Chapter 10 — Women Don't Need To Be Chosen

His voice rang out from behind, hoarse but decisive.

"Then you go deal with your mother first. Tell me tonight where that money goes."

He stood up, walked to the door, stopped for a second.

“If I could go back…”

“Impossible.”

The door closed. I stood still in front of the glass door, looking at the horizon, feeling strangely calm. The phone lights up. Second email from Lam Tu Phan.

“To Niem, Mrs. To Cam Hoa will come to Giang Thanh this Saturday, she wants to see you.”

Three more days. My finger stopped on the screen for a long time. Finally, I answered. On Wednesday, Dinh Huy officially announced the plan to develop a 200-acre medical technology park in the East, with a total investment of 3,000,000,000 yuan. As soon as the news came out, the value of the entire area was immediately redefined. Zhuhai's commercial project from a central position became a side item with its profit margin squeezed, the expected profit of 80,000,000 yuan was directly cut in half. The same afternoon, Zhu Hai's secretary called back, his tone was completely different, much softer.

"Mr. To, Mr. Chu wants to meet you again to talk about the possibility of further cooperation. If there was anything rude about the previous matter, please forgive me."

I smiled softly. As expected.

“Tell him I'm free next week.”

As soon as he hung up, Luc Canh Tham's text message arrived.

“I found out, my mother didn't give the 10,000,000 yuan to Zhuhai's people.”

“So who do you give it to?”

“She gave money to a private detective agency.”

“Investigate what?”

“Investigating you, she wants to dig out your weaknesses.”

I paused for a moment, feeling like something was touching my most sensitive spot. 10,000,000 yuan just to investigate me. Tien Ngoc Hoa has changed the battlefield from business to personal, and this type of fighting is truly dangerous.

“Have you found anything yet?”

“I don't know, she didn't say it, but this afternoon her expression was very strange… she smiled.”

“Yes, kind of proud, just like at the banquet table.”

My heart suddenly sank. A person like Tien Ngoc Hoa only shows that kind of smile when he grasps something strong enough to turn over a table. But I have no loopholes in my business, all of Tinh Than Capital's cash flows are clean and legal. There's even less to talk about in my personal life. In three years of marriage, I've never sat down to eat alone with any other man. So what is she holding? A cold thought suddenly flashed in my head. She found out my identity. An abandoned child, adopted, my adoptive parents died when I was just eighteen. If I bring it out publicly, associated with my current identity, pushing it into a story of "climbing with tricks"... Tien Ngoc Hoa can completely do it. I tightened my grip on the phone and called Chu Can.

“What is the name of the detective agency she hired?”

“Let me check.”

Ten minutes later, the text message arrived.

“Chinh Dat investigates, is quite famous, specializes in marriage and business cases.”

“Have they touched adoption records or the civil service system recently?”

“I'll check further.”

Thirty minutes passed.

"Yes, Chinh Dat's people came to Giang Thanh orphanage two days ago and took the adoption documents from 26 years ago."

I closed my eyes for a second. That's it. She touched my past. In Tien Ngoc Hoa's perception, an abandoned child means having no roots, no support, just spreading the news is enough to shake his reputation. She doesn't know... the person who abandoned me who is. I put the phone down, my voice was completely calm.

“Do two things.”

"First, contact Chinh Dat, warn them of violating personal information, request to immediately stop and destroy all data, otherwise the law enforcement agency will sue."

“Second, send an email to Lam Tu Phan and tell To Cam Hoa that the meeting on Saturday will change location and be held at Tinh Than Capital office.”

“Change location?”

I looked out the glass window, the afternoon light pouring down on the city.

“Because that day, there won't be just two people.”

“Tien Ngoc Hoa.”

Chu Can remained silent and did not ask further. She understood that every time I said that, it meant the game had reached the turning point. This time, I will let Tien Ngoc Hoa see with my own eyes, what she thought was a weakness... was actually her trump card. Phone vibrates. Luc Canh Tham's message.

“To Niem, your mother said there will be a press conference on Saturday, held right at Luc Thi headquarters.”

“What press conference?”

"I'm not sure, but she contacted a lot of press. When she talked to Bach Khai Minh, she said one thing."

“She said, this time I will never be able to raise my head again.”

I turn off the screen. The corners of the lips curled slightly. So... let's see who has no way back. Everything will be decided that day.