Chapter 11 — The City Behind the Mist

The next morning, Viet Hoang came to meet Khanh Linh at a familiar coffee shop near the project office, carrying a thin file of documents but his face was full of unusual seriousness. "My banker friend found a partial trace of money transferred to Mr. Loc's account fifteen years ago," he said, placing the documents on the table. "But the result is not as simple as we think."

"What do you mean?" Khanh Linh asked, taking the document, her eyes quickly scanning the numbers and transaction diagrams presented.

"The money was not transferred directly from Ho Xuan Truong's personal account," Viet Hoang explained, pointing to the diagram. "It was transferred to a small construction consulting company called Tan Phat Company, which has been out of business for many years. But what is worth noting is that the legal representative of this company at that time was Ho Xuan Truong's father - Mr. Ho Van Tien."

Khanh Linh was stunned by this unexpected information. "So that means, Mr. Truong's entire family participated in hiding the truth, not just him?" she asked, her voice filled with surprise.

"That's a huge possibility," Viet Hoang replied, nodding. "It is possible that Mr. Truong's father, with his position and extensive connections in the construction industry at that time, arranged the entire incident, from the exchange of records to the payment of hush money, to protect his son from legal liability and let their family's project continue to develop smoothly."

"Is Mr. Ho Van Tien still alive?" Khanh Linh asked, a new ray of hope flashed.

"My friend said, he is still alive, but is old and in poor health. He is currently living in a high-class nursing home in a neighboring city," Viet Hoang replied. "If we can reach him, perhaps we will have the final answer to this entire series of events."

Khanh Linh pondered. "But if he is old and in poor health, is he still alert enough to provide reliable testimony? And will his family, especially Ho Xuan Truong, let us access him easily?"

"Those are exactly the questions that worry me," Viet Hoang admitted. "But I think we should still try, even if just to verify more information. Perhaps, we should approach delicately, through the nursing home's official channel, instead of coming in suddenly."

"There is another detail that also makes me wonder," Viet Hoang added, turning to the next page of the document. "Tan Phat Company, although it stopped officially operating twelve years ago, its tax code has an indirect connection with one of the subcontractors currently participating in supplying materials for the old town beautification project that we are implementing."

"You mean, the old network of interests still exists, in a different form, within the current project itself?" Khanh Linh asked, her voice tense at this disturbing possibility.

"I think that's very likely to happen," Viet Hoang replied. “If that is the case, that might explain why the current design option continues to use lower-quality materials and pipe diameters smaller than safety standards — not simply for random cost-cutting reasons, but possibly as part of the same web of benefits that has existed for the past fifteen years, maintained continuously through various layers of intermediaries.”

Khanh Linh felt a shiver run down her spine at the scale of the conspiracy she was gradually discovering. “We need to investigate that subcontractor further immediately,” she said, her voice determined. "If we can prove a direct link between the old network and the current material supply activity, it will be irrefutable evidence that history is indeed repeating, not by accident, but completely on purpose, with careful calculation."

"I will continue to dig deeper into this connection," Viet Hoang said, closing the document. "But we also need to consider approaching Mr. Ho Van Tien as soon as possible, before someone realizes we have discovered this clue and tries to stop it, or worse, tries to influence his testimony."

While they were discussing, Khanh Linh's phone rang. It was a call from Mr. Bui Quoc Bao, his voice was somewhat urgent. "Miss Linh, I need to see you today, as soon as possible," he said. "There's a new development that I think you need to know about before the inspection team arrives next week."

Khanh Linh and Viet Hoang quickly went to Mr. Bao's office. When they arrived, he closed the office door tightly, his voice a worried whisper. "I just received information that Ho Xuan Truong is putting pressure on some members of the town's people's council, trying to lobby for a resolution requesting a temporary halt, or even cancellation of the entire beautification project, on the grounds that 'unnecessary controversies are damaging the reputation and development of the town.'"

"He's trying to turn us into a cause of trouble, instead of facing real charges," Khanh Linh commented, her voice filled with indignation.

"That's right," Mr. Bao confirmed. "And if that resolution is passed, the project could be suspended indefinitely, meaning that the investigation by the provincial inspection team could also lose its urgency, gradually being forgotten over time, just like what happened fifteen years ago."

“We need to stop this,” Viet Hoang said, his voice determined. "Is there anything you can do to stand firm in support of continued investigation, Mr. Chairman?"

Mr. Bao sighed, his face showing intense inner conflict. "I'll do my best, but I can't promise anything with complete certainty," he said, his voice low with concern. "Ho Xuan Truong has a huge influence, not only economically but also politically in this area, penetrating many relationships that I can hardly predict. But I promise, I will no longer stand on the side of silence, even at the cost of my own position."

That commitment, although not entirely certain, still brings Khanh Linh a certain comfort amid these stressful days. When she left the committee office, she clearly felt that this battle for the truth was entering the most fierce phase, where all relevant forces were focusing their full strength, preparing for an inevitable confrontation in the coming days, a confrontation that would decide the fate of an entire project, and the honor of a deceased person.

On the way back, Viet Hoang drove slowly through familiar streets, both immersed in silent contemplation. "Do you think we should disclose everything we discovered to the press, instead of just relying on the official inspection team?" Khanh Linh asked, breaking the silence, her voice full of concern.

"It's a double-edged sword," Viet Hoang replied, carefully considering his answer. "Opening up to the press can create strong public pressure, making it difficult for the parties involved to keep the incident quiet. But it can also make the official investigation chaotic, easily politicized, and more importantly, can put people like Mr. Bao, or Ms. Nga, in a much more dangerous situation than they are now."

"So we should wait for the official results from the inspection team first?" Khanh Linh asked, although she still had many concerns in her heart.

"I think that is a safer and more sustainable path in the long run," Viet Hoang said. "But we should also prepare a backup plan, in case the inspection team is influenced by political pressure, or if the resolution to suspend the project that Mr. Truong is campaigning for is actually passed before they can arrive."

Khanh Linh nodded, looking out the car window, where the afternoon mist was starting to spread again on the familiar streets of Van Son. "I just hope, we won't have to wait too long to know the final answer," she said softly, her voice filled with fatigue but still not lacking in determination.

"I believe, the truth always has a way to find its way to the light, no matter how long it takes," Viet Hoang replied, reaching out to hold her hand in a warm gesture of comfort. "And I will always be here, accompanying you, until it really happens, no matter how difficult the road ahead is."