Chapter 6 — Playing Poor with the Heiress

But I could not say that.

"Poverty."

I shrugged. "It puts food on the table, and it is hard to find work elsewhere."

Niem looked directly into my eyes, remaining silent for about three seconds. I knew she did not believe me. She had reviewed my presentation slides and read the market analysis I had drafted. With her level of insight, it was impossible for her to ignore that my qualifications far exceeded this position. For someone with such capability to claim they "could not find work" was an argument that held no weight. Yet, she did not press the matter.

"Thank you," she said with a faint smile. "I was just making casual conversation."

"It's nothing."

I picked up my cup and turned to leave.

"Tran Du."

I paused.

"I have already looked through a portion of the second-quarter report you wrote. It is exceptionally well-done."

"Thank you."

"If the opportunity arises, you really should not be confined to this position."

With my back to her, the corners of my mouth curled upward slightly. "That depends on fate."

Exiting the breakroom, I set my cup down and returned to my desk, sitting down to resume my work. A thought lingered in my mind. What Niem just said went beyond the scope of a standard performance review. That final remark—that I shouldn't be limited to this role—was entirely unnecessary. A person strictly focused on investment auditing would never say something like that to a low-level employee. Unless, outside of her audit, she had developed a specific interest in me. Was it admiration? Curiosity? Or perhaps... no. I could not afford to overthink this. My mission was to remain here, humble and inconspicuous for a year, to fully grasp the inner workings of the company's foundation. Her mission was to complete her audit within three months. We each had our own scripts to follow. We should not interfere with each other’s performances.

However, the situation quickly slipped out of my control. At four o'clock on Friday, things took a turn. The department head, Duc Phat, returned looking absolutely livid. The moment he stepped inside, he slammed his office door shut with a force that shook the entire floor. Five minutes later, he threw the door open and shouted, "Du, Hung, Minh! Get in here!" The three of us exchanged glances, rose from our seats, and entered his office. Duc Phat sat behind his desk, his chest heaving with visible agitation.

"Who did it?" he demanded, enunciating every word.

We looked at one another in confusion. "What is the matter, sir?" Hung asked.

"The finance department says someone is digging into the market department's expenses! They even looked into the promotional costs! Who has been gossiping with the people in finance?"

My heart skipped a beat. Not for myself, but for Niem. Finance had leaked the news. Word of Niem snooping through the ledgers had reached Duc Phat’s ears.

"It wasn't us," Hung immediately distanced himself. "We aren't even on speaking terms with the finance team."

"Then who was it?" Duc Phat’s gaze swept across the three of us. I remained expressionless.

"Sir, could it be a routine audit?" I said calmly. "It is the middle of the year; sometimes headquarters conducts surprise inspections."

Duc Phat’s expression stiffened. Clearly, he had not considered that possibility. "...An audit?"

"Yes, Human Resources sent out a notice last month saying there might be internal audits in the second half of the year."

This was a complete fabrication on my part. But I gambled that Duc Phat had never bothered to read the notices in the company group chat. Sure enough, his face softened slightly, though his brows remained tightly furrowed. "Fine. You three can go. I will look into this further."

We retreated. Back at my desk, I avoided looking at Niem. However, in my peripheral vision, I noticed her head was bowed, her fingers tapping the keyboard with a rhythm far slower than usual. She realized the situation had turned precarious.

At five o'clock, I went to the restroom. On my way back, as I passed Niem’s desk, I did not stop. I simply dropped a folded sticky note beside her keyboard. Four words were written inside: "Pause, danger approaching."

I returned to my seat and continued working, not glancing at her once. Two minutes later, my phone buzzed with a message on the chat app.

Niem: "Received. Thank you."

Ten seconds passed.

Niem: "What do you know?"

I did not reply. It was not that I didn't want to; it was that I did not know how to define our current relationship. I knew she was the daughter of the company chairman. I knew she was conducting an audit. I even knew exactly what she had uncovered. But once these things were laid bare, my own cover would be blown. How could a low-level clerk with a five-thousand-currency monthly salary possibly know about the illicit transfer of promotional funds? How could he accurately guess that she was conducting an audit? How would he know to warn her that "the wind is blowing"?

I could only continue to play the part of the ignorant employee.

After work, I walked out of the building. A few paces later, someone called out to me. "Tran Du."

Niem had chased after me. She wore a pale gray coat, her hair let down, with a stray lock clinging to her cheek in the breeze. "Want to walk with me?" her tone was surprisingly natural.

"Are you not taking the bus today?"

"I feel like walking."

I did not refuse. We strolled slowly along the sidewalk, flanked by the gridlock of evening rush hour. After about three minutes, she spoke up.

"Tran Du, who exactly are you?"

I did not break my stride. "A market department clerk with a five-thousand-currency salary."

"I don't believe you."