Chapter 19 — Never Blame a Janitor

After Tang Bach Nguyen was escorted out of the meeting room, Huynh Bao Toan, as Chairman of the Board of Directors, immediately convened an extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, scheduled to take place within the next five days, in accordance with legal regulations on announcing key issues affecting all shareholders of the group. This will be an opportunity for all evidence of the usurpation plot eight years ago to be presented publicly and transparently to all those with relevant interests, and at the same time an opportunity for Dac Long to officially restore its honor and position before the entire business world.

Five days of preparation passed in a rush of work unprecedented since Dac Long began his anonymous life. Lawyer Lam Gia Bach worked tirelessly to complete all legal documents, rearranging each piece of evidence in a clear chronological order, preparing for the possibility of facing the powerful team of lawyers that the Tang family would certainly mobilize to counterattack. Ho Trong Nhan, at the same time, coordinated with the economic investigation agency that he had quietly contacted before, officially filing a criminal complaint with all evidence documents, launching the criminal investigation process in parallel with the group's internal handling process.

Phan Trong Nghia, the former head of the accounting department who had lived in seclusion in Da Lat for eight years, after many days of hesitation, finally agreed to fly back to Saigon to testify in person before the General Meeting of Shareholders, bringing with him the originals of some important documents that he had secretly kept eight years ago - original accounting documents that clearly showed that illegal cash flows circulated through many intermediary accounts before returning to the pockets of Tang Bach Nguyen and colluding shareholders.

"I kept these documents for the past eight years because my conscience did not allow me to destroy them, even though I was too scared to speak up," he told Dac Long during a preparatory meeting before the session, his voice filled with regret. "I'm sorry for being silent for so long, letting you and your family suffer unfairly for so many years."

"You don't need to apologize," Dac Long replied, squeezing the older man's hand with sincere appreciation. "Your willingness to speak out now, even if delayed, is an incredibly courageous act. I thank you for that."

On the day of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders, the large hall of the Hac Thinh building was filled with people - not only large and small shareholders, but also the presence of a number of economic reporters invited in accordance with regulations on information disclosure and transparency on key issues of a listed corporation. Dac Long stood on the podium, looking down at hundreds of faces listening attentively. In his heart, a complex emotion arose between nervousness and a firm belief in the justice that he had persistently pursued for eight long years.

He presented the entire story from beginning to end, without hiding any detail — from the difficult early days of his career, the once-closest friendship of his life with Tang Bach Nguyen, to the elaborate usurpation plot eight years ago, the heartbreaking death of his wife, and the long period he had to live anonymously under a false identity to protect his only daughter from the dangers that lurked. Lam Gia Bach continued, presenting in detail each legal evidence, each recording, each financial document, projected live on the large screen of the hall for everyone to watch.

Phan Trong Nghia, when invited to speak, although his voice was still shaking with anxiety, recounted in detail the entire process of how he was forced to participate in falsifying accounting books eight years ago, under direct pressure and threats from Tang Bach Nguyen himself. His testimony, combined with the original documents he brought with him, formed the final piece of the puzzle to complete the entire picture of the most organized, sophisticated and ruthless usurpation plot the Saigon business world had ever witnessed.

In the middle of the hall, a few older shareholders, who had known Dac Long and Thao Ngan well since the early days of Hac Thinh's establishment, quietly pulled out handkerchiefs to dab at the corners of their eyes when listening to this whole heartbreaking story. Some people stood up and applauded Dac Long's courage in openly facing his painful past to demand justice, even though it took eight years to have enough courage and evidence to do so.

After a presentation lasting nearly three hours, the General Meeting of Shareholders voted, with almost absolute results - over ninety percent of the votes agreed to recognize the illegality of the stock transfer resolution eight years ago, and at the same time officially dismissed all positions of Tang Bach Nguyen at Hac Thinh Group, transferring all case files to the investigation agency for handling in accordance with the law.

When the voting results were announced, the whole hall echoed with endless applause. Dac Long stood on the podium, his hands still shaking slightly, looking down at the crowd of joyful congratulations. He took a deep breath, and for the first time in many months, he felt his lungs expand fully, no longer constrained by the constant vigilance that had become second nature over the past eight years. He looked towards the end of the hall, where Nguyet Ha was standing with Anh Thu, both were smiling brightly, their eyes filled with pride for him.

Immediately after the session ended, the reporters present immediately surrounded the podium area, held up tape recorders and cameras, and asked a series of questions. "Mr. Dac Long, can you share your feelings right now?" a young reporter asked, pushing his way forward. "After eight years of disappearing from the business world, what made you decide to go public again at this precise moment?"

Dac Long looked at the camera lens, took a deep breath before answering, his voice was calm but filled with emotion. "I came back not because of the lost property or power, but because of my daughter. For the past eight years, I have lived under a different identity, doing the most simple job, just to protect her from those who are willing to do everything to end my family. But when my child's life is once again threatened, I understand that staying silent and hiding is no longer the way to protect her. Sometimes, the only way to protect the people you love is to face the shadow head-on. dark, no matter what the cost."

Another reporter asked more about the fate of Tang Phat Group and the Tang family after this incident. Dac Long pondered for a moment before responding, trying to keep his tone as fair as possible. "I have no intention of taking revenge on an entire family for the sins of one individual. Mr. Tang Bach Nguyen will be responsible before the law for what he has done, but I believe that other members of his family, especially young people, deserve the opportunity to build their own lives, separate from the mistakes of previous generations."

That answer, when published in the newspapers the next day, received deep sympathy from public opinion, further reinforcing the image of a man who is not only brave but also altruistic, in complete contrast to the image of a ruthless avenger that some people may have previously imagined.

That was the moment Dac Long knew for sure that, although there was still much to be resolved on the road ahead — from the criminal proceedings against Tang Bach Nguyen, to the complete reconstruction of the group's governance structure — the most important battle, the battle to regain justice and honor for his family, had finally come to a complete end. He stepped down from the podium, went straight to the end of the hall, where his daughter was waiting, and in front of the eyes of hundreds of people present, he hugged Anh Thu, without any reserve or concealment, as a silent declaration that from now on, both father and daughter would never have to live in the dark again.

Nguyet Ha stood next to her, quietly observing that moment with her eyes already filled with tears. She has accompanied father and son throughout the past turbulent weeks, witnessed every arduous step that Dac Long had to go through to get to this day, and now, when she saw the rare, bright and genuine smile on the face of the man she had gradually fallen in love with, she felt more clearly than ever that all the dangers and worries over the past time were worth exchanging for this moment of complete happiness.

Dac Long turned to look at her, his eyes filled with deep gratitude. He reached out, gently pulled Nguyet Ha closer, letting her stand together in the warm embrace of father and daughter, a simple gesture but with sacred meaning, like a wordless affirmation that she had truly become an inseparable part of this small but resilient family.