Chapter 11 — Swept into the Wave of Love

The opportunity to naturally approach Lu Khac Bon came sooner than Viet Khoi expected. The organizing committee organized a small reception for the athletes with the highest performance in the tournament, an annual tradition before the semi-finals, where sponsors had the opportunity to meet and talk directly with the brightest faces of the season. As the defending champion, Viet Khoi is naturally on the guest list, and thanks to his impressive performance in recent days, Lam Khue also received an invitation to attend for the first time, although he still kept the hat and glasses in accordance with his special agreement.

The party took place at a luxurious coastal resort, with warm yellow lights spread throughout the campus, light music mixed with the sound of distant waves creating a relaxing atmosphere, completely different from the tense and suspicious atmosphere that has enveloped the athletes' resort over the past few days. Viet Khoi wore a simple but elegant navy blue suit, while Lam Khue, despite still wearing a hat, wore an elegant long black dress that turned many heads.

They deliberately kept their distance, not going together from the beginning to avoid attracting unnecessary attention, only exchanging secret glances every time they had the chance. Before separating, Lam Khue gently held his hand for a moment, whispering instructions. "Be careful of what you say. If he is really involved, one careless question will be enough to make him wary and hide all traces more carefully."

"I know," Viet Khoi replied, gently squeezing her hand before letting it go, their eyes exchanging an implicit trust that did not require further words.

He weaved his way through the crowd of guests, shook hands and greeted a few familiar sponsors, chatted a few sentences with federation officials he had met over many seasons, trying to maintain a natural demeanor like every year so that no one would notice anything unusual in his mood tonight. In the distance, he saw Cao Boi Nghi also present at the party, engrossed in a short interview with a few other athletes for the news, holding a small tape recorder in his hand.

Finally, after walking around most of the banquet hall, Viet Khoi also encountered Lu Khac Bon standing chatting with several federation officials near the bar area, a glass of red wine in his hand, a familiar warm smile never leaving his face under the yellow light.

"Viet Khoi, you're here," Lu Khac Bon warmly shook his hand, the familiar smile never leaving his face. "Recently, his performance seems to be recovering well after the loss in the qualifying round."

"Thank you for your concern," Viet Khoi replied, keeping his voice polite but inside he began to carefully observe every expression of the other person. "I'm also trying my best to prepare best for the upcoming semi-finals."

They chatted briefly with a few pleasantries before Viet Khoi cleverly changed the direction of the conversation, his voice trying to keep it natural like an idle question. "You have worked in the surfing world for a long time. You must have witnessed many ups and downs of this sport."

"It's been almost twenty years," Lu Khac Bon replied, still smiling, but Viet Khoi keenly noticed a hint of caution passing through his eyes.

"I heard vaguely about a pretty big scandal sixteen years ago," Viet Khoi continued, trying to keep his voice harmlessly curious. "An athlete named Vu Dinh Trac was accused of cheating. Do you remember that case? You must have joined this world at that time."

That question was like a small needle pricking straight at Lu Khac Bon. For just a brief moment, the smile on his lips stiffened, his eyes flashed with something hard to name — maybe wariness, maybe fear, or both — before he regained his usual composure, but his voice when he spoke had lost some of its previous naturalness.

"Ah, that was a long time ago," he said, his voice trying to sound casual but a little quicker than usual. "At that time I was just starting out, I don't remember many details. Why do you suddenly ask about old things?"

"I'm just curious," Viet Khoi replied, carefully observing his every small gesture. "I heard that incident was quite scandalous, greatly affecting the whole tournament at that time."

"Well... it had a little influence," Lu Khac Bon replied, his hand unconsciously tightening around the glass of wine he was holding, a small gesture that did not escape Viet Khoi's keen observation eyes. "But that matter has been resolved long ago, there's nothing worth bringing up again. You should focus on the current tournament, don't let your mind be distracted by unrelated past matters."

There was a distinct stiffness in the way he brushed off the subject, a haste that did not match the calm, professional appearance he always presented to the public. Viet Khoi nodded, pretending to accept the answer, but in his heart, all his previous doubts were now reinforced one more level.

"You're right," he replied, smiling politely. "I'm just curious, nothing else."

Lu Khac Bon nodded, quickly made an excuse to go greet a few other guests and then left, his steps somewhat more hurried than usual. Viet Khoi stood watching, then quietly found the hidden corner where Lam Khue was watching from afar, recounting the entire conversation just now.

"Do you see," Lam Khue said, his voice quiet but full of determination, "that reaction is not that of someone who simply doesn't remember the past. It's the reaction of someone who is trying to hide something."

"I think so too," Viet Khoi replied. "But we still do not have any specific evidence to confirm that he is the person behind the murder of her father in the past, or the person who is directing the current sabotage."

At that moment, a waiter walked by carrying a tray of drinks and accidentally dropped a glass on the floor right near where Lu Khac Bon was standing talking on the phone not far away, causing him to look back in surprise, and in that moment, Viet Khoi briefly heard a few incoherent words echoing from his call before he realized and lowered his voice: "...can't let it get out... must be resolved before the semi-finals..."

Viet Khoi and Lam Khue looked at each other, both realizing the importance of what they had just heard. Although not enough to be evidence of official accusations, it is an important piece of the puzzle, reinforcing the theory that there is a conspiracy being coordinated right from the highest level of the organizing committee, and that coordinator is increasingly afraid of the risk of his secret being exposed.

"We need to find out what the semi-finals he's talking about specifically has to do with anything," Lam Khue whispered, his eyes serious. "If he's rushing to resolve something before the semi-finals, it means we don't have much time left."

"I will ask Uncle Long to inquire further within the federation," Viet Khoi said, his voice determined. "He has many old connections and may know something about Lu Khac Bon's true role sixteen years ago that young people like us cannot access."

"But be careful," Lam Khue reminded, her voice filled with worry. "If it is him, and he knows we are investigating, he may take more drastic measures to cover up clues, even from those close to us."

Viet Khoi nodded, clearly realizing the severity of her warning. The semi-finals were only a few days away, and now, every passing moment brought with it an uneasy countdown feeling, as if the two were standing in the middle of a huge wave rolling up in the distance, not knowing exactly when it would hit but certainly not much longer.

He was silent for a moment, clearly feeling a new tension rising in his heart. The splendid reception party around them, with warm yellow lights and melodious music, suddenly became strange, like a flashy shell hiding the dark plots that were silently operating underneath, waiting for the opportunity to erupt right before the most important match of the whole season.

On the way out of the party, they passed by the empty hallway leading to the parking lot, the lights here were much sparser than the main lobby. Lam Khue suddenly stopped walking, pulled Viet Khoi's hand closer, his voice whispering with worry. "I have the feeling that someone has been paying attention to us all this time. Not once, but many times in a row."

Viet Khoi glanced around, didn't see anything unusual other than a few waiters cleaning up, but Lam Khue's hunch made him not dare to be subjective. "Maybe it's just because we're too stressed and easily suspicious of everything around us. But to be sure, I'll take you home and not let you go alone tonight."

"Thank you," Lam Khue said softly, holding his hand a little tighter, not out of formality but out of a real need for support amid the insecurity rising in her heart. They walked in silence, with only the sound of their footsteps mixed with the sound of ocean waves echoing from afar. Both were well aware that from this moment on, their every action could be being watched by invisible eyes whose identities they could not yet clearly identify.