Chapter 4 — The Promise of a Demobilized Soldier

The next morning, Thanh Phong left the briefing session to Ben, then drove himself to Bao Chau's house as soon as it was light. He brought a bag of fruit with him, like every time he visited before, even though he clearly knew this time would be different from any other time. This time he won't let Bao Chau reject him as easily as before.

As soon as he stopped the car in front of the gate, a scene that made him immediately hot-faced met his eyes. Right in the small yard of the house, two strange men, a big guy with tattoos on his arms stood blocking the door, a thinner guy holding a stack of papers and pointing at Bao Chau's face. She stood there, her arms tightly holding baby An who was hiding behind her mother, her face pale but her eyes still trying to maintain a strong look.

"Sister Chau, I'll say it again one last time." He was thinner, wore a tight shirt, his hair was combed shiny, his voice was cold. "Your husband owes a loan from my company three hundred million. Now that your husband has passed away, that debt is transferred to you, that's the law. If you don't have money to pay, then leave this house, I'll calculate the price for you, consider the debt even, you can move to another place to live, it's easy for both parties."

"Mr. Chan Long, I told you, my husband has never borrowed a penny from you." Bao Chau replied, his voice shaking but still trying to be firm. "I know every penny in my family's expense books. There are no loans like you said. Please bring the proof here. If it's my husband's signature, I'll take responsibility, but if it's fake, don't force me."

Diep Chan Long, whose name had just been called, smirked and waved his hand to signal the big guy to put the stack of papers in front of Bao Chau, far enough away that she couldn't see the details clearly. "Here's the signature. If you don't believe me, sue and see who's right and who's wrong in court. But I'll tell you in advance, there's no point in suing you. I have enough connections to let this last a year. How can you and your child survive waiting?"

At that moment, Thanh Phong walked through the gate, his voice rang out sharply, cutting through the tense atmosphere. "What's going on here?"

Both Chan Long and his two juniors turned to look at the tall man who had just appeared. Bao Chau also looked up, her eyes showing a bit of surprise mixed with a ray of relief, although she immediately tried to hide that emotion.

"Who are you to meddle in other people's affairs?" Chan Long frowned, his eyes assessed Thanh Phong from head to toe, recognizing his solid appearance and calm demeanor, different from the normal men he had ever met.

"I am a friend of Ms. Chau's husband, and the person who will settle all debts, if any, properly." Thanh Phong stepped forward, standing between Chan Long and Bao Chau mother and son. His voice remained calm but his eyes turned cold, the eyes of a person who once commanded an entire platoon on the line between life and death. "You said Chau's husband owes three hundred million, so give me the original loan contract, properly notarized, with signatures confirming both sides, I'll take a look."

"Who do you think you are, asking to see my documents?" Chan Long smirked, but in his eyes there was a hint of caution at the aura of this strange man.

"I am Do Thanh Phong, owner of Binh Minh Agricultural Products Company." Thanh Phong replied directly, without any hesitation. "And from today, everything related to Ms. Chau's family, you must go through me first. If that debt is real and fully legal, I will pay for it without missing a penny. But if this is just a scam, forcing a widow who has just lost her husband to hand over the house and land, then you should stop today, before things go too far."

Hearing the name Binh Minh Agricultural Products Company, Chan Long's face suddenly changed color for a split second, but he quickly regained his inherent arrogance. He had heard of this name, a small company specializing in purchasing agricultural products, the owner was a veteran, hiring all people with disabilities, there was nothing worth being wary of in the business world in Tan Hoa. But the strangely calm attitude of the man in front of him made him feel guilty inside, even though he still tried to look disdainful on the outside.

"Okay, if Mr. Phong says so, I will say it directly." Chan Long crossed his arms, his voice full of challenge. "I have all the papers, it's not fake, don't worry about it. But okay, let's say I'm giving you face today, give Ms. Chau another week to think. After a week, there's no movement, don't blame me for not being lenient."

He signaled to his two juniors, all three got in the car and left, but before getting in the car, Chan Long turned around and threw a cold look full of meaning at Thanh Phong. "Mr. Phong, I'm new to this matter. I don't understand the rules of the game in Tan Hoa. I advise you to consider carefully before taking sides."

The car sped away, leaving a heavy silence in the yard. Bao Chau stood there, still holding baby An tightly, her whole body trembling, perhaps at this point she dared to let her true feelings show out. Thanh Phong turned around and looked at the mother and daughter, his heart aching.

"Miss Chau, are you okay?" He asked, his voice calming down.

Bao Chau looked up, trying to hold back tears, but his voice was still shaking. "Mr. Phong... why did you come at this time..."

"Baby An called me last night." Thanh Phong answered truthfully, not wanting to hide anything anymore. "She was afraid that she would be sad alone and didn't dare say anything. She called the phone number Khang left behind and told her to call me if anything happened."

Hearing that, Bao Chau bent down to look at his daughter, his eyes filled with both sadness and gentle reproach. Baby An pursed her lips and looked up at her mother. "I'm sorry mom, but I'm so scared, I don't want you to have to suffer like this alone."

Bao Chau hugged her child tightly, tears finally rolling down her haggard cheeks due to many sleepless nights. Thanh Phong stood silently looking at the mother and daughter, did not say anything more, just quietly waited until Bao Chau calmed down.

"Let's go inside and talk, sister." He softly suggested. "This is not simple. You need to tell me everything, so I can know how to help you."

Bao Chau hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and led Thanh Phong into the house. While making tea, she recounted the whole incident in a monotone voice, trying to suppress her emotions. Two weeks ago, a man claiming to be Chan Long's representative came and presented a loan document stating that Vu Dinh Khang had borrowed three hundred million dong to "invest in business" two years ago, with a signature and confirmation. Bao Chau affirmed that her husband had never borrowed such a large amount of money, and that she knew all of the family's expense records, but Chan Long's side insisted that the documents were valid, threatening that if she did not pay, the house she was living in would be confiscated, and even implicitly hinted that it would make it difficult for baby An's education.

"I plan to handle it myself, don't want to bother anyone." Bao Chau said, his voice choked. "Mr. Khang is gone, I don't want anyone else to have to shoulder my family's problems anymore. But the more I learn, the more scared I become. They don't seem like the type of people who are easy to deal with. I'm afraid it will implicate you and your company."

"Miss Chau." Thanh Phong looked straight into her eyes, his voice firm. "This is not a matter of bothering or not bothering. Khang is the benefactor who saved my life, the younger brother I consider my flesh and blood. Before he passed away, he gave me his last words, telling me to take good care of you and baby An. I broke my promise to him for four months now, I can't let myself break my promise for another day. Just let me take care of this part, you're not alone."

Bao Chau bowed his head, both hands clasped the hot tea cup, unable to say a word, just letting the tears fall silently. That was the first time, since her husband's death, that she allowed herself to be weak in front of another person, even for just a short moment.

Baby An sat next to her mother, gently pouring more water into Thanh Phong's empty tea cup. Her eyes were still a bit timid but much less scared than last night. Thanh Phong patted the girl's head, smiled softly to reassure her, then turned to ask Bao Chau to review the loan document that Chan Long had previously given her, if she still kept any copies. Bao Chau rummaged through the drawer and took out a photo of the paper with her phone. She was able to steal a corner before the other person put it away. Thanh Phong looked carefully. Although the signature on the paper was similar to Khang's signature, looking at the thickness and way of drawing, a person like him who had signed hundreds of logistics documents with Khang for many years could immediately recognize the awkwardness and unnaturalness in each stroke.

"This signature has a problem." He said firmly. "When Khang signs his name, he always extends the last line down. This is short, not like his habit at all. Don't worry, let me ask someone with expertise to re-evaluate, and at the same time I will let someone find out if the lending company whose name is on this document is real or not, where the business is registered, who is the legal representative. Everything must be transparent, we cannot let them use empty threats to force you to sign any documents."

Bao Chau looked up at him, in her eyes for the first time in many months there was a ray of real hope, not just endurance. "Thank you, Mr. Phong."

"Don't thank me." Thanh Phong shook his head, his voice lowered. "This is something I have to do, something I promised Khang a long time ago."