Chapter 5 — The Last Gift Is Goodbye

"Giang Duc Vinh approved this amount of money not without conditions. He asked Co Hoai Tham to use his right to enjoy the profits of the Southeast Asia real estate project as collateral. In other words, Co Hoai Tham used his wife's family's money to pay her debt, which means giving his most profitable project to his future father-in-law."

"So what?"

"So, even though he can keep the shares, within the next three months, Co Thi's cash flow will be interrupted. By then, the shares in his hand will just be a piece of paper."

I held the phone and thought for a long time.

"Can you help me analyze all of this, what is it all about?"

"I'll tell you another day."

He hung up. Tuesday, ten o'clock in the morning. Lawyer Vuong Van and I sat in the meeting room of Thinh Dat law office. Opposite was Co Hoai Tham and his legal team, a total of four people. Co Hoai Tham was wearing a black suit, and when he sat down he didn't even look at me.

"The contract is here." Vuong Van pushed the document over, "Three hundred million principal plus two million seven hundred thousand interest for breach of contract in three days, a total of three hundred and two million seven hundred thousand. After confirming the direct transfer, the original contract and notarized documents will be returned."

Tran Chi, Legal Director of Co Hoai Tham, received the document and flipped through each page. Ten minutes later, he nodded. Co Hoai Tham took out his phone to operate it for two minutes. My phone reported a text message receiving money from the bank — 302,700,000 VND. After Vuong Van confirmed that the money had entered her account, she handed over the original contract and notarized documents to the other party. Tran Chi took it and put it in his briefcase. The whole process was as silent as a war without gunshots. Co Hoai Tham stood up, buttoned his vest, and finally glanced at me.

"Lam Niem, this time you won."

"I don't intend to win or lose with you."

"So what do you want?"

"I want my money back. Now that I have it, the matter between us is over."

He stared at me for three seconds, then turned and walked away. The legal team quietly followed. The moment the door closed, Vuong Van breathed a sigh of relief.

"He was more cooperative than I thought."

I opened the banking app and looked at the transaction notification line. Three hundred million. Three years ago, for this money, I gave up the Vienna stage, giving up the most brilliant years of my life. Three years later, the money came back. But my fingers will never be the same again. When I left the law office, there were two cars parked downstairs. One is a taxi that Dao Nhien called. The other car is Tham Dien's Maybach. Dao Nhien stood next to the taxi waving to me.

"Nim Niem! Are you all done?"

"Done."

"That's great! Let's go, I'll invite you to eat hot pot to celebrate!"

I glanced at the Maybach. The car window rolled down, Tham Dien leaned in the back seat, slightly raising his chin.

"Congratulations."

"When you're free, I have something to discuss with you."

"What's going on?"

"About your hand."

The smile on my lips disappeared.

"There's nothing to talk about in my hand. Three fingers are broken. The doctor said it can't be recovered."

"That's what the local doctor said."

"What do you mean?"

"Zurich University Hospital in Switzerland has a team specializing in hand neurosurgery. Last year they were Performing a similar neurorehabilitation surgery, the success rate is 60%."

I stood still in the wind, speechless. Over the past three years I have seen more than ten doctors, none of whom gave me more than 10% hope.

"The documents are in the car." He said, "If you want to see it, come up here."

Dao Nhien stood next to me and pulled my sleeve: "Nien Niem, do you know this person?"

"We've known each other for...not long."

"Go to Maybach, license plate Kinh A00001 that you said you haven't known for a long time?"

"Let's make it short."

I got into the Maybach. Dao Nhien stood there stunned, it wasn't until the taxi driver honked three times that she woke up. In the car, Tham Dien gave me a thick stack of English documents. I flipped through a few pages. All are medical documents and actual surgeries.

"How long will this surgery take?"

"The pre-operative assessment takes two weeks, the surgery itself lasts six to eight hours, rehabilitation afterward takes three to six months."

"Surgery fee plus recovery fee, about eight million yuan."

"I can afford it."

"I know you can pay, you just got your three hundred million back."

I looked up at him.

"So why are you telling me these things..."

"What you lack is not money, but time. The main surgeon of that Swiss team will go to Africa to do charity surgery next month, and then won't accept new patients for half a year. If you want to do it, you have to go there within the next two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"I've already scheduled a preliminary examination for you. Next Wednesday, in Zurich."

I closed the document.

"Tham Dien, who are you?"

He looked at me, not in a hurry to answer. A few seconds later, he spoke: "Someone wants to hear you play Chopin one more time."

"Is it that simple?"

"It's as simple as that."

I don't believe it. But I don't want to give up this opportunity.

"Okay. Next Wednesday, I'm going to Zurich."

Before going to Switzerland, there is still one thing that needs to be resolved. Dao Nhien helped me contact Mr. Weidmann, President of the Vienna Music Association. This old man is seventy-two years old and is a former classmate of my teacher - Professor Trieu at the Paris Conservatory of Music. When the call was connected, he spoke in English with a strong local accent: "Lam Niem? Oh my god, I thought you had retired."

"I retired, but now I want to come back."

"My hand—"

"Under treatment."

What do you need?"

"Backstage surveillance footage of the final of the International Piano Competition three years ago."

The other end of the line was silent.

"I gave up that match, the judges still feel very regretful."

"I didn't give up voluntarily, I was drugged."

"Before the match, someone put a drug that causes finger spasms in my drinking water. I need to watch the surveillance tape to confirm who did it."

"This is a crime, Lam Niem. You should report it to the police."

"I will report. But first I need a picture."

He thought for a moment.

"I personally don't have the right to extract, I have to follow the board's process. But if you can provide an official legal document — a lawyer's letter or a certificate of conviction — I can handle it quickly."

"Within three days I will send it to you."

"Then I'll wait for your papers."

After hanging up, I immediately contacted lawyer Vuong Van.

"Lawyer Vuong, do me a favor."

"Miss keep talking."