Chapter 17 — Summer On The Terrace

The open session took place in the large lecture hall. The board of directors sits at the front table, company representatives are on the right, students and school staff sit below. The garden is not pictured on screen; The group only shows diagrams and figures.

Vy said first. She presented the garden's history, what the group did wrong and what was fixed. She doesn't call herself a founder; She read the names of the students who set up the tray first.

Quan presented the load. He said the roof can hold a light tray but should not bear the advertising frame according to the current version. He pointed to the drainage line and cracks, asking for an independent appraisal.

A council member asked: "If you keep the garden, who is responsible when it breaks down?"

Quan replied: "The self-governance regulations are responsible for operations; the school is responsible for the structure; all new items must be technically approved. Do not hand over everything to students."

Ha said the kitchen reduces costs but does not have enough vegetables. She suggests specifying production limits and not using the garden as a mandatory source.

My presentation data rights. She played an approved podcast, then showed that the edited version was kept for records only. She took the blame for sending the preview to Long.

“I'm not asking the council to ban all content,” My said. “I request that the person credited has the right to know and withdraw before release.”

Long presented the budget, saying he sent data without permission. You don't blame the company. Some students whispered, but he did all the talking.

The representative of New Sun Company, Ms. Nhan, stood up. She said the company needed deadlines and had proposed non-exclusive funding. She admitted that an employee misused data and agreed to delete and audit it.

A board member asked why the company's old frame drawings were rejected. Ms. Nhan looked towards the advisor sitting at the end of the table. That person is the former head of the administration department who signed the download map six years ago.

He said the old drawing was unrelated to the new one. Quan asked: "Does the new version change the position of the frame legs?"

He did not answer immediately. Ms. Nhan requested to check before signing. The Council noted.

A student below asked if the rooftop belonged to all students. Ms. Huong said the right to use must be regulated, not taken for granted. She proposed forming a user council with representatives from the kitchen, maintenance, students and faculty.

The council debated for more than two hours. The company wants to retain the rights to distribute content internally; The group wants a time limit. Finally, the council chairman proposed a temporary plan: stop dismantling, hire an independent structural inspector, provide waterproofing funds, and open a consultation process.

Decided not to keep the garden permanently. But it extended the deadline by sixty days.

After the session, Vy left the lecture hall, feeling her legs were tired. Quan stood in the hallway, holding two bottles of water.

“You said good,” he said.

“You too.”

“I said the number.”

“Your number doesn't put people to sleep.”

Quan laughed.

Long came, saying the council asked him to continue to be in charge of data audits under supervision. He didn't know if it was an opportunity or a punishment.

“Both,” My said.

Long nodded and accepted.

Mrs. Nhan looked for Vy and Quan. She said the company will not install the frame on site C if the inspection fails, but the school contract still exists for the other location.

Quan asked: "Can you publicize the new position parameters?"

“Yes, if the school allows it.”

Vy said: "So we are not opponents?"

"Not yet sure. But I don't want a project to start with data masking.”

Mrs. Nhan left. Vy looked at Quan.

“Do you trust her yet?”

“I believe the terms if signed.”

Vy shook her head, but smiled.

That night, the group went to the rooftop. The warning tape is still on, but the door is open. The luffa tree has a new branch growing through the broken vine. Ha rebuilt the truss. No one took pictures.

Quan placed the decision on the table. “Sixty days.”

Vy said: "Enough to make regulations."

In the corner of the board, someone added: "Not the last victory."

One student asked if the regulations were not implemented after the group graduated, who would complain? Ms. Huong replied that the user council has the right to call an extraordinary meeting, without needing to wait for the old group.

Uncle Loi said the security guard must have a key and the right to stop people without enough papers. The Board of Management added:

Company representatives asked if thermal data could be used in customer reports. My said the index is synthetic, valid for one year, not for resale and has the right to inspect.

“What if your numbers don't meet the mark?”

“We still announced it.”

Mrs. Nhan looked at My, then nodded.

Quan recommended that the council hire independent inspection periodically, not just when there is a dispute. A member asked about the budget. Long presented the school foundation, non-exclusive sponsorship and fundraising.

Vy said the design will be saved in the school repository, all changes will have a version code. She does not accept the drawings as personal property.

Ha said the kitchen only relies on garden vegetables to a limited extent. If the garden fails, the kitchen has a plan to buy outside.

A freshman asked why keep the garden if it doesn't solve the heat. Vy replied: "Because part of the solution is still valid, as long as it is not called everything."

The council discussed the sixty-day deadline. The company representative wanted thirty, the group wanted ninety. Finally, they agreed on sixty with a checkpoint at day thirty.

The interim decision was read. Without dismantling area C, independent inspection, funding for waterproofing, setting up a user council, the company transferred the sign to the facade with technical conditions.

One member asked why the group did not participate in the contest. Vy said the charter confers too broad powers. She did not criticize the other team, just said that the team chose the option that suits their rights.

After the session, a student journalist asked if he could film an interview. My asked everyone; Ha and Uncle Loi refused, Vy and Quan agreed in writing. The post only uses their words, no photos of the kitchen.

Ms. Nhan gave Long a confirmation that the company deleted the data of people who did not agree. Long sent it to each person.

Quan looked at the rooftop and said: "Stop dismantling, just stop."

Vy replied: "But stopping at the right time allows us to do it again."

Long asked him if he still wanted to work together. Quan said yes, but wouldn't sign without checking.

My turned on the recorder, then turned it off. “No need for more content today.”

Ha gave everyone a lunch box. “Water the plants tomorrow.”

In the evening, they received a preliminary independent appraisal, confirming that the old frame did not pass. Stamped signature of the former department head who was asked to explain.

The preliminary results made the group relieved and then immediately more worried. The failure of the old framework means they were right to ask for a stop, but it also means it's impossible to keep things the same just because of familiarity. Quan reread each page, looking to see if the report clearly states the test method. The independent engineer attached photos of the connection points and recommended removing the frame in dangerous areas before the rainy season arrives.

Long wanted to personally inform the former department head. Hanh said to wait for the school's process, avoiding turning a technical file into a personal confrontation. Long was upset, saying that the other person had signed so he had to listen. Ms. Huong explained that being responsible does not mean that people have the right to humiliate each other. Records need verifiable facts, not a person to vent to.

The group organized a working session with the user council. Participants include kitchens, security guards, sports clubs, dormitory students and company representatives. They put three options on the table: clean up and repair the roof, keep the garden with a reduced area, or move it all to the backyard. Each option has costs, time, risks and who is responsible. No one can say “everyone wants” without a list of people who asked.

Ngoc Ha coordinated the survey. She asked each group if they were willing to take on tree care shifts. One speaking class only participated on Friday; The kitchen said it needed at least two rows of herbs; security requires unobstructed walkways; Wheelchair students suggested expanding the turning range. Vy wrote down everything, including the requests that caused her design to remove trays.

Quan presented a new drawing, reducing the planting area by nearly a third but opening more paths and arranging light trays on strong beams. Vy initially found the terrace too empty. Ha said the drum is not a waste if it helps others pass and helps the person on duty not have to climb over trees.

My edit podcast episode. She removed the pounding music, added the sound of a pen turning pages and a voice reading numbers. At the end of the episode, there is an invitation for listeners to submit questions, without calling for sides. After hearing it, Hanh said it wouldn't spread easily. My said she didn't do it to go viral; She did it so that people who weren't present could still understand the meeting.

That night, Long opened the old folder and saw the budget signed by the former department head. He didn't delete it, didn't send it to anyone specifically, just set read permission for the group to check and write the hash code of the file. For the first time, he understood that protecting evidence was also a form of taking care of the future.

He put the hard drive in the locker, writing the key holder on the cover. No one has to remember by their own memory.