Chapter 16 — Sunlight on the Red Book

The results of the preliminary review in the commune where Mr. Tran Dinh Thang used to work were presented in an interdisciplinary working group meeting, with the participation of representatives of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, invited after the District People's Committee reported on the seriousness of the problem. Ha Vy, as the main coordinator, presented fully and in detail the findings that the working group had collected during more than a month of hard work.

"We discovered a total of five cases showing signs of land boundary deviations, spread across four different communes in the district, with varying levels of severity," Ha Vy presented to the conference, her voice calm but convincing. "The common point of these cases is that they all occurred during the first cadastral surveying phase, when the monitoring and cross-checking system still had many limitations."

The representative of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment, after listening to the report, could not hide his appreciation. "This is a very elaborate investigation with great practical significance," he said. "I propose that the Department will support additional resources and expertise so that the working group can complete the verification and completely handle all detected cases, and at the same time learn lessons to prevent similar situations from recurring in the future."

While the investigation was progressing smoothly at a higher level, at Con Sen, a new development made Ha Vy worried. Mr. Nguyen Van Hen, son of Mr. Sau Tam, suddenly came to see her with a worried expression. "Miss Vy, I need to ask you something," he said, his voice somewhat hesitant. "A representative of Song Xanh company came to see my father and offered to buy back the entire land that had just been returned, at a quite high price."

That information made Ha Vy startled. "How much did they offer to buy?"

"They offered a much higher price than the normal market price," Mr. Hen replied. "My father was somewhat hesitant, because he thought it was a large amount of money that could help the family improve their lives. But I felt something was wrong, so I wanted to ask for your opinion before making a decision."

"I think you should be careful," Ha Vy replied, her voice serious. "Song Xanh Company has had non-transparent behavior during negotiations with Mr. Phong's family in the past. The fact that they suddenly wanted to buy back his family's land, right after it had just been readjusted, made me suspicious of the real motive behind it."

Mr. Hen nodded, his eyes filled with worry. "I also have the same feeling. Perhaps, they want to combine the entire land, including my family's land and the rest of Mr. Phong's family, to implement the project according to the original scale they had calculated."

"Very likely," Ha Vy replied, her voice thoughtful. "I advise your family to be cautious and carefully research the legal and actual value of the land before making any decisions. If necessary, I can recommend a reliable lawyer to assist in consulting the family."

After Mr. Hen left, Ha Vy immediately contacted Dang Phong to learn more about the situation. "Do you know that Song Xanh company is approaching Mr. Sau Tam's family?" she asked.

"I just heard this news too," Dang Phong replied, his voice unable to hide his frustration. "It seems that, after failing to negotiate with me, they turned to directly approaching Mr. Sau Tam's family, hoping to achieve their goals in another way."

"I'm worried that they will continue to use similar tricks to pressure and persuade Mr. Sau Tam's family to sell their land," Ha Vy said, her voice filled with concern. "We need to find ways to support and protect his family's rights, to avoid them becoming victims of non-transparent business tactics."

Dang Phong agreed, his voice resolute. "I will go with Dang Khoa to visit Mr. Sau Tam's family, share what we have gone through with this company, so they can have more reference information before making a decision."

That afternoon, Dang Phong and Dang Khoa visited Mr. Sau Tam's house together, bringing with them the sincerity of people who had been victims of the same business tricks. Mr. Sau Tam, when listening to the two brothers tell the whole story about how Song Xanh company once offered to bribe cadastral officials, and the pressure that the Lam family had to go through, could not help but be startled.

"So, they also did the same thing to your family?" he asked, his voice filled with renewed alarm.

"That's right, sir," Dang Phong replied. "They always know how to create attractive offers on the surface, but behind them there are often many unclear calculations. I advise you to consider carefully before deciding to sell land, especially with a company with such a history."

Mr. Sau Tam pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you both for telling me this," he said. "I will think more carefully and not make hasty decisions just because of an immediate sum of money."

Dang Khoa, noticing the worry still evident on the old man's face, gently added. "Grandpa, this land is associated with so many memories and efforts of your entire family for many generations. I think, no matter how attractive the price is, you should consider the spiritual value, not simply the material value."

"You're right," Mr. Sau Tam replied, his eyes looking distantly at the small garden in front of the house. "I have lived here all my life, this land is not only my property, but also a part of my flesh and blood. I will no longer let anyone take advantage of my ignorance for profit."

After the conversation, Mr. Sau Tam decided to refuse the offer to buy land from Song Xanh company, and informed this decision to Ha Vy so she could follow up, in case the company continues to make other pressure moves.

"Thank you for your trust and careful consideration before making a decision," Ha Vy said when receiving news from Mr. Hen. "I will continue to closely monitor the situation, ensuring there is no unauthorized pressure that could affect your family's legal rights."

That evening, when Ha Vy shared this development with Dang Khoa over the phone, he could not hide his relief. "Fortunately, Mr. Sau Tam was alert and recognized the problem in time," he said. "If not, perhaps the Song Xanh company would have achieved their goals in another, more indirect way."

"I'm happy about that too," Ha Vy replied, her voice relieved. "But I'm worried, they won't stop here. A company that is willing to offer bribes will certainly find other ways to achieve its goals."

"No matter what they do, I believe, with the vigilance and solidarity of the whole community, we will not let them have the opportunity to profit from the mistakes of the past anymore," Dang Khoa said, his voice firm. "And I will always be here, with you to face whatever challenges lie ahead."

A few days later, Ha Vy received a call from Mr. Tran Quoc Hung, informing that the inspection team of the Provincial Department of Natural Resources and Environment had officially confirmed that the bidding documents for the eco-tourism project that Song Xanh Co., Ltd. had submitted to the District People's Committee had some unclear points, especially related to investment capital and project implementation capacity.

"This could be an opportunity for us to request a complete review of this company's legal status before they continue to have any investment activities locally," Mr. Hung said, his voice full of caution but unable to hide some of his satisfaction. "I will propose that the District People's Committee temporarily stop reviewing all documents related to Song Xanh company until there is an official conclusion."

"I think it's a necessary decision, uncle," Ha Vy replied, her voice relieved. "Perhaps, this is what will make them falter, no longer easily putting pressure on local people like before."

This news quickly spread in the Con Sen community, bringing a certain sense of peace to families who were worried about the appearance of that ambitious but non-transparent travel company. For Ha Vy, this is also a clear proof that the steadfast pursuit of the truth, even when faced with many pressures, ultimately brings positive results, protecting the legitimate rights of the people against economic forces with illegitimate profiteering intentions, no matter how flashy they wear.