Chapter 2 — Twenty Years of Payment

Doa Doa's cry came through the phone, like a knife cutting into my heart.

"Be good, Doa Doa, don't be afraid. Mom will come to save you right away."

I tried to swallow my tears, my voice softened.

"Do you hear me? Get the hell back to the bank!"

Tham Tu roared.

“Tham Tu, you better pray that Doo Doa is not injured even a little bit.”

My voice was extremely cold.

“If not… I will not only lock up this money, but also show you—how crazy a cornered woman… can be.”

I hung up. Don't go back to the bank. But walked straight into a parked car. In the back row, a man wearing a neat suit was sitting. Tham Tu's old rival, also a business genius who was framed by him and sent to prison, has just been exonerated.

“Have you got the report yet?”

He opened his mouth, his voice cold.

"Okay. To Man falsified her testimony. That body... is not Tham Tu."

I gave you the documents. Co Dinh walked past, the corners of his lips curling up in a cruel smile.

“His cicada escape technique wasn't bad... unfortunately he chose the wrong accomplices.”

"To Man just wants money. And Tham Tu... wants freedom and a new identity."

I looked straight into his eyes.

“General Gu, you promised—as long as I can lure him into revealing himself, you will ensure my daughter's safety.”

"Don't worry. My people have followed To Man. Tham Tu doesn't dare show her face, all the dirty things are done by her."

His fingers tapped lightly on his knee.

"But now he's impatient. More than 6 million yuan was locked up by you... his ticket to escape is considered wasted."

“Is he going to the bank?”

"He won't come. But he will force you to come. Lam Khe... you have to perform a play."

The car rolled toward the bank. My palms were sweaty.

“If I fail… please definitely save Doa Doa.”

“You will not fail.”

Co Dinh tilted his head and looked at me.

“Because now… you are a crazy person.”

“Crazy people… are invincible.”

Bank door. To Man was walking back and forth nervously. Seeing me get out of the car, she immediately ran over.

"Lin Khe! You're finally here! Come in quickly, Tham Tu can't wait any longer!"

She tried to pull my hand, but I pushed her away.

"What's the hurry? Canceling the 20-year term... is not a simple matter."

I walked into the banking lobby. The staff member saw me and his face became strange.

“You… didn't just—”

"Yes. I regret it. I want to cancel the term deposit."

I deliberately spoke loudly, so the whole hall could hear. To Man stood behind, his eyes shifting continuously, clearly tense.

“Hurry up, sign and go.”

The staff gave me the cancellation form.

“Miss, there will be a fee to cancel the term, plus interest—”

“It's okay.”

I interrupted.

“I'm not short of that money.”

I hold the pen. The tip of the pen hovers above the signature line. The corner of my eye glanced up to the second floor. A man wearing a baseball cap… was staring at me. Can't see face clearly. But I know. That's Tham Tu. He... still couldn't help but come.

"Sign! What are you waiting for?"

To Man urged. I turned to her, flashing a brilliant smile.

“To Man, what do you think it would be like if I shouted ‘robber’ right now?”

Her face immediately turned pale.

“You are crazy!”

“I've been crazy for a long time.”

I tightened my grip on the pen. Still not signed. I'm waiting. At that moment— The phone vibrated slightly. A short message: Doa Doa has been saved. My hanging heart… finally fell. But instead… It was a surge of killing intent.

"Lin Khe! Did you finally sign?"

To Man grabbed the pen. I suddenly stood up. Ripping up the cancellation form right in front of her. Then threw it right in her face.

“I didn't sign.”

I raised my head and looked straight at the man wearing a hat on the second floor. Make a move... Cut across the neck.

“Tham Tu, your money is gone.”

The man on the second floor immediately jumped up, turned and ran.

"Security, arrest that guy in the hat. He's a criminal who faked his death to scam insurance money!"

I pointed straight upstairs and shouted loudly. The entire bank lobby immediately fell into chaos. To Man screamed, turned around to run, but I grabbed her hair and pulled her back, pressing hard on the counter.

"Running what? The drama has just begun."

I looked at her coldly, my hand tightening more and more.

“Lin Khe, let go, you crazy woman!” To Man struggled, her makeup was miserably smudged.

"Crazy?" I laughed coldly. "Compared to the story of two people killing their insurance fraud wives and kidnapping their own children, what is this little bit of mine worth?"

Bank security rushed to the second floor, customers in the lobby scattered everywhere in panic.

“Let go of Miss To!”

Out of nowhere, two men in suits appeared and rushed towards me, trying to pull me out. But Co Dinh's men were faster. Several people in civilian clothes immediately controlled the two men.

“Miss Lam, are you okay?”

Co Dinh walked into the hall, the sound of leather shoes tapping on the tile floor sounded cold and decisive.

"I'm fine. Where is Tham Tu?"

I let go of To Man. She immediately cowered under the counter, shaking like a leaf.

"He can't escape. All exits of this bank have been blocked."

Co Dinh walked to the foot of the stairs and looked up. Not long after, security escorted the man wearing a baseball cap down. But the moment the hat was pulled off, I was stunned. Not Tham Tu. He was a complete stranger, his eyes avoided, his face pale.

“Who is he?” Co Dinh frowned.

"I... I only receive money for work. That boss told me to stand there and watch the situation..." The man stammered, his whole body shaking.

My heart suddenly sank. Tham Tu did not come. He is more cunning than I thought, and more cowardly than I thought.

“Lin Khe, do you think you won?”

To Man, who was curled up under the counter, suddenly burst out laughing. The laughter was so dark it was creepy.

"Tham Tu already predicted that you would counterattack. Do you really think Co Dinh can save Doa Doa?"

I rushed forward and squeezed her neck.

"What do you mean? Apparently Co Dinh texted and said..."

"That message was sent to you by Tham Tu who intercepted the signal and faked it."

To Man laughed until tears flowed from her eyes.

"Doo Doa is probably in the van heading towards the cemetery right now. Tham Tu said, if you are not obedient, let her be buried with his dead identity."

I stood frozen in place, turning my head to look at Co Dinh. His face also changed. He immediately dialed the call, and not long after hearing it, he slammed into the wall.

"Damn it. My people were switched."

“Tham Tu…” I let out an almost desperate cry.

The phone vibrated again, rapidly like crazy.

“Lam Khe, are you surprised?”

Tham Tu's voice was still calm as before, but there was an added venom in it that made people cold.

"Tham Tu, what do you want? I gave you the money. I give it all to you!”

I completely collapsed, screaming into the phone.

“It's too late to say it now.” He smiled faintly. “I personally brought the cancellation form to the abandoned crematorium on the outskirts of Nam. Remember carefully, you can only go alone.”

“Okay, I'll go. I'll go now.”

“Don't call the police, don't play tricks. Otherwise, what you will see is a small, charred corpse.”

He hung up. I staggered out, but was pulled back by Co Dinh.

“It's a trap. He wanted to kill her there and then stage it as suicide. Thus, the amount of 6,115,000 yuan, about 21.4 billion VND, will become an inheritance to be inherited."

“I can't manage that much anymore. That's Doa Doa!”

I forcefully pushed his hand away, my eyes extremely determined.

“Lin Khe, calm down.” Co Dinh held my shoulders tightly, forcing me to look straight at him. “He made you come, which proves he hasn't gotten the money yet. As long as the money is still there, Doo Doa is temporarily safe.”

“That account has been locked. Cancellation takes time and requires facial recognition.

“But I have a way to shorten the process.” He stared at me. “The condition is that you must cooperate with me in performing the final play.”

I looked at him, my lips trembling slightly.

“Acting what?”

“Put on a crazy show.”

Co Dinh pulled out a recording pen and a file of documents from his shirt.

“Take this with you. As for To Man, she also has to go."

To Man was stood up by Co Dinh's men, his face drained of blood.

“I'm not going! Tham Tu will kill me!”

“If he doesn't kill you, I will also make you rot in prison.”

Co Dinh glanced at her, his voice cold. Half an hour later, we arrived at the abandoned crematorium on the outskirts of Nam. This place has dilapidated walls, overgrown weeds, and everywhere smells of rot and death. I tightened the cancellation form that had been sealed with tape, and walked alone towards the abandoned incinerator in the middle of the factory.

“Tham Tu, I'm here. Where is Doa Doa?”

My voice rang out in the empty factory, sounding strangely cold.

“Lam Khe, it seems that you really love me very much.”

Tham Tu stepped out from the darkness. In his arms was Doa Doa, unconscious. There was a fierce burn scar on his face, the mark left from the fire half a month ago.

“Where is the money?” He stared at the paper in my hand, his eyes filled with greed.

“Here. As long as you let Doa Doa go, I will immediately return to the bank to do facial recognition with you."

I stopped at a distance of about five meters.

“Come here. Give me the paper.” Tham Tu held out his hand.

I walked forward step by step, my heart beating violently. Until the moment I was about to give him the paper, I suddenly saw that in his other hand he was hiding a sharp knife. He did not intend to forgive my mother and me.

“Tham Tu…” I suddenly stopped and asked softly. “Have you ever truly loved me?”

"Love?" He laughed coldly. “Lin Khe, in this world only money is real.”

After saying that, he suddenly rushed forward, the knife in his hand stabbed straight into my stomach.

“Go and die. Take your stupid love with you to hell and go crazy!”