Dinh Truong Sinh holed himself up at the police station, too scared to go anywhere else. It felt like everyone was staring at him weirdly—as if they knew what he had just done. Trying to calm himself down, he walked over to the township office, hoping to find Khau Dai Bang.
But… Dien Ngac Nhu was his woman. If he ever found out, he’d probably skin him alive!
“What are you doing here? Don’t you have work to do?”
Khau Dai Bang stood up the moment he saw Truong Sinh walk in, closing the door behind him.
“Nothing much, just dropping by to see how you’re doing, Uncle.”
Truong Sinh flashed a polite grin, but in Dai Bang’s eyes, that smile looked a bit too sly.
“You holding up okay? I’ve noticed that Sister Dien hasn’t been in the best mood lately.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Oh, nothing. Just asking. If something’s up, maybe I could talk to her for you. You two fighting or something?”
“No!”
Khau Dai Bang stared him down, then sighed deeply.
From the second this kid walked in, he knew something was off. Why else would Dien Ngac Nhu resort to that method, luring in a greenhorn like Truong Sinh? But then again… that flavor really was unforgettable...
“You're my nephew, but you're also a man. I’m a man too. We get it, right? Don’t worry—what I saw, what I heard, it’s all going to the grave with me.”
Truong Sinh solemnly swore, hand over heart.
“You little punk, what the hell do you know? Get back to work or I’ll tell Hoac Lu Mau to kick your ass out!”
“Hey now, I’m trying to help here! Fine, if you won’t talk, I’ll just go ask Sister Dien myself.”
He stood up, pretending to leave.
“Sit your ass back down, you dumb brat. Have some tea first.”
Dai Bang’s tone softened, clearly rattled.
“You’re not trying to silence me, are you? Just so you know, a few folks saw me walk in here—so if I go missing, you’re done for.”
Truong Sinh widened his eyes playfully.
“You’ve been watching too many crime dramas, huh? I just want to ask… did you see Dien today?”
“I did.”
Truong Sinh’s voice faltered slightly as the memory resurfaced.
“Yeah, something’s happened. I’m freaking out.”
Dai Bang ruffled his hair in frustration.
“What happened?”
“She’s pregnant.”
“…What?!”
Truong Sinh nearly jumped out of his chair. Pregnant? And she still did that with him? His heart pounded. Was she trying to lose the baby—or her life?
“Keep your damn voice down!”
“So… it’s yours?”
“She says it is. Why else would I be losing sleep over it? Come on, you’re smart—help me think this through.”
Dai Bang looked utterly miserable. And it wasn’t like he could hold a party meeting about this. Bureaucrats loved meetings when shit hit the fan—so they could share the blame. But this kind of “domestic issue”? Yeah, no way in hell.
“Oh no… don’t tell me she actually wants to keep it?”
Truong Sinh looked at him with genuine worry.
Dai Bang nodded helplessly.
Well, that explained everything. Women, once they got pregnant—even if the baby wasn’t from love—they often couldn’t bring themselves to get rid of it. And yet, Truong Sinh recalled Duong Kim Thoa—the woman still waiting for him to save her. She had said if she could escape, she’d willingly give up the child. Clearly, she’d suffered even more under Tran Tieu Tu.
“Chairman, give me some money. I’ll take care of this for you.”
“Money? You trying to scam me now? What makes you think you can handle this?”
Dai Bang looked suspicious. He wasn’t born yesterday.
“Well, if you don’t trust me, just forget I said anything.”
“Hey now, don’t be like that. Fine, how much?”
“Money’s no big deal. But I’ve got a condition.”
“Knew it! Knew you’d pull something. Spit it out—just don’t make it something impossible.”
Dai Bang slumped back into his chair, completely worn out.
“Help me get an official position. Everyone knows us temp workers can be tossed out anytime. I want job security.”
Barely a month into this job, and Truong Sinh had already evolved from clueless intern to political animal. Still played dumb on the outside, but inside? All gears turning.
“I can’t make that call alone. Need county-level approval. How about this—you handle this issue for me, I’ll personally take you to the county and see what strings we can pull.”
“Deal. But I need five thousand yuan to get started.”
From what he’d seen, Truong Sinh figured he wouldn’t need to spend a dime. If Dien Ngac Nhu still cared about Khau Dai Bang, she wouldn’t have dragged him into her bed. Thinking back to that moment, anger bubbled up again—dammit, that was his first time! Robbed in broad daylight! So unfair!
If she really wanted the baby, she wouldn’t have risked doing what she did. Clearly, things between her and Dai Bang were truly over.
As for the five grand? Truong Sinh planned to use it to rescue Duong Kim Thoa. Maybe her promises were just sweet lies, but when a beautiful woman lies… sometimes, you just want to believe.
All he needed now was opportunity—and some cold, hard cash.
“Funny thing is,” said Dai Bang with a bitter chuckle, “when you weren’t asking for money, I felt like you were plotting something. Now that you are asking, I actually feel relieved.”
He pulled out five thousand yuan and handed it over.
“You must be rolling in it, huh? Oh right—can I borrow your car tonight?”
“My car? What for? You even know how to drive?”
“I’m heading back to Bang Duc. Been away too long—who knows if Ding Dai Khue’s torn down my house by now.”
He joked, but at the mention of Bang Duc, Khau Dai Bang’s face subtly changed.
“Alright, if you’re not confident driving, I’ll get the driver to take you.”
“No need. I’ve been practicing with Zhang Qiang. Should be fine.”
“Just don’t wreck it. That car’s brand new.”
“Relax. If I go flying off a cliff, maybe you’ll finally get a good night’s sleep.”
“You brat. What’s the big deal, we’re both men! Still, talking to you today did lift a weight off my shoulders. If you die, who’s gonna clean up this mess for me, huh? Just bring the car back tomorrow morning!”
“Got it!”