Chapter 24 — The City Behind the Mist

The peak of the storm came around noon, when the strongest wind gusts accompanied by a record amount of rain fell on Van Son in just a few short hours. In the central control room, the atmosphere was tense to the point of suffocation as the entire technical team was glued to the data display screens that continuously changed numbers, every second and every minute closely monitoring the developments in the main slope area.

“Groundwater pressure is increasing alarmingly fast,” an engineer reported, his voice shaking with tension. "The drainage system is working at full capacity, but the current rainfall is far beyond any scenario we have ever calculated."

Viet Hoang, his face stiffened under pressure, quickly made a decision. "Activate the backup emergency drainage pump system immediately," he ordered. "At the same time, send a small team, fully equipped with safety equipment, to directly check the actual condition at the most important anchor points, because sensor data sometimes does not fully reflect what is actually happening in the field."

Khanh Linh, although worried about the safety of the inspection team, clearly understood the importance of this decision. "You have to go with them, right?" she asked, her eyes filled with anxiety as she watched Viet Hoang begin to put on his protective suit against the rain and storm.

"I am the person who knows the best about the geology of this area," he replied, his voice gentle but firm. "You need to check with your own eyes to make the most accurate decisions in an emergency situation like this."

Khanh Linh held his hand tightly for a moment, her eyes filled with both worry and trust. “Be careful,” she said, her voice choked. "I will wait for your return, safely."

The inspection team, led by Viet Hoang, set out in the harshest weather conditions, with constant gusts of wind making travel extremely difficult and dangerous. Through the walkie-talkie, Khanh Linh continuously received brief updates, each word made her heart clench with worry.

"Arrived at anchor point number three, the situation is still stable," Viet Hoang's voice rang out over the radio, even though the signal was disturbed by the fierce roar of the wind around him. "Moving to anchor point five, highest risk area."

At that moment, a strong gust of wind suddenly swept through the area, accompanied by a loud noise through the radio, followed by a terrifying silence that lasted for several seconds, causing Khanh Linh's heart to stop beating. "Viet Hoang, can you hear me? Answer me!" she shouted over the radio, her voice shaking with panic.

A few seconds later, Viet Hoang's voice rang out again, albeit somewhat intermittently. "I'm fine, it's just that a large tree branch was broken by the wind and fell near where we were standing. No one was hurt, just a little startled." Khanh Linh breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was still pounding with fear.

After nearly an hour of dangerous inspection, Viet Hoang's team finally returned safely, bringing good news - the entire ground anchor system, despite being under extreme pressure, was still holding up as designed. “We did everything right,” Viet Hoang reported, his voice still shaking from cold and fatigue, but his eyes filled with relief. "The reinforcement system is working better than we expected."

Khanh Linh, unable to contain her emotions, hugged him as soon as he entered the control room, despite her rain-soaked protective suit. "I was so scared I couldn't breathe," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Don't ever make me worry like that again."

"I'm sorry," Viet Hoang replied, gently stroking her wet hair. "But you need to be sure that every decision we make is based on the best facts, not just numbers on a screen."

That afternoon, the intensity of the storm began to gradually decrease, the torrential rains gradually became less frequent, giving way to smaller rains, signaling that the worst was probably over. By evening, the hydrometeorological station officially announced that the center of the storm had moved out of the Van Son area, towards neighboring provinces, leaving behind a town in tatters but fortunately without any human damage.

Mr. Bui Quoc Bao, when receiving the summary report at the end of the day, could not hide his emotions. "This is the first time, after many decades, that Van Son has faced such a big storm without suffering any loss of life," he said during a quick briefing meeting with the entire team. "That proves that all the efforts, all the sacrifices we have made over the past months, have been completely worth it."

Khanh Linh and Viet Hoang, after a long and stressful day, were finally able to sit together in a rare moment of peace, looking out at the scene of Van Son town gradually regaining peace after the fierce storm. "We have overcome the biggest challenge," Khanh Linh said, her voice filled with a mixture of fatigue and pride. "But I have the feeling that the war with Ho Xuan Truong is not really over yet."

Viet Hoang nodded and squeezed her hand. "Maybe you're right," he replied, his eyes turning thoughtful. "But no matter what he plans next, we have proven that honesty and responsibility can always overcome any challenge, no matter how harsh."

The next morning, when the rare sunlight penetrated the remaining clouds, the whole Van Son town immediately began cleaning up and overcoming the consequences of the storm. Fallen trees littered the streets, some corrugated iron roofs were blown away by the wind, but overall, material damage was much lower than what people had feared. Khanh Linh and the project team participated in helping clean up with the people, the spirit of solidarity spread throughout every small alley.

In the middle of the morning, an unexpected call from the independent inspection team reviewing Dai Phat Materials warehouse - where the contract had previously been suspended - caught Khanh Linh's attention. The heavy rain caused part of the warehouse roof to collapse, revealing a small room that was previously locked, where a number of boxes of old documents were kept that no one had noticed during the initial inspection.

"We found a handwritten notebook, seemingly old, recording payments of unknown purpose, transferred regularly every month to an abbreviation 'H.X.T' for nearly a year," the inspection team leader reported over the phone, his voice filled with caution. "It appears that this is not only related to the material quality certification fraud we previously discovered, but may also be evidence of a much more systematic bribery ring."

Khanh Linh's heart beat faster when she heard the news. "Please seal all documents, and immediately hand them over to the investigation agency. Absolutely do not let anyone approach before the presence of the authorities," she directed, her voice both happy and cautious. She immediately called to inform Mr. Nguyen Trong Hai and Viet Hoang, both of whom immediately realized the importance of this unexpected discovery.

"If this notebook really names Ho Xuan Truong as the recipient of those illegal payments, this will be direct evidence, much stronger than anything we have collected before," Mr. Hai commented, his voice filled with both excitement and seriousness. "We will conduct a handwriting examination and compare it with other relevant document samples to verify the legality of this evidence before officially announcing it."

Viet Hoang, when hearing the news, could not hide his excitement mixed with caution. "If this is confirmed, this could be the final decisive blow, forcing him to face the whole truth directly, there is no longer any way to avoid or deny it," he said, holding Khanh Linh's hand tightly with eyes full of hope.

Khanh Linh nodded, even though she still had a necessary caution in her heart, because she clearly understood that a person who had hidden her sins for fifteen years would not easily give up just because of a notebook, no matter how clear the evidence was. "We're almost at the end of the road," she said, her voice both determined and tired after the past stressful days. "But I think, the most difficult part, is probably still ahead — when we have to face him directly, before the entire public, to close everything once and for all."