Chapter 19 — Stupid But Strong

The press conference was held at a large hotel right in the city center, attracting almost all entertainment reporters and some legal and economic reporters after Lam Nha Thu's press release hinted at "important revelations related to a family property case that has lasted for many years." Just as the legal team expected, an official notice inviting representatives of the Nhieu family company to attend with the "right to respond" was sent two days ago, forcing Nhieu Trong Khai to be personally present so as not to be seen as avoiding responsibility before public opinion.

Bach Duy stepped up to the podium to speak, Tang Ninh sat in the front row with Lam Nha Thu and a team of lawyers, and Nhieu Trong Khai sat in a corner of the room, his cold face trying to keep calm even though his hands clenched the chair's arms until they turned white.

"I convened today's press conference not to clear up a love scandal," Bach Duy began, his voice rang out clearly and decisively, without trembling like in previous appearances before the media. "I'm here to expose a truth that has been hidden for nearly a decade — a plot to usurp the inheritance of my biological father, Mr. Tu Quang Binh, by the man I once called my adoptive father and his younger brother."

The entire auditorium was silent for a moment before whispers rose up. Bach Duy continued, sequentially showing on the big screen behind the original notarized will, the family meeting minutes containing Mr. Nhieu Trong Nhan's commitment, and the signature appraisal conclusion showing that later authorization documents bore forged signatures.

"Here," he said, pointing to the screen, "is evidence that my father never agreed to hand over control of my shares to anyone beyond the period stipulated in the original will. And here," he turned to the next slide, "is the conclusion of the forensic examination that the signature in the additional authorization document does not match Mr. Tu Quang Binh's actual signature."

Sitting in a row of seats near the exit, the old lawyer that Bach Duy and Tang Ninh once visited was also present at the invitation, silently nodding to confirm every detail when asked by reporters. "I can confirm that the minutes of this family meeting were drafted and stored by myself, with full signatures and legal notarized stamps," he said, his voice slow but full of weight. "I also refused to draft another share transfer document at the request of Mr. Nhieu Trong Nhan, because I found it contrary to the spirit of the original will."

Nhieu Trong Khai stood up from the chair, his face red. "This is blatant slander! You have no right to stand here and smear my family's honor with documents of unknown origin!"

"So please explain," Bach Duy replied, his voice unflinching, "why did the authorization document in my father's name give control of the equity investment to the company of which he was the chairman, signed just a few months after my father passed away, on a day when, according to hospital records, he was hospitalized and not mentally capable of signing any legal documents?"

That question made Trong Khai pause, his face visibly changed in front of the lenses of dozens of cameras pointing straight at him. Lam Nha Thu, sitting in the front row, signaled the lawyer to stand up and present more evidence about the origin of the "fake witness" interview and the fake bank statement, along with a technical report showing the IP address trace leading to the media company that once received payments from the account related to Nhieu Trong Khai.

"We also presented this entire file to the economic crime investigation agency before holding today's press conference," Bach Duy's lawyer stated decisively. "This is no longer a personal dispute, but a criminal case involving document forgery, property fraud and organized slander."

Just as the tension reached its peak, a middle-aged man suddenly stood up from the back of the room, the accountant who had been Trong Khai's close associate. He stepped forward, his voice trembling but determined. "I can't continue to stay silent any longer," he said, turning to look at Trong Khai with eyes that were both scared and liberated. "I would like to admit that it was I who helped Mr. Nhieu Trong Khai falsified authorization documents, set up fake witnesses and fake bank statements under his direct instructions. I did this because of work pressure for many years, but I cannot continue to bear the legal consequences alone for what he ordered."

Nhieu Trong Khai glared at his former partner, his face as white as if there was no blood left. "You betrayed me," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"No," the accountant replied, his voice unusually calm. "I'm just doing what I should have done a long time ago."

A reporter loudly asked Trong Khai directly, pointing the microphone at him. "Do you admit all of these charges? If not, how do you explain the evidence that was just presented?"

Trong Khai stood there, his lips moving but unable to utter any coherent words for several seconds. Finally, like a cornered animal, he burst out in a bitter stream of excuses. "Do you think it's easy?" he rasped, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for a way out that didn't exist. "My brother and I worked hard to build this company from scratch, along with Bach Duy's father. When he passed away, leaving all the shares to a minor who knew nothing about business, we were just trying to protect what the three of us had built together, making sure the company didn't fall into the hands of an immature person who could ruin everything in a minute!"

"Protecting the company does not mean forging the signature of the deceased, or setting up false witnesses to destroy the honor of an innocent woman," Bach Duy responded, his voice cold but not losing his temper. "If you really wanted to protect the company for the common good, you could have been transparent with me since I was of age, negotiating properly instead of choosing the path of deception and sabotage that lasted nearly a decade."

The entire auditorium was engulfed in constant whispers, camera lenses recorded every moment of a dramatic confrontation unprecedented in the entertainment world. Tang Ninh, sitting in the front row, clenched her fists, tears rolling down her eyes, but not because of pain, but because of an extreme relief when the truth was finally exposed to the light.

Bach Duy stepped down from the podium and walked straight in front of Trong Khai. There was no hatred in his eyes, only deep disappointment. "My adoptive father once said he would love me like his own son," he said, his voice low but loud enough for the whole room to hear. "I don't know if he really said that or not, but I know for sure, he and my father completely betrayed that promise. The only thing I want now is not revenge, but justice — for my deceased father, and for the woman who sacrificed six years of her happiness just to protect me from his family's schemes."

Trong Khai stood dumbfounded, with no words to respond in front of the lenses of dozens of cameras recording the moment of his complete collapse, both in terms of honor and the calculations he had built up for nearly a decade.

Tang Ninh stood up from the row of chairs, walked to stand next to Bach Duy, directly facing the uncle who had scared her for many years. "Uncle Khai," she said, her voice trembling but not weak at all, "I have silently defended my family's honor for six years, enduring many malicious gossips just because I did not want to believe my father and that you could do such terrible things. But today, I choose to stand with the truth, even though that is no longer the family I once knew."

Two hotel security officers, requested to be on standby at the request of the legal team, approached the area where Trong Khai was standing, while outside, a group of economic investigators was present according to the previously submitted dossier, waiting to invite him back to the headquarters to work as soon as the press conference ended. The camera lens continued to record the image of a powerful man, who just a few minutes ago was sitting there with arrogant confidence, now standing dumbfounded in the midst of an undeniable truth.

Sporadic applause rang out from the back of the auditorium, then gradually spread into a continuous round of applause for the courage of Bach Duy and Tang Ninh, marking the moment when justice was finally served after nearly a decade of waiting.