Chapter 16 — Old Painting Restoration Workshop

A shiny black car parked in front of Bach Nien factory on a Tuesday afternoon, when Mien Thu was alone working with the last remaining layer of varnish on "Vong Nguyet". She heard the sound of the car door closing, the sound of steady footsteps on the old tile floor, and then a decisive knock on the door, different from the familiar timid knocking of customers who often visited the factory.

The man who entered had a majestic appearance, in his mid-fifties, wearing a delicately tailored suit, his neatly combed hair with a few silver strands adding to his authority. His eyes swept across the workshop, from old solvent bottles to paintings awaiting restoration, with an expression of both appreciation and undisguised contempt.

"Miss To Mien Thu?" He asked, his voice was deep and powerful even though the volume was not loud.

"Yes, I'm Mien Thu. May I ask you..." She stood up, trying to stay calm even though in her heart she had partly guessed the identity of this uninvited guest.

"Chau Vinh Thinh." He replied, without extending his hand to shake, just standing there, his cold eyes looking straight at her. "President of Essence Auction House. I think you've heard my name."

Mien Thu felt her heart beat faster, but she tried to maintain a calm appearance and invited him to sit in the chair opposite the desk. "Yes, I heard about it. I wonder why you came to the factory today?"

Chau Vinh Thinh did not sit down immediately, but walked closer to "Vong Nguyet", standing and looking at the work for a long time with an unpredictable expression. "The painting is much better than the last time I saw it." He said, sounding satisfied. "You have good skills, Miss Mien Thu. Your grandfather must be very proud of you."

That sentence, although it sounded complimentary, carried an underlying threat that Mien Thu could not help but notice when he emphasized the word "grandfather".

"Thank you for your compliment." She replied, her voice careful. "I am trying to complete the restoration work on schedule as committed to the museum."

"Yes, progress." Chau Vinh Thinh turned to look at her, his eyes were no longer gentle. "That's exactly why I came here today. I heard that lately you seem to be... interested in aspects outside the scope of normal restoration work. Visits with researchers, meetings with secluded elderly people in the suburbs, samples sent for laboratory analysis without official written consent from the owner of the work."

Mien Thu felt a cold current run down her spine. He knew a lot, more than she thought. She tried to keep her face calm, even though inside she was panicking.

"I'm just doing the necessary technical due diligence to ensure the quality of the restoration, sir." She replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "It's standard procedure in the industry."

"Standard procedure." Chau Vinh Thinh repeated, the corner of his mouth curled up into a cold smile. "Miss Mien Thu, I am someone who has been pursuing art collecting and trading for more than thirty years. I know clearly what is standard procedure, and what are the signs of a targeted investigation." He sat down in the chair, folded his arms, his eyes never leaving her. "I will tell you frankly, because I respect your talent, and because I know you are in a difficult financial situation. Bach Nien Workshop, despite its reputation, is still only a small facility, heavily dependent on large contracts like this 'Vong Nguyet' restoration contract."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "Tinh Hoa Auction House is the main sponsor of the upcoming retrospective. We have significant influence over the museum's choice of partners for future projects. I think it would be better for everyone if you focused on completing the restoration work you were hired to do well, rather than wasting time and resources on baseless theories that could unnecessarily damage the reputation of a deceased artist — and the reputation of your own family."

Mien Thu sat still, clearly feeling the threat hidden behind each of his polite and gentle words. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

"Mr. Chau, I understand you are worried about the reputation of the upcoming retrospective." She said, choosing each word carefully. "But it is my job to ensure integrity and integrity in the restoration process. If there is any discovery regarding the true condition of the work, I have a professional responsibility to document it accurately, whatever that result may be."

"Professional responsibility." Chau Vinh Thinh laughed softly, a laugh without any warmth. "You're still young, Miss Mien Thu, so perhaps you don't fully understand how this world works. The truth, sometimes, is not always as simple as you think. There are truths that, if exposed in the wrong way, at the wrong time, will do more harm than good — not only to me, but also to the people you are trying to protect."

That last sentence startled Mien Thu. Was he referring to her grandfather? Does he know more than she thinks about Bach Nien's role in the whole story?

“What are you talking about?” She asked directly, unable to hide the tension in her voice.

Chau Vinh Thinh stood up, adjusted his vest sleeves, his eyes looked at her one last time before turning and walking out the door. "I'm just reminding you, Miss Mien Thu, that every action has consequences. I hope you'll make wise choices." He stopped at the door and turned around once more. "You have three weeks to complete the restoration according to the original contract. I advise you to focus on that job."

He walked out, got in the car, and the black car rolled away from Hang But alley, leaving Mien Thu standing silently in the middle of the workshop, her hands clasped together to control the trembling that was spreading throughout her body.

She stood there for a long time, looking out the window where the car had just disappeared, then turned back to look at "Vong Nguyet" sitting quietly on the stand. The woman in the painting still looks into the distance with wordless sadness, as if she is witnessing a cycle of history gradually recurring — sixty years ago, a family was forced to choose between truth and survival; Now, perhaps, it is her turn to face a similar choice.

She took out her phone, her hands still shaking, and called Nguyen Vu. "Mr. Vu," she said as soon as he picked up the phone, her voice unable to hide the panic, "Chau Vinh Thinh just arrived at the factory."

There was a short silence on the other end of the line, then Nguyen Vu's voice rang out, clearly tense. "What did he say? Are you okay?"

"I'm OK." She took a breath, trying to recount the recent encounter as coherently as possible, even though her voice was still shaking. "He knew everything, Mr. Vu. Not just guessing, but knowing exactly - about the trips to meet Ms. Dieu Lan, about the samples sent to the lab. He also hinted that I had 'three weeks' for me to properly complete the contract, like an ultimatum."

"Three weeks." Nguyen Vu repeated, his voice low and thoughtful. "That almost coincided with the time the museum announced the official list of works for the exhibition catalog. Perhaps he wanted to make sure 'Vong Nguyet' was included in that list as an original work before any questions had a chance to be officially raised."

Mien Thu sat down on the chair, feeling her legs weaken after the tension that had lasted throughout the meeting. "I'm afraid, Mr. Vu. Not afraid for me, but afraid for the factory, for Thuy Chi, for Mr. Le. If he really has the ability to put pressure on the museum, ruining the entire future of the factory's work, I don't know if I have the courage to trade everything my grandfather left behind just for a truth that not everyone wants to hear."

"I understand that fear." Nguyen Vu said, his voice softened, full of reassurance. "But remember, the fact that he had to personally come to the factory to threaten you, instead of secretly acting behind your back, also proves one thing — he is truly afraid. People who are confident in their safety do not need to come out to warn you directly like that. That, in a way, further confirms that we are on the right track."

"So what should I do now?" She asked, her voice still a little confused.

"Don't react hastily." He advised. "Just continue with the restoration work as usual, just as he ostensibly requested. But at the same time, we need to speed up the collection of evidence and find allies. I will go to the workshop now, we need to discuss the entire plan in detail."

Hanging up the phone, Mien Thu sat quietly in the middle of the workshop, her eyes stopped at "Vong Nguyet" once again. In that moment, she felt a new determination gradually replacing her initial fear — if Chau Vinh Thinh had chosen to use power to suppress the truth, then she had even more reason to believe that the truth deserved to be protected, even if the cost could be great.