Chapter 68 — Shrimp Street Without Name

The operation to arrest Nguyen Dang Hoai was planned to take place early in the morning, the time considered least likely to encounter resistance. Hai Yen and Kien, although not allowed to participate directly, waited for news at Ms. Sau's house, along with lawyer Hoang, in a tense silence that covered the whole house.

At six o'clock in the morning, Hai Yen's phone rang. She grabbed it immediately, her hands shaking when she saw the lieutenant's name appear on the screen.

“Miss Yen,” his voice rang out, and this time, Hai Yen could clearly hear the relief and excitement in it. "We have arrested Nguyen Dang Hoai. He did not resist, it seems he had mentally prepared for this possibility in advance."

The whole room burst into indescribable joy. Mrs. Sau hugged her daughter, her tears flowing continuously. Lawyer Hoang, although still maintaining a calm and professional appearance, could not hide the bright smile on his lips. Kien stood silently for a moment, as if not daring to believe what he had just heard, before bursting into utter happiness.

“Did he say anything?” Hai Yen asked, trying to keep her voice calm even though her whole body was shaking with emotion.

“He refuses to answer any questions without an attorney,” the lieutenant replied. “But we have seized a number of documents and electronic devices at the hideout, which may contain more important evidence.”

Hai Yen hung up the phone and stood silently in the middle of her mother's small living room, letting her emotions flood her soul. After more than two and a half months since she set foot back in Nam Can, the person who directly trapped her father ten years ago, the person behind so much suffering of hundreds of people, has finally been brought to justice.

At noon, news of the arrest was officially announced, although only to a limited extent according to due process. Minh Khang, who has closely followed the case since the early days, quickly had the first article reporting on this event, although still maintaining the principle of not disclosing details that could affect the ongoing investigation process.

In the afternoon, Hai Yen and lawyer Hoang went to the police headquarters to better understand the situation. The lieutenant said that the search of Nguyen Dang Hoai's hideout turned up a large amount of documents, including a personal notebook that he apparently kept as a form of "insurance", in case he needed to use it to negotiate or protect himself against others in the network.

“This notebook may contain important information about his direct relationship with Tran Quoc Vinh,” the lieutenant said, his voice filled with hope. "We are urgently analyzing the content, hoping to find strong enough evidence to take the next legal steps against Mr. Vinh."

That news made Hai Yen feel a new, greater hope than ever. If that secret notebook truly contains evidence linking Nguyen Dang Hoai directly to Mr. Vinh, this could be the final key to bringing the true mastermind of this entire criminal network to justice, something she did not dare hope to achieve when she started this journey more than two months ago.

In the evening, the whole group gathered at Mrs. Sau's house to celebrate this important victory, although everyone understood that this was not the end, but just an important milestone. important on the still long road ahead. Ms. Sau prepared a sumptuous meal, inviting Kien, lawyer Hoang, Mr. Duc, Minh Khang, and Ms. Tuyet to attend, a warm gathering of people who had gone through many hardships together to get to this day.

“I want to give a toast,” said lawyer Hoang, holding up a glass of juice at that simple party. “Not only because we have captured a dangerous criminal, but because we have proven that the truth, no matter how deeply buried, can eventually come to light, if enough people persevere and courageously pursue it.”

Everyone raised their glasses, everyone's eyes shone with sincere pride and happiness. Hai Yen looked around at those familiar faces, feeling more deeply than ever the meaning of solidarity and sacrifice that they had all contributed together to this journey of seeking justice.

“Thank you everyone,” she said, her voice choked with emotion. “Without any of you, I would never have made it this far.”

Mrs. Tuyet, sitting at the end of the table, spoke up, her voice filled with emotion. "You are the one who deserves to be thanked the most, Ms. Yen. Ten years ago, I chose to stay silent out of fear. You gave me the opportunity to atone for that mistake, so that my daughter can be proud of her mother."

Mr. Duc also contributed, his voice was warm. "I still remember the first day I met you, a young, careful inspector. No one expected you to be able to lead such a large-scale investigation. You proved that, sometimes, the greatest strength lies not in power or money, but in integrity and determination."

Minh Khang raised his glass and smiled. "And I can fulfill my dream of being a journalist, telling a truly meaningful story that can change the lives of many people. Thank you for trusting me to share my story."

The party lasted until late, with laughter mixed with stories reviewing each past journey, from the early days full of doubt and fear, to this important moment of victory. For the first time in many weeks, everyone in the group could truly relax, enjoy a moment of complete joy without having to worry about lurking threats.

When everyone gradually left, Kien stayed last, helping Hai Yen and Mrs. Sau clean up. “Today is a wonderful day,” he said, his eyes tenderly looking at her. “You deserve to enjoy this joy, after everything you've been through.”

“We deserve it,” Hai Yen corrected, smiling at him. “This is a victory for all of us, not just me.”

Kien nodded and took her hand. “Well then, let's enjoy it together, even if just for one night, before continuing the rest of our journey tomorrow.”

That night, when Hai Yen returned to her room, her heart was filled with a feeling of relief she had never felt since the beginning of this journey. Although she knew there was still much work to be done, and Mr. Tran Quoc Vinh had not yet been brought to light, she allowed herself to fully enjoy this moment of victory, a moment that she and all her companions had deserved after many months of hardship and danger.

Before going to sleep, she opened her father's notebook again and wrote more a new line: "I caught the person who hurt you, dad. I know this is not the end, but it is a big turning point. I hope, somewhere, you are also feeling this joy with me."

She closed the notebook, placed it on the table, then lay down on the bed, looking up at the familiar ceiling of her childhood room. For the first time in many nights, she felt like she could fall asleep gently, not haunted by constant worries and fears.

But just as she was about to fall asleep, a thought suddenly flashed in her mind, causing her to wake up completely. If Nguyen Dang Hoai was mentally prepared to be captured, as the lieutenant commented on his non-resistance, what does that mean? Does he have a plan, a trump card, to deal with this situation?

She sat up, turned on the light, took out her notebook to write down this thought, reminding herself that she would share it with lawyer Hoang and the lieutenant the next morning. In the world of intrigue and calculation that she has learned to understand better throughout her journey, the unusual calmness of a criminal upon being arrested is rarely a coincidence, but often hides a carefully prepared strategy.

She looked out the dark window, wondering if today's victory was really as complete as she felt, or if it was just a new twist in a much more complicated game that Nguyen Dang Hoai, despite being detained, could still be silently controlling from behind bars, waiting for the right opportunity to turn the whole situation around, a possibility she did not dare to rule out, even in this rare moment of sweet victory. She turned off the light, closed her eyes, trying to push that thought away until the next morning.