Chapter 81 — Shrimp Street Without Name

The fourth day of the trial opened with the final argument from the Procuracy, a morning that Hai Yen knew would be decisive for the entire direction of the case. She sat in her familiar row, holding her mother's hand tightly, feeling a different tension than the previous days — no longer the thrill of the unknown, but the anticipation before the moment when every last piece of the puzzle was assembled into a complete picture.

The representative of the Procuracy stood up and began his concluding speech in a calm but powerful voice. "Dear jury, after four days of trial, we have heard not only the physical evidence — the books, the bank records, the recordings — but also the voices of the people who lived for ten years in the shadow of a well-hidden crime. Every testimony, whether coming from a victim or a repentant accomplice, contributes to painting an undeniable picture."

He continued to restate the entire system of evidence in a strict logical sequence: from the collapse of the Kenh Ba cooperative ten years ago, through the organized land collection process in Rach Goc and Dam Cung, to the discovery of the illegal human smuggling ring on fishing vessels of the Ocean fleet, and finally the complex financial network leading straight to the Coastal Mien Hai Group and the figure behind it all — Tran Quoc Vinh.

“This is not a single case,” he emphasized, his voice ringing decisively in the stillness of the courtroom. "This is an organized criminal system, built and maintained for more than a decade, based on the forced silence of the vulnerable, and the calculated manipulation of the entire industry management apparatus. We ask the jury to impose the harshest punishment for proven crimes, while also fairly recognizing mitigating circumstances for defendants who have truly cooperated and shown sincere remorse."

When the representative of the Procuracy sat down, Mr. Bao's defense lawyer stood up and began the defendant's argument. He tried to build a balanced argument, both acknowledging his client's responsibility, while emphasizing the context of manipulation and the late but sincere cooperation efforts during the investigation and trial stages.

“My client does not seek to deny his mistakes,” the lawyer said. "But we respectfully ask the jury to fully consider the context: a human being caught up in a system larger than himself, under constant pressure and threats from those with real power. His full and voluntary cooperation in the past few days, the fact that he personally testified, providing important information that helped clarify the entire case, deserves to be recognized as a significant mitigating circumstance."

The lawyers of the other accomplices took turns standing up to present their defense, each following a different strategy, but generally revolving around clearly defining the level of responsibility of each individual in the entire chain of events, avoiding all being equated to the same level of punishment.

The morning ended with the debate completed from both sides. The presiding judge notice, the jury will need time to deliberate, and the trial will adjourn for a few days before the official verdict is given.

“A few days,” Hai Yen repeated to Kien as they left the courtroom, her voice both relieved that the argument was over and tense at the time of waiting ahead. “Why did it take so long?”

“This is a complicated case, many defendants, many different crimes,” Kien explained, his voice patient. "The jury needs time to carefully consider the appropriate sentence for each person, based on all the evidence and circumstances presented. That's a good sign, sister — it shows they are really giving serious consideration, not making hasty decisions."

On the way home, Hai Yen's phone vibrated with a strange message, from a phone number she did not know. She opened it, and felt a chill run down her spine as she read the content: "Do you think it's over? There are things you still don't know. Be careful with what you're about to announce next."

She showed the phone to Kien, her hands were shaking a bit. “Who do you think this is?”

Kien read the message, his face became serious. "I will immediately notify the security team. This may just be a threat by those still loyal to Vinh, trying to cause confusion before sentencing. But we cannot be subjective."

He immediately called his teammates, asking to trace the phone number and increase security around Ms. Sau's house as well as other key witnesses in the upcoming days waiting for the verdict. Hai Yen, even though she tried to stay calm, couldn't help but feel a new worry creep into her heart, realizing that even though the argument in court had ended, the real-life war was probably not completely over yet.

That evening, when the group gathered as usual, the threatening text message became the main topic of discussion. Lawyer Hoang, after hearing the story, made a cautious assessment.

“This may be a sign that those behind it have not completely given up,” she said. "Especially when the extradition process of Mr. Vinh is progressing. They may be trying to pressure her to withdraw something, or simply want to spread fear during this sensitive period."

The lieutenant, who had just received a preliminary report on the phone number sending the text message, announced another disturbing detail. "The phone number was registered with fake documents, and the location signal showed that it was used from an area near the border, where it is easy to contact subjects hiding abroad. We are coordinating further investigation, but I recommend that Ms. Yen and her family should limit traveling alone in the coming days."

Hai Yen nodded, accepting the additional security measures even though she couldn't help but feel tired of having to continue to live in vigilance, even when the trial seemed to have reached its final steps. She looked at her mother and saw that Mrs. Sau still maintained a surprisingly calm expression.

“Aren't you scared, Mom?” Hai Yen asked.

“I'm scared,” Mrs. Sau replied honestly. "But I'm more afraid if I have to go back to living in silence, pretending nothing happened. At least now, my fear has a purpose — protecting the truth that you worked so hard to find."

Her words were simple Simple but powerful, making Hai Yen feel more courageous.

After everyone left, Minh Khang lingered and pulled Hai Yen to a private corner to discuss further. “I think you should know,” he said, his voice low, “I just received a call from an anonymous source within the Coastal Group. This person said that, after news of Mr. Vinh's possible extradition broke, there was an emergency meeting among the rest of the board, discussing what to do next.”

“Do you know the content of that meeting?” Hai Yen asked, worry rising in her voice.

"The source didn't have the details," Minh Khang admitted, "but this person described the atmosphere of the meeting as one of panic, with some suggesting a way to 'resolve the problem' before any more damage was done. I'm not sure what that specifically means, but it made me nervous, especially after the threatening text message she just received."

Hai Yen thanked Minh Khang for sharing the information, although her heart could not help but feel heavy at that vague but insecure prospect. She promised to pass this information to the lieutenant that night, so that the security forces would have more basis to assess the level of risk in the upcoming days waiting for the verdict.

Returning home, she called and reported all the information to the lieutenant, who received it with a serious attitude and promised to increase surveillance forces around Ms. Sau's house and other important locations related to the case. The call ended, leaving Hai Yen with a feeling of both being somewhat reassured and unable to completely get rid of the insecurities smoldering in her heart.

She walked out into the backyard, looking up at the night sky, trying to organize the thoughts that were scattered in her head. The journey has come a very long way, and now, when the final destination is very close, she feels more clearly than ever, those who are losing power and freedom are often the most dangerous people, ready to do the most reckless things when they feel they have nothing left to lose.

That night, while sitting alone before going to sleep, she wrote in her notebook: "The argument is over, but somewhere out there, there are still those who are not ready to let go. I will not back down, Dad, no matter how many more threats I face on this final journey."