Chapter 13 — Second Floor Library Girl

An Nhien's people arrived at school on a beautiful sunny morning, making Ngoc immediately hate the weather because it made everything look more normal.

The black car stopped in front of the gate, a man wearing a shirt got out with a file. He did not go into the office immediately but stood looking at block B. Ngoc recognized Mr. Khai, his father's project development director.

Phuc was arranging cakes at the gate counter, watching. He didn't ask, but his hand stopped on the paper bag.

Ngoc came.

“Uncle Khai, why are you here?”

He was a bit surprised. “Do you know me?”

"I'm Ngoc."

“Little Mistress.”

Ngoc reminded: "At school, they call me Bao Ngoc."

Mr. Khai looked around and lowered his voice. "I came to survey the house. Your father said he wouldn't contact you directly, but I didn't think I'd see you."

“Do you have a schedule with the school?”

"Have."

“Have you surveyed the reading room on the second floor?”

"Have."

Ngoc heard the sound of Phuc's bicycle being pushed behind him, but he did not move forward.

“I want to see the file,” Ngoc said.

Mr. Khai smiled slightly. “I'm not part of the project department.”

“I am a student using the building.”

“Company records are not student documents.”

Ngoc felt that sentence made her face heat up. She knew he was keeping up the process, but she also knew she could call her father to get the documents in a few minutes.

“So can you tell me the scope of the survey?”

“Evaluate structure, usage, repair costs and conversion possibilities.”

“Convert to what?”

Mr. Khai did not answer immediately. “Book center and office space.”

Ngoc looked at block B. "An Nhien has decided yet?"

"Not yet."

“If we decide to build a book center, can we keep the library?”

“Depends on the plan.”

“Who made the plan?”

“Project Board.”

“Are there any students in that department?”

Mr. Khai smiled slightly, but not happily. “I'm asking like a shareholder meeting.”

“You're asking like someone who might lose his reading room.”

Phuc walked over, put the bag of cakes in the hands of a customer and then turned away. Ngoc felt he had heard enough.

Mr. Khai was brought to school by Ms. Hanh. Ngoc did not follow, because she knew that if she were present, everyone would look at her as someone from the company. She returned to the cake counter.

Phuc asked: "Who is he?"

“The man who worked on his father's project.”

“So An Nhien really surveyed the school?”

"YES."

Phuc folded the paper bag stronger than necessary. “You knew before?”

"I know dad is looking into it. I didn't know they were coming today."

“You can ask dad.”

“I will ask.”

“After we do the data?”

"Maybe."

Phuc looked at her. “Do you still want to do it yourself?”

“I want the group to have a voice, not just a call from dad.”

Phuc exhaled. "Good."

“You just doubted me?”

“I doubt anything could make the second floor disappear.”

Ngoc doesn't blame you. She also suspected the same.

At noon, Mr. Khai measured the hallway, photographed the ceiling structure, and recorded the number of users. The group was allowed by Ms. Hanh to observe but did not interfere. Phuc asked him about safety standards, he answered clearly. Ngoc took notes, not interfering with the price.

“If we fix it without destroying it, how much will it cost?” she asked.

Mr. Khai said the estimated number. After listening, Bao asked if he could pay with bread. Mr. Khai thought he was joking, but Bao seriously explained the exchange model.

Minh Chau pulled Bao away.

Ngoc realized that the cost of maintaining the house was not small, but not beyond An Nhien's ability. The problem is that companies want efficiency, and the value of the library goes beyond that in the money table.

In the afternoon, Mr. Khai gave the group a preliminary diagram. The reading room may be narrowed if a bridge is built to the new area. The bookshelf will be moved to the ground floor, while the second floor will become a meeting room.

“The ground floor may be more accessible,” Lam said.

Phuc asked: "Is there enough space?"

“Don't know yet.”

Ngoc looked at the diagram. "The current reading room has windows and natural light. If you go to the ground floor, that area is near the kitchen, with engine noise."

Mr. Khai noted. “That is the data that needs to be included in the plan.”

“Do you write down the students' stories?”

“You can record usage data.”

“The story does not replace the data, but explains the data.”

Mr. Khai looked at Ngoc and for the first time did not call her mistress. “Where did you learn this?”

“On the second floor.”

At the end of the session, Mr. Khai thanked Ms. Hanh and left the school. Ngoc called her father as soon as she sat on the bus. He answered the phone.

“I met Uncle Khai.”

“I know.”

“Dad didn't tell me.”

“I don't want work to interfere with your study time.”

“It has already intervened.”

Dad, shut up.

“Do you really want to destroy the compound?”

“Dad wants to find a good solution for the company.”

“What about school?”

“Father cannot decide for the school.”

“But I can make it easier.”

“I'm blaming dad.”

“I was asking Dad what he could do.”

He said he would send her public information about the project when allowed. Ngoc wanted to ask more, but the bus had passed through the signal and the call was cut off. She looked at the screen and saw Phuc's message: "The cake ran out early today. Grandma said it was because someone helped pack the cake."

Ngoc replied: "I just packed a few bags."

“A few bags will help you rest for ten minutes.”

“Then calculate the price next time.”

“Calculated.”

"How much?"

“A real question.”

Ngoc looked at the message and knew he was asking about something else. She typed: "I'm afraid the second floor will disappear."

Phuc replied after a moment: “Me too.”

“Do you think we can keep it?”

"Don't know."

“Can you say something more optimistic?”

“We can make decision-makers know what they are losing.”

Ngoc read it again. That's not a promise, but a direction.

That evening, the team created a data collection table. They split up to survey the number of readings, hours of use, accessibility needs, noise, lighting and difficulties when the room is closed. Bao in charge asked if the food had any effect. Minh Chau assigned him to survey 10th grade.

“I will ask very professionally,” Bao said.

“Don't ask people if they want cake before asking the library,” Lam reminded.

“I don't promise.”

Ngoc smiled. The work grew, but was no longer solely in her hands. She must share power, listen to answers and accept that there are people who disagree.

At night, she opened a photocopy of the old notebook. Her father's name lay among the lines of old ink. A person used to sit on the second floor, borrow books late, and then grew up to be someone who could decide the fate of the room.

Ngoc wondered if her father remembered being allowed to stay at the library.

Tomorrow, she will ask.

In the morning, Ngoc sat opposite her father at the dining table. She didn't bring a thick plan, just a sheet with three questions and a column of "answers to be verified". Father looked at the paper and asked why she didn't send it to the secretary. Ngoc spoke because she wanted to hear him answer with his thoughts, not with prepared sentences.

The first question is An Nhien's goal when surveying the house. Father said the company wanted to find a long-term lease. but haven't decided if the school is the right place yet. Ngoc asked if so, why did the drawing have a new lobby area? Father admitted that it was a hypothetical option, not a commitment.

The second question is corporate limits. Father said An Nhien can sponsor reinforcement, but cannot maintain library staff. Ngoc wrote it down, then asked if that meant that after a year the school would have to take care of everything on its own. Father is right, unless the council agrees on another source.

The third question is the publicity part. Father was silent for a long time, then said that the data related to the land negotiation could not be published yet. Ngoc asked if she could say "not allowed to share yet". Father nodded, but asked not to speculate on the reason.

Ngoc closed the book. She was not relieved, because the answer made the plan more difficult. But that difficulty has a clear shape. She asked her father to attend a group meeting as a company representative, not her father. Father agreed on the condition that Ngoc did not preside over his presentation.

On the way to school, she called Ms. Hanh to warn her. Ms. Hanh reminded the group to prepare questions and not turn the meeting into a questioning session. Ngoc passed the words to everyone. Bao asked if he could ask about the price of canteen cakes. Minh Chau said only when it concerns the reading room budget.

The meeting was shorter than Ngoc expected. Dad talked about what the company knows, what it doesn't know, and the deadline for updates. Hoang Duy asked if the new construction plan is not implemented, will the funding be transferred to repairing the second floor. Father said an appendix was needed, but did not object. Phuc asked who checked the quality after repair. Father suggested that the school choose an independent unit.

After her father left, Ngoc asked the group if they felt she had taken her family too deep. Minh Chau said she only opened the door, and the person who entered was responsible for their answer. Phuc added: “And the door can still be closed if needed.” Ngoc wrote that sentence in the notebook.

That afternoon, Ms. Hanh asked the group to write the meeting minutes that day, not waiting until next week. Ngoc notes who asked, who answered and which points depend on the appendix. She sent the draft to her father to check the company information section, but did not allow him to edit the student's comments. Father replied that he only corrected one number, then confirmed that the remaining parts belonged to the group.

Ngoc printed two copies, one placed in the filing cabinet, one posted on the notice board. After reading it, Bao asked why she didn't include her father's photo. Minh Chau said because readers need to know what has been committed, regardless of who has the bigger office. Ngoc heard that sentence and found it both funny and true.