Chapter 33 — Shrimp Street Without Name

With the case of illegal detention of Ms. Ut Phuong officially prosecuted, the provincial investigation team now has full legal basis to expand the scope of investigation to other activities of the Ocean security team, including verifying Mr. Son's true condition at the suburban villa. Hai Yen, despite no longer being an official inspector, continued to closely monitor developments through the lieutenant, who had now become a trusted contact point after weeks of coordination.

Three days after Ms. Ut Phuong was rescued, the investigation team decided to go to the villa a second time, this time with an official work order and a much tougher attitude. Hai Yen received a call from the lieutenant right after the meeting ended. His tone was somewhat complicated, not entirely good news but not bad news either.

“We met Mr. Son,” he said. "This time, he no longer maintained the denial attitude like before. Perhaps the news about Ms. Ut Phuong's case made him realize that the situation had completely changed. He agreed to cooperate and provide initial testimony, although he was still very cautious."

“Is he safe?” Hai Yen asked, her voice full of worry.

“Physically he is fine, there are no signs of assault,” the lieutenant replied. "But he seemed mentally depressed. He said he had been threatened several times over the past few days, and was warned that his family would be in danger if he revealed anything. We have arranged for him and his family to be placed under temporary witness protection during the investigation."

That news made Hai Yen both relieved and worried. She understood that Mr. Son's official cooperation with the investigation agency was an important turning point, able to provide direct evidence that no other source could replace. But she also understands that it means that Dai Duong, and those behind this company, will now feel more cornered than ever, leading to reactions that may be even more drastic and unpredictable than what has happened so far.

She immediately called Kien to share the news, and the two agreed that this was a time to be especially cautious, not only for their own safety but also for the safety of everyone who has and continues to support them on this journey.

“What does Lawyer Hoang say about this development?” Kien asked.

“I haven't had time to tell her yet,” Hai Yen replied. “But I think this is the time we should officially ask her to participate more deeply, possibly as official legal representation not only for me but also for other witnesses like Ms. Tuyet, if necessary.”

Before calling lawyer Hoang, Hai Yen stopped by her mother's house to inform her about Mr. Son, wanting her to hear this positive development from her own mouth instead of through rumors in the neighborhood. Mrs. Sau, after listening, sat quietly for a moment, her eyes distant.

“Son is so miserable,” she said, her voice low. "I remember when he used to come to fix things for me, he had a gentle personality, but I never expected that life would put him in such an awkward place. I hope he will soon be at peace, even though I know he is also at fault in your father's matter."

“I hope so too,” Hai Yen replied. "But I think that the fact that he now dares to cooperate, even though it's late, is an honorable atonement."

Mrs. Sau nodded, then suddenly Holding her daughter's hand, her voice was serious. "Yen, I have something to tell you, something I hid more carefully than the money story before. But I think, now that everything is gradually becoming clear, maybe I should tell it, so you don't have to hear it from someone else first."

Hai Yen's heart tightened before that important opening statement. “What's going on, mom?”

“Some other time, when I'm more ready,” Mrs. Sau said, then shook her head, as if she'd changed her mind mid-sentence. "Today you just received good news about Uncle Son. I don't want to ruin your mood. In a few days, I promise to tell you everything."

Hai Yen did not force her mother, even though her heart was full of new conjectures about what her mother was about to say and then stopped. She kissed her mother's forehead, told her to take care of her health, and then left, bringing with her both relief about Mr. Son's news and a new curiosity about the last secret that her mother seemed to still keep.

In the afternoon, Hai Yen called lawyer Hoang to update all developments. Lawyer Hoang listened attentively, then made a comment that made Hai Yen think seriously.

"With Mr. Son's official cooperation, and with the criminal case related to Ms. Ut Phuong being prosecuted, I think it is time to consider releasing part of the information to the public, through the press channel that you once contacted," she said. “Public pressure, combined with legal pressure, will make it much more difficult for the other side to cover up the entire incident.”

“Do you think it's safe enough to do that?” Hai Yen asked, considering carefully.

“Nothing is completely safe in this situation,” lawyer Hoang replied frankly. “But I think, given the seriousness of the illegal detention that has just been revealed, the release of partial information, strictly controlled, can create an extra layer of protection for everyone involved, because bad guys are often more hesitant when they know there are so many eyes watching.”

Hai Yen agreed with that analysis and promised to contact Minh Khang to discuss details about the appropriate time and method of disclosing information, ensuring it does not affect the ongoing official investigation process.

That evening, when she sat down to summarize what had happened that day, Hai Yen clearly felt a change in the entire situation. From a silent, solitary investigation by one individual, it has now become a complex network of many parties: the official investigation agency, an important witness who has just turned to cooperate, a lawyer preparing a public strategy, a reporter ready to step in, and countless other small people who have played a part in piecing together this picture of the truth. She understood that she was no longer alone, but at the same time, the responsibility of ensuring the safety of all those people also became heavier than ever on her shoulders.

She reopened her work notebook, now many pages thicker than the first day she set foot in the container yard, and turned it back to the beginning to review the entire journey. Each page is a name, a meeting, a small piece of truth carefully pieced together: Ms. Sau, Ms. Tuyet, Mr. Tam Lanh, Mr. Bay Correct, Ms. Nam Thin, Ms. Ut Phuong, Mr. Son, Ms. Hong, Mr. Duc, lawyer Hoang, Minh Khang. Each name, when she read it again, evoked a face, a voice, a specific moment engraved in her memory over the past month.

She realized that this journey, although it started from the personal pain of a son who wanted to regain his father's honor, has now become a much bigger story, connecting so many strangers together with a common thread: the desire to tell the truth after so many years of being forced to stay silent. She closed the notebook and placed her hand on the cover for a long moment, as if conveying a silent promise that she would not let any of these pieces become meaningless.

Before going to bed, she texted Kien a short sentence: "Thank you for always accompanying me. Tomorrow is a new day." He answered almost immediately, just a few words but enough to make her smile amid her worries: "Always ready. Good night, Yen."

She put down the phone and turned off the light, but her mother's unfinished words still lingered in her mind forever. Even though she tried to put it aside to rest, she still couldn't help but wonder, after all the secrets that had been exposed one after another over the past month, how many more things remained, hidden deep in the memories of those closest to her, still waiting for the right time to be told.

She tossed and turned in the dark, listening to the wind rushing through the window, and told herself that no matter how many more surprises tomorrow brought, she would accept them with the same steadfastness that she had honed throughout her journey. Sleep, finally, came to her after a long and tumultuous day, bringing with it vague dreams of unknown shape, but at least, they were no longer the nightmares that had haunted her many nights before. Outside the window, the first rooster crow of the new day has begun to resound somewhere from the neighboring villages, signaling that a new day is coming, bringing with it both hopes and challenges that no one has anticipated.