Chapter 5 — Summer Rescuer

Thao Nhi's trip to the district Economic and Tourism Department ended exactly as she expected - a young administrative staff member politely but coldly informed her that old records from eight years ago "have been archived according to regulations and require an official written request to be able to look up", while the report on the incident of a worker falling into the water last week was "under review". She left the district headquarters with empty hands, but in her heart, that empty-handedness did not extinguish her determination, but on the contrary, made her even more convinced that something was being intentionally hidden.

That weekend, Duong Xanh town held the "Summer Calling Sea" festival - an annual event marking the first peak of the tourist season, with a stage set up right on the sand, fireworks, local food stalls, and the presence of most sponsors, in which Gold Coast Group is the main sponsor, favorably reserved an exhibition area for the Diamond Bay project model right at the entrance.

The entire rescue team was mobilized to be on duty at the festival night, because the number of evening bathers - although prohibited by regulations, there are always people sneaking around regardless - skyrocketed during festivals like this. Thao Nhi stood on duty in the area near the main stage, her eyes constantly scanning the jostling crowd, her ears listening to the blaring music mixed with the sound of the waves.

Nearly nine o'clock in the evening, after the opening speech, Mr. Cung Nghia Phat stepped on stage in a silver gray suit, with a familiar bright smile, speaking about "the vision of turning Duong Xanh into a world-class destination" and "commitment to long-term companionship with local development". The crowd applauded enthusiastically, more because they were more excited about the upcoming fireworks display than actually interested in the content of the speech.

Thao Nhi stood from afar observing him, trying to find some sign, a gesture, a look that could reveal something about the real person behind that perfect facade. But Cung Nghia Phat, no matter how closely she looked, was still just a successful businessman with a flawless smile, not revealing anything.

"You've been staring at him all this time," Anh Thi said, appearing next to her, holding a radio in his hand. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm just trying to understand what kind of person he is," Thao Nhi replied, not taking her eyes off the stage.

"Any kind of person is just someone with money," Anh Thi shrugged. "Let's go, you and I will patrol the area near Cape Sa Den. I heard that tonight there is a group of young people planning to go there to take pictures of fireworks from the embankment."

The two walked along the sand to the south, where the festival lights gradually became sparse, giving way to the construction site headlights that still shone brightly even though it was late. In the area near the Diamond Bay breakwater, even though it was fenced with orange-yellow warning wires, there was still a group of about seven or eight young people gathered, some of whom had climbed over the fence to stand on the completed embankment, cameras and phones raised high, preparing to take photos of the fireworks.

"Hey! This area is forbidden!" Mr. Thi shouted loudly, walking faster towards the group of young people.

A few people turned around, laughed, but had no intention of leaving immediately. "We're just standing here taking pictures, sister, in five minutes the fireworks will go off!"

"It's dangerous here, the water flow is unstable," Thao Nhi said, her voice stern. "You guys get down now, go back to the safe sandy area."

Just as the group of young men reluctantly began to move, the first fireworks exploded in the sky, bright light radiated onto the sea surface, and in the moment all eyes turned to the sky, a young girl in the group, engrossed in looking up at the fireworks, stepped back without paying attention.

"Someone fell into the water!" a boy in the group shouted in panic.

Thao Nhi did not hesitate for a second. She rushed to the edge of the embankment, looked down and saw the girl floating in the dark water, swirled by the strong reflection flow between two concrete blocks, her small body pushed away at a terrifying speed in just a few seconds.

"Mr. Thi, call the whole team, give an emergency alarm!" she shouted loudly, took off her coat, and rushed into the water from a height of nearly two meters off the embankment.

The jump caused her to sink for a moment before emerging, and immediately she felt the power of the current — much stronger than she had ever experienced in this area, as if all the water pressure was forced through the narrow gap between two concrete blocks and then released with terrible force.

"Calm down! Don't struggle!" she shouted towards the girl, swimming with all her might to close the distance. The light from the fireworks in the sky continued to flash intermittently, creating flickering moments of light and dark that made navigation in the water even more difficult.

The girl, in extreme panic, drank a lot of sea water, her arms and legs were kicking disorganizedly. When Thao Nhi got close enough, she had to use control techniques from behind to avoid being grabbed by the victim and pulling them both under - a most dangerous situation that any rescue worker is trained to prevent.

"I'm here, don't be afraid, relax," Thao Nhi said in the girl's ear, her voice trying to stay calm even though she was trying her best to resist the pull of the water. She wrapped her arms around the girl's chest, pulled her sideways, keeping her head above the water, then began swimming at an angle, cutting across the current in the correct technique to escape the rip current.

But this time, the current was stronger than any time she had ever faced. She felt her muscles begin to ache, her breathing quickened, and for a moment, a primal fear — the feeling she had tried to bury for eight years — rose in her heart: could this be the same water that had taken her father?

She dismissed that thought immediately, putting all her remaining strength into each stroke. Flashlights from the shore swept across the water - the rescue team had arrived, Anh Kiet and Trong Nghi were rushing into the water from the other direction, carrying a life preserver with a long rope.

"Thao Nhi! This way!" Trong Nghi shouted loudly, throwing the buoy at her.

Thao Nhi reached out to grab the buoy, one hand still holding the girl tightly, and the whole team began to pull the rope in coordination, bringing them both out of the dangerous whirlpool. When they finally reached calm water, they were both exhausted, but alive.

On the shore, the girl was placed lying on the sand, coughing but conscious, and was immediately examined by medical staff. The crowd attending the festival had gathered around the area, anxious whispers completely replacing the previous joyful festive atmosphere. The fireworks in the sky continued to explode, the bright light now becoming out of place, almost ironic, compared to the tense scene taking place on the sand.

Thao Nhi sat down, panting, her whole body shaking from exhaustion and the fear she had just experienced. Trong Nghi knelt down next to her, put his hand on her shoulder, his eyes filled with worry.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Thao Nhi replied, her voice still shaking. "But Uncle Nghi, I can feel it. That current... it's unlike any current I've encountered in this area before. It's double, triple what I recorded last week."

Trong Nghi looked towards the breakwater, where the concrete blocks still stood under the construction site lights, and was silent for a long time before speaking. "After tonight, I will no longer just give a verbal report. I will make an official document, signed by the entire team, requesting that this area be closed until a full safety assessment is done."

In the stands, when news of the incident spread, Cung Nghia Phat still stood there, the smile on his lips stiffened for a brief moment before he turned to say something to the assistant next to him, his voice was low but enough for people standing nearby to hear two words: "handle it smoothly".

Thao Nhi, even though she was sitting quite far away, was still able to read that gesture through the rescue binoculars she always carried with her. And in that moment, she knew one thing for sure: her fight was not just against a dangerous stream of senseless water, but against an entire system built to protect profits at all costs, even if that cost was the lives of innocent people.

That night, when she returned home, she stood for a long time in front of the mirror, looking at her eyes, which were still red from seawater and because of the tears she didn't realize when they fell. The summer had only been two weeks old, but she clearly sensed that it would be longer, and harsher, than any summer she had experienced since her father's death.