Chapter 9 — The Man Behind the Rain in Old Street

With the technical report from Mr. Kiet in hand, Bao Ngoc brought the entire evidence file to present to Phan Duc Long, who this time listened with a seriousness never seen before.

"This is a complete and convincing set of documents," Mr. Long said after carefully reviewing each document — Ms. Yen's testimony, Ms. Bay Lieu's testimony, the original investigation file from Mr. Tuan, and now the technical report on the suspicious land area. "But I still need to take this up with the editor's lawyer before we can decide on the next step. If we publish such a serious allegation without a strong legal basis, we could face a defamation lawsuit."

"I understand the need for caution," Bao Ngoc replied, "but I'm also concerned about the timing. Demolition work is scheduled to start in about three weeks."

"I will try to speed things up as much as possible," Mr. Long promised, although his voice still could not hide the worry.

***

While waiting for a response from the editor's lawyer, Bao Ngoc decided to find a parallel path - contacting the police directly to report new evidence related to the disappearance thirty years ago, hoping to prompt an official investigation to be reopened.

She and Nhat Quang went to the district police headquarters and presented the entire incident to an investigator assigned to receive it. The young investigator, named Captain Hoang Minh Duc, listened attentively, carefully recording every detail.

"This is a complicated case that has existed for thirty years," Captain Duc said after hearing the whole story. "I need time to carefully review the records you provided, and consult with superiors before deciding whether to reopen the official investigation or not."

"We understand, captain," Nhat Quang said, his voice filled with urgency. "But we are really concerned about time. The area in question could be completely destroyed within the next three weeks, when construction work by Bao Long Group begins."

Captain Duc pondered for a moment, his eyes clearly showing serious consideration. "I will present this matter to my superiors with the highest priority," he said. "If the evidence is convincing enough, we can apply for an urgent search warrant to protect the scene before it is destroyed."

Leaving the police headquarters, Bao Ngoc and Nhat Quang felt both hopeful and worried about the uncertainty of the legal process. "We did everything in our power," Bao Ngoc said, trying to reassure both himself and Nhat Quang. "Now we can only wait and hope the legal system will act quickly enough."

"I believe you," Nhat Quang replied, naturally taking her hand, a gesture that had become familiar between the two in recent weeks. "No matter the outcome, I'm grateful to you for everything you've done."

***

Three days later, while Bao Ngoc was working at the newspaper, she received an unexpected call from an unfamiliar phone number. "Miss Dinh Bao Ngoc, right?" A deep, polite but authoritative male voice rang out on the other end of the line.

"Yes, I'm Bao Ngoc. Who is calling?" she asked, an uneasy feeling rising in her heart.

"I am Sun Bao Long's personal secretary," the voice replied. "The chairman wants to invite you to his office to discuss directly about the reportage you are working on."

Bao Ngoc's heart beats faster. This is the first time, after all those days of silent investigation, Ton Bao Long's side officially contacted her directly. "When does he want to see me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Tomorrow afternoon, at three o'clock, at the corporate office," the voice replied. "The president hopes you can arrange the time."

After hanging up the phone, Bao Ngoc sat quietly for a long time, her heart still beating rapidly. She immediately called Phan Duc Long to inform her of this unexpected call.

“This could be an opportunity, but it could also be a trap,” Mr. Long said, his voice filled with worry. "He may be trying to find out how much we know, so he can take appropriate countermeasures. You need to be extremely cautious."

"I'll go," Bao Ngoc decided, her voice steady. "This could be my chance to observe his reaction directly, and maybe, however slim, he will reveal something important."

"I will go with you," Thanh Son said as soon as he heard the news, his voice determined. "You shouldn't face him alone."

Bao Ngoc nodded in agreement, even though in her heart she knew that, no matter how many companions she had, the upcoming meeting with Ton Bao Long would be one of the most difficult and dangerous challenges in her entire investigative journey up to this point.

***

That evening, Bao Ngoc stopped by the Late Night Lights bookstore to inform Nhat Quang about the upcoming meeting with Ton Bao Long. His face immediately tensed up when he heard the news, his hands clasped tightly together.

“You shouldn't go alone,” he said, his voice filled with worry. "I want to go with you."

"I can't go with you, Quang," Bao Ngoc replied gently but firmly. "If he saw you, he would know immediately that this investigation directly involves Nhat Lan's family, and that could cause him to become more wary, or worse, take drastic actions to protect himself before we can complete the file."

Nhat Quang sighed, realizing the logic of her argument even though his heart was still filled with insecurity. “I understand,” he said. "But I'll wait to hear from you as soon as the meeting is over. If I don't hear anything within an hour of the appointment, I'll call the police."

"It's a reasonable precaution," Bao Ngoc agreed, touched by his thoughtful concern. "Thank you for always worrying about my safety."

"I'm not just worried because of the investigation," Nhat Quang said, his voice becoming softer, more sincere. "I'm worried because you are an important person to me, Bao Ngoc. Not only the person who is helping me find the truth about my sister, but also..." He hesitated, as if looking for the right words to express the emotions welling up in his heart.

"What else?" Bao Ngoc asked softly, her heart beating faster at that meaningful hesitation.

"And someone I care about in a way that I've never felt for anyone else, since my sister disappeared," Nhat Quang said, his eyes looking straight into her eyes, sincere and earnest. "I know this is not the most appropriate time to say this, when everything is still so uncertain and dangerous. But I don't want to stay silent any longer."

Bao Ngoc felt her heart vibrate strongly at that sincere confession. "I feel the same thing, Quang," she replied, her voice shaking with emotion. "But you're right, this is not the right time for us to completely indulge in these emotions. We need to focus on finding the truth first."

"I agree," Nhat Quang said, gently holding her hand. "But I want you to know that, no matter what happens next, my feelings for you are real, and I'm willing to wait until we can truly spend time together, unencumbered by the darkness of the past."

Bao Ngoc nodded, squeezed his hand, feeling a new warmth and strength spread throughout his body before entering the upcoming dangerous meeting with the man who may have been the one who caused tragedy to his family for the past thirty years.

Before leaving the bookstore, she stopped at the door and turned to look at Nhat Quang again. "No matter what happens tomorrow," she said softly, "I want you to know that meeting you, accompanying you on this journey, is one of the most meaningful things that has ever happened to my life."

Nhat Quang smiled, a rare warm smile amid the recent stressful days. "Get home safe tonight, and be careful tomorrow," he said. "I'll be counting the minutes until I hear from you."

On the way back to the apartment, Bao Ngoc felt her heart mixed with many emotions - happiness at the budding love, anxiety at the upcoming risky meeting, and an iron determination that, no matter what happened, she would never back down from the truth that she had persistently pursued for many weeks.