Chapter 6 — The Man Behind the Rain in Old Street

On Monday morning, Bao Ngoc brought the entire consolidated file to Phan Duc Long, detailing the latest findings — Ms. Huynh Thi Yen's testimony, a copy of the original investigation file from Mr. Ly Cong Tuan, and information about Bao Long Group's upcoming demolition schedule.

Mr. Long examined each document carefully, his face becoming increasingly serious. "This is a very convincing dossier," he said after reading it. "But I need to present this to the editorial board before we can proceed with any further steps, especially obtaining permission to survey the mansion garden."

"I understand," Bao Ngoc replied. "But we don't have much time left. Demolition work is scheduled to start in the next six weeks."

"I will try to speed up the process," Mr. Long promised, although his voice was still a little worried. "But you also need to prepare yourself mentally, Bao Ngoc. This is an extremely sensitive topic, and I'm not sure the leadership will fully support it."

That afternoon, Mr. Long convened a meeting with the senior editorial board to present the new investigation topic. Bao Ngoc waited for the results in a state of suspense mixed with anxiety, sitting at his desk, trying to focus on other tasks but his mind kept thinking about the ongoing meeting.

Near the end of the afternoon, Mr. Long returned, his expression carrying an unpredictable complexity. "The editorial board agrees to let you continue the investigation," he said, making Bao Ngoc breathe a sigh of relief for a moment. "But with the condition that all information must be verified extremely strictly before posting, and you must report progress regularly. This is a topic that can have a great impact on the editorial's advertising relationships, so the management wants to strictly control it."

"I understand and will fully comply," Bao Ngoc replied, although in her heart she felt a vague wariness about the excessively cautious attitude of the leadership.

***

With official approval, Bao Ngoc and Thanh Son began conducting the necessary procedures to request permission to survey the Ton family mansion area in the name of researching and preserving urban architectural heritage — a legal approach to gain access to the garden without directly confronting Ton Bao Long from the beginning.

"We need to contact the Department of Culture to ask for official support," Thanh Son said, as the two were drafting the permit application. "If there is official sponsorship from state agencies, access to the area will be much more convenient, and it will also be difficult for Bao Long Group to refuse outright."

Bao Ngoc nodded in agreement, spending the afternoon drafting a research proposal, emphasizing the historical architectural value of the mansion built in 1932, which is eligible to be considered for recognition as an urban architectural monument. This was not entirely a disguise — the mansion actually had architectural value worth preserving, which made her proposal even more plausible and difficult to refute.

While waiting for a response from the Department of Culture, Bao Ngoc took the time to visit the Late Night bookstore more often, not only to update the progress of the investigation with Nhat Quang, but also realized that she increasingly looked forward to the moments she could chat with him, beyond the scope of work.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Nhat Quang asked one afternoon, when Bao Ngoc stopped by after work to update the survey permit situation. "I just cooked a pot of sour soup, my favorite dish."

Bao Ngoc smiled, feeling a spreading warmth at that simple but sincere invitation. "I'm happy to stay," she replied.

They had dinner in the cozy space of the bookstore, the soft yellow light shining through the old bookshelves, creating a rare peaceful atmosphere amid the stressful days of the investigation. "You know," Nhat Quang said, as they ate, "I've never cooked for anyone but myself in many years. This bookstore, my life, has become quite lonely since my parents passed away."

"Haven't you ever thought about building your own family?" Bao Ngoc asked, curious about his personal life.

Nhat Quang shook his head, his eyes slightly sad. "I always feel like I have an unfinished responsibility - finding the truth about Ms. Nhat Lan. I don't want to start a new life when the past is still hanging in the air, not fully resolved."

"I understand that feeling," Bao Ngoc said, her voice filled with empathy. "Sometimes, we need to close a chapter so we can truly move on to a new one."

"Maybe, with your help, I can finally do it," Nhat Quang said softly, his eyes looking at her with deep respect, mixed with a new emotion that both of them began to recognize but no one dared to name clearly.

That evening, when Bao Ngoc left the Midnight Lamp bookstore and walked under the yellow streetlight of the ancient street, she clearly felt that, amid the stressful journey of the investigation, something warm and precious was gradually blooming in her heart - a feeling that she had never expected when she accepted the assignment to write an article about a seemingly simple folk legend.

***

Three days later, the Department of Culture responded to the research proposal, agreeing to issue a dispatch supporting the survey of the architectural value of the Ton family's mansion, with the condition that the current owner's approval is required. Bao Ngoc held the official dispatch in her hand, feeling both happy and worried — this was an important step, but it meant that she would have to officially approach and ask for permission from Bao Long Group itself.

"I'll go with you," Thanh Son said, as they discussed how to approach the problem. "As a heritage survey team, we will look more professional and trustworthy if there are two people."

They drafted an official dispatch sent to the Bao Long Group office, requesting permission to survey the mansion area for the purpose of researching heritage conservation, attaching a supporting dispatch from the Department of Culture. Bao Ngoc deliberately did not mention any details regarding the actual investigation, keeping the proposal appearing completely neutral and academic.

"If Mr. Ton Bao Long knew the real purpose behind this request, he would definitely refuse immediately, or worse, would speed up the demolition process to erase all evidence before we could act," Bao Ngoc told Nhat Quang during an evening when they reviewed the plan together. "So we need to be extremely cautious in every step."

"I trust your prudence," Nhat Quang replied, looking at her with trusting eyes. "But I'm also worried about your safety. If he discovers your true intentions, he may react fiercely."

"I will be careful," Bao Ngoc reassured, although in her heart she could not deny that a similar worry existed. "But we've come too far to stop now."

A few days later, a call came from the Bao Long Group office, informing that the survey request had been reviewed and an official response would be received next week. Bao Ngoc put down the phone, feeling a new tension begin to rise in her heart, knowing that this would be an important turning point, deciding whether or not they could access the final physical evidence, before the fateful demolition work began and forever erased all traces of the truth that had been buried for thirty years.

She immediately called Thanh Son to share this news. “A week,” she said, her voice filled with worry. "We're only about five weeks away from the planned demolition, and now we have to wait another week just to find out if we'll get permission to survey."

"I understand time pressure," Thanh Son replied, his voice also full of thought. "But at least they haven't refused outright, which shows there's still hope. In the meantime, I think we should prepare a backup plan, in case the request is rejected."

"What's the backup plan?" Bao Ngoc asked, curious about his colleague's proposal.

"We can contact independent archaeological experts who may have other legal authority to request a survey of an area of historical value, especially if we can prove that the area is likely to contain evidence related to an unsolved criminal case," Thanh Son explained, his eyes filled with strategic calculation.

"That's a good idea," Bao Ngoc said, feeling somewhat reassured by her colleague's thoughtfulness. "I will contact several acquaintances in the field of archeology to explore this possibility while waiting for an official response."

That night, before going to bed, Bao Ngoc sat at his desk, looking out the window of his small apartment at the sparkling city lights stretching out in the distance. She thought about Nhat Lan, about Nhat Quang's family, about everything that was threatened by time passing day by day, and told herself that, no matter how difficult the road ahead was, she would not let this last chance slip away.