Chapter 10 — Summer Rescuer

The Office of the District Economic and Tourism Office is located on the second floor of the District Committee headquarters, a three-story building painted pale yellow and faded by the sun and wind, about ten minutes by car from the center of Duong Xanh town. Bach Duong arrived there on Monday morning, carrying a thick set of documents officially requesting all of the original flow survey data that the Gold Coast Group submitted when applying for a permit, along with documents related to the project approval process.

The person who welcomed him was Mr. Kha Vinh Toan, Head of the District Economic and Tourism Department, a man in his fifties with a bold physique, neatly combed hair and a permanent social smile on his lips - the smile of someone who has been accustomed to welcoming guests from all levels and industries for many years as a local official.

"Mr. Duong, I very much welcome the work of the Department," Mr. Toan said, pouring tea for guests with a warm look, "but you also understand that the project file is a confidential commercial document of the enterprise, I cannot arbitrarily provide all of it. You need an official written request from the Department level, signed by the leader, clearly stating the reason and scope of the search."

"I have a written request, sir," Bach Duong replied, placing the file on the table, his voice still polite but firm. "There are all signatures and seals according to the correct procedures."

Mr. Toan took the file, flipped through a few pages without really reading carefully, then put it down with a skillfully played awkward expression. "The problem is, some of these documents belong to the enterprise's archives, not the district's. You need to contact Gold Coast Group directly to ask them to provide them. The district only keeps the approval summary, not the entire original technical file."

"So the district approved the project based on the summary, without reviewing the entire original technical file?" Bach Duong asked, unable to hide the skepticism in his voice.

Mr. Toan stiffened for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "Our approval process fully complies with the law, Mr. Duong. I think you should focus on your field survey work. As for the administrative documents, please let us handle them according to our authority."

The conversation ended in an atmosphere of apparent politeness but full of hidden obstruction. When Bach Duong left the district headquarters, he immediately called Thao Nhi, his voice could not hide his frustration.

"They kicked the ball back and forth," he said. "The district told me to ask the business, and I bet if I asked the business, they would tell me I needed the district's approval first. This is a classic delay tactic."

"Uncle Dat once told me the exact same thing, eight years ago, about Phu Vinh Sea Sand Company," Thao Nhi replied over the phone, her voice also heavy. "Nothing has changed."

That afternoon, while Bach Duong was sitting in his hotel room drafting a temporary report to send to the Department, his phone rang - an unknown number, on the other end of the line was the voice of a woman claiming to be Mr. Cung Nghia Phat's assistant, inviting him to dinner at the most luxurious restaurant in town to "exchange work".

Bach Duong arrived at the appointed time, and saw Cung Nghia Phat already sitting at a separate table, neatly dressed, smiling warmly as if they had known each other for a long time.

"Mr. Duong, sit down, don't be shy," Mr. Phat said, signaling the waiter to bring another meal. "I heard you're working very conscientiously here. I appreciate that sense of responsibility."

"Thank you," Bach Duong replied, sitting down but keeping a polite distance in his voice. "I hope your corporation will fully cooperate with the survey team so that the work can be completed soon."

"Of course, of course," Mr. Phat laughed loudly, pouring wine into both of their glasses even though Bach Duong had never touched it. "Mr. Duong, I have been doing business for decades. I understand the value of objective and accurate reports. But I also hope you understand that the Kim Cuong Bay project is not just my project - it is the livelihood of hundreds of workers and a source of budget revenue for this entire district. If because of a few reports that have not been fully verified, the project is stalled, the damage will not only stop at my pocket."

"I understand your concerns," Bach Duong replied, his voice still calm despite clearly realizing the true purpose of this meal. "But my job is to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. If there is a real risk, it is my responsibility to report it, no matter what the economic consequences may be."

The smile on Cung Nghia Phat's lips still did not fade, but his eyes cooled a bit, revealing a glimpse of the true nature hidden behind the polite businessman's facade. "Of course, Mr. Duong. I just want to emphasize that sometimes what people see on the surface doesn't fully reflect the whole picture. I heard that you work quite closely with a lifeguard here — Ms. Thao Nhi, if I remember correctly."

Bach Duong paused, feeling a sense of alertness running down his spine when he heard that name mentioned from this man's mouth. "She provided me with very valuable field observation data," he replied, trying to keep his voice calm.

"I understand," Mr. Phat nodded, "but you should also know, she has a personal history that is quite... sensitive to this area. Her father had an unfortunate accident many years ago. I'm not saying she's wrong, but sometimes, personal pain can make people see dangers that don't really exist at the serious level they think. I hope you, as an objective expert, will not let other people's emotions influence your scientific conclusions."

That sentence, said with a feigned appearance of concern, made Bach Duong feel a dull anger welling up in his heart — not only because of the way Mr. Phat deliberately defamed Thao Nhi, but because of the way he skillfully inserted a disguised threat under the guise of sincere advice.

"I always maintain the principle of objectivity in my work, Mr. Phat," Bach Duong replied, his voice becoming much colder and harder. "But I also believe that people who directly live and work with the sea, like Ms. Thao Nhi, often have valuable observations that not any outside expert can have. I will continue to listen to her, along with the objective data I collect."

The dinner ended in an undercurrent of tension, although the two still maintained outward politeness. When Bach Duong left the restaurant, he immediately called Thao Nhi and recounted the entire conversation.

"He's trying to scare you away from me," Thao Nhi said, her voice both worried and angry. "And trying to make you doubt my objectivity."

"He will not succeed," Bach Duong replied, his voice determined. "If anything, tonight's meeting only made me more convinced that we are on the right track. Innocent people should not have to resort to such tricks to protect themselves."

The next morning, Bach Duong called to report the entire incident to his superiors at the Central Region Maritime Safety and Registry Department. The person on the phone, a department manager named Mr. Sinh, was silent for a long time before answering. His voice was a bit reserved, making Bach Duong feel uneasy.

"You can continue to investigate according to the correct procedure," Mr. Sinh said, "but you also need to be careful when making statements about suspicions of connection with old cases. If there is no solid evidence, this could be considered slander, affecting the reputation of the Department."

"I understand, sir," Bach Duong replied, although in his heart he sensed an unusual reserve in his superior's voice—not exactly open disapproval, but also not the strong support he expected after presenting his important findings.

"Did Mr. Cung Nghia Phat contact the Department?" Bach Duong asked directly, unable to hide his doubts.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line before Mr. Sinh replied, his voice somewhat evasive. "Gold Coast Group has sent an official dispatch expressing its wish for the survey process to be 'objective and not negatively affect the legitimate business activities of the enterprise'. That is a normal dispatch, you don't need to worry too much, just make sure your report has a solid scientific basis."

The end of the call left Bach Duong with a new heavy feeling - not only the local government, but perhaps even part of the system he was working in was also under pressure from Cung Nghia Phat and his connections. He realized this war was much more complicated than he initially imagined when he received the mission to go down to Duong Xanh.

That night, when she put down the phone, Thao Nhi sat quietly in the room, looking out the window where the moonlight reflected sparklingly on the sea surface in the distance. She knows that the meeting between Bach Duong and Cung Nghia Phat is just the beginning of a much bigger confrontation to come, a confrontation that she no longer has to face alone, but also means that the person she cares about has now stepped into the danger zone with her. She pulled her father's notebook out of the drawer, turned to the last blank page, and began writing — not the usual flow notes, but a list of things to do next: find Mr. Dat again to ask more about the name he had seen in the Cat Bien Phu Vinh file, find a way to access the old district archives, and most importantly, find someone who has the ability and courage to bring this entire story to the light of public opinion, beyond The scope of internal technical reports can easily get buried.