Chapter 49 — Shrimp Street Without Name

Three days after the Cua Bien Project officially suspended the approval procedure, a fierce counter-attack storm began to come, stronger than anything Hai Yen and her team had ever predicted. First, Dai Duong's legal team officially filed a lawsuit against Hai Yen alleging defamation, demanding compensation for reputational damage amounting to billions of dong, citing her statements at the questioning session as "baseless and intentionally slanderous".

At the same time, the newspaper where Minh Khang worked received similar pressure, with threats to withdraw all large-value advertising contracts from a series of businesses indirectly linked to the Coastal Sea Group, a sophisticated economic pressure tactic to force the editorial board to censor or remove related articles.

“They are attacking from all directions at the same time,” lawyer Hoang commented in an emergency meeting convened as soon as news of the lawsuit spread. “This is a classic tactic: using financial power to exhaust the opponent through lengthy legal procedures, while isolating sources of media support.”

“Should I be worried about the lawsuit?” Hai Yen asked, her voice trying to stay calm even though her heart could not help but feel uneasy about the huge amount of compensation being raised.

"Legally, this lawsuit hardly has a solid basis," lawyer Hoang analyzed. "All of your statements at the questioning session are based on specific evidence, and speaking before an elected body within the framework of official questioning is usually protected by law to a certain extent. But I do not deny that the process of dealing with this lawsuit will take time, effort, and a significant amount of money."

“How will I pay for these?” Hai Yen asked, a real worry that she had never faced before.

“I will represent you for free,” lawyer Hoang said immediately, without hesitation. "This is a case that I believe has implications far beyond a typical civil lawsuit. Additionally, I will explore whether there are any non-profit legal organizations that can assist with additional costs involved."

Kien, who sat listening throughout the meeting with an increasingly tense face, spoke up. "I think they are trying to force you into defending yourself, instead of continuing to attack. If you have to devote all your time and attention to dealing with the lawsuit, you won't have enough resources to continue investigating further."

“You're right,” Hai Yen replied, a new determination gradually forming in her voice. "But I won't let them get away with it. I will find a way to do both — dealing with the lawsuit while continuing to pursue the truth. This is exactly what they expect me to falter on, and I have no intention of giving them the satisfaction."

Minh Khang called right after the meeting, his voice was both worried and a little indomitable. “My editorial board is in an emergency meeting all afternoon,” he said. "Some people wanted to temporarily stop the series of articles about this incident to avoid financial risks for the editor. But the editor-in-chief, fortunately, still firmly defended me and the article."

“I'm sorry for dragging you into this trouble,” Hai Yen said, her voice filled with guilt.

“Don't say that,” Minh Khang replied immediately. “I chose to be a journalist because I believe in the power of truth, and here it is exactly the kind of story I've been waiting my entire career to tell. If I back down now, I will never forgive myself.”

The call ended with a firm commitment from both sides to stay the course, despite mounting pressure from many directions. But that same evening, a text message from an unknown number made Hai Yen shudder when she read: "Do you think a lawsuit is all we can do? Please think carefully before continuing.”

She took a photo of the message and immediately sent it to the lieutenant and Kien, her hands shaking slightly as she composed each line. Although she was used to threats throughout the past journey, this message had a different tone - more direct, and came right at the moment she had just won an important victory, as a reminder that the opponent would never easily accept defeat without resisting to the end.

Kien was at Mrs. Sau's house less than half an hour after receiving her text message, his face full of worry. “You shouldn't be alone tonight,” he said, his voice firm. “I will stay and guard out here, so Uncle Sau and you can rest in peace.”

“You don't have to do that,” Hai Yen said, although inside she was touched by his concern.

“I want to do that,” Kien replied, his voice determined. “After everything that's happened, I can't rest assured if I don't make sure you're safe myself.”

That night, Hai Yen lay awake unable to sleep, hearing Kien's steady footsteps walking in the yard, a sound that both made her feel protected and reminded her of the true severity of what she was facing. She understood that although the recent questioning session was a great victory, this war was far from over, and perhaps, the most difficult things were still ahead.

The next morning, the lieutenant visited in person, bringing a specific proposal after reviewing the threatening message. "We will arrange a working group to regularly patrol around Uncle Sau's area in the near future," he said. "At the same time, we are also promoting tracing the origin of the phone number that sent the message, although experience shows that professionals often use junk SIM cards, making it difficult to trace directly."

"Thank you guys," Hai Yen said, feeling somewhat more secure with the close attention of the authorities. “I just hope everything will be clarified soon, so that no one has to live in constant fear like this anymore.”

“I understand how you feel,” the lieutenant replied, his voice low, carrying a rare personal tone. “Honestly, this is one of the most complex and large-scale cases I have ever handled. But that's why I believe even more that once we've come to this step, we can't step back anymore, no matter how much pressure we face."

After the lieutenant left, Hai Yen spent the whole morning drafting an official response to Dai Duong's lawsuit with lawyer Hoang over the phone, a job that required absolute meticulousness and accuracy in every word, so as not to create any loopholes that could be further exploited by the other side.

In the afternoon, she received a surprise call from Ms. Hong, who had kept in regular contact since quitting her job. “Sister Yen, I heard about the lawsuit, and the threatening text messages," she said, her voice filled with worry. "I want you to know, if you need any additional support from me, whether it's to testify further or simply be a listener, I'm always available."

“Thank you, Ms. Hong,” Hai Yen replied, touched by the steadfastness of the woman who was once her enemy's colleague, and has now become one of her most trusted allies. “Your support, along with everyone else's, is what gives me the courage to keep going, no matter how difficult things get.”

That night, before going to bed, she sat alone and reopened the entire list of people who had accompanied her throughout this journey: Ms. Sau, Kien, lawyer Hoang, Mr. Duc, Ms. Tuyet, Ms. Ut Phuong, Mr. Son, Mr. Tam Lanh, Ms. Hong, Minh Khang, Ms. Lan, and now Mr. Tu Hanh's family far away. Each name is a story, a sacrifice, a belief in her and in the truth that they are all pursuing together.

She understood that the threatening message last night, although scary, was also a clear demonstration that this network of people, along with the evidence they had built together, was actually threatening what the other side wanted to protect. The fear of her enemies, while causing her insecurity, was also a sign that the path she was on was the right one.

With that thought, she closed the notebook, turned off the light, and for the first time after a stressful day, allowed herself to fall asleep with a certain sense of peace, knowing that out there, Kien was still quietly guarding, and in her heart, a network of brave people was still steadily walking with her on the road ahead, no matter how long and bumpy that road was.