Chapter 6 — Sunlight on the Red Book

The morning after the stressful work session, as soon as Ha Vy arrived at the office, she saw Mai Anh waiting with a worried look on her face. "Something's wrong, honey," Mai Anh said as soon as he saw her enter. "This morning someone called the commune committee, complaining about me 'causing trouble' with the Lam family's land dispute, demanding that it be handled quickly, in accordance with their wishes to sell the land."

"Who's calling?" Ha Vy asked, not surprised by that information.

"I don't know my identity, but it sounds like I'm not from the commune," Mai Anh replied, her voice somewhat reserved. "The Head of the People's Reception Committee said that person claimed to be a representative of a travel company, saying that the delay in processing the documents was causing serious economic damage to them."

This information made Ha Vy frown and think. It seems that, as soon as she revealed the land boundary question, the travel company quickly grasped the information and began to apply pressure from afar, in order to speed up the processing process in their favor.

She decided to learn more about the company that wanted to buy back the Lam family's garden. Through looking up business registration information, she learned that it was Song Xanh Company Limited, an enterprise specializing in investing in eco-tourism projects, with Mr. Vo Thanh Dat as director, and has had many similar projects in the Western provinces in recent years.

"This company seems to be quite large, operating methodically," Ha Vy commented after looking over the information, her voice thoughtful. "If they are really applying pressure from outside, we need to be more careful in how we handle information, avoiding revealing too many details before reaching an official conclusion."

At noon, while preparing to eat at the small canteen of the commune committee, Ha Vy received a call from an unfamiliar phone number. "Hello, Miss Vy," a polite, middle-aged male voice rang out. "I am Vo Thanh Dat, director of Song Xanh Co., Ltd. I would like to meet with you to discuss a few things about Mr. Dang Phong's land."

Ha Vy was a bit surprised by this initiative, but still maintained the necessary calmness. "Yes, I am willing to meet you, but I need to say first, all exchanges must follow official working procedures, sir."

"Of course," Mr. Dat replied, his voice still affable. "I just want to better understand the situation, so I can arrange the company's investment plan accordingly."

The meeting took place that afternoon, at a small coffee shop in the district town. Mr. Vo Thanh Dat appeared with a neat and elegant demeanor, carrying a thick file, clearly demonstrating the professionalism of an experienced businessman.

"Miss Vy, I know that there are some complications arising in this case," he began after a few pleasantries, his voice calm. "But I hope you understand, our project not only brings economic benefits to Mr. Dang Phong's family, but also creates hundreds of jobs for local people, promoting tourism development for the entire Con Sen area."

"I understand the economic value of the project, sir," Ha Vy replied, her voice calm. "But my job is to ensure legality, fairness in determining land use rights, before any sale can be legally conducted."

Mr. Dat nodded, although his eyes were slightly dissatisfied. "I understand that," he said. "But I also hope you consider the time factor. Every day of delay causes significant economic loss. If you need additional resources and technical support to speed up the verification process, our company is ready to assist."

That suggestion, although skillfully expressed, still made Ha Vy wary. "Thank you for your goodwill," she replied, her voice final. "But I think the verification process needs to be carried out independently, objectively, in accordance with the procedures of state agencies, and there should be no interference from any party with interests directly related to the processing results."

Mr. Dat's eyes changed slightly, although he still tried to remain calm. “I see your point,” he said, his voice a little colder than before. "It's just that I hope this case will be resolved quickly and reasonably, avoiding causing unnecessary complications and affecting the legitimate rights of all parties."

After the meeting, on the way back, Ha Vy couldn't help but think about the conversation just now. Mr. Dat's proactive appearance, along with his ambiguous offer of "support", made her even more wary of the pressures that may increase in the near future, as the case becomes more and more complicated, involving many parties with different interests.

She called and reported the entire content of the meeting to Mr. Tran Quoc Hung, without hiding any details. "You did it right," Mr. Hung commented after listening. "Absolutely do not let any party with related interests interfere in the process of professional verification. I will report to my superiors about this development, to have a plan to support and protect the objectivity of your work."

That evening, while sitting alone reviewing all the documents, Ha Vy received a text message from Dang Khoa. "Miss, Mr. Ba Dat just texted me, saying he wanted to meet both you and me tomorrow morning. It seems he is ready to tell the truth."

Reading that message, Ha Vy's heart beat much faster. She knew that tomorrow would be an important milestone that could open up answers to all the questions she had diligently pursued over the past few days.

She texted and replied to Dang Khoa immediately. "Okay, I'll be there on time. Do you know where he wants to meet?"

"He said he wanted to meet right at your house, early in the morning, before the sun was hot," Dang Khoa texted back. "Perhaps he wanted to avoid the attention of passersby in the neighborhood, avoid the neighbors seeing and talking about him."

Mr. Ba Dat's caution made Ha Vy even more convinced that what he was about to share was definitely not a small matter, but something he had hidden and tormented in his heart for a very long time. She spent the rest of the evening preparing carefully - preparing the necessary questions, bringing all relevant documents and maps so she could compare immediately if Mr. Ba Dat provided more specific details.

She also considered carefully whether to record the conversation or not. Although she understood that unofficial testimony would hardly have full legal value if not carried out properly, she still decided to bring her phone in case she needed to save some important information as a basis for requesting official verification later.

Before going to bed, she called to inform Mr. Tran Quoc Hung about the upcoming meeting, even though he was somewhat tired after a long day of work. "You go ahead and meet, but remember to maintain an objective attitude and listen first," he advised over the phone. "If Mr. Ba Dat is willing to provide official testimony, we will arrange a proper working session afterwards, with full minutes and signatures for confirmation."

"Yes, I understand, sir," Ha Vy replied. "I will be careful in every step, not letting any pressure from outside affect the objectivity of my work, no matter which side that pressure comes from."

That night, Ha Vy fell asleep later than usual, her mind kept spinning about scenarios that could happen tomorrow morning. She wondered what made a man who had been devoted to his work for many years and respected by many people have to carry such a heavy secret for more than twenty years. Perhaps, behind every wrong decision, there is always a complex story about people and situations, which cannot always be simply evaluated by the boundaries of right and wrong.

Before falling asleep, she thought of Mr. Sau Tam, of the image of the old man sitting alone mending nets on the simple porch of his house, completely unaware of what might lie ahead. She secretly hoped that no matter how harsh the truth tomorrow would be, it would open an opportunity for true justice to be established, for both Mr. Sau Tam's family and the Lam family, so that they could all move forward together without having to carry the burden of the past, a burden that had silently fallen on the shoulders of too many people for more than twenty years without anyone knowing, including the innocent children who grew up on the very land that carried that secret.