Chapter 16 — Summer Rescuer

The District Tourism Council meeting takes place every Thursday at the District Committee hall, where parties involved in the tourism industry — from representatives of hotels, restaurants, to travel agencies — sit together to discuss the situation. Trong Nghi, as the captain of the rescue team, always has a seat at this meeting, and this time, he decided to bring both Thao Nhi and Bach Duong to attend to officially present a report on the safety situation in the Mui Sa Den area.

The hall was packed with people when they arrived, and Thao Nhi immediately recognized Cung Nghia Phat sitting in the front row, next to Mr. Kha Vinh Toan, both wearing elegant clothes, with warm expressions as usual.

When it was his turn, Bach Duong stood up and presented the data slides he had carefully prepared—flow rate charts, danger spot maps, statistics on consecutive near-drownings this summer, and copies of old newspaper pages from eight years ago.

"Based on the data collected over the past two months," he presented, his voice clear and professional, "I have concluded that the breakwater structure of the Diamond Bay project is creating reflected currents that exceed safe limits in at least three locations, causing three serious incidents in just six weeks. I recommend temporarily halting construction of the southern revetment, re-evaluating the design, and installing automatic warning systems at identified dangerous spots."

A heavy silence filled the hall after he finished his presentation. Thao Nhi could feel the eyes of many people in the room focused on Cung Nghia Phat, waiting for his reaction.

Cung Nghia Phat stood up, the calm smile still on his lips, but his eyes were much colder. "Thank you Mr. Duong for the detailed report. I completely respect your professional work. But I also want to remind everyone here of the fact: the Diamond Bay project is currently creating jobs for more than three hundred local workers, contributing an estimated twenty percent of the district's tourism revenue during this peak season. If we stop construction right in the middle of the season because a few technical reports have not been independently appraised, the economic damage will affect hundreds of families, not just this one. my company."

"This is not some unverified report," Thao Nhi spoke up, unable to hold back her anger, standing up even though she was not invited to speak. "These are three near-drownings, including a five-year-old child. Do you know the feeling of watching a child pass out in your arms because of the water your work created?"

The whole hall was abuzz with her straightforward statement. Kha Vinh Toan quickly spoke up, his voice carrying a fake conciliation tone. "Miss Thao Nhi, I understand you are very passionate about your work, but this is a policy meeting, so calm and objectivity is needed."

"Objective?" Thao Nhi shouted, no longer able to maintain her restraint. "You talk about objectivity when you are the one who suppressed the safety report for the past two months? Mr. Phat, I know you used to be the Deputy CEO of Phu Vinh Sea Sand, the illegal dredging company that caused my father's death eight years ago. This is not the first time you prioritize profits over human lives."

The silence that covered the hall this time was even heavier than before, to the point where the steady sound of the ceiling fan spinning overhead could be clearly heard. Cung Nghia Phat, for the first time since Thao Nhi met him, revealed a moment of genuine confusion, before quickly regaining his composure.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, his voice much harder. "I think you're letting your personal pain dictate, and that's unfortunate for a serious policy meeting like this."

"I have proof," Thao Nhi replied, her voice not shaking at all. "Photo taken from the press eight years ago, confirming he was once the leader of that company."

Trong Nghi, realizing that the situation was escalating too quickly, stood up to intervene. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we should stop the personal debate here. The official proposal of the rescue team and the inspection team remains the same: there needs to be an independent, objective safety assessment, conducted by a third party unrelated to both sides."

The chairman of the meeting, an elderly district vice president, hastily closed the matter to cool the tension. "We acknowledge the opinions of the rescue team and the inspection team. The Committee will consider and provide an official response in the near future."

That familiar vague answer made Thao Nhi feel a surge of disappointment, but she also realized that this time, she was no longer the only one speaking out in the dark - her accusation had been said publicly, in front of dozens of influential people in the district's tourism industry, and could no longer be completely erased.

After the meeting, when everyone gradually left the hall, Cung Nghia Phat deliberately passed by where Thao Nhi stood, stopped for a moment, his voice lowered just enough for her to hear.

“Young lady,” he said, his smile now filled with naked menace. "You should be careful with such baseless accusations. Honor is a precious commodity, and I have enough lawyers to defend it. I advise you to think carefully before continuing down this path — for your own sake, and that of those you love."

He left before Thao Nhi could respond, leaving her standing there, her heart pounding with both anger and fear at the disguised threat she had just heard. Bach Duong walked over, put his hand on her shoulder, feeling the trembling in her body.

"He just threatened me," Thao Nhi said, her voice shaking.

"I heard," Bach Duong replied, his face serious. "We need to report back to Uncle Long, officially recording this threat. And Ms. Thao Nhi, I think it's time for us to contact reporter Viet Ha. We need a public voice, strong enough to protect you and your family from threats like this."

Trong Nghi, standing nearby and also hearing part of Cung Nghia Phat's threat, walked over, his face full of worry but unable to hide his pride. "You just did something very brave, Nhi, but also very dangerous. I have seen people like Mr. Phat before, when I was young. They never make empty threats. You need to be more careful from now on."

"I know, Uncle Nghi," Thao Nhi replied, her voice had regained some composure. "But I can't continue to stay silent anymore. The more I stay silent, the more people are in danger."

On the way back to the rescue station, the three of them barely spoke, each pursuing their own thoughts about what had just happened. When they arrived, the whole team had already gathered. It was clear that news of the confrontation at the district hall had spread quickly, perhaps through a few acquaintances who were present at the meeting.

"Did you just say that to Mr. Phat's face in front of the whole district?" Mr. Kiet asked, his eyes wide open in surprise and a bit of worry, but also containing a clear respect.

"I can't stand it anymore when I hear him talk about 'economic damage' when a child almost drowned," Thao Nhi replied, her voice still shaking a little.

Mr. Kiet nodded slowly, then stood next to her, patting her shoulder in the clumsy way he always showed his concern. "From now on, if he or any of his people appear around this area, the whole team will keep an eye out. No one is allowed to go on a shift alone anymore, even during the day. I will talk about this with everyone."

That unexpected solidarity made Thao Nhi feel warm amid the mounting worries. She realized that, even though the road ahead was full of thorns, she was not alone — not only Bach Duong, but a whole team of teammates willing to stand by her side, protecting each other like a real family.

Late that night, when Thao Nhi returned home and was about to go to bed to rest after a tumultuous day, her phone vibrated with a text message from Bach Duong. "I just texted reporter Viet Ha, she agreed to meet us this weekend. Sleep well, and don't worry too much. We're on the right track." She read and reread that message a few times before falling asleep, and for the first time after a tumultuous day, sleep came to her more gently than she expected, perhaps because she knew that, no matter what challenge tomorrow brought, she would not have to face it alone.