Chapter 14 — The Heiress and Her Scholarship Friend

The large hall of Anh Duong school was filled with people on Saturday morning, when the final round of the Creative Science contest officially took place in front of a jury panel of five professors from prestigious universities, along with a large number of parents and students from the entire school.

Minh Dang's team presented near the end of the program, after watching Vu Khang's team's confident but somewhat lacking in practical depth. When it was their turn, all four walked onto the stage with a calmness that had been honed through weeks of careful preparation.

Khanh Vy opened the presentation, giving an overview of the problem of lack of clean water in low-income residential areas, before allowing Minh Dang to present the core part - the operating mechanism of the low-cost water filtration system that the group worked hard to develop. His voice rang out with confidence, mixed between accurate scientific knowledge and emotional real-life stories from the neighborhood where he lived, making the whole hall listen in silence.

When it came to the question-and-answer session, a judge suddenly asked a difficult question about the origin of the idea, indirectly referring to the anonymous article accusing plagiarism that was spreading on the school forum. Undeterred, Minh Dang calmly presented the entire detailed research diary day by day, along with a confirmation letter from the instructor about the independent development process, causing the judge to nod with satisfaction, leaving no further doubts.

"This is one of the most impressive presentations I have ever witnessed at the high school level," a professor commented after the competition ended, making the whole group unable to hide their joy.

The results were announced right after lunch: Minh Dang's team won the absolute first prize, meaning he officially received the full scholarship to study abroad that he had been silently striving for many months. Applause echoed throughout the hall when all four people stepped onto the podium to receive the award, Khanh Vy stood next to Minh Dang, her eyes sparkling with unconcealed pride.

Amidst the joy of victory, the jury also publicly mentioned the article accusing baseless plagiarism that was spreading, clearly affirming in front of the whole school that Minh Dang's group's project was completely original, and at the same time strictly warned against the act of spreading false information to discredit others - a statement that caused many eyes in the hall to accidentally glance at Vu Khang, who was sitting silently with a dark expression in the row below.

After the awards ceremony, when Minh Dang and his group of friends were taking souvenir photos, Vu Khang suddenly approached, his face tense but trying to keep calm in front of the crowd still surrounding him.

"Congratulations on the victory," he said, his voice harsh on every word, his eyes unable to hide the bitterness. "But don't think that an award can change reality."

"I don't compete to change any reality other than my own ability," Minh Dang replied, his voice calm but no less determined. "If you still have doubts about that, perhaps you should ask yourself why you need to resort to unwarranted tactics to feel safer."

That sharp answer made Vu Khang speechless for a moment, his eyes flashed with extreme anger before he turned and left in silence, not daring to respond further in front of so many people around him.

That evening, to celebrate their victory, Bao Tram suggested that the group go together to a small ice cream shop near the school - a place they had visited after the first group project presentation many weeks ago. A happy, intimate atmosphere enveloped the entire table, dispelling some of the pent-up tension over the past time.

"You know," Gia Huy said, raising his glass of orange juice in a toast, "I think today is not just the victory of a science project, but also the victory of proving that sometimes doing the right thing with sincerity can, in the end, overcome all evil tricks."

The whole group raised their glasses in unison and laughed together in that rare moment of happiness. Khanh Vy, sitting next to Minh Dang, tilted her head slightly, whispering just loud enough for him to hear: "I always believed you could do it. Right from the first day we met."

Minh Dang turned to look at her, his eyes filled with gratitude and a deep affection that could no longer be hidden. "Having your trust," he replied softly, "is more valuable than any award I have just received."

That warm moment, even though it was short in the middle of a crowded party, was still enough for both of them to realize more clearly than ever that no matter how many barriers the world around them tried to separate them with, the sincere bond between them continued to grow, just waiting for a suitable opportunity to be publicly acknowledged in front of everyone.

When the gathering ended, Bao Tram and Gia Huy excused themselves because they had to leave early, leaving Khanh Vy and Minh Dang to walk a short distance together along the deserted street under the warm yellow streetlights.

"Have you thought about where to study abroad?" Khanh Vy asked, trying to keep her voice gentle even though in her heart she could not avoid a vague worry about the geographical distance that might appear in the future.

"This scholarship allows me to choose between several partner schools," Minh Dang replied, "but honestly, I haven't thought that far ahead. There are too many things that need to be resolved here first."

Khanh Vy remained silent, clearly understanding the "too many things" he mentioned, including her, the approaching engagement, and the unclear future between them that neither of them could be sure of where it would go. "I'm glad you got what you deserved," she said after a pause, her voice sincere. "No matter what happens later, at least you have proven that background does not determine a person's worth."

"That's also what I learned from you," Minh Dang replied, turning to look at her under the streetlight, "that sometimes, the people who think they stand in the highest position are the ones who have to endure the most constraints and loneliness."

The two stopped before the intersection where they had to turn in two different directions to go home, standing there for a long time in silence, neither wanting to be the one to say goodbye first. Finally, Khanh Vy broke the silence with a quiet but powerful sentence: "I will find a way, Minh Dang. I will find a way so that we don't have to lose each other just because of things beyond our control."

Looking at that steadfast gaze under the pale yellow light, Minh Dang nodded, did not respond verbally, just gently squeezed her hand for a moment before the two parted ways in different directions, carrying in his heart a fragile but resilient hope, strong enough to withstand the family storm that was waiting to come in the coming days.

Meanwhile, at the Vu family mansion, Vu Khang sat alone in his father's office, holding the phone in his hand to call a strange number that he had saved in advance - a secret family business relationship that he knew could put direct pressure on Do Gia's already precarious financial situation. After a humiliating defeat at the competition, Vu Khang's severely damaged pride pushed Vu Khang to a decision much more reckless than the previous school bullying - a decision that he firmly believes will be enough to separate Khanh Vy and Minh Dang forever, even though the cost may be greater than he ever anticipated.

"Help me do something," Vu Khang said into the phone, his cold voice completely different from the impulsiveness he usually showed in front of his peers. "I need to know exactly how much debt Do Gia is currently carrying with Lam Gia's partner, and whether there is any way to accelerate the pressure to repay that debt within the next month."

The other end of the line was silent for a moment before raising a cautious questioning voice. After listening, Vu Khang slightly curled his lips and smiled coldly. "I don't care how you do it," he replied. "I just need results. And I will pay handsomely for this cooperation."

Hanging up the phone, Vu Khang leaned back in his chair, looking out the dark window outside, not feeling the slightest bit guilty about what he had just sown - a plot that, unbeknownst to him, would soon lead to consequences far beyond his own control, drawing both families into a crisis that none of them, including Vu Khang, could foresee the true severity.