Chapter 18 — The City Behind the Mist

Two weeks after the new material supplier officially began delivering to the construction site, Khanh Linh noticed some unusual signs in the construction progress in the area near the slope, which was the epicenter of the disaster fifteen years ago. Some construction items seem to be being pushed faster than planned, without properly following established quality monitoring procedures.

"Something's wrong," she told Viet Hoang as they both checked the construction log at the construction site. "Some items of concrete pouring to reinforce the foundation were done after hours, in the evening, without the supervision of the quality inspection team according to proper procedures."

Viet Hoang, after careful consideration, realized that these unusual construction items were all under the direct direction of a sub-construction team, hired through a subcontract approved by Mr. Luong Dinh Khai himself, without going through the strict quality control process that Khanh Linh had established.

"This is clearly an attempt to bypass the surveillance system you built," Viet Hoang commented, his tone serious. "It seems that Mr. Khai is trying to speed up the process in his own way, possibly because of pressure from other shareholders of Van Son Land, who are concerned about financial losses due to delays."

Khanh Linh immediately convened an emergency meeting with Mr. Khai to clarify the issue. "I need an explanation about the construction items outside the supervision process in the slope area, Mr. Khai," she said, her voice stern, unable to hide her suppressed anger.

Mr. Khai, at first, appeared confused, then tried to justify. "We are just trying to ensure that the project progress is not excessively delayed, affecting the company's reputation and finances," he said. "That sub-construction team has full capacity and experience. I believe they can completely ensure quality without having to follow overly cumbersome monitoring processes."

"No process is cumbersome when it comes to the safety of hundreds of people who will live in this area in the future," Khanh Linh countered, her voice determined. "I request that the sub-construction team be immediately suspended, and that all construction items must be re-inspected from the beginning before being allowed to continue."

The tension between Khanh Linh and Mr. Khai escalated, as he firmly believed that she was "overdoing the problem," while Khanh Linh showed no tolerance for any signs that could threaten the safety of the project. Finally, she decided to bring this issue directly to Mr. Bui Quoc Bao and the temporary board of directors of Van Son Land.

"I need official support to ensure my supervisory authority is absolutely respected," Khanh Linh stated in an emergency meeting with Mr. Bao. "If not, I'm worried, there will be many other items that will be constructed carelessly, bypassing the quality control process that we have worked so hard to build."

Mr. Bao, after listening to the whole incident, decided to strongly intervene. "I will officially issue a decision, giving you full authority to make the final decision on all issues related to the quality and technical safety of the project," he announced. "Anyone, including the temporary leadership of Van Son Land, must strictly comply with the supervision requirements you set forth."

This decision, although giving Khanh Linh the necessary power to ensure the safety of the project, also made the relationship between her and Mr. Khai more tense than ever. Viet Hoang, noticing the worry in Khanh Linh's eyes after the meeting, held her hand, his eyes full of encouragement.

"You did the right thing, Linh," he said. "Sometimes, to protect what is right, we are forced to accept inevitable conflicts. I believe, in the end, all these efforts will be rewarded."

But even when they spoke those words of encouragement, neither Khanh Linh nor Viet Hoang could have imagined that, behind Mr. Khai's public protest, a much more dangerous plan was being secretly prepared, threatening to destroy all the efforts they had built over the past weeks.

A few days later, Khanh Linh received a secret call from one of the construction workers at the site, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. "Miss Linh, I think you need to know this," he said, his voice a worried whisper. "I heard Mr. Khai talking on the phone with someone, discussing the need to 'urgently complete' some important items before the next inspection, even though he clearly knew the quality standards were not met."

"Do you know any specific items?" Khanh Linh asked, her voice tense.

"It seems to be related to strengthening the foundation in the area near the slope, which is considered the most sensitive," the worker replied. "I heard him say, it must be done before the heavy rainy season begins, otherwise it will seriously affect the company's next quarter's financial statements."

This information made Khanh Linh deeply worried. She thanked the worker for his courage to speak up, promising to keep his identity absolutely confidential, before immediately contacting Viet Hoang to discuss a course of action.

"If it's true what that worker said, we're racing against time in a completely different way," Viet Hoang commented, his voice serious. "The heavy rainy season in Van Son usually starts within the next month. If Mr. Khai is really trying to complete important items hastily and carelessly before that time, the risk of an incident will increase significantly."

"We need to increase direct supervision at the site, especially at night, when it seems unusual construction activities often take place," Khanh Linh suggested, her voice assertive. "At the same time, I will request to organize an unexpected quality inspection, without prior notice, for all completed items in the slope area."

Viet Hoang nodded in agreement, although his eyes could not hide his deep concern. "I will organize a rotating monitoring schedule with my team of trusted engineers," he said. "We cannot let any negligence slip through, especially with the rainy season approaching."

The unexpected quality inspection team was mobilized that week, conducting a comprehensive inspection of completed items in the slope area. Preliminary results show that, although serious violations have not been detected like what happened fifteen years ago, some reinforcement points have not yet reached optimal strength according to the new standards that Khanh Linh has set, requiring additional reinforcement before they can be considered absolutely safe.

"This is a timely warning," Khanh Linh said when receiving the inspection report, her voice both relieved that it was not too late and worried at the severity of the problem. "If we don't detect it early, it's possible that these defects will only be revealed when the heavy rainy season really hits, at which point there won't be time to fix them."

She immediately requested a temporary halt to all construction activities in this sensitive area, until additional reinforcement items are completed and inspected to meet standards. This decision, despite putting more pressure on progress, received absolute consensus from Mr. Bui Quoc Bao and a large number of people, who now have complete trust in Khanh Linh's prudence and integrity.

Mr. Luong Dinh Khai, although dissatisfied, no longer dared to publicly oppose this decision under public pressure and close supervision from local authorities. But in his eyes, Khanh Linh could still see a smoldering dissatisfaction, a sign that the battle for the safety of the project had not really ended.

That evening, when Khanh Linh shared with Viet Hoang about his uneasy premonition regarding Mr. Khai's attitude, he also expressed his agreement. "I think, we should not be subjective just because we have won the initial victory," he said, his voice thoughtful. "People like Mr. Khai, when they feel cornered, sometimes become more reckless and unpredictable."

"I also have the same feeling," Khanh Linh replied, her eyes looked out the window, where dense dark clouds had begun to appear in the Van Son night sky, signaling the approaching rainy season. "We need to prepare ourselves for even more difficult challenges ahead, especially when the weather is changing so rapidly."