Chapter 18 — The Secret Pension

Smart Cloud was pressed by me until her back hit the cold wall. She suddenly broke down into loud, hysterical sobs.

It was all ordered by Ocean.

What does a woman like me even know about these things?

He told me that as long as we managed to obtain a letter of forgiveness, everything that happened in the past could simply be brushed aside as a private family settlement.

He said the money had already been spent long ago, and we could not possibly let Han Viet carry the burden of this heavy debt.

Right at that exact moment, the elevator doors slid open. Ocean stood inside. He had clearly overheard the last few sentences. The moment she laid eyes on him, Smart Cloud looked as though she had finally found a lifeline.

Ocean, say something, please.

Ocean refused to even glance at her. His gaze remained fixed entirely upon the documents clutched in my hand. I placed the photograph, the sealed film receipt, the copied medical records, and the newly stamped letter of forgiveness directly onto the nurses station counter.

This time, we have both witnesses and physical evidence present.

Do you still dare to claim that this is merely a private family matter?

The muscles in Ocean face twitched violently. A sudden, chilling laugh escaped his lips.

Han Thanh, you cannot possibly win against us.

Do you honestly believe that by cornering me with a few words you can recover all of that money?

The funds were dispersed a very long time ago.

Even selling the car would not be enough, and the house is not registered solely under my name alone.

Your parents wish to live long enough to see the final outcome, but do you really think they have enough time left to wait?

My father steadied himself against the edge of the bed and slowly pushed himself up.

I have enough time to wait.

Even if I cannot outlast it, I will still wait until the very end.

At that very moment, Law and Spring hurried down the hallway. Spring handed the investigative report regarding the photograph directly to the hospital staff and Law. The medical administration office had also successfully tracked down an elderly nurse who used to work in the same ward block back then. The elderly nurse, whose surname was River, immediately felt her eyes turn red the instant she laid her eyes on my mother.

I remember her very well.

Her right arm was in a cast, and she was in so much pain that she could not sleep a single wink all through the night.

That very day, a man and a woman came to her bedside and even asked whether they could press their fingerprints to process a refund.

At the time, I told them it was strictly prohibited, and that the patient themselves had to be fully conscious and give consent.

However, the moment I stepped away to check on another ward, the two of them had already vanished.

Finally, the color drained completely from Ocean face, leaving it ashen. Yet, the very next second, his mobile phone rang loudly. He answered the call, listened for merely two sentences, and his expression instantly settled back into composure. He stared straight at my father and slowly curled his lips into a smirk.

Older brother, do not celebrate your victory quite yet.

The person who truly gave the order to start the machinery back then has finally returned.

He states that he possesses the official operational authorization permit signed personally by your own hand.

The moment Ocean finished speaking, the hospital ward felt as cold as if it were encased in ice. The color drained from my father face for a brief second, but he quickly raised his head high.

Who has returned?

Ocean slowly spat out a single name.

Hao Vast.

My father fingers suddenly tightened into white-knuckled fists. I had heard this name before. Twelve years ago, he was the deputy director in charge of production at the factory, before being transferred away, and later word spread that he had gone elsewhere to recuperate from an illness. Ocean looked at my father, as though he had finally grasped onto his absolute final straw of salvation.

The command to boot up the machinery that year did not come from him alone.

He states that you were the one who signed the operational authorization papers.

As long as he produces them, your attempt to dig up these old papers now will only result in you thoroughly humiliating yourself.

My father glared coldly at him.

I never signed anything.

Ocean chuckled softly.

Brother, it has already been twelve full years.

When you claim you never signed it, exactly who do you expect to believe you?

I pressed my father firmly back down onto his chair.

Whether people believe it or not does not depend solely on your lying mouth.

Exactly where is Hao Vast right now?

Ocean refused to give an answer. His phone chimed with another message alert. He lowered his head to read the text, the corners of his mouth gradually curling upward.

Tomorrow morning, at the old factory conference room.

He has agreed to clarify everything in person.

My heart sank heavily. This was not about clarification. This was their scheme to publicly fling the final wave of filth right back onto my father shoulders. Law overheard it as well. He furrowed his brows and said, Miss Han, I will bring a team with the moment tomorrow arrives.

However, the two of you must remain extremely cautious. Since the opposing party dares to return, they must have prepared something substantial in their hands.

I gave a firm nod. That night, not a single soul managed to sleep peacefully in the hospital corridor. My mother had just undergone surgery and her body remained exceptionally weak, yet she stubbornly insisted on grasping my father hand.

Old Han, do not be afraid.

The kind of man you were in your youth is something I still remember clearly.

You would never trade the lives of workers merely to rush production.

My father eyes reddened as he nodded.

In the past, my greatest fear was that you and our child would have to suffer through hardship alongside me.

Only now do I realize how terribly wrong my fears were.

Early the following morning, we arrived at the old factory grounds. The conference room remained dilapidated, with faded production safety slogans still hanging limply upon the walls. As my father stepped inside, several former workers were already present. The elderly security guard Old Tan, Gao Chien Dan and his son, Nurse River, Spring, and the personnel brought along by Law had all arrived. The entire family of Ocean sat huddled on the opposite side. Smart Cloud face looked deathly pale, while Han Viet kept his head lowered, as though a single night had stripped away all of his arrogance. Yet, Ocean remained entirely composed. He kept casting glances toward the entrance. Right at nine o'clock, a man leaning heavily on a cane walked through the doors. His hair was completely white, his cheeks hollowed out, but his gaze remained remarkably sharp. Hao Vast. Following closely behind him was a young assistant carrying a thick file box in his arms. Ocean immediately sprang to his feet.

Director Hao, you have finally arrived.

Hao Vast did not even spare him a glance. He looked straight at my father first.

Engineer Han, it has been many years.

My father stood up, his tone remarkably calm.

Hao Vast, exactly who gave the order to restart the machinery back that year?

Hao Vast settled into a chair and let out a pair of deep, rattling coughs.