Chapter 16 — The Day I Locked the Villa Door

Lam Ha walked inside the iron gate. Standing facing the other three people through the iron bars. The person in uniform spoke first.

“Are you the owner of Lam Ha house?”

“Where are your papers?”

“We are conducting routine fire safety inspections.”

“No need to present documents in advance.”

Lam Ha's voice is very calm.

“I just called the official number of the fire department.”

“The person on duty said there were no scheduled inspections in this residential area today.”

The uniformed man's face changed slightly.

“That is the team's arrangement.”

“We are a separate inspection team sent by the district.”

“Which district?”

“Which unit sent down?”

“How much is the text code?”

“Is there a signature from the leader in charge?”

Three questions in a row. So fast that the other person had no time to react. He couldn't answer. The man in the gray coat took a step forward. Use a more moderate but more pressing tone.

“We just followed the process.”

"Please cooperate with me to check it out, it's nothing serious."

“If there's no problem, we'll be gone in ten minutes.”

“Which unit are you?”

“Let me see your business card.”

The other person pulled out a business card from the file and handed it over. On it printed:

“General Department – Urban Construction Department.”

No carpentry marks. No business card. Just a business card. Lam Ha glanced over.

“Urban Construction Board.”

She repeated once.

“When did you guys start taking charge of fire prevention inspections?”

The man in the gray shirt smiled. The smile is very formulaic.

“Fire prevention and construction are combined inspection.”

“This is an arrangement from above.”

“Which superior?”

“I'm not comfortable talking about this.”

“So I'm not comfortable with cooperating.”

Lam Ha returned the business card.

“There are no official documents.”

“There is no legal certificate.”

“Unable to present specific inspection grounds and information of the leader in charge.”

“I have the right to refuse anyone access to my personal property.”

“That is a right protected by law.”

The smile on the other person's face disappeared. The man wearing a black coat from beginning to end still didn't say a word. Same now. But his eyes swept around the outer wall of the villa. It's the kind of eyes that want to remember this place. Then he turned and walked towards the commercial vehicle. The person wearing the gray shirt looked at the person wearing the uniform. The other two also immediately followed. The car door closed. Engine starts. The black car backed out of the alley and entered the main road. The taillight flashes twice. Disappeared in the traffic. Uncle Trinh stepped forward.

“I saved all the videos.”

“What they say is recorded.”

“Even the entry and exit records have been saved.”

“Thank you, Uncle Trinh.”

Lam Ha took a deep breath. Then enter the villa. Lam Ha sat down on the sofa in the living room on the first floor. Sit still for exactly thirty seconds. Then took out the phone and called Aunt Phuong.

“Aunt Phuong.”

“Zhu Daguo has taken action.”

“He sent someone pretending to be a fire inspector to my villa.”

The other end of the line was silent for two seconds.

“Miss, what do you want us to do?”

Lam Ha's eyes stopped on the empty photo frame placed on the tea table.

“Tell grandma.”

“I changed my mind.”

"I get it."

“I will report immediately.”

The call ended. Lam Ha leaned against the back of the sofa. Raise your head and look at the ceiling. Initially, she wanted to control everything in the smallest scope. Private matters should be resolved privately. Are not I want to scare my grandmother. I also don't want anyone to know the relationship between me and that last name. But Chu Dai Quoc did not give her that chance. He turned a civil dispute into using power to exert pressure. Then I can't continue to carry it alone anymore. Lam Ha stood up. Go to the wardrobe. Open the bottom drawer. At the bottom of the drawer there is a box crushed underneath. Black velvet box. Inside is a seal. Ancient seal letters. Carved two words:

“Tran Thi.”

That's what her grandmother gave her. Not jewelry. Nor is it a souvenir. It's the founding seal of the company in my grandmother's name. She once said:

“When to use it, whether to use it or not, you decide for yourself.”

Lam Ha looked at the seal for a long time. Then close the box. Put it back in place. She still doesn't plan to use it. But she wanted Chu Dai Quoc to understand that... There is someone more qualified to decide the situation than him. Saturday morning. Lam Ha drove to the old neighborhood. Her grandmother, Mrs. Tran Tu Lan, lived in a quiet alley. The alley is not long. On both sides are gray brick walls. The top of the wall is covered with wisteria flowers. At the end of the alley is a wooden door. The door is open. The yard is not big. Plant some pomegranate trees. A bed of green vegetables. In the corner there is an old jar holding some fish. Ms. Tran Tu Lan sat on a rattan chair in the middle of the yard. Wearing a blue-gray cotton jacket. The cuffs of the shirt are slightly frayed. White hair. Brush very neatly. Roll into a simple bun at the back of your head. In hand holding a cup of tea. Aunt Phuong stood half a step behind her.

"Grandmother."

Lam Ha walked into the yard. Ms. Tran Tu Lan raised her head. Those eyes are exactly like Lam Ha. But one thing more than her. A type of calm that only exists in people who have seen too many storms.

“Already here.”

Her voice is not loud. But it's very clear.

“Tieu Phuong, pour tea.”

Lam Ha sat down on the chair next to him. Aunt Phuong gave her a cup of tea. She took it and took a sip. Long Tinh Tea.

“Tieu Phuong told her.”

Mrs. Tran Tu Lan put down the tea cup and looked at her.

“Is that mandarin named Chu causing trouble for you?”

“What did he do?”

Lam Ha recounted the story of checking fire prevention. Including taking photos before. The whole thing about calling the police station to inquire about the case. Ms. Tran Tu Lan is not angry. Don't frown either. She just looked at the tallest pomegranate tree in the yard. It's like counting how many flowers there are on it.

“This kind of small character.”

She spoke slowly.

“When my grandfather was still alive, I had met someone ten times older than him.”

Lam Ha did not speak. She knows a little about her grandfather's story. Her maternal grandfather, Tran Thu Nghiep, was one of the first people to do construction materials business in this city. Starting from just a small store. Worked for forty years. At its peak, one-third of the city's construction materials market was in his hands. He passed away twelve years ago. Grandma did not take over the business. She handled most of the assets.