Chapter 5 — Reliving Before the University Exam, I Tear Up the Conspiracy to Steal Direct Admissions

La Thanh was sitting on an electric motorbike, smoking and pointing the camera lens towards the motel gate. Ms. Luong asked:

"Or should I call someone to chase him away?"

"No need."

I put my backpack on my shoulder and went out the back door. At the end of the alley there is a photocopy shop. I printed out the entire video recorded in the morning along with the photos posted online, then put it all in a kraft paper bag. The shop owner asked:

"Girl, are you preparing for a lawsuit?"

I squeezed the mouth of the bag tightly.

"First keep it as evidence."

As soon as I walked out of the store, the phone rang. He is teacher Co of Hai Thanh University.

"To Duong, this afternoon someone came to receive your direct admission confirmation. They said they were asked by your homeroom teacher to pick it up. We felt something was wrong so we temporarily kept it."

I stopped walking on the side of the road.

"Who's coming to get it, teacher?"

Master Co replied:

"A woman named Hua."

When I returned to the motel, La Thanh was already blocking the back alley. He held the phone and pointed the lens straight at me.

"To Duong, you finally showed up. On the internet, it said you stole documents from your classmates, is that true?"

I opened the umbrella, obscuring the lens.

"Get out of the way."

He still followed.

"If you don't answer, does that mean you're tacitly admitting? Hua Niem Niem is about to take the university entrance exam, do you do that without a guilty conscience?"

Ms. Luong rushed out from the back door.

"If you shoot any more, I'll break your phone!"

La Thanh smiled faintly.

"Boss, you tried so hard to protect her, have you already accepted the money?"

I stopped walking.

"La Thanh, just now at the front desk you claimed to be my cousin, now you're talking about an interview. Just what identity are you taking on?"

The smile on his face stiffened in the blink of an eye.

"Don't make excuses."

I raised my phone.

"I'm filming too. Will you tell me who sent you to harass me, or will you wait for me to call the police before telling me?"

La Thanh took half a step back, but quickly stiffened his voice.

"I'm just doing normal work. If you don't do anything shady, why are you afraid of being filmed?"

I looked straight into his lens.

"I'm not afraid of being filmed."

"I'm just afraid that you'll cut off the story and create a pitiful drama for others."

At the beginning of the alley, people gradually gathered to watch. La Thanh immediately raised his voice.

"Everyone, look! Students these days are really unruly. After stealing things from their classmates, they even dare to threaten reporters."

Ms. Luong picked up the broom in front of the door.

"Speak cleanly."

I raised my hand to stop her.

"Miss Luong, there's no need."

I turned to La Thanh.

"You used my student ID photo to post. Where did you get that photo from?"

His eyes shifted continuously.

"Sent by netizens."

"Which netizen?"

"I have the right to protect sources."

I nodded.

"So you also have an obligation to be responsible for the consequences."

Right in front of him, I called the police. La Thanh didn't expect that I would actually call the police, so he immediately rushed forward to snatch the phone. Ms. Luong kicked the empty vegetable basket next to her hard. The basket rolled to his feet, causing him to almost trip. Onlookers began to whisper.

"Why is this reporter trying to steal someone's phone?"

"She just called the police, what is he bothering about?"

La Thanh swore and quickly jumped on the motorbike electricity, shot away. The police arrived very quickly. After listening to my statement, they took me to the station to give my statement. I sat on a chair and handed over photos of posts, recorded videos, and voice messages one by one. The female police officer took the record and asked me:

"What's the conflict between you and Hua Niem Niem?"

"She wants to steal my direct admission spot."

The female police officer raised her head and looked at me.

"Do you have proof?"

"There is currently no direct evidence."

She put down the pen.

"Little girl, speculation cannot be considered evidence. If people make up false accusations about you, you can handle it, but if you say she wants to steal the direct admission slot, there must be real evidence."

I nodded.

"I understand."

As soon as he walked out of the police station, Mr. Chu's phone rang again. This time, the teacher's side was extremely noisy.

"To Duong, have you called the police? Hua Niem Niem's mother fainted right at school! Please go back quickly and explain the misunderstanding."

I ask in return:

"What does it have to do with me if she faints?"

"I made her so angry that she fainted!" Teacher Chu's voice became urgent. "You're just a student, how can you make such a fuss that the police have to get involved? Do you know how the police coming to school will affect Niem Niem right before the exam?"

I leaned my back against the wall in front of the police station gate.

"Someone harassed me so I called the police."

"The person who influenced Hua Niem Niem is the one who harassed me."

"Not you."