Chapter 10 — Where Old Elephants Rest

The official letter from the Vietnamese Elephant Conservation Fund arrived one morning early in the week, right when Ha Lam and Tuan Khoi were checking the condition of Mun's leg, now walking almost normally after more than two weeks of persistent treatment and physical therapy. Xuan Mai ran to the elephant field, holding the phone, her face so radiant that Ha Lam immediately realized there was good news before she could even speak.

"Ms. Lam, the fund has approved! They agreed to fund according to Mr. Khoi's proposal, and said they would disburse the first installment this month!" Xuan Mai almost screamed with excitement, hugging Ha Lam.

That news was like a ray of light dispelling some of the darkness that had enveloped the camp for many weeks. The grant, although not enough to solve all problems, is enough to cover Mr. Thach's remaining hospital fees, buy additional medicine for Mun, and maintain stable operations for at least the next year. Ha Lam turned to Tuan Khoi, her eyes filled with tears.

"Thank you," she said, her voice choked up. "Thank you very much indeed."

"You are the one who deserves to be thanked," Tuan Khoi replied, the smile on his lips equally radiant. "I just wrote down what I found to be the truth."

But that joy didn't last long. That same afternoon, another piece of news arrived, extinguishing some of the excitement that had just rekindled. Mr. Sau Danh, the owner of a small piece of land blocking the single road leading from the highway to the camp - a piece of land that his family has always allowed the camp to use as a common path under a verbal agreement that has lasted more than twenty years - called to report that he had just received an offer to buy the entire land at a price five times higher than the market price from a real estate brokerage company, which, according to him, is closely related to the Hoang Kim Group.

"I'm old, my children live far away, I need money for old age," Mr. Sau Danh said over the phone, his voice somewhat apologetic. "But I also love your elephants very much, so I called you in advance to let you know so we can figure it out, but I haven't signed anything yet."

Ha Lam absently hung up the phone, his heart pounding when he realized Hoang Kim's cunning tactics - if they couldn't buy the camp's land directly, they would try to buy off the only road leading in, leaving the camp completely isolated, with no way to transport food, medicine, or take the elephants to the emergency room when necessary. It was a much more sophisticated ploy than the direct offers to buy land that she had rejected before.

"This is a strangulation tactic from afar," Tuan Khoi said when listening to Ha Lam's story, his face hardening with anger on her behalf. "They don't need to buy your land. As long as they make the camp unable to operate normally, you will be forced to come to them to negotiate."

Before calling the lawyer, Ha Lam decided to personally meet Mr. Sau Danh, bringing with him a basket of fruit and some fruit cakes bought at the district market, as a way to show his appreciation for more than twenty years of neighborly friendship between the two families. Mr. Sau Danh received her in a small stilt house hidden behind a coffee field. His eyes were somewhat shy when he saw her.

"Miss Lam, don't be angry with me," he said as soon as she sat down, "but honestly, five hundred million for an old person like me is a lot of money, enough for me to treat my arthritis, and send the remainder to my children in the city."

"I'm not angry at you," Ha Lam replied, her voice sincere. "The land is yours, you have the right to decide. I just hope you give me a little more time, so I can arrange to buy back that part of the road at a reasonable price. I can't let that company buy it out, because then my elephants will no longer have a way in or out."

Mr. Sau Danh pondered for a long time, his eyes looking out to the front yard where a few chickens were scratching the ground looking for food. "Okay," he finally said, "I'll give you a month to make arrangements. The other company urged me to sign urgently, but I said I needed to think more. Anyway, in the past, when my family was in trouble, your father also lent my family money without interest. I'm not one to forget gratitude."

That promise, even if it was only for a short month, was enough for Ha Lam to breathe a sigh of relief on the way back. She understands that a month is not a long time to manage a large amount of money, but at least the door is still open.

That evening, Ha Lam called lawyer Thai Minh Nhat, whom Tuan Khoi had previously introduced, to explain the entire situation. Mr. Nhat, after listening, advised her to quickly work with Mr. Sau Danh to establish an official lease or purchase of the right to use the walkway, fully notarized, to avoid the current situation of prolonged oral agreements causing legal risks.

"But the problem is where is the money to buy that land back," Ha Lam said, her voice filled with worry. "The grant just received has a specific spending plan, it cannot be used arbitrarily for other things."

At that moment, Tuan Khoi, who was listening to the conversation, suggested something that surprised Ha Lam. "I have a personal savings, not much, but enough to partially support the purchase of that land use right. As an investment for the future of the camp, I believe it is a worthy investment."

"That's not possible," Ha Lam quickly refused, even though she was deeply touched by that suggestion. "That's too big a problem, I can't let you shoulder it like that."

"I don't offer out of pity, Ha Lam," Tuan Khoi said, his voice firm yet gentle. "I'm asking because I really believe in what you're doing, and I want to be a part of it, not as a bystander, but as someone who has chosen to be on your side."

Those words, along with his sincere eyes without any calculation, made Ha Lam unable to contain her emotions. She nodded, even though she was still confused with many thoughts, accepting help as a testament to the growing trust between the two, beyond the boundaries of a normal working relationship.

In the following days, Tuan Khoi officially applied to change his position within the fund, from the role of mobile surveyor to being in charge of long-term technical support for the Central Highlands region, with Chu Rinh camp as one of the key points he will closely follow regularly. That decision means that he will be present at the camp more, no longer just a temporary guest, but gradually becoming an indispensable part of the daily rhythm of life here.

That night, when telling his father the whole story of the road to the camp, Ha Lam saw Mr. Thach silent for a long time, his hands clasped together on his lap, his eyes looking far away at the mountain.

"I'm sorry I'm no longer strong enough to negotiate with Mr. Sau Danh like before," he said, his voice a bit helpless. "But you did the right thing, know how to be reasonable with people, don't force anyone. Dad taught you that since you were little, and now that I see you can do it yourself, I feel much more secure."

"Dad," Ha Lam hesitated, "I see Hoang Kim becoming more and more fierce. I'm afraid they will find more ways to pressure me."

Mr. Thach nodded, his face thoughtful. "People with money, power, they have a million ways. I only have the truth and an upright mind to fight back. But daughter, sometimes the upright mind also needs to be fully expressed, not half-hidden, to have enough strength to stand firm in the face of the storm. I know I still owe you many explanations, so that when I have enough strength, I will tell them all, without delay."

That statement, although still not revealing anything specific, for the first time carried a clear commitment instead of just a vague promise like before. Ha Lam took his father's hand, nodded, did not push further, just silently waited for the moment when he was ready.

Watching Tuan Khoi immerse himself in work the next morning, checking the fence with Bay Kinh, planning the media with Xuan Mai, and taking care of each elephant with her devotedly as if this were his own home, Ha Lam felt a strange peace creeping in amid the storm that was still going on from Hoang Kim. She knew the road ahead was still fraught with difficulties — the road to the camp, the untold family secrets, the looming financial pressures — but for the first time in a long time, she no longer felt like she had to face it all alone. There is father, there is Bay Kinh, there is Xuan Mai, and now, there is one more person who has chosen to stay not because of duty, but because his heart has silently anchored in this valley at the foot of Chu Rinh mountain.