Chapter 13 — The City Behind the Mist

Two days later, when Khanh Linh was working at the project office, she received a panicked call from Mr. Kieu Xuan Thinh's daughter, who lived not far away and often visited her father. "Miss Linh, my father... my father's house was just broken into," she said, her voice shaking. "He was okay, but very scared, and I thought, someone was deliberately looking for something in his house."

Khanh Linh and Viet Hoang immediately drove to Mr. Thinh's house. When they arrived, a chaotic scene appeared before their eyes - drawers were ransacked, books were scattered all over the floor, the wooden cabinet where he used to store original drawings was forcibly broken into.

Mr. Thinh sat trembling in his chair, his daughter was trying to calm him down with a cup of hot tea. "They came in the middle of the night, while I was sleeping," he said, his voice still panicked. "I woke up because of the noise, but when I got to the living room, they had run away, leaving the ransacked house like this."

"Are you hurt?" Khanh Linh asked, her voice filled with sincere concern.

"No, I'm just scared," Mr. Thinh replied, trying to calm down. "But Miss Linh, I think they're looking for any other evidence I might have, other than the drawing I gave you."

Viet Hoang carefully checked the broken wooden cabinet, looking for any traces that could help determine the method of break-in. "This lock was broken with a specialized tool, not the type of tool a typical petty thief would use," he commented, his voice serious. "This is a sign of experienced, well-equipped, organized action."

Mr. Thinh's daughter, still in shock, recalled that she tried calling her father repeatedly the night before but no one answered, and when she stopped by early this morning to check, she discovered this whole chaotic scene. "I thought, if I hadn't come soon, I don't know what would have happened," she said, her voice shaking with fear for her father's safety.

"We will make sure you are fully protected from now on," Khanh Linh said, holding Mr. Thinh's hand in a sincere gesture of comfort. "You've sacrificed too much for this truth, I can't let you suffer any more dangers."

The forensic team spent more than two hours collecting traces at the scene, although preliminary results showed that the intruders were very careful, wore gloves and likely used shortcuts through the back garden to avoid security cameras of neighboring houses.

Fortunately, because Khanh Linh and Viet Hoang had carefully photocopied and safely stored the original drawings from the beginning, the loss of the original — if it had actually been taken — would not completely destroy its evidentiary value, although it would certainly make the official appraisal process that the inspection team was conducting more difficult.

"This was an extremely reckless and dangerous act," Viet Hoang said, his voice filled with indignation as he surveyed the scene. "They are increasingly desperate, willing to break the law more openly to try to erase any remaining traces."

Khanh Linh immediately reported the incident to the police and the inspection team, who immediately sent people to the scene to collect traces, although they also admitted that the possibility of finding the specific culprit was not high, because the intruders acted very professionally, leaving no fingerprints or obvious physical evidence.

"We need to ensure the safety of all important witnesses," Mr. Nguyen Trong Hai said when he arrived at the scene, his voice serious. "I will propose to the authorities to arrange temporary protection for those who have provided important testimony in this case, including Mr. Thinh, Ms. Ut Suong, and Ms. Linh."

Although she was grateful for that concern, Khanh Linh couldn't help but feel heavy at the level of danger that the investigation was bringing to the people around her - people who originally just wanted to live a peaceful life, but now had to face unnecessary risks just because they had the courage to tell the truth.

"Uncle Thinh, I'm really sorry for dragging you into this dangerous situation," Khanh Linh said, her voice filled with guilt as she sat next to him while the forensic team collected traces.

"Don't be sorry, child," Mr. Thinh replied, although his voice was still shaking, his eyes were steady. "I chose to stay silent for fifteen years, and it also caused a lot of suffering to others. Now, no matter how dangerous it is, I believe, this is the only right path."

That evening, after ensuring that Mr. Thinh could move in temporarily with his daughter under more careful security supervision, Khanh Linh and Viet Hoang sat together at the project office, both tired after a long and stressful day.

"We are getting very close to the truth, close enough to make them act so recklessly," Viet Hoang commented, his voice thoughtful. "But that also means, the danger level will continue to escalate in the coming days."

"I don't regret starting this journey," Khanh Linh said, her voice determined even though her face showed fatigue. "But I'm worried about everyone who has trusted me and helped me on this path. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of my decision."

Viet Hoang held her hand, his eyes full of deep understanding. "Each of us voluntarily chose this path, Linh, because we all believe in the value of truth and justice," he said. "It is not your sole burden to bear, but the shared responsibility of everyone who has witnessed the injustice that has persisted for the past fifteen years."

The next day, news of the break-in at Mr. Thinh's house spread quickly throughout the small town, arousing a sudden wave of outrage in the community. Many people, who were previously skeptical or indifferent to Khanh Linh's investigation, have now begun to publicly voice their support, realizing that the level of recklessness of those behind the incident only proves that something serious is being hidden.

Mrs. Ut Suong, upon hearing the news, personally visited Mr. Thinh, bringing some home-cooked food to cheer him up. “We have suffered in silence for too long,” she told him, her voice filled with determination. "It's time for this whole town to speak up together, no longer letting anyone face the powerful alone."

That unexpected spirit of solidarity spread quickly, when a group of people spontaneously decided to organize rotating guards around the houses of important witnesses in the incident, ensuring their safety while waiting for the official conclusion from the inspection team. Khanh Linh, when witnessing this unexpected support, couldn't help but be moved by the warm human love that is gradually being awakened amid the pain of the past.

"I never thought things could go this way," she told Viet Hoang when they witnessed a group of volunteers setting up a temporary guard tent near Mr. Thinh's house. "It seems that the enemy's recklessness is unintentionally uniting the whole town together."

"Sometimes, the thicker the darkness, the more clearly the light of solidarity shines," Viet Hoang replied, his eyes looking towards the people who were dedicatedly guarding in the cold night mist. "I believe this is a sign that justice is gradually winning, even though the road ahead still has many challenges."

Khanh Linh brought some hot cakes to share with those on guard, thanking each one for their dedication. An older man in the group, who had lost his brother in a landslide in the past, held her hand tightly, his eyes filled with emotion. "Thank you, son, for not giving up," he said. "This whole town has been waiting for the truth for too long."

Standing in the middle of that crowd of simple but steadfast people, Khanh Linh felt a great collective strength gradually forming, far beyond what she had imagined when she began her lonely journey to find the truth for her father. Now, it is no longer her own fight, but has become the common wish of an entire community yearning for justice, a community that has waited so long to see the truth that has finally found its way to the light, after so many years of silence and suspicion.