Chapter 14 — One Dollar a Day, I Uncover a Conspiracy

Chu Hieu Van couldn't hold back, tears fell immediately. I stood up, took a step forward, blocking her, my voice was not loud but firm.

“Have you said enough?”

He leaned back in his chair, the corners of his lips curled up. His eyes stopped on me, no longer hiding his intentions.

“Chu Que Lan, I advise you to stop.”

“I can pay Mrs. Trieu's money.”

“I can also cancel the deduction from your account.”

“But if you continue, I guarantee the whole district will know that you are the one who lost their services.”

“At that time, if something really happens to them, who will they blame?”

I looked at him without blinking. This is the tactic they use most skillfully. Turn trap into protection. Turning the demand for justice into harm. Turning an old person's deepest fear... into a knife turned against themselves. I picked up my bag.

"I got it."

He raised his eyebrows.

“Got it?”

“Got it.”

I looked at him, smiling slightly.

“You really aren't the type to cheat.”

His expression darkened. I turned around and walked out the door. Behind him came a cold, metallic voice.

“Chu Que Lan, don't regret it.”

I stopped for a moment, turned my head to look at him.

“General Shen.”

“I'm retired, the biggest problem... is free time.”

“You should pray that your books are as clean as you say they are.”

Leaving Khang Tho Nguyen, Chu Hieu Van's legs were a little soft, and he had to hold on to steady himself. Tieu Luu quickly caught it, his voice lowered.

“Sister, are you okay?”

He shook his head, eyes still red. Then looked at me and spoke softly.

“Mom… I'm sorry.”

I replied very briefly.

“Stop apologizing, it's useless.”

It froze. I gave him the bag.

"For what?"

“In there is a contract with documents, keep it carefully.”

It immediately accepted it, as if embracing something more important than an apology. Tieu Luu leaned closer and spoke softly, his voice a bit excited.

“Miss, when he said he wanted to change the name of the company, I recorded it.”

I nodded. Chu Hieu Van was startled and looked over.

“Can you record?”

Tieu Luu nodded strongly. It turned to me, its eyes both surprised and understanding.

“Mom… did you purposely tease him to say something just now?”

“Then why didn't you refute it right there?”

I looked at the glass door of the building, in which my gray hair was reflected.

“People like him, arguing on the spot doesn't work.”

“They have a company, they have a lawyer, they have a contract.”

“What I need… is a chain of evidence.”

Tieu Luu's eyes lit up as if he had just unlocked a new level.

“You are more specialized than me.”

I glanced at him.

“Thirty years in finance are not for fun.”

A few days later, I did not return to the nursing center anymore. Tham Kien Nghiep probably thought I had faltered. An Tam Gia Vien is temporarily closed for "reorganization". But the phone from Khang Tho Nguyen still rings regularly. In the group of residents, people began to say they changed the way they spoke. No longer called "premium package", but "home safety monitoring suite". It's not called payment, it's called "deposit". Don't say cure, say "risk management". Even the name of the company receiving the money has changed. Thanh Di Ninh Uu Tuan Trading. Tieu Luu finished investigating and told me.

“Miss, this is also their related company.”

I looked at the list of names and smiled coldly. Changing the cover... really fast. I started making a table. Company name. Representative. Receiving account. Contract version. List of fees. Person's name old. Amount paid. Refund status. Whether or not you have children to sign for you? Whether to use threats or not. Chu Hieu Van watched me write line by line, and finally couldn't help but ask.

“What are you doing, Mom?”

I answer very simply. It laughed helplessly.

“Can this book also work?”

“The more confusing… the more you have to write.”

I pulled out a blank sheet and gave it to him.

“Sit down, enter data.”

It froze.

“Don't want?”

“It's not…”

Chu Hieu Van immediately sat down, picked up the pen, his voice was small but decisive. That evening, mother and daughter sat across from each other at the dining table, calling to verify each person and taking down each line.