Chapter 8 — Profile 9:17

Right on the afternoon C03 searched the villa in Thao Dien, a correction news suddenly appeared on a series of electronic newspapers, released by the Dinh Phat Group's own media department to fight the fire. The content of the press release admitted that the voice in the leaked recording belonged to a leader of the group, but confirmed that it was absolutely not Chairman Do Trong Thang. Instead, Dinh Phat announced a live video recording of Mr. Pham Quoc Hung - former Deputy General Director in charge of Material Supply of the group, currently being treated for late-stage liver cancer at Cho Ray International Hospital. In the video, Mr. Hung silently confessed that he was the one who secretly stole the budget, arbitrarily changed the concrete grade from F-400 to P-250, and that he was the one who called engineer Le Van Sang that night to threaten him, as well as bribe Deo.

Trinh Vu slammed the printed newspaper on the desk. Do Trong Thang's move to save the car was launched too quickly and too cruelly. Taking advantage of a very similar voice through an old recording tape, and taking advantage of a dying person with nothing left to lose, Thang perfectly cleared all responsibility.

"He is buying silence with other people's lives," Vu gritted his teeth, turning to Le Nhu Van who was standing blankly by the window. "If Pham Quoc Hung dies carrying this false confession, the 9:17 case will officially close with Hung as the sole mastermind. Do Trong Thang will continue to roam outside the law, washing away all charges with a ridiculous press release."

"We can't let him escape so easily!" Van snapped, tears of frustration flowing out. "Mr. Hung's family certainly received a huge amount of money from Thang to force him to plead guilty on his behalf. How could a dying person record such a smooth confession video without arrangement?"

Vu quickly put on his vest and grabbed the car keys. "We must go to Cho Ray International Hospital immediately. Before Pham Quoc Hung breathes his last breath, we must force him to tell the truth. He is the last living witness who knows the true face of Do Trong Thang."

The special treatment area for VIP patients of Cho Ray International Hospital is located on the 8th floor, completely isolated from the noise and hustle of regular medical examination areas. The hallway is covered with red carpet, the smell of antiseptic is replaced by the faint smell of lemongrass essential oil. In front of the door of hospital room number 812, there are two bodyguards wearing black suits standing strictly guarding. Vu and Van know clearly that it is extremely difficult to reach Mr. Hung right now.

Vu pulled out his phone and called Major Binh of C03. With some expertise and the intervention of the investigation agency handling the case, Dinh Phat's two bodyguards were forced to step back, giving way for Vu and Van to enter the hospital room as representative lawyers to collect evidence.

The atmosphere in the hospital room was quiet and heavy, only the sound of the heart monitor whirring steadily could be heard. Pham Quoc Hung, who used to be a deputy general director screaming fire, is now just a skinny body with yellow skin, lying motionless on a hospital bed with dozens of wires stuck into his body. His eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, as if Counting the last hours of life. Sitting next to the bed was a woman in her fifties, her eyes swollen from crying a lot, and a young girl in her twenties, about the same age as Van, holding her father's thin hand tightly.

"Sorry family, I am Attorney Trinh Vu, representing the family of victim Le Van Sang," Vu said, trying to keep his tone as gentle as possible. "I need a few minutes to talk privately with Mr. Hung."

Mr. Hung's wife quickly stood up and waved her hands in panic. "No! My husband has already confessed in the newspaper, he has nothing more to say! Please let him go in peace!"

"Peaceful, ma'am?" Le Nhu Van suddenly stepped forward, directly facing Mr. Hung's wife. Her eyes were bloodshot but extremely determined. "Your husband is about to leave, leaving behind a mountain of filthy money for the family, but placing all the blame on someone else, assisting the real murderer. Do you think he can close his eyes in peace?"

The woman was stunned, took a step back, her eyes avoiding. Mr. Hung's young daughter looked up at Van with tears in her eyes. "You... who are you?"

"I am the daughter of engineer Le Van Sang, who was murdered by her father and Do Trong Thang ten years ago," Van replied, her voice trembling but not wavering. She approached the hospital bed, looking straight into Pham Quoc Hung's dull eyes. "Mr. Hung, ten years ago, when you and Mr. Thang forced my father to sign that death certificate, you used my life to threaten him. My father chose death to protect me, to protect his principles. And you? Are you choosing to plead guilty on behalf of the enemy, leaving an eternal stain on your daughter, just because of Do Trong Thang's dirty money?"

Hearing Van's sharp words, Mr. Hung's heart rate on the monitor suddenly increased rapidly. His thin hands tried to move, clutching tightly to the bed sheet. Mr. Hung opened his mouth, whispered incomprehensible sounds, his eyes welled with muddy tears. The physical pain from terminal cancer seems incomparable to the tug of conscience of a father when facing the daughter of the victim he once harmed.

"Father..." The young girl held Mr. Hung's hand tightly and burst into tears. "Dad, don't plead guilty for Mr. Thang anymore! I don't need his money! I don't want people to call you a murderer!"

The daughter's heart-wrenching cry was like a knife piercing Pham Quoc Hung's last layer of cowardice. He was barely breathing, using the last of his strength to pry the oxygen mask off his mouth. Vu immediately turned on the phone recorder and walked closer.

"I... I'm sorry..." Mr. Hung's voice whispered, breaking every word. "The video... this morning... was filmed by Do Trong Thang's people... He threatened to cut off my hospital fees... would harm my wife and children if I didn't plead guilty on his behalf..."

"Ten years ago, it was Do Trong Thang who directly threatened engineer Sang? It was he who bribed Deo to collapse the scaffolding?" Vu asked urgently, placing the recording device close to Mr. Hung's mouth.

Mr. Hung slowly nodded. "That's right... Thang is the mastermind of the whole thing... I'm just a lackey... transferring money to Bui Van Deo..."

"So then What about the material acceptance report with engineer Sang's fake signature?" Vu asked the most important question. "Is it in the underground safe at Thao Dien villa?"

A bitter, withered smile appeared on the dying man's lips. Mr. Hung shook his head gently. "You guys... you'll never find it in Thao Dien. Do Trong Thang... is an extremely cunning fox. He never hid evidence that could kill him in his own home, where the police could come and search at any time."

Vu frowned, feeling disappointed. Without that report, all testimonies of Mr. Hung or Bui Van Deo in court would have been torn apart by Thang's lawyers with the argument of "no material evidence".

"So where is it?" Van asked desperately.

Mr. Hung coughed loudly, small bubbles of blood spilling out from the corners of his mouth. The panicked daughter used a tissue to wipe her father, while his wife could only stand there, covering her face and crying. Hung tried to tighten his stomach, gathering the scarce remaining air in his exhausted lungs.

"Bank... Joint Stock Trading... Dai Duong," Mr. Hung interrupted each word, his eyes starting to look wild. "Where Thang... became President. He rented a safe deposit box... a special type in a bank vault... But... it wasn't in his name..."

Vu immediately copied it into the notebook. A bank safe is an extremely safe place, secured by banking laws and strict regulations on customer privacy. A perfect hiding place. "Whose name is that safe in? What is the password?"

"The person named... is a woman... who died fifteen years ago," Hung gasped, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. "Do Trong Thang's biological mother... Mrs. Ly Thi Hoa. The safe code... is the serial number... of the lottery ticket that won the first jackpot... helping Thang start his business... 8... 3... 0... 9..."

Before he could finish the series of numbers, the heart rate on the monitor suddenly stretched into a straight line, accompanied by a long, shrill "beep..." sound. Doctors and nurses from the hallway rushed into the room in panic and performed emergency electric shock measures. But it was all too late. Pham Quoc Hung breathed his last, taking half of the code to his grave.

Vu and Van were pushed out into the hallway. In Vu's hands at this time is the recording of the final confession of the former deputy general director of Dinh Phat Group, proving his innocence and Do Trong Thang's true crime. However, it still wasn't enough to finish off that monster. The fake acceptance report - the iron evidence of the case - is located deep in the basement of one of the city's largest banks, protected by solid security fences and strict customer confidentiality laws.

"Ocean Bank, the safe is in the name of Ly Thi Hoa," Vu muttered, her eyes flashing with a light of extreme determination. "To obtain a search warrant and open a customer's safe at the bank, C03 needs extremely solid physical evidence, otherwise the bank will refuse to cooperate to protect its reputation."

Van looked at Vu, fatigue was clearly visible on her face, but the fire of hope had never extinguished. "We only have half the code. How can I get that report out here?"

"If the law has its limits, then sometimes, we have to resort to ways outside those boundaries to enforce justice," Vu pulled up the collar of his vest, Quickly walk towards the elevator. The boldest and craziest plan of his legal career was gradually forming in his mind. The final battle will not take place in court, but will take place right at Do Trong Thang's most fortified lair: Ocean Bank.