Chapter 16 — Reclaim My Company

The night wind blew on my face. Carrying the smell of earth before the rain. Trinh Nghien walked beside me. Suddenly asked:

"Do you feel like it's not enough?"

I looked at him.

"What's not enough?"

"He's kneeling."

"Crying."

"I begged."

"But you don't laugh."

I stopped walking. The flashlight of the security guard downstairs swept across the ground. Shine on a piece of broken glass.

"I don't need to rely on his patheticness..."

"...to prove I won."

Trinh Nghien looked at me. I continued to step forward.

"What I want..."

"...is to get the company back."

【Chapter 11】 Date of General Meeting of Shareholders. The rain fell very heavily. The entrance hall is carpeted in dark gray. The reporters' boxes were crowded into patches. The flash through the rain continuously flashed and then went out. When I got off the bus. Lam Dao immediately took an umbrella and ran after him. Raindrops pattered on the surface of the umbrella. Someone loudly asked:

"General Manager Tham, will Luc Hanh Chu attend today?"

Someone else asked:

"What is the relationship between you and Trinh Nghien?"

Another person continued to shout loudly:

"Will you forgive Luc Hanh Chu?"

I stopped walking. Look straight into the lens. The scene suddenly became quiet for a moment. I entered the hall. General Meeting of Shareholders... Much more difficult than the Board of Directors meeting. Small shareholders care about stock prices. Institutional shareholders are interested in stability. As for the opposing side, they insist that Nghien Thach Investment Fund is a competitor. A shareholder stood up to question.

"General Manager Tham, we sympathize with your betrayal."

"But you can't make all shareholders pay for your love affair."

I hold the microphone. Look towards him.

"You don't have to sympathize with me."

The whole hall gradually became quiet.

"Today..."

"Each proposal has an audit report."

"There is a legal opinion."

"There is a dispatch from the customer."

"And there's feedback from regulators."

"If you vote yes..."

"...not a vote on my love life."

"It's about voting to replace a column that has been hollowed out by termites."

Another shareholder stood up and asked:

"After Nghien Thach Investment Fund participated..."

"...Can Khai Minh still maintain his independence?"

Trinh Nghien stood up and answered:

"According to the agreement, within three years Nghien Thach Investment Fund will not seek control, will not interfere in daily operations, will not transfer core technology, nor cut key research teams. Nghien Thach will appoint two members of the Board of Directors, one audit member and one strategy member, and will be supervised by all shareholders."

Someone continued to ask:

"So what do you gain?"

Trinh Nghien looked at me, then turned back to the shareholders.

"What I want is for Khai Minh to still exist."

"At least like that..."

"...it's still worth more than letting it die at the hands of a bunch of people who only know how to fight infighting."

There were immediately low voices below. Right before voting. Luc Hanh Chu appeared. He entered through the side door. Wear a black suit. Gray face. Behind is a lawyer and two staff members following. All the cameras in the hall immediately turned towards him. He didn't go to the front row. Just stand in the middle of the aisle. The host reminded reminder:

"Mr. Luc, please take a seat."

Luc Hanh Chu still stood still. He looked at me. Then suddenly bowed. The whole hall immediately stirred. Standing in front of the microphone, his voice trembled.

"Dear shareholders."

"I admit..."

"During my time in office, I committed serious violations and irresponsibility."

"I'm sorry to Khai Minh."

"It's the fault of the investors."

"And sorry to Tham A Hanh."

The sound in the hall gradually subsided. I stand on stage. Quietly look at him. Luc Hanh Chu continued.

"I am willing to cooperate with the investigation."

"Refund all benefits resulting from the violation."

"At the same time, accept all forms of handling by the company as well as by law."

The hand holding the microphone tightened. Finger joints turn white.

"I hope everyone supports governance reform."

"Khai Minh doesn't belong to me."

"And don't be dragged down the cliff by me."

Finish saying that sentence. He raised his head to look at me. In those eyes... There was regret. There was also a bit of awakening that came too late. If it was before... Maybe just that little awakening... It was enough to make my heart ache. But now... The awakening comes too late... It can only become testimony. But it cannot become a ticket to atone for sins. Luc Hanh Chu turned and left the hall. The flash outside the door flashed crazily. Voting begins. The progress bar on the screen advances little by little. I hear my own heartbeat clearly. You can also clearly hear the sound of rain hitting the glass window. Lam Dao stands under the stage. Hands clasped together. Tran Du and the research team sat in the last row. Eyes didn't blink once. Just look intently at the screen. Trinh Nghien sat next to me. Don't say a word. Finally... The results appear. All proposals... All approved. The hall was silent for exactly one second. Right after that. Applause rang out. At first it was not even. But more and more...