Chapter 9 — The 20,000,000 Yuan Villa and the Tham Family's Secret

After speaking, I immediately hung up. Then switch the phone to silent mode and conveniently throw it on the sofa. Outside the rented apartment window, the sky gradually became dark. I cooked myself a bowl of noodles. Sit in front of a small folding table and slowly eat each bite. The phone screen lights up and then turns off. Turns off then lights up again. Countless missed calls and messages flooded in like a tidal wave. Available from Tham Nghien Tri. Yes from mother-in-law. There are even strange numbers. They are probably all members of the Tham family. I don't watch. After eating the noodles, I washed the dishes, wiped the table, then sat by the window looking at the night scene on the street in amazement. It's a very strange kind of peace. Like the eye of the storm. All around, heaven and earth collapsed. And I stood in the center, calm and unmoved. At eight o'clock in the evening, the doorbell rang. I opened the door. The person standing outside is not Tham Nghien Tri. Nor mother-in-law. It's someone I haven't seen in three years. Tham Chongming. Tham Nghien Tri's father. Chairman of Tham Thi Group. Vice President of local business association. The man regularly appears on the front pages of financial magazines. He wore a dark gray Zhongshan suit, his hair combed neatly without any carelessness. There was no expression on his face. But his appearance standing in front of me is completely different from when he appears at big events. Shoulders slightly bowed. Both hands hang naturally at your side. Do not bring briefcases. There is no secretary accompanying. Just like a normal elder visiting the house. He nodded slightly at me, his tone gentle.

“Is it convenient for me to come in and sit for a while?”

I leaned over to give way. After entering, Tham Sung Minh did not sit down immediately. He looked around my rented room of just over forty square meters. His eyes stopped on the bowl of noodles that had not yet been removed from the table for two seconds. Then stopped on the old suitcase in the corner for another two seconds. Then he sat down on the slightly wobbly IKEA sofa. I poured him a glass of water. He took it but didn't drink it, just put it on the tea table.

"Tieu Co, I came here today... not as the president of Tham Thi Group."

"I know."

“I come as a father.”

I leaned against the window sill and looked at him, waiting for him to continue. Tham Sung Minh's eyes were very calm. Different from Tham Nghien Tri's empty "calm" look. His calmness is something that has been honed after countless real storms.

“That contract…”

He finally spoke.

“It was signed by me.”

I said nothing.

"Ten years ago, Nguyet Hoa's health had problems and she couldn't have any more children. But we only have one daughter, she always wanted a son."

His voice was very calm. As if telling a story that has little to do with myself.

"At that time, the group was at an important stage preparing to list. I needed an heir, that was also the common request of the shareholders."

“So we looked for a surrogate.”

“Through the legal route, complete the surrogacy at a foreign facility.”

“After Nghien Tri was born, we decided to bury this matter completely.”

“I raised him like my own child.”

"Nguyet Hoa also always announced to outsiders that she was ten months pregnant and gave birth to him."

“For ten years… no one knows the truth.”

He stopped, his eyes fell on me.

“Until I marry into their family Tham.”

My back feels a little colder.

“You know that contract is in my hand?” I asked.

Tham Sung Minh shook his head.

“I know there is a secret compartment in the office.”

“But I don't know what's inside.”

“That's where Nguyet Hoa hides things. She thinks I don't know, and I pretend I don't know."

“Until this afternoon, she called to tell me what happened.”

He picked up the glass of water and took a sip. Movement is very slow. It's like I'm borrowing it to suppress certain emotions.

“I didn't come here today to threaten you.”

"It's not here to negotiate conditions."

“I just want to ask you a question.”

“Married to the Tham family for three years…”

“When did you find out about that contract?”

I looked at him. Looking at the man who has been doing business for decades, now sitting seriously in my cramped rented room, carefully asking me that question. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were very deep. Since when has my sideburns turned white? No matter what he used to do… At this moment, he just looked like a tired old man.

“The first year after marriage.”

I replied.

“When I was renovating my office, I discovered there was a secret compartment in the wall.”

“What happens after that?”

“Then I opened it.”

“Then I saw what was inside.”

Tham Sung Minh was silent for a long time. He spoke slowly.