Chapter 14 — Reef Keeper

Nguyen chose a quiet evening to talk to his father, when both had finished dinner and Uncle Suu was sitting beside the teapot, sipping betel as his usual habit every night. He knew this would be a difficult conversation, one that could cause a rift in the relationship between father and son, which had always been peaceful, but he also understood that he could not continue to avoid the truth any longer.

"Dad," Nguyen began, his voice trying to stay calm despite the tension in his heart, "I want to tell you the story that Mrs. Bay Xuyen just told Miss Khue."

Uncle Suu stopped chewing betel, his eyes flashed with a flash of caution but still waited silently.

"Ms. Bay said that the night Mr. Dam disappeared, someone saw Sau Cong's ship and a strange ship anchored near Da Bac reef." Nguyen said, his eyes never leaving his father's face, trying to read every change in his expression. "I also found out that Sau Cong currently has a business contract with the Blue Ocean Group, the investor of the resort being built. And I know, Dad and Sau Cong had a period of time after that, often gathering in private, talking secretly, not letting anyone hear."

Uncle Suu put down the tea cup. His hand trembled, causing some tea to spill out of the edge of the cup. He did not look at his son, his eyes were fixed on the space in front of him, his face gradually became pale.

"Dad," Nguyen continued, his voice no longer able to maintain its original calmness, "I need to know the truth. Not because I want to blame you, but because Ms. Khue deserves to know what really happened to her father. And I think, you also need to be told, after so many years of carrying it alone."

A long silence enveloped the small house, with only the sound of ocean waves echoing in the distance and the chirping of insects in the garden. Uncle Suu sat motionless for so long that Nguyen began to think his father would once again choose to stay silent like before. But then, he suddenly burst into tears, the choked cry of a man who had suppressed his emotions for more than a decade, and now could no longer bear it any longer.

"I'm sorry..." Uncle Suu said between sobs, his hands covering his face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Khue, I'm sorry Dam. I've been silent for too long."

Nguyen sat down next to his father, put his hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him even though inside he was trembling with excitement at what was about to be revealed. "Dad, tell me. No matter what the truth is, I'm still your child, that will never change."

Uncle Suu took a deep breath, tried to regain composure, then began to tell, his voice broken with emotion. "That night, Dad, Mr. Dam and Sau Cong, all three went to the beach together, not to fish, but because Mr. Dam said he had seen strange lights on the reef for several nights in a row, he wanted to go out to see if people were secretly surveying to do some project. Dad and Sau Cong followed, partly because they were worried about him, partly because they were also curious."

"And then what, dad?" Nguyen asked, his voice was quiet but full of urgency.

"When we got close to the reef, there was indeed a strange ship anchored. There were a few people doing something in the water, apparently setting up measuring equipment." Uncle Suu continued, his eyes looking far away as if he were reliving that very moment. "Mr. Dam was hot-tempered, rowed the boat closer, loudly asked what they were doing, whether they had a license or not. On the side of the strange ship were several large men with aggressive attitudes, arguing with Mr. Dam very fiercely. Dad and Sau Cong tried to intervene, afraid something would happen."

"Then what happened?" Nguyen continued asking, his heart pounding.

"The wind and waves that day were not calm. While the two sides were arguing, Mr. Dam's boat was rocked by a large wave, crashing into the other side's side of the boat. There was a strong noise, and dad saw Mr. Dam fall into the water." Uncle Suu's voice began to tremble, his tears flowed continuously. "Dad and Sau Cong quickly rowed back to the rescue, but the waves were big and it was dark. I couldn't find him anywhere. The strange ship saw something was wrong, so they lifted anchor and ran away without helping."

Nguyen sat quietly, trying to imagine the entire terrible scene his father had just told, a truth completely different from the dry record "accident while sailing at night" that Khue had read over and over for the past twelve years.

"So why didn't you report the truth to the authorities and let Ms. Khue know?" Nguyen asked, his voice could not hide the pain and even a bit of blame.

Mr. Suu bowed his head, shame and guilt clearly visible on every facial expression. "After that night, someone from the survey team came to Dad and Sau Cong's house and gave us a large sum of money, saying it was money... support money for trying to save people, but actually it was for us to keep quiet, not to tell about the strange ship, not to mention the argument. They said if we told, they would put our whole family in big trouble, and would accuse us of causing Mr. Dam's death by letting the boat collide."

"Dad accept their money?" Nguyen asked, his voice choked with shock.

"Dad didn't want to accept it, but at that time he was afraid, afraid for his family, afraid for his young child." Uncle Suu said, his voice full of regret. "Six Cong is different. He receives money more easily, then continues to receive other payments from them, gradually becoming the person who works for them. As for Dad, he only accepted that one time, then refused all future contact, but the fear and shame of being silent have followed him for the past twelve years."

Nguyen felt a surge of anger, but at the same time a deep sadness for his father — a simple man who had to live in torment and fear for more than a decade because of a wrong decision made in a moment of weakness.

"Dad, do you know which company is behind that survey team? Is it the predecessor of the Blue Ocean Group now?" Nguyen asked, trying to maintain a logical flow of thought despite the emotions swirling in his heart.

"Dad doesn't know the name of the company for sure. At that time, they didn't introduce themselves clearly. There was only one man who gave money, dressed luxuriously, and drove from the mainland." Uncle Suu shook his head. "But I remember, that person mentioned that he would build something big on this island in the future, saying this would be a life-changing opportunity for the whole commune, those who cooperated would benefit."

"Do you remember anything else about that person? His appearance, his voice, or was there anyone with him?" Nguyen asked questions, trying to find out every little detail that could help determine the identity of the person behind it all.

Uncle Suu closed his eyes, trying to regain memories that had faded over the years. "That person was tall, thin, spoke with a regional accent, and had a large shiny ring on his hand. Accompanying him was another person, younger, who seemed to be a secretary or assistant of some kind, carrying a leather briefcase containing papers and money. That's all I can remember. It's been twelve years, and many details have faded."

"That's enough for us to have more clues, Dad." Nguyen said, trying to reassure his father even though his mind was still filled with hundreds of thoughts. "I will discuss with Ms. Khue and Mr. Duy to see if there is a way to compare it with the old personnel records of Blue Ocean Group, maybe we can find out who that person is."

Nguyen clenched his hands, trying to suppress his emotions to think clearly. This is the last important piece of the puzzle that connects everything they have collected — Mr. Dam's death, Sau Cong's unusual wealth, and the existence of Kinh Duong Bay resort today, all stem from the same chain of events on that fateful night twelve years ago.

"I have to tell Miss Khue, dad." Nguyen said, his voice was firm but still full of tenderness for his father. "She deserves to know the truth, no matter how painful it is. And dad needs to be freed from this burden too, he's suffered long enough."

Uncle Suu nodded, tears still on his wrinkled cheeks. "I know. I will tell Khue and apologize to her for being silent for so long. I just hope she can forgive me."

That night, after leaving his father's house, Nguyen stood alone for a long time by the beach, letting the waves lap at his feet, trying to sort out all the chaotic emotions swirling in his heart. He was both sad for his father, indignant at those who used money to silence the truth, and worried about how Khue would receive this news. But most of all, he felt a vague sense of relief — finally, after so many years, the wall of silence surrounding Mr. Dam's death had begun to crumble, paving the way for truth and justice to be found.