at the two most important companions on this journey. "Errors are not allowed at any stage."

Lam Nhi placed her hand on his shoulder, her eyes equally determined. "We've come this far, there's no reason to step back anymore. No matter what happens tomorrow, I will still stand by your side, like a real family, no longer having to hide anything." Nguyen looked at the two people, smiled slightly at that connection, then nodded to add a word of encouragement before the three parted ways, each going home to prepare themselves for the upcoming decision day, carrying in his heart both anxiety and belief that the truth, no matter how delayed or distorted, would eventually find a way to speak up.