Chapter 37 — Shrimp Street Without Name

A week after the call with Minh Khang, when everything seemed to be progressing at a manageable pace, an unexpected incident completely shattered the fragile sense of security that Hai Yen and her companions had tried to build.

That evening, Kien was on his way home from the port after a late shift, passing through a deserted road along the water canal, where street lights were sparse and the only sides were dark shrimp ponds. He realized there was a car following him from afar, keeping a strange distance for nearly two kilometers, neither overtaking nor turning in another direction even though there were many turns.

Feeling uneasy, Kien accelerated, trying to separate from the strange car, but as soon as he turned a tight corner, the car behind suddenly accelerated, approaching and deliberately forcing him to the curb. His motorbike's wheels slid on loose gravel, causing him to lose control and fall into a shallow ditch on the side of the road before the other car sped away into the darkness, without stopping, with no intention of causing further direct injury, as if the purpose was simply a warning in action.

Kien lay in the gutter for a while, in pain all over his body, but luckily there were no broken bones, only severe scratches on his hands and knees. He crawled out of the ditch, sat against a nearby tree, his hands trembling as he pulled out his phone to call Hai Yen, his voice weak from pain and psychological shock.

“Yen... I just had someone intentionally push me off my bike,” he said, his voice broken. “I'm fine, it's not serious, but... I think they want to torment me.”

Hai Yen, who was at her mother's house, heard the news and immediately panicked. She quickly took the car and rushed out in the night. Her heart was pounding all the way to Kien. While driving, she called the emergency room and the police lieutenant.

When she arrived, she saw Kien sitting against a tree, blood oozing from the wound on his knee, his face pale under the phone's flashlight, Hai Yen couldn't hold back her tears, knelt down to hug him, her trembling hands checked all over his body to make sure there were no more serious injuries.

“I'm fine, Yen, I'm fine,” Kien assured her, even though his voice was still shaking. “It's just a scratch, nothing serious.”

An ambulance arrived a few minutes later and took Kien to the district hospital for examination and treatment of his injuries. The doctor confirmed that he only had soft scratches and a light bruise on his head, with no traumatic brain injury or broken bones, a rare piece of luck in an incident that could have been much worse.

While waiting for Kien to be bandaged, Hai Yen sat in the hospital hallway, holding her head in her hands, feeling guilt and fear rising more intensely than at any time before during this journey. She called the lieutenant and explained the details of the incident, even though Kien did not have time to clearly see the license plate or specific features of the car in the dark.

“We'll have someone check the security cameras along that route,” the lieutenant said, his voice serious. "This is a very worrying development, showing that the level of aggressiveness of those behind it is increasing. I will propose to strengthen protection measures for both Mr. Kien and her in the near future."

After Kien's wound was treated, he and Hai Yen sat together in the small hospital room, both silent for a long time, letting the tension and fear of Kien disappear. The evening gradually subsided.

“I'm sorry,” Hai Yen said, her voice choked. “If I hadn't dragged you into this in the first place—”

“Don't say that,” Kien interrupted her, holding her hand even though his hand was still bandaged. "I voluntarily entered this war before I met you, because of Khai, remember? What happened tonight is not your fault. This is the fault of those who chose to act with violence instead of facing the truth."

“But what if next time, they don't just stop at pushing the bike over?” Hai Yen asked, her voice shaking with real fear for the first time since starting this journey.

Kien was silent for a moment, there was no easy answer to that question. “I don't know,” he said finally, his voice low but still steady. "But I know, if we step back now out of fear, everything we have sacrificed, everything that Miss Tuyet, Miss Ut Phuong, Uncle Sau, my mother have gone through, will all be meaningless. I don't want to live the rest of my life with that regret."

Hai Yen looked at him, tears still lingering on her eyes, but in her heart, besides fear, an iron determination was also gradually strengthening. She understood, they had gone too far to turn back, and now, the only thing they could do was to continue moving forward, more cautious, more resilient, but never give up.

The next morning, news of Kien's accident spread quickly in the fishing village, reaching his mother's ears before he could report the news himself to avoid worrying her. She immediately ran to the hospital, her face white with panic, and hugged her son as soon as she entered the hospital room.

"Oh my god, are you okay? Who did that to you?" she asked urgently, her trembling hands touching her son's body to make sure there was nothing serious.

“I'm fine, mom, just a scratch,” Kien reassured his mother, although his eyes clearly showed guilt when he saw her panicking like that. "Don't worry too much, Mom, the doctor said it's nothing dangerous."

She looked at her son, then looked at Hai Yen, her eyes were complicated, not exactly reproachful but full of worry. "Daughter, I know your matter is important, I support you two in finding justice. But I only have Kien, if something happens to him, how can I live?"

“I understand, uncle,” Hai Yen replied, her voice choked. "I promise to do everything to protect Kien, to protect everyone. I'm sorry for letting this happen."

She looked at Hai Yen for a long moment, then sighed, her expression softening. "I don't blame you. I'm just scared. You two just do what's right, I'll pray for both of you to be safe."

In the afternoon, Hai Yen, lawyer Hoang and the lieutenant sat down to discuss necessary security measures in the coming period. The lieutenant proposed arranging increased patrols around Ms. Sau's house and Kien's usual route, and recommended that they both limit traveling alone in the evening and always notify each other and the police of their schedules.

“We are also consolidating documents to apply for an official summons for Mr. Bao,” the lieutenant further informed, his voice somewhat reserved. "With the detention of Ms. Ut Phuong, Mr. Sau's testimony, and now Mr. Kien's case, although it has not been possible to directly prove that Mr. Bao ordered it, this series of consecutive events is enough to putting pressure on the investigation agency to act more decisively.”

That news brought Hai Yen a little comfort amid these turbulent days, although she clearly understood that the road ahead was still very long, and the price to pay, as last night proved, could get even more expensive before they reached the final destination.

That night, after taking Kien home to rest according to the doctor's instructions, Hai Yen stayed to take care of him for a while longer, carefully changing the bandage on his knee wound under the light of a small table lamp. Kien sat quietly and let her do it, his eyes following her every move with undisguised affection.

“You're really good at taking care of others,” he said, trying to joke to dispel the heaviness left after a long day.

“My profession has taught me to be meticulous,” Hai Yen replied, also smiling slightly, although her eyes were still slightly worried. “But next time, remember to wear a better helmet, be more careful, don't make me have to do this again.”

“I'll try,” Kien replied, taking her hand as she finished bandaging it, holding it in his hand for a long moment. “Thank you, for everything.”

Hai Yen stayed a while longer, until she was sure Kien was stable, then left with peace of mind, her heart carrying both anxiety and a stronger belief than ever in the power of what they were building together.

On the way home to her mother's house that night, she drove more slowly than usual, always watching the rearview mirror, a new habit she had developed after what had just happened. She realized that fear had now become a permanent part of her life, but she also realized that she had learned to live with it, not letting it stop her from continuing to move forward, day by day, step by step, until the truth was finally fully revealed.