Chapter 11 — Sunlight on the Red Book

One week after the official measurement, when Ha Vy was completing administrative procedures to prepare for the replacement of land use rights certificates for both families, she received an unexpected call from Mr. Vo Thanh Dat. His voice was no longer as polite as before.

"Miss Vy, I want to meet you in person to discuss the new situation," he said, his voice somewhat harsh. "The land area adjustment is seriously affecting our company's investment plans. I think we need to find a more reasonable solution for all parties."

"I'm ready to meet you, but I need to reiterate, all decisions about land boundaries are based on official verification results, and cannot be changed for commercial reasons," Ha Vy replied, her voice firm.

The meeting took place that afternoon, at the commune committee office, with Mr. Tran Quoc Hung present to ensure transparency. Mr. Dat walked in with a more tense expression than before, no longer as confident and elegant as before.

"Miss Vy, I'll be frank," Mr. Dat began, his voice no longer able to retain its softness. "Our company has invested a lot of resources in surveying and planning the project at Mr. Phong's garden. Such a sudden reduction in land area caused our entire plan to be seriously upset."

"I understand your company's difficulties," Ha Vy replied, her voice still maintaining the necessary calmness. "But this is an issue related to people's legal land use rights, which cannot be ignored for the business interests of any business."

Mr. Dat was silent for a moment, his eyes full of calculation. “I have a proposal,” he said, his voice lowered as if trying to create intimacy. "If you can help speed up the certification process for the remaining land in a way that is beneficial for project implementation, our company is willing to give you a... worthy amount of support, in addition to your official salary."

That statement, although skillfully expressed, still cannot hide the nature of a blatant bribe offer. Ha Vy felt hot blood rush to her face at that insult, but she still tried to maintain the necessary calmness. "Mr. Dat, I think you should stop here," she said, her voice sharp, unable to hide her severity. "I will not accept any form of 'assistance' that can affect the objectivity of my work. And I must make it clear, your request just now shows signs of bribery, a serious violation of the law."

Mr. Tran Quoc Hung, witnessing the entire incident, immediately spoke up with a stern attitude. "Mr. Dat, I advise you to be careful with what you just said. We may consider making a record of this behavior if you continue to make similar suggestions."

Mr. Dat's face changed color, realizing he had gone beyond the limit. "I... I just want to find a win-win solution," he said, trying to fire the previous suggestion. "Nothing else."

"I hope you understand clearly, the line between mutually beneficial cooperation and bribery is very different, sir," Ha Vy replied, her voice still remaining steadfast. "I advise your company to work directly and transparently with Mr. Phong's family on adjusting the contract terms to suit the actual land area, instead of trying to influence the administrative processing process of state agencies."

The meeting ended in a tense atmosphere, Mr. Dat left with an expression of anger and confusion on his face. After he left the room, Mr. Hung turned to Ha Vy, his voice full of respect. "You handled the sensitive situation very well," he said. "This is exactly the kind of pressure I was worried might happen."

"I'm just doing my responsibility, uncle," Ha Vy replied, although in her heart there was still a trace of anger at the blatant suggestion just now. "But I think we need to officially record this incident, in case he continues to have similar actions in the future."

Mr. Hung nodded in agreement and immediately directed the preparation of minutes to record the content of the meeting, as a necessary precaution against risks that may arise from Song Xanh company in the near future.

That evening, when Ha Vy told Dang Khoa the whole incident over the phone, he could not hide his anger. "Does he really dare to offer you a bribe?" he asked, his voice filled with resentment. "I didn't expect they could be so blatant."

"I was also surprised," Ha Vy replied, her voice still a little tired after the stressful work session. "But this makes me even more convinced that they are so worried about losing the economic benefits from the project that they are willing to do everything to keep it."

"Does Mr. Phong know about this?" Dang Khoa asked, his voice thoughtful.

"I have not informed Mr. Phong directly," Ha Vy replied. "But I think this is the right time for him to better understand the true nature of the partner he is cooperating with. A company that is willing to offer to bribe state officials to gain benefits is definitely not a trustworthy partner."

Dang Khoa was silent for a moment, then spoke with a voice full of concern. "I will talk to Mr. Phong. Perhaps this is the time he needs to reconsider the entire agreement with Song Xanh company, before things go too far."

The next day, Dang Khoa proactively found his brother and told him the whole incident that Ha Vy had shared. Dang Phong, after listening, could not hide his shock. "Did he really do that?" he asked, his voice filled with both disbelief and anger.

"That's right, Mr. Phong," Dang Khoa replied. "I think, you need to be more careful with this company. If they are willing to bribe to achieve their goals, who knows, what else they can do to force you to sell the land according to their wishes."

Dang Phong sat silently, his mind reeling with a series of thoughts. The deposit he had received, the repayment plans he had drawn up based on this deal, all now became uncertain with what had just been revealed. “I need to think it over,” he said, his voice heavy. "Perhaps, I was too hasty in signing the agreement with them, just because of debt pressure without careful consideration."

"No matter what, I will always support any decision you make, as long as it is based on sobriety and wisdom, not because of temporary pressure," Dang Khoa said, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder with a sincerity that has been rare between the two brothers since the conflict began.

Dang Phong looked at his brother, his eyes were slightly moved by that gesture. “Thank you,” he said, his voice sincere. "Perhaps, I was wrong to be too hasty and let the conflict between brothers become tense just because of money and land."

The next day, Dang Phong proactively contacted Ha Vy, asking to meet privately to discuss. When the two sat down at the commune committee office, Dang Phong's tone was completely different from previous times, no longer as harsh and defensive as before. "I want to apologize to you for my inappropriate attitude in previous meetings," he said, his voice sincere. "I let personal pressure take over, instead of looking at the problem objectively."

"I understand, you are facing many difficulties," Ha Vy replied, her voice sympathetic. "I don't blame you for that at all."

"After learning about Song Xanh company offering to bribe you, I decided to renegotiate the entire agreement with them," Dang Phong continued, his voice much more determined. "If they cannot accept adjusting the contract to suit the actual land area in a transparent way, I would rather cancel the agreement and find another way to solve my financial difficulties than cooperate with such a dishonest partner."

Ha Vy smiled slightly, feeling the positive change in Dang Phong's attitude. "I think it was a wise decision," she said. "And I believe, even though the road ahead is still difficult, your family will find a way to overcome it, especially when the two brothers can agree with each other like that."

"Thank you, for everything you've done for my family," Dang Phong said, his voice filled with rare sincerity. "I really appreciate your fairness and steadfastness throughout this complicated case."