Chapter 5 — The City Behind the Mist

Returning to the hotel that night, Khanh Linh carefully stored the original drawing in a small safe she borrowed from the receptionist, and took photos of all documents, storing them on multiple devices and in the cloud to ensure nothing was lost or destroyed. Lessons from similar cases that she had heard about on the news made her clearly understand the importance of protecting evidence.

The next morning, when Khanh Linh arrived at the project office temporarily arranged in a small building near the town center, she started her daily work with a completely different mood - focusing on her expertise and silently paying attention to every detail related to the sensitive geological area of the project.

"Miss Linh, the official geological survey documents of the project area have been sent," a young employee in the design team announced, placing a thick file on her desk. "This is a report provided by Van Son Land Company, accompanied by a proposal for a drainage system construction plan for the area."

Khanh Linh opened the file and carefully examined each page. When it came to designing the drainage system, she felt a strange sense of familiarity — the numbers, the technical specifications, seemed to be repeating exactly the mistakes that Mr. Thinh had described about the project fifteen years ago.

She immediately called Viet Hoang, her voice urgent. "Can you come to the project office now? I need you to look over the geological survey report that Van Son Land just sent."

Half an hour later, Viet Hoang appeared, carefully reviewing each page of the report under the highly focused eyes of an expert. After nearly an hour of careful analysis, he looked up, his face filled with serious concern.

“This is exactly what I feared,” he said, his voice tense. "This survey report completely lacks an assessment of the stability of the clay layer under the landslide area - the very layer of soil that my father, according to Mr. Thinh, paid special attention to carefully reinforcing before building any structures above."

"So that means, if we continue construction according to this plan, that area still has the same risk of landslides as it did fifteen years ago?" Khanh Linh asked, her voice filled with worry.

"That's exactly what I think," Viet Hoang replied, nodding heavily. "And what's more worrying, is that the drainage system proposed in this alternative also has pipe diameters smaller than the recommended standard for such a high-risk area — exactly the same mistake that led to the previous disaster."

Khanh Linh felt a chill run down her spine. “We need to stop this before it goes too far,” she said, her voice determined. "If history repeats itself, the consequences could be even more severe, as the area is now much more densely populated than before."

"But we need solid scientific evidence before we can officially oppose this option," Viet Hoang warned. "If we only rely on hunches or unproven suspicions, we will easily be dismissed, or even accused of intentionally hindering project progress for personal reasons."

"So what do we need to do?" Khanh Linh asked, her mind had begun to operate to find a solution.

“I will propose an independent geological survey, conducted by myself, using much more modern measuring equipment than was available fifteen years ago,” Viet Hoang said, his voice determined. "If your survey results clearly show the risks that the current report has overlooked, we will have enough scientific basis to request an adjustment to the entire design plan."

"I will fully support you in this matter," Khanh Linh affirmed. "As the chief architect, I have the right to request a temporary suspension of technical plan approval until there is sufficient additional survey data."

That afternoon, Khanh Linh officially sent a document to the Project Management Board, requesting to postpone approval of the drainage plan until an independent additional geological survey is completed. This decision, although professionally necessary, also meant that she officially entered her first public confrontation with the forces that were pushing the project forward quickly.

Just a few hours after the document was sent, Khanh Linh received a call from Mr. Bui Quoc Bao's office, inviting her to urgently meet to "discuss more about the project progress." When she arrived, not only Mr. Bao, but also Ho Xuan Truong was present, waiting with an unhappy expression.

"Miss Linh, I heard that you just requested to postpone the approval of the technical plan," Ho Xuan Truong began, his voice remaining polite but containing clear discomfort. "I would like to better understand the reasons behind this decision, as it could seriously impact the schedule and budget of the entire project."

Khanh Linh looked straight into his eyes, her voice was calm but determined. "The current geological survey report lacks important assessments of the stability of the area where the landslide occurred, Mr. Truong," she said. "With my responsibility as a chief architect, I cannot approve any plan that could pose a potential safety risk to people, especially in an area with such a history of disasters."

Ho Xuan Truong's eyes flashed with something cold, although he still tried to maintain a calm and professional look. “I assure you, the survey report was done by the most experienced team of experts,” he said, his voice a bit firmer. "I hope you will not let your personal feelings, related to your family's past, influence your objective professional decisions in this project."

That statement, though cleverly worded, still carries a clear implicit warning. Khanh Linh sensed the tension was gradually escalating, but she did not flinch. "I always maintain absolute objectivity in my work, Mr. Truong," she replied, her voice not shaking at all. "And because of that objectivity, I insist on requiring additional surveys before proceeding with any further steps of the project."

Before Khanh Linh left the office, Mr. Bui Quoc Bao, who had remained silent throughout most of the tense conversation, suddenly spoke up, his tone somewhat conciliatory. "Miss Linh, I understand your caution is completely justified," he said, glancing cautiously at Ho Xuan Truong. "But I also hope you understand, this project has great significance for the economic development of the whole town, with hundreds of jobs and the budget revenue that we desperately need."

"I completely understand the importance of the project, Mr. Chairman," Khanh Linh replied, her voice still maintaining the necessary calmness. "But I believe, there is no economic benefit that can be exchanged for human lives. I am willing to speed up the additional survey process to minimize delays, but I will not compromise on safety issues."

Ho Xuan Truong was silent for a moment, his eyes filled with unpredictable calculation before speaking, his voice regained its familiar commercial calmness. "Okay, Miss Linh," he said. "I will allow the additional survey to take place, on the condition that it must be completed within two weeks, so as not to affect the overall progress of the entire project too much. I believe, the results will prove that your concerns are completely unnecessary."

“Two weeks is enough for us to get reliable preliminary data,” Viet Hoang interjected, his voice firm. "We will make sure to carry out the work as efficiently and scientifically as possible, without wasting any more time."

When the meeting ended, Khanh Linh and Viet Hoang walked out of the committee building together in a heavy atmosphere, both clearly aware that the recent confrontation was only the beginning of a journey with many challenges ahead.

When leaving that tense meeting, Khanh Linh knew that she had officially entered a war that was not going to be easy, but she also felt a stronger determination than ever - determined to not only exonerate her father, but also prevent a repeat disaster that threatened the lives of countless innocent people living in her hometown, where she had once sworn to herself that she would never return.