Chapter 14 — Music Sent After School

In the morning, before accessing his account, Khang wrote the name of the person on duty on the board. No one should use the computer alone, even if it's just a log line to check. Nhien prepares the note, Lam prepares the narration, and Duy checks the volume at a low level.

Ms. Mai reminded that security is not a high wall; it's a habit of asking each other before opening the door. The whole group agreed to try that habit in everything, even seemingly unimportant things.

The audio clip is distorted

Quynh Lam became the club's rumor checker after a friend sent her seven different versions of the same clip. In the first version, Duy said "I keep the original". In the second version, the sentence is cut to “I keep.” The third version adds the sound of Nhien laughing in the background.

“Clip editors don't just cut,” Lam said. “They were telling a script.”

Khang placed seven files on the screen. “The versions use the same images but different sounds.”

Naturally check the file creation time. All exported within ten minutes, from a hidden account. The server address goes through an intermediary service, but the metadata leaves out the name of the audio editing software.

“This software is free,” Khang said.

“But the way to place folders is similar to the system of Moss Records,” Nhien replied. “My father used to use that structure.”

Duy looked at her. “Are you saying the sender used to work at Moss Records?”

"Capable."

Lam turned to the "Four No" board. "Don't guess the sender. We need proof."

They held an orientation session for students at the library. Lam used seven versions of the clip as examples, masking names and faces. Nhien showed the sound spectrum, Khang let him listen to the background, Duy explained why a prolonged piece of music can change the emotions.

“If you hear your voice in a passage you don't remember saying, ask the source,” Duy said. “Don't respond by posting another clip in retaliation.”

One student asked: “What if people are partly correct?”

“One part being right doesn't make the rest right,” Nhien replied.

After the orientation session, many of you sent the actual recordings to the club for storage. The project was suddenly bigger than an investigation. It becomes a place where students learn to retain power over their voices.

Meanwhile, Ms. Mai received notice that room 3C would have its equipment inventoried. The principal wants to know why the Ha Audio transmitter appeared. Duy prepares documents, clearly stating the source, handover person and status. Nhien signs the section related to him, noting conflicts of interest.

“You don't need to take everything personally,” Ms. Mai said.

“If you don't write it down, someone else will write it down for you.”

Right on time for the inventory, a SoundSeed representative arrived with a young lawyer. He was polite, but asked each question as if he were taking a deposition. Who plugged in the device? Who listens to tapes? Who transfers files? Duy only answers what is recorded. Lam gave the "Four Nos" process. Show system log.

The lawyer looked at the data and said: "You are holding recordings that likely belong to the business."

“We keep copies to preserve evidence,” Nhien replied.

“Evidence for a trade dispute?”

“Evidence for Creator Rights.”

The other person turned to Minh Quang. He was present, but this time he did not avoid it. “Ha Audio does not request to withdraw copies until there is a conclusion.”

The lawyer was silent for a moment. Nhien saw his father standing up for the club's process in front of the company for the first time.

After inventory, Nhien thanks you. Minh Quang just said: "Dad is fixing something he did late."

That night, Lam discovered that a student account had posted an explanation of the club but included the address of Aunt Huong's counter. She received dozens of messages, and several strangers stood in front of the counter asking about the tape.

Duy is angry. You want to delete the entire project. Nhien kept him.

“Don't punish those who believed in us.”

“Auntie Huong was dragged in because of us.”

“So we protect aunt by being more transparent.”

They and Aunt Huong made an announcement: the counter does not provide recordings to unauthorized people; All requests must be sent through the school. Aunt Huong hung the sign, then gave Duy a new lock.

“Change the counter door,” she said. “But don't close your heart.”

Duy smiled sadly. “Auntie speaks like a book.”

“Books don't fix anyone's radio.”

Lam brings news: SoundSeed's data department has removed the contract from the email, but the copy remains. In the new terms, they offered non-exclusive sponsorship if the club signed a commitment not to broadcast content that "affects the partner's reputation".

“This cluster is so large,” Khang said.

“So broad that even laughter can affect it,” Lam replied.

Nhien proposed returning the contract with four modifications: non-exclusive, time-limited, allowing voice withdrawal, and not using the recording for other than educational purposes. She drafted the text, edited the technical part, Lam added the sentence: "Do not consider silence as consent."

Ms. Mai signed to confirm. The principal has not signed, but agrees to forward it to SoundSeed.

The next day, the hidden account sent a new file. The sound is distorted, but at the last second you can hear someone say: "If Minh Quang doesn't return the tape, I will return it another way."

Background filtering. A motorbike bell rang. Duy recognized it as belonging to the old car model that Vu Tan used to use.

“We have a clue,” he said.

“Not proof,” Nhien reminded.

"I know."

They found Vu's old phone number through the partner list. Number changed. The company address lists a suburban warehouse. Ms. Mai does not let students go on their own; She contacted the school's lawyer. But before responding, the warehouse sent an email: **Get the original by Friday, or it will be broadcast in a public livestream.**

Friday is the day of the meeting to decide on the radio room.

Lam looked at the clock. “We have forty-eight hours left.”

Duy grabbed Nhien's hand and pulled her towards the door. “Don't go alone.”

“Don't leave on your own,” Ms. Mai said.

“Then you come along.”

Ms. Mai looked at the three people, then picked up the phone to call the lawyer. “I will come along.”

Outside in the yard, the hallway speaker suddenly broadcast a whisper:

“Don't trust the person with the key.”

In the list of people with the key to room 3C, there are only Ms. Mai, the principal and Minh Quang.

The principal confirmed he did not log in. Khang reconstructed the access chain and discovered that the account was used from the council room computer, but the room was open to many people during the day. There are no cameras in the room for privacy reasons.

Instead of guessing, they check each person present. Ms. Mai, Minh Quang, the lawyer, two teachers and the cleaning staff all provided schedules. One of them may have seen the password on the old note, but no one claimed it.

“We can't ask people by scaring them,” Lam said.

Nhien suggested announcing the security incident and changing the process. The school agrees. They did not name the suspect violation, only saying the data was accessed and no original file was downloaded.

Students reacted mixed. Some were worried that the audio warehouse was not safe, some were thankful that the school was telling the truth. Ms. Mai hosts a session on password, authentication, and privacy. Khang made an illustration video, this time asking everyone's permission before using the image.

Duy from the studio sent a message: "The incident does not make the project wrong, the way to handle it is the decision."

Nhien saved that sentence, but did not include it in the program because he had not asked for it.

In the archive, file 06 still has the 17:16 timestamp. Khang found an old copy of metadata, with the letter “M.” instead of M.Q. The editor can use another account, or try to duplicate Minh Quang's account.

Lam suggests asking questions directly to the anonymous sender. They drafted a short note: “What do you want us to know, and which parts do you allow?” No reproaches.

The response came overnight: "I want you to know that the girl on the tape was asked. She said she didn't want the record sold. I don't want my name published."

Nhien understands that the sender could be someone who was in the studio, but the right to anonymity must be respected. She sent back: "We will not track identities. If you want to provide evidence, please use a secure channel."

The first time the hidden account did not send files immediately afterward. This silence did not relieve their anxiety, but made them aware that a conversation could change the rhythm of the incident.

However, the school cannot let strange accounts continue to access. Khang makes a list of devices, changes keys, checks every login session. He discovered a library computer still using the default password. It is not directly related to tape 03, but is fixed now.

Lam says a small mistake can open the door to a big one. She printed that sentence on cards hanging around the room. Nhien checked the permissions of each person, including herself, because her Ha Audio account was logged in on her home computer.

Minh Quang suggests separating the company account from the school device. He bears the data transfer fee, but does not require administrative rights. Ms. Mai thanked her in writing and kept a copy on file.

Duy received a letter from a former student in 2014. This person remembered Huy often asked before recording sounds, including the sound of children's shoes. The letter has no attachments, just a confirmation, but is saved as requested.

Nhien began to see that the music was more than just a piece of evidence. It is the way many people choose or do not choose. The small narratives make the picture fuller, but do not turn it into a single conclusion.

On the weekend, Ms. Mai gave the group a half day off. Lam pulled everyone out to the yard to eat ice cream. Duy said the ice cream melts faster than a half-downloaded file. Nhien smiled, took a photo of the ice cream cone on the table, then asked everyone if they agreed to save it.

No one agrees. She deleted the photo.

Regretting the photo, Ms. Mai said a good archive is not the place to keep the most. It is a place to keep exactly what the creator wanted to keep.

Nhien writes the principles on the board. Duy looked, then used a pencil to draw an open door next to it. Khang asked if it was a new symbol. Duy said it's just a drawing, don't turn everything into a brand.

They ate ice cream without recording or taking pictures. A period of time without data makes the group more comfortable. When he returned to the room, Lam read the script more slowly, as if he had heard the value of a moment's silence.