Chapter 25 — The Dignity of a Signature

There are people I don't know. Le Kha sat in the second row. She looked at me, smiling. Lieu Than sat next to him and clapped his hands. The mouth seemed to be saying something, but I couldn't hear it clearly. Phuong Khiet didn't know how to get tickets. Sit in the back row, hold up your phone to record a video. Tieu Tran and Chu Nhuy sat next to each other. Tieu Tran's expression was so exaggerated that it was funny. Hua Tu Tu sat at the end of the hall. Very quiet. Both hands are placed on top of the knees. Phuong Tri Vien sat in the front row of the guest area. He raised his cup of tea and nodded slightly at me. The applause gradually subsided. MC steps forward.

“Ms. Lam Ha, please express your thoughts on receiving the award.”

I hold the microphone. Think for a few seconds. At this exact moment... Hua Tu Tu also said a paragraph. That's what I wrote. But it was said from someone else's mouth. Now it's finally my turn to speak for myself.

“Thank you everyone.”

I opened my mouth.

“I don't want to say too much about my feelings.”

“Just wanted to say one thing.”

“A month ago…”

“…I wear a black uniform with the four words ‘officer’ printed on it…”

“…standing in the backstage of another stage…”

“…holding this very trophy in my hands.”

“Then my duty…”

“…is to give the trophy to someone else…”

“…then quietly retreated to the dark corner.”

Below is silence.

“…I stand here…”

“…using my own name…”

“…to receive it.”

I stopped for a moment.

“I don't intend to be thankful for the ways others have hurt me.”

“But those four years taught me something.”

“No one can take away your name.”

“Unless you agree.”

Applause broke out again. This time it took longer than before. I lowered my head to look at the small writing on the trophy.

“Designer: Lam Ha.”

No one will be able to change it anymore. The week after the additional awards ceremony… Tham Hao disappeared. No need to lose contact. But it completely disappears from the world. Tham Thi Designer's official account was deleted. Office building with paid premises. Even the sign in front of the door was taken down. Tieu Tran said, on the last day, he went back to pick up his personal belongings… …and saw the cleaning staff sweeping the hallway that was once filled with awards and certificates. The nails on the wall are still there. But all the certificates have been taken down. Leaving behind an empty white wall. There's nothing left. Ha Minh Chau also did not appear again. I heard she went back to her hometown. The house in Bich Lan Loan is still not for sale. Perhaps Tham Hao still can't bear it. But after the account was frozen by the investor… …where did the monthly installment money come from… …no one knows anymore. It was Hua Tu Tu who told me. Occasionally she still receives messages from Tham Hao. But never replied.

“The general sent me a text message.”

Hua Tu Tu took the stack of newly printed contracts and gave them to me, casually mentioning a sentence.

“He said his biggest regret…”

“…is not being able to see the person next to you clearly.”

I raised my head.

“Who is the person next to him that he talked about?”

"Don't know."

She put down the documents.

"Anyway, it's definitely not me."

"Teacher Lam, the concept plan for General Director Tran's project has been printed, do you want to see it first?"

“Leave it there.”

“I'll see this afternoon.”

She goes out. I flipped through the documents on the table. This is the concept plan for the eastern complex of Vien Hanh real estate. I lost my dad weeks to complete. One hundred and twenty pages. Including space planning, flow design, visual concepts for main functional areas and preliminary material proposals. Very confident. Because this is the first project completely titled "Lam Ha Design Studio". Every page at the foot of the paper… …is printed with my name. At two o'clock in the afternoon, all members of the "Nguyen Thach" alliance gathered at Le Kha's loft. Not a meeting. It's about celebration. Because the participation code for the International Design Exhibition has been sent down. The exhibition number of “Nguyen Thach” ranked seventeenth. The names and introductions of the five founding members' works will be printed in the exhibition's official catalog in bilingual Chinese and English. This is the most official appearance since "Nguyen Thach" was founded. It was also the first time I appeared at an international exhibition as an independent designer. Five people open a bottle of champagne in the loft. Lieu Than raised his glass and said one sentence:

“Respect the names that were once pressed down.”

Everyone clinked glasses. I took a sip. The feeling of air bubbles exploding on the tip of the tongue is a bit… …but very pleasant. In the evening on the way back to the apartment, I passed by Tham Thi's old office building. The building is still there. But the first floor premises have been replaced with a new rental sign. The second floor windows were dark. The third floor is also dark. I stood downstairs for a while. Four years ago, when this place was still a rough, unfinished house... ...I went with Tham Hao to see the premises. That day he was very excited. Holding my hand, I walked around the empty room. Say this corner places the desk. The other location is used as a display wall. The meeting room must have floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Every idea he said… …was later drawn into a design by me. The floor-to-ceiling glass door of the meeting room is truly beautiful. Now behind that glass… …there is only black. I watched for another two minutes then turned around and left. The phone rang. It's Lu Thanh Hoa.

“Lam Ha, there is something you should know.”

“Shen Hao is suing you.”

I stood under the streetlight.

“Sue me for what?”

“Infringement of trade secrets.”

“He said that during the marriage, she took advantage of her access to core company information…”

“…after leaving took customer resources with them.”

“Specifically, General Manager Tran of Vien Hanh Real Estate.”