Chapter 6 — Justice, Six Years Later

At the second intersection, the emergency center dispatcher had contacted the traffic management platform via the vehicle’s radio, temporarily clearing an emergency lane. The traffic signal at the third intersection had been malfunctioning; the daily repair log recorded this quite clearly. The so-called successive running of three red lights could, in terms of mere form, only be labeled as such once. And even then, there was a traffic officer at the scene personally directing the flow. My father-in-law had not violated a single traffic law. Finally, To Dao’s complexion turned deathly pale.

“That is impossible.”

My father-in-law stared at the images on the screen, his lips trembling incessantly.

“When I filed my appeal, they told me there was no record of any such dispatch.”

Han Trac flipped to the next page of the file.

“The records were intentionally deleted. The account used to perform the deletion belonged to the head of the safety department of the former passenger transport company. That individual is currently present in this room.”

In the last row on the right side of the passenger section, a man wearing a hat suddenly stood up and turned toward the side door. Two economic investigators pushed the door open and entered.

“Tran Ngan. You are suspected of fabricating evidence and misappropriating assets while in the performance of your duties. Please come with us.”

To Dao stared at the man, forgetting for the first time to cite official regulations. As Tran Ngan was being detained, he suddenly whipped his head around.

“To Dao, you once said that as long as Chu Quoc Luong admitted his fault, this matter would never be traced back to me.”

“I do not know him.”

To Dao spoke far too quickly. Tran Ngan let out a jagged laugh.

“You have been transferring money into my wife’s account every single month, and now you claim you don’t know me?”

The economic investigator warned him to cease his testimony, but everyone in the hall had heard every word. To Dao pulled out her phone.

“Unfounded slander should not be publicly disseminated.”

A reporter pressed her: “What is your relationship with Tran Ngan?”

“I refuse to answer leading questions.”

“Why did he say he helped you delete the records?”

“Has the police formally charged me yet? If I have not been charged, you cannot presume me guilty.”

She grabbed her handbag, preparing to leave. I stepped forward to block her path.

“The meeting is not over yet.”

“You have been suspended from your post; you have no authority to restrict my physical freedom.”

“I am asking you now as the representative of the victim’s family.”

“I have no obligation to respond.”

My father-in-law suddenly spoke up. “Of course she knows Tran Ngan.”

To Dao’s footsteps faltered. My father-in-law pointed to an old badge tucked behind the clear casing of her phone.

“That is the tenth-anniversary commemorative badge for the bus company. Every internal staff member was issued one. That year, Tran Ngan hung it on his keychain.”

She flipped her phone over. Encased in the transparent cover was a worn copper badge. I had seen that emblem countless times before.

“I bought it at a flea market,” To Dao said, tucking her phone away. “Collecting souvenirs is not against the law.”

The economic investigators found a ring of keys on Tran Ngan’s person. On the keychain, only a small, broken metal loop remained. The dimensions matched the edge of the copper badge perfectly. Tran Ngan’s expression completely collapsed.

“That was something I gave her. She said she would always carry it with her, as a reminder not to let others control her ever again.”

To Dao swung her arm and slapped him across the face. The motion was so fast that no one could react.

“You are slandering me.”

Tran Ngan’s head snapped to the side from the force of the blow. The next second, he wrenched himself free from the investigators' hold and lunged for her hair.

“If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me!”

The scene erupted into chaos. The economic investigators tackled Tran Ngan to the floor. As she fell, To Dao’s forehead struck the edge of a chair, and blood began to flow immediately. She clutched her wound, staring at me with venomous intensity.

“You arranged this. You intentionally provoked him into attacking me.”

“The surveillance cameras in this hall are recording every detail. He struck first; that has nothing to do with me.”

“If you hadn't publicly incited him, he wouldn't have lost control.”

Even at this moment, she was still searching for someone else to blame. The medical staff tried to move her to treat the wound, but she refused to leave the hall.

“I demand to hear the rest of this so-called evidence.”

“Then sit down and listen.”

Han Trac played the recording of Tran Ngan’s interrogation. The recording had been cleared by the police, disclosing only the portions relevant to my father-in-law’s old case. Six years ago, Tran Ngan was in charge of safety assessments for the passenger transport company. That month, the company had suffered a serious accident. The regulatory agency demanded a reduction in the company’s violation rate. After the bus driven by my father-in-law was flagged by the recording system, Tran Ngan discovered the emergency dispatch record. If handled normally, one would simply delete the violation log. But at the time, the company was applying for the title of a "Model Safety Enterprise." Tran Ngan feared that the public would question why the bus ran a red light to save lives, so he demanded that my father-in-law admit to driving impulsively. My father-in-law refused. The matter reached a stalemate. But then, To Dao had approached Tran Ngan herself. She said she was preparing to apply for a newly established legal-compliance scholarship and needed to provide a real-name whistleblower report. If the report was verified, she would receive eighty thousand, and the two of them could split the money.