Chapter 14 — My Nameless Occupation

"Su Van, I heard you are doing quite well at Thuy Hoa? Let me give you a piece of advice: do not think that just because you left Hang Vien, you can use it as a stepping stone. Any work you produced remains the intellectual property of Hang Vien. I suggest you think very carefully about your next move."

I stared at the message. Intellectual property. He was playing that card. He intended to claim that all the process documents, standardized forms, and systemic frameworks I had developed during my tenure at Hang Vien were proprietary corporate assets. By taking that knowledge to Thuy Hoa, he would accuse me of copyright infringement. It was a vicious move. Yet, there was one thing he failed to realize. The most critical logic and methodology behind my work were not stored on any Hang Vien computer—they resided entirely within my own mind. He could claim ownership of an Excel spreadsheet, but he could never claim ownership of the experience and professional judgment I had cultivated over twelve years of labor.

I did not reply to his message. Instead, I opened my laptop and composed an email. The recipient was Co Vien Chu. The subject line read: "Comprehensive Summary of Irregularities in the Procurement Supply Chain of Hang Vien Group." The attachments included a shareholder relationship chart for Cam Thanh Trading, a comparative analysis of Hang Vien’s inflated procurement costs, a history of modifications to the approval processes, and a report contrasting IT equipment contracts against actual market prices.

My finger hovered over the send button. Once pressed, there would be no turning back. It was not out of fear, but because I understood that once this email was dispatched, Hang Vien would face a seismic collapse—a place I had dedicated twelve years of my life to building.

To Niem pushed the door open and entered.

"Mom, why are you still awake?"

"Almost finished."

"You look pale. Is everything alright?"

"I am in the middle of making a decision."

She walked over, glancing at my laptop screen. She did not bother to read the specific content, focusing instead on the expression on my face.

"Mom, just do what you believe is right."

I looked at her. My seventeen-year-old daughter was far braver than I was. I pressed send.

The day after the email was sent, Co Vien Chu called me. "Ms. Su, I have received the documents. I have arranged a meeting with Ha Kien Quoc this afternoon. You can rest assured."

I did not press him for details. At four o'clock in the afternoon, Tran Loi sent me a text message. "Ms. Su, something major has happened at the company."

"I know."

"You already know? There was an extraordinary board meeting. Mr. Co exposed every issue regarding Chu Han's procurement schemes. Mr. Ha’s face turned deathly pale. Chu Han tried to argue, claiming those suppliers were selected through standard, rigorous procedures. Mr. Co immediately projected the shareholder relationship chart of Cam Thanh Trading onto the big screen—the name of his wife's cousin was right there in plain sight. Chu Han was rendered speechless."

"And then what?"

"Mr. Ha asked him how he would explain the IT equipment contract worth 1.2 million when the market price was only 700,000. How did he account for the 500,000 difference?"

"What did he say?"

"He claimed it was for brand value and after-sales service fees. Mr. Ha asked if he had performed a three-way price comparison. He claimed Phuong Ngan had done it. Mr. Ha told Phuong Ngan to produce the comparison file, and she just sat in her chair for thirty seconds, motionless."

"Because there never was a comparison file to begin with."

"Exactly. There was no such thing as a three-way price comparison. Since the approval process was compressed from three levels to two, that step had been bypassed entirely."

I closed my eyes. That was precisely what I had recorded under item 301 in my list of concerns: the potential compliance risks inherent in shortening the procurement approval process.

"Ms. Su, after the meeting, Mr. Ha detained Chu Han and Phuong Ngan. When Chu Han emerged, he looked ashen. Phuong Ngan took a different elevator; she clearly didn't dare to be seen with him."

"What is the official disciplinary outcome?"

"Not yet released. But Ms. Luu says the legal department has already intervened."

I hung up the phone.