Chapter 15 — The Promise of a Demobilized Soldier

According to the address provided by Sau Tao, Thanh Phong and Bao Chau found Mr. Lam Van Tu's small house deep in an alley on the outskirts of the city, which used to be part of the nearly two-hectare plot of land that he cultivated for decades before losing most of it to Dong Thinh. The house is old, the corrugated iron roof is rusted in many places, and surrounded by small vegetable beds that he grows to be self-sufficient on the little remaining land.

Mr. Tu, a man in his sixties, with a thin figure and tanned skin, was initially very wary when he saw two strangers coming to ask questions. Only when Thanh Phong introduced himself as a veteran, owner of Binh Minh Agricultural Products Company, and clearly stated the reason for wanting to learn about what happened to his land, did his eyes become less cautious, but there was still a deep-rooted fear over the years.

"What are you guys looking for me for?" Mr. Tu asked, his voice hoarse, his hands still twirling the worn-out hem of his shirt. "The matter of my land has been over for a long time, bringing it up now is of no use, it will only make me more miserable."

"Uncle Tu." Bao Chau gently spoke, his voice full of sympathy. "We have no intention of disturbing your life any more. But we believe that what happened to you is not an isolated case, but is part of an organized system of oppression that Dong Thinh Group has applied to many other farming households in the area over the years. If you agree to share your story, it can be important evidence to help reveal the truth and prevent them from continuing to do the same thing to other families."

Mr. Tu was silent for a long time, his eyes looking out at the small yard, where there used to be a lush green vegetable field before being reduced to just a few small beds. Finally, he sighed and began to tell his story in a heavy, bitter voice.

Five years ago, Dong Thinh's representative came to him and offered to sign a contract to cover all of his family's vegetable output for five years, along with a preferential loan to invest in new varieties and a more modern irrigation system. Initially, everything went smoothly, the purchasing price was quite good in the first year, making him confident, even introducing a few neighboring farmers to join. But in the second year, right at the main harvest, Dong Thinh began to cite the terms of quality standards, claiming that most of his output did not meet uniform size standards, refusing to purchase at the committed price, forcing him to sell off to another granary at a much lower price to avoid damage.

"I suffered a heavy loss in that case, not enough to pay the due loan." Mr. Tu said, his voice choked. "They offered to lend me more money to manage. At that time, I had no other choice but had to sign again. Just like that, year after year, debt piled up on debt. By the fourth year, I could no longer pay. They offered a plan to offset with land. I had to hand over nearly one and a half hectares of land to clear the debt. I could only keep this little bit to have a place to live."

"Do you still keep the original contract and loan documents, Mr. Tu?" Thanh Phong asked, trying to keep his voice calm even though his heart was seething with anger at the story he had just heard.

Mr. Tu hesitated for a moment, then stood up, rummaged through an old wooden chest placed in the corner of the house, and took out a set of papers that were yellowed with time but still kept carefully. "I kept it all, even though I didn't think I would ever need to use it, I just kept it as evidence of my sweat and tears on that land."

Bao Chau carefully looked through each page of documents, compared them with what she had learned before, and confirmed that everything matched what they suspected about Dong Thinh's tricks. This is the most vivid and specific evidence they need to prove that the entire suppression system has been built in a sophisticated and intentional manner.

"Uncle Tu, I know this request is very difficult, but I hope you can agree to testify publicly, along with this evidence, to help reveal the truth." Thanh Phong said, his voice sincere. "I promise, I will not let you face any consequences alone. I will ask a lawyer to give you full legal support, and all my fellow veterans will stand up to protect your family's safety."

Mr. Tu looked at Thanh Phong for a long time, his eyes full of hesitation mixed with fragile hope. "I'm so scared, brothers and sisters. They have money and power. I'm just a humble old farmer. I'm afraid that if I say something, I'll cause more suffering."

"You don't have to decide right now." Bao Chau gently reassured. "Just think carefully, we'll be back in a few days. But you should know, you're not the only one. We've found at least sixty cases similar to yours, and there will be many more if the truth is exposed."

Leaving Mr. Tu's house, Thanh Phong immediately contacted lawyer Doan Bao Nghia and an acquaintance journalist named Pham Thi Nhan, specializing in writing the economic section for a reputable local newspaper, who he knew was always interested in social justice issues in the agricultural sector. Both agreed to support, lawyer Vu was in charge of the legal part, ensuring all evidence was collected according to the correct process and had solid legal value, while journalist Nhan began to quietly investigate further, cross-verifying information from many different independent sources to ensure objectivity before publishing anything.

"This will be a long and risky war, Mr. Phong." Lawyer Vu said in the first planning meeting. "Dong Thinh has a strong team of lawyers with extensive connections. They will not easily let this matter go public without protest. You need to prepare yourself for more drastic responses."

Thanh Phong nodded, his eyes determined. "I understand that clearly. But if no one dares to start, justice will never come to people like Uncle Tu, like dozens of other families who are silently suffering out there."

Three days later, as promised, Thanh Phong and Bao Chau returned to Mr. Tu's house. This time, he was no longer alone, but with the presence of another older man, with a dignified appearance, respectfully called Mr. Ca Duong by people in the area, who was considered a village elder, unofficially representing a group of farmers in the area on the outskirts of the city who had been more or less involved in Dong Thinh's off-take contracts.

"Tu called me over and told me about you guys asking about me." Mr. Elder Duong spoke first, his voice was deep but full of power of an experienced person. "I also had nearly an acre of land that they took away in the same way, as did several other households around here. For a long time, everyone has been silent out of fear, but hearing what you guys are doing, I think it's time to speak up."

He added that besides himself and Mr. Tu, there were at least five other households in the area who were willing to testify if they had adequate legal protection and support, because everyone had suffered for so long, just waiting for someone to take the lead, creating confidence that this time the truth really had a chance to be exposed without having to suffer the consequences alone.

Journalist Pham Thi Nhan, after being introduced by Thanh Phong, directly met and recorded each story of Mr. Tu, Mr. Ca Duong and several other farmer households, carefully comparing it with the paperwork that Bao Chau had compiled. As a reporter with many years of experience in economic investigation, Ms. Nhan clearly understands the sensitivity and risk of this series of articles, so she is always careful to cross-verify every detail before agreeing to record it as official evidence.

"I have written many articles about the inadequacies in agricultural contracts, but this is the first time I have seen such a methodically and sophisticatedly organized system." Ms. Nhan said to Thanh Phong after the first meeting, her voice was both surprised and indignant. "If we have enough solid evidence, this will be a series of articles with great weight, enough to force the authorities to officially investigate."

From there, a network silently formed, connecting Thanh Phong, Bao Chau, lawyer Vu, journalist Nhan, along with Mr. Tu, Mr. Ca Duong and a group of farmers who agreed to testify, all aiming for a common goal: to expose the truth about the system of oppression that the Diep brothers have quietly built over the years on this land of Tan Hoa, so that justice can finally be returned to the small-minded people who have suffered for too long in silence.