Chapter 21 — The Sweet Taste After Criticism

The investigative article was officially published on a Wednesday morning, with the attention-grabbing title: "Behind the cover of an urban development project: a calculated land collection journey targeting a labor alley". The article is long, detailed, synthesizing all the evidence collected over the past few months - from the company's cross-ownership diagram, the testimony of dozens of households, to the false accusation related to Dat Long's internal company IP address.

As soon as the article was posted, it quickly went viral on social networks, being shared tens of thousands of times in just the first few hours, largely thanks to the attention that the "Vi Giac Tru" channel had generated from the love story and previous fundraising festival.

“The article is currently the hottest topic on the internet,” Tung announced, holding his phone and running into Banh Nang shop right after updating the data, “more than fifty thousand shares in just three hours, the comments are filled with anger at what Dat Long's company has done.”

Mai reread the article for the third time, feeling both relieved and nervous about what was about to happen next. “So what do I need to do now?”

"Waiting for the official response from the company, and from the authorities," lawyer Khoa replied, he was also present at the store to follow the developments, "with such great public pressure, I believe it will be difficult for them to continue to stay silent or deny responsibility."

As expected, just in the afternoon of the same day, Dat Long's company issued a press release, declaring that it would "review the entire project survey process" and "temporarily suspend all contact with people in the area until there is a clear conclusion." The statement does not directly admit wrongdoing, but is clearly a significant step back from the previous tough attitude.

More importantly, on the same evening, an internal source revealed to the journalist that Dat Long was suspended to serve an internal investigation, after the company's leadership found that his actions - including false accusations about food hygiene and safety - risked seriously damaging the reputation of the entire corporation.

“He's been suspended!” Linh exclaimed when reading the latest news, her voice could not hide her gloating. “The day is finally here.”

Mai felt an indescribable sense of relief spread throughout her body, as if a heavy rock that had been weighing on her shoulders for the past few months had finally been lifted. But she also understands that this is not a complete victory - the group's project can still continue under the direction of others, it's just that now, they will have to act much more transparently and carefully under the strict supervision of public opinion.

In the evening, Mr. Tam, the landlord who rented the premises, stopped by the shop with a clearly guilty look on his face. "Mai, I'm sorry that I almost agreed to increase the rent at that company's request. Now that I know their nature, I've decided not to change the contract with you anymore and keep the rent the same."

“Thank you,” Mai said, touched by this sincere change in attitude, “I understand that you also have your own difficulties, there is nothing to feel guilty about.”

“And,” Mr. Tam added, “do you still think about it? How about we sign a longer-term lease, like five or ten years, so you can feel secure in doing business for the long term and not have to worry anymore? The matter will be pushed away at any time.”

That suggestion made Mai almost burst into tears with emotion. She nodded immediately, feeling like one of her biggest worries over the past few months had finally been completely resolved, opening up a more stable, solid future for Banh Nang and her family.

The news that Mr. Tam agreed to sign a long-term contract quickly spread throughout the neighborhood, motivating other households to also begin to renegotiate with their landlords, most of which achieved positive results after the true nature of the land collection company was exposed to public opinion.

In the evening, the whole group — Mai, Kien, Linh, Tung, and even lawyer Khoa — gathered at Banh Nang to celebrate the day's positive developments. Ms. Nga herself went into the kitchen to cook a sumptuous meal. The atmosphere was filled with laughter and chatter throughout the small house.

“Today is truly a memorable day,” lawyer Khoa said, raising his glass of water, “not only because of the legal result, but also because of witnessing the power of community solidarity, something that not every case I have ever handled has been able to have.”

“Thank you for accompanying us all this time,” Mai said, her voice filled with gratitude, “if it weren't for your dedicated advice, we probably wouldn't have known how to handle such a big opponent.”

“That is my job,” lawyer Khoa humbly replied, “but the greatest credit still belongs to you children, for having the courage to stand up and fight instead of resigning yourself to silence like many other cases I have encountered.”

The dinner lasted in a warm atmosphere, everyone took turns reviewing the memorable moments throughout the recent turbulent journey - from the stormy first review, to the tense confrontations with Dat Long, to the brilliantly successful Sun Cake Festival. Mai sat among her closest loved ones, filled with a deep sense of gratitude for everything she had gone through, which, although painful, ultimately led to a worthy result.

In the middle of dinner, Linh suddenly stood up and lightly tapped her chopsticks on the glass of water to attract everyone's attention. “I have a small announcement,” she said, her voice full of mischief, “Tung and I have already planned, in the near future we plan to expand our cooperation, not just supporting a few investigations.”

The whole dining table roared with excitement, Tung blushed and scratched his head, while Mai rolled her eyes and looked at her best friend. “What do you mean...?”

“I mean,” Linh grinned, “we're getting to know each other, like a supporting couple in your main love story.”

The whole table laughed, the atmosphere became even more exciting at this unexpected but lovely news. Kien patted Tung's shoulder admiringly. “I didn't expect that my friend also knew how to flirt with girls.”

“Learned from you,” Tung replied, making the whole table laugh again.

Ms. Nga, sitting at the head of the table observing everything with gentle eyes, felt strangely warm in her heart when she saw the familiar space of Sunny Cake shop now filled with laughter, love, and even budding new relationships, as a living proof that, despite many ups and downs, in the end happiness always finds its way back to those who deserve it.

After dinner, when everyone had left, only Mai and Kien were left to clean up the dishes final dishes. The quiet atmosphere after a long day full of good news creates a warm private moment between the two.

"Do you see," Mai said, wiping the familiar table, "that things are gradually getting better? About my family, about the premises, now even Linh and Tung are happy."

"I see," Kien replied, sitting down and looking at her with affectionate eyes, "and I think it's largely thanks to your tenacity. If you hadn't had the courage to confront me at the coffee shop that day, perhaps things wouldn't have come to this today."

Mai smiled and sat down next to him. “So it turns out, that disastrous review was the start of all these good things?”

“It seems so,” Kien smiled, wrapping his arms around her, “sometimes, the worst beginnings lead to the most beautiful endings, as long as you're brave enough to go to the end.”

They sat leaning against each other in silence, enjoying a rare moment of peace after a series of tumultuous days, filled with hope for the good things that lay ahead, as the biggest storms seemed to have gradually subsided, giving way to a brighter future.

Before leaving, Kien stopped at the door and looked at Mai with unusually deep eyes. "There's one more thing I want to clarify," he said, his voice serious, "about Thao Vy. I contacted her and made an appointment to meet this weekend to talk frankly and completely end the old engagement."

“I think it's the right thing to do,” Mai nodded, “although I'm a little worried, I don't know how she'll react.”

“Don't worry,” Kien reassured, holding her hand, “I believe, this will be a civilized conversation, closing an old chapter to open a new one for both of you, not just us.”

Mai nodded, although she was still a little worried about the upcoming meeting, but she also believed in Kien's sincerity and skill in handling the complicated relationships left over from the past, before the two could truly move on without any problems.