Chapter 20 — The Promise of a Demobilized Soldier

Bao Chau stood in the middle of the stage, connecting the tablet to the hall's large projection screen. The first image that appears is a chart comparing Dong Thinh's agricultural product purchase price with the actual market price for each month for three consecutive years. Dong Thinh's red line continuously drops suddenly during peak harvest months, then skyrockets in the off-season months.

"This is public data, compiled from Dong Thinh Group's annual financial report, compared with market prices recorded from many independent sources." She spoke, her voice clear, without the slightest tremor. "You can see, at the exact time farmers need to sell most urgently for fear of spoiled agricultural products, Dong Thinh's purchasing price is always twenty to thirty percent lower than the market. This is not a random fluctuation of the market, but a pattern that repeats intentionally for many years."

The whispers began to spread throughout the hall, many agricultural partners present began to look at each other, some of them, who had signed similar contracts with Dong Thinh, their faces showed shock when they realized they had also been victims without knowing it.

"This is just a one-sided interpretation." Chan Vi immediately objected, still trying to keep his voice calm. "It is normal for agricultural product market prices to fluctuate according to supply and demand. It cannot be attributed to intentional price forcing."

"Then please, Mr. Vi, continue watching this part." Bao Chau did not flinch and moved to the next slide, displaying a comparison table between the list of farmers who had signed offtake contracts with Dong Thinh and the list of land that had been transferred to the group's subsidiaries in the past five years. "These are sixty-three specific cases, with names, addresses, and clear data, showing that after signing off-take contracts and being subjected to continuous price pressure, these farming households were forced to borrow more to maintain production, then eventually lost their land because they could not repay the debt. The land then appeared in the assets of Dong Thinh's own subsidiaries. This cannot be a coincidence on such a large scale."

Chan Vi began to clearly feel confused, but still tried to salvage it. "Those land transactions are completely legal, fully notarized, it cannot be said that we are intentionally suppressing them. Farmers voluntarily borrow and voluntarily sell land when they cannot repay their debts, that is normal civil relations."

"If you say so, I invite you to hear it directly from the people involved." Thanh Phong spoke up and gestured towards the end of the hall.

Mr. Tu and Mr. Ca Duong, under the escort of two young veterans, slowly walked forward in the middle of the hall, all eyes focused on the two old farmers with austere but determined looks. Mr. Tu, his hands shaking but his voice still clear, told his entire story, from the first days of signing a promising contract, to being pressured on prices, falling into a spiral of debt, and finally losing most of the land he had built up all his life.

"I don't have to sell the land voluntarily." Mr. Tu spoke, his voice choked with emotion and resentment pent up for many years. "I was cornered, I had no other choice. If someone says this is a voluntary agreement, I would like to ask Mr. Vi directly, do you know the feeling of seeing the land left by your ancestors fall into the hands of others, then having to work on that land yourself to make a living?"

The entire hall was plunged into heavy silence. Mr. Duong continued, his voice was low but full of the weight of an experienced person. "I represent five other farming households who are also present with all the documents, ready to testify at any time the authorities request. This is not the matter of just one or two people, but of an entire system that has silently extracted the sweat and tears of our farmers for many years."

Diep Chan Long, standing below, his face turned pale when he saw the situation turning completely out of control, he quickly signaled Scar to come closer to the stage area, intending to violently intervene to stop it. But as soon as he lifted his foot forward, Ben and three other veterans, who had silently mixed into the crowd from the beginning of the ceremony in the name of event support staff arranged by Mr. Vinh, stood right in front, with cold but menacing eyes of those who had experienced real battlefields.

"There are a lot of people here, so think carefully about whatever you do." Ben spoke, his voice low but strong enough to make Scar stop, not daring to take another step.

Realizing that the situation was completely out of control, Chan Vi changed tactics, trying to separate responsibility. "What happens in the wholesale market area is managed separately by my younger brother. I do not understand all the details of its operations. As for offtake contracts, that is the decision of the agricultural business department. I am only the head of the group in terms of overall strategy, not directly managing each specific contract."

"Mr. Vi, this is the financial report with your direct signature and approval for the entire seasonal purchasing price policy, applied uniformly to all subsidiaries." Bao Chau immediately brought up the next slide, an enlarged image of Chan Vi's own signature and stamp of approval on the internal policy document that she had collected through an anonymous source within Dong Thinh, who was also fed up with the group's way of doing business. "This is not a subordinate's decision, sir."

Chan Vi stood silently, his face completely losing its usual self-confidence for the first time, with no words left to justify in the face of clear evidence. After a long, breathless silence, he suddenly burst out laughing, a cold, bitter laugh.

"Okay, I admit." He spoke, his voice sharp, no longer the fake warmth. "Yes, I did that. But do you know, the market is inherently a battlefield, the strong survive, the weak must give way, that's an eternal law. I don't force anyone, I just take advantage of my advantages to develop, to create thousands of jobs, to contribute to the local budget. Do you think, without me, would those farmers be able to sell their agricultural products at a better price somewhere else? At least I give them a way, even if it means paying the price."

"That's not creating a road, that's a deliberate debt trap to steal land." Thanh Phong stepped up, stood on par with Bao Chau, his voice rang out sharply. "Mr. Vi, I used to be a soldier. I understand clearly what a real battlefield is, where people fight to protect each other, not to trample each other but to survive. You can justify it with any business argument, but the truth is still the truth, you used power and money to deprive dozens of families of their livelihoods, who only wanted a piece of land to farm and feed themselves."

Journalist Pham Thi Nhan, standing quietly in the corner of the hall, recorded everything that had just happened, stepping forward, her voice clear. "The entire content of today's session, along with the detailed investigation dossier, will be officially published in the newspaper within the next hour. The denunciation was also submitted to the economic police agency this morning. I think, the partners present here today deserve to know the truth before continuing any cooperation with Dong Thinh Group."

Mr. Le Hoang Vinh, from the guest seats, stood up, being the first among the partners to speak publicly. "I would like to withdraw all cooperation with Dong Thinh from today, and I would like to immediately restore the contract with Binh Minh Agricultural Products Company." That decisive statement was like a domino effect, causing many other partners in the hall to start whispering, many people also revealed similar intentions.

Chan Vi stood rooted to the stage, looking around the hall that was gradually turning its back on him. For the first time in twenty years of building a business empire, he clearly felt the feeling of power slipping from his hands right before his eyes, in the middle of the ceremony that should have been the glorious pinnacle of his entire career.

Diep Chan Long, no longer able to maintain his composure, rushed straight towards the stage, loudly pointing his finger at Thanh Phong's face. "You ruined everything for my brothers, do you think you're a hero? I won't leave you alone." He waved his hands to rush forward, but was immediately held tightly on both sides by Ben and two other veterans, not with brute force, but simply with a strong, unshakable blocking position, the kind of steel discipline that was ingrained in every soldier who had ever undergone training.

"Mr. Long, things have come to this point. The more chaos you cause, the more trouble you will get in front of the law." Lawyer Doan Bao Nghia, just in time to be present after completing the application procedures, entered the hall at the right time, sounded a warning, and held up a copy of the complaint that had been received and stamped by the police. "The entire file has been officially accepted since this morning. Any acts of obstructing witnesses at this time can be considered aggravating circumstances."

Chan Long paused, looked at the paper in lawyer Vu's hand, then looked around the hall, where everyone's eyes were focused on him with undisguised contempt, and finally let his hands drop, stepping back in helplessness and resentment.

Thanh Phong turned to look at Bao Chau, the two exchanged a wordless look but filled with many emotions, from relief, pride, to a deep understanding that they had completed the most difficult journey together. He turned to look at Mr. Tu and Mr. Ca Duong, the two old farmers were now standing straighter than ever, their eyes no longer filled with fear and resignation as before, but filled with the dignity of people who had just regained a fair voice for themselves.

"Today," Thanh Phong said, his voice rang out in the hall, not only towards Chan Vi and Chan Long, but towards everyone present, "I want to speak on behalf of a friend, a deceased comrade of mine, who once sacrificed part of his body to save my life on the battlefield. He told me, before he died, to protect his wife and children to the end. Today, I can do that, not only because of my personal promise, but also because of justice. for all those who have been oppressed by those who take advantage of power to trample on the weak. The honor of a soldier, and of the families of the fallen, can never be bought, sold or trampled."

Applause rang out sporadically at first, then spread throughout the hall, not for Dong Thinh or the elaborately prepared twenty-year anniversary speech, but for the truth that had just been revealed, and for the people who courageously stood up to reclaim justice for themselves and for those who could no longer speak for themselves.