Chapter 13 — The owner of the car shop behind the school gate

Vy told her father the truth the night he returned from the meeting.

Her living room has a long table made of dark wood, on which miniature models of Van Hung's cars are often placed. Mr. Mai Duc Thanh took off his watch, placed it next to his cup of tea, and looked at the garage procedure that Vy printed out.

“Do you want me to see this first, or do you want to talk about the sign-off?”

“Let's talk first.”

Vy told from the beginning: she was given the key, a group of students formed a club, a renovation project with the Van Hung logo, rumors, the story of the spare parts box and what Khoa said. She doesn't tell it in a way that benefits her. She spoke even when she doubted Khoa, even when she had to prove it to himself.

Dad listened to everything and only asked one question: "What do you think my signature means?"

"I don't know. That's why I asked."

He opened the computer and found file number 24-ANH. On the screen is a sponsorship form for a traffic survey around the school, with Van Hung's seal and his electronic signature. The budget clearly states: hire an independent survey unit, organize three consultation sessions, and do not use student names for advertising purposes without consent.

Vy read each line. She felt a little lighter, but could not yet breathe a sigh of relief.

“So why does the sketch have the garage as an advertising area?”

"That was the plan created by the marketing department to convince the school board to allow the survey. Father signed the survey budget, not the construction plan."

“Do you know if the students are understanding differently?”

He was silent. The answer lies in that silence.

Vy put down the procedure sheet. "If a drawing is presented first and important notes are omitted, people will believe the image. The same goes for the school. Dad told me not to use the name Van Hung, but my signature is still there."

“You want me to withdraw from the project?”

"I want you to publicize the scope of the signature, and let the school hire an independent party to check. If Van Hung's plan is good, it will still stand without the logo."

He leaned back in his chair. Many years of working in business have made him accustomed to making quick decisions, rarely having to explain each step to people who do not have the authority to sign. His daughter is asking him to do what he once considered weak: let others ask questions before they trust.

“You can send an explanation to Ms. Van,” he said. “But you also have to accept it if the school doesn't choose your company.”

“I accept.”

“And if they choose?”

“There must be a separate contract, publicizing costs, and supervision of students and parking garage users.”

He looked at Vy, for the first time he didn't seem to look at her like a protesting little girl. “Where did you learn these things?”

“One car had a flat tire, a box of spare parts was taken by mistake, and people had to push the car across the yard on foot because there was no ramp.”

Father laughed softly. That smile doesn't erase the tension, but it makes the room less cold.

The next morning, he sent an email to Ms. Van and the school board, attaching a confirmation: Van Hung only sponsored the survey phase; any advertising images in sketches that have not been approved; The school has the right to invite other units. He proposed to release the documents in an open meeting.

Quynh Chi's message arrived right when Vy read the email. "Did your father really send it? Can't you lighten it up?"

“No. This time leave the part that is easily questioned intact.”

Khoa read the confirmation at the garage. He didn't praise, just asked: "Do you have the right to see that document?" Are not?"

“Father sent it to the group through Ms. Van.”

"Good. Because transparency is not just about saying more, but about telling the right things to those who have the right to know.”

In the afternoon, Huy brought a self-made wooden board. On the board there are four boxes: money in, money out, borrowed items, unanswered questions. He said he wanted to be in charge of the club's finances.

“Aren't you afraid that people will tell you to change sides?” Vy asked.

“I'm not changing sides. I changed the way I read the data.”

Khoa taps on the "unanswered questions" box. “There's still a lot.”

Vy looked at the list. There are questions about safety, wheelchair access, noise, site rights, construction deadlines and who is responsible if an accident occurs. She added another sentence: "Who benefits, who pays the price, and is there a way for not just one side to benefit?"

When the garage closed, Khoa gave Vy an oil pen. “Write that sentence in the middle of the board.”

Vy followed suit. She knew that telling the truth to her father was only the first step. From tomorrow, she must tell the truth to the group, to the school, and to herself: she is not here to save a garage. She's here to learn not to make decisions for others.

The next morning, Vy told Quynh Chi about the conversation with her father before telling the whole group. She was afraid the family story would turn into a performance. Quynh Chi said to talk about each necessary part, there is no need to bring personal life into it.

During the meeting, Vy announced the scope of the signature: survey funding, no construction approval. She handed over the document, clearly indicating which pages were allowed to be quoted and which pages needed to be confirmed by the school. Huy asked why she didn't give the entire file. Vy said because not all documents are within her right to share.

One friend asked if her father changed his mind, would the project stop? Vy replied that she could, if funding was the only condition. Therefore, the group needs a plan that does not depend on one business. Huy took a pen, circled the missing amount and proposed crowdfunding.

Khoa asked Mrs. Man if she wanted to appear in the profile. She said she only wanted to record the shop's history, not portraits. Quynh Chi respected and used photos of the table and the weld marks. Vy feels that telling a story correctly sometimes means leaving out the most emotional part.

Father sent an explanation through Ms. Van. He admits that the marketing image has led readers to misunderstand the scope of the survey too much. Some teachers thanked, some parents asked why this was not clear from the beginning. No one is asked to forgive immediately.

Vy read the response and felt her heart heavy. She used to expect her father to write a perfect sentence. But a true admission is often jagged, with gaps and follow-up questions.

Khoa gave her the "second examiner" card. He said documents from Van Hung had to be read by someone outside her family before being included in the report. Vy agreed, even though she knew it might slow things down.

Huy asked if she felt treated differently. Vy says yes, but the difference is not always unfair. In this case, one needs an extra layer of vetting because her interests are tied to the company. It is important that that layer of testing is applied transparently, and does not turn into a punishment.

In the afternoon, the group went to survey a slope behind the school. A shopping cart got stuck. Vy helped push but was not strong enough. Khoa found a plank to make a temporary bridge. Huy measured the slope, and Quynh Chi asked the delivery person if this method was safe.

The delivery person said the slope was a bit high, but if there were handrails it would be okay. They record it, not considering themselves solved.

Vy realized that telling the truth to her father did not end in the living room. It pulled her to places where she had to ask others if her ideas could actually be used. She no longer wants to be the person standing between the company and the school. She wants to be the person who knows how to step back so that both sides can hear each other directly.

After the meeting, Ms. Van assigned Vy to be in charge of the minutes but asked not to summarize the difficult questions herself. Each question must be recorded verbatim, the questioner and the answerer. Vy used to think it was a mechanical thing; When she read it again, she saw that the word "may" had been changed to "will" in the draft.

She corrected it immediately, noting the reason for the correction. Huy said readers do not like documents with many traces. Quynh Chi replied that traces help know where a sentence has changed. Faculty asked who had the right to approve the final version. Ms. Van said the group did not approve, only confirmed the content they heard.

Vy sent the minutes to her father as a participant, without asking him to edit them. He responded that one of his sentences was missing a condition. Vy checked the authorized recording, added it and wrote "verified". Father thanked her and did not ask her to delete the sentence that made the company uncomfortable.

In the afternoon, the group went to ask students if they understood the explanation. One person said the term "scope of sponsorship" is difficult. Vy changed it to "What is this money used for, what has it not been used for?" Ms. Van agreed. Documents become longer, but readers have less guessing.

Khoa watched her work and said she was starting to look like a process planner. Vy told him not to turn it into a tease. Khoa replied that he was praising. She said that must be recorded in the book.

When leaving, Vy sent the group a message: "Tomorrow everyone brings a question that they haven't dared to ask." Khoa answered first: "Who will say if we do wrong?" Vy typed further: “And who will listen?”

Ms. Van replied in the group with one sentence: "The school will listen, but the group must write down so no one can overhear." Vy added a message reminding people not to send private information to the public group. Huy said they could make an anonymous mailbox, Quynh Chi agreed if someone checked periodically.

Khoa asked if the mailbox could be used for slander. Vy replied yes, so all reflections must be checked before drawing conclusions. The whole group agreed not to repost the accusations verbatim without verification.