Chapter 19 — Profile 9:17

Unlike what everyone expected of a quick collapse, the team of international lawyers of the "Council" did not surrender easily just because of Trinh Vu's appearance. Immediately after overcoming the initial shock, the British chief lawyer - Sir Arthur Pendelton, an expert who has overturned countless economic judgments at high courts in London and Hong Kong - immediately regained his composure. He adjusted his silk tie, cleared his throat and asked the Court to allow cross-examination of online witnesses. His goal was clear: to use sharp psychological techniques and the intricacies of financial law to break Trinh Vu's credibility, turning him from a key witness into a wanted fraudster deliberately fabricating for revenge.

"Mr. Vu, or should I call you an economic criminal who is evading legal punishment?" Lawyer Arthur smiled mockingly, stepped in front of the camera, his eyes as sharp as knives pointed straight at the screen. "You claim that you have set up shell companies in Singapore to serve the purpose of money laundering by a hypothetical organization that you call 'The Council'. But Your Honor, a word without independent evidence is worthless before the balance of justice. My clients have full legal business registration licenses, transparent annual tax reports, issued and audited by the Singapore Government. What do you have to prove your words other than a full-blown drama?" This last-minute drama? Or is this just a desperate attempt to get a reduced sentence from the Procuracy by inventing an evil organization?"

The whole courtroom was in an uproar. The press and people attending held their breath and looked up at the big screen. Arthur's besieging questions were aggressive, aiming to stimulate Trinh Vu's psychology.

But on screen, Trinh Vu still maintains a terrifying calmness. The dark atmosphere of the bunker where he is hiding further enhances the cold and majestic appearance of a person who once designed a sophisticated money laundering system. He gently pushed up his glasses, his eyes piercing through the camera lens as if he were looking into the heart of the defense lawyer.

"I don't just have words, Mr. Attorney Pendelton," Vu said in a monotone voice, but each word that came out carried a thousand pounds of weight, shattering the noisy atmosphere of the courtroom. "And I'm not here to ask for a reduced sentence. Right now, I've sent a multi-level encrypted data file to the official email of the Trial Council and Procuracy. The decompression password is this lawyer's passport number, plus the last six digits of his secret bank account in the Cayman Islands - an interesting detail I happened to get when checking the 'Council's' remuneration payment system last week."

The British lawyer was startled, his face red with anger and fear. His hands holding the file trembled slightly. The Presiding Judge immediately signaled the court clerk to check his email and decrypt it according to the password Vu just provided. The silence lasted about three minutes but it felt like a century had passed. Finally, the documents from Vu's files are displayed on a large projection screen, in parallel his frame.

These are not just lifeless statements or dry numbers. Those are top secret investment trust agreements, signed by puppet directors in Singapore, accompanied by money transfer receipts from the personal accounts of Dang Tuan and officials who were arrested in Vietnam. More importantly, Vu provided secretly recorded videos of billionaires belonging to the "Council" discussing in detail money laundering through the "Nam Huong Project", with direct instructions on disabling environmental impact assessment reports.

"International law protects legal investors, but not transnational money laundering criminal organizations, sir," Vu stated firmly, his voice echoing throughout the four walls. "Those business registration licenses that you just proudly mentioned are actually just paper masks covering up a giant blood-sucking machine. All the documents I just provided contain the original hash code. You can invite the world's most independent information technology experts to examine it. There is no interference or cutting here."

The defense lawyers turned pale and collapsed into their chairs. The initial arrogant confidence has completely disappeared. They know that, with this systematic, irrefutable evidence, all legal loopholes that they intend to take advantage of based on the principle of presumption of innocence have been completely sealed.

However, the appeal trial cannot end immediately. Legal prudence requires the Trial Council to suspend the trial for two days so that the Institute of Criminal Sciences and independent financial experts can compare and authenticate the newly provided digital documents. The tense atmosphere covered not only the courtroom but also spread to the entire financial and media community nationwide. On social networking forums, the story about Trinh Vu and the "Council" became the hottest topic, overshadowing all other events. Millions of people held their breath waiting for the final verdict.

On the morning of the third day, the sky of Saigon had a somber but clear beauty after the night's rain. The Presiding Judge entered the courtroom with a stern expression, holding a stack of papers containing the historic decision. The entire hall stood solemnly, so quiet that you could hear your own heartbeat.

"On behalf of the Trial Council of the High People's Court," the Chairman's voice rang out loudly and clearly. "Based on records, physical evidence, testimony of witnesses, especially digital documents that have been 100% authenticated by the National Expertise Council, the Court finds: Foreign legal entities including SeaBreeze Holdings and affiliated companies are essentially front organizations established for the purpose of money laundering, concealing illegal origins and legalizing assets obtained from corruption crimes."

Van held her breath and clasped her ten fingers together. Hoang Minh stood next to him, continuously reciting prayers.

"Therefore, the Court decided to: Reject the entire appeal of the companies with related rights and obligations. Upheld the first instance judgment. Declared the permanent confiscation and confiscation of the entire amount of VND 15,000 billion currently frozen to the State fund. disbursed in bank accounts, along with all real estate and valuable papers belonging to the 'Nam Huong Project'. Request the Ministry of Public Security to coordinate with Interpol to issue an international arrest warrant for prominent members of the criminal organization called 'Council'. This decision is final and takes immediate legal effect."

The sound of a wooden hammer hitting the tabletop sounded dry, but for Le Nhu Van, it was the most beautiful and majestic sound she had ever heard during ten long years of carrying her family's injustice. The entire auditorium burst into thunderous applause and the cheers of the people watching on the large screen outside the court yard. Hoang Minh hugged Van, tears fading on the brave journalist's face. Other journalists continuously flashed their flashlights, capturing the moment when justice was most completely served.

The largest legal battle in the country's judicial history has officially ended. The monster called "The Council" not only had its corrupt tentacles that spread everywhere, but its entire giant body was exposed, dissected and crushed under the dazzling light of justice and the power of the people.

That afternoon, the last article in Hoang Minh's series of investigative reports was published on the front page of every major newspaper. The article is titled "The End of the Council and the Redemption of a Hunter", recounting in detail the entire tense development of the appeal session, the spectacular maneuver and the legal sacrifice of Trinh Vu. The story of a lawyer who dared to go deep into the darkness, charged with treason and facing the death penalty to collect evidence to bring down his own organization, has touched the hearts of millions of readers. Public opinion changed from hatred and indignation to a strange understanding, respect and pity for the man who was wanted around the world.

Three days after the trial, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) officially issued a Red Notice for Trinh Vu on charges of money laundering and international financial manipulation. The police forces of more than 190 member states are on the highest alert. However, for minds knowledgeable in the underworld, everyone implicitly understands that catching an old fox who once designed the security system for the "Council", someone familiar with all legal loopholes and identity concealment technology, is almost impossible. Trinh Vu has immersed himself in billions of people around the world, becoming an eternally elusive ghost.

That night, Van stood alone on the balcony of her newly rented apartment, looking down at the Saigon River sparkling with bright lights. The wind blowing from the river is cool, dispelling the stuffiness of the city. She raised her glass of red wine, gently touching the empty air in front of her.

"I wish you peace, Trinh Vu," Van whispered, her eyes shining with determination and understanding.

She knows that the fight against corruption and human greed is a persistent battle that never has an absolute end. There will always be new Do Trong Thang, new "Councils" springing up from the loopholes of power and money, from the corruption of human morality. But tonight, she allowed herself to rest. Tonight, justice won a great battle. And tomorrow, the sun will rise again on a city that has been washed with truth, where people like her will continue to stand guard, protecting that sunrise from ever being clouded.