The article was not published.

Thành diligently edited the next issue of the newspaper, and when he finally turned off his computer, he was startled to find it was already past 6 PM. As he left the editorial office… Thinking about the hassle of reheating rice and soup, carrying a bowl, and then sitting glued to the TV, he felt a pang of sadness… He decided to take the stack of documents that had arrived at the end of the afternoon home to read, then call Tuấn, the head of the office of a new industry newspaper recently transferred from Ho Chi Minh City, to share his "single" status and go out for a drink at a restaurant. Walking to his desk piled high with newspapers and papers, he picked up a stack of documents and glanced through them. Thành noticed a rather thick envelope, the kind printed by the post office, with several stamps addressed to him. Was it a complaint or accusation? As he was about to put the documents in his briefcase, he noticed the handwriting on the envelope – slanted, even, and very familiar, yet familiar:

Dear Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh

Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper…

"I've seen this handwriting before, whose is it?" Impatient, Thanh grabbed scissors and cut open the envelope, pulling out a stack of A4 papers. He hastily opened them… After reading, he slumped into his chair, slapping his head: "Oh my God!"

Illustration: Phan Nhan

After reviewing and approving the editorial office to send tomorrow's issue to the printing house, Thanh breathed a sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He browsed the internet, but couldn't concentrate on analyzing the news he was reading. Editing and organizing a newspaper was a demanding job; carelessness and a lack of focus on ideas, words, and presentation could lead to immediate problems. A small mistake could have far-reaching consequences, especially since Thanh had just been promoted to Editorial Secretary, so he had to focus even more on his work. He considered going home, but remembered Lien's casual remark this morning as she pulled her suitcase out the door: "I'm going on a business trip for a few days; I'll call you before I leave!" Sitting there like a man possessed, Thanh vaguely recalled the family situation of the past few months, marked by constant conflict and tension…

Knock… knock… knock!

Turning his chair towards the door, Thanh rubbed his eyes… With a bright smile, her sparkling black eyes behind long, curved eyelashes, Huyen glided gently towards him:

- Please take a look at this news for me, boss!

What's the news?

- Yes, regarding the opening ceremony of Company X's sports event, held to celebrate the year-end summary.

“Company X… At the beginning of the week, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Nam held a briefing, emphasizing that “the press must stand alongside businesses,” and that attention should be paid to providing information to help businesses overcome difficulties during this economic downturn. He specifically mentioned a few companies, including Company X…” – Suddenly remembering, Thanh frowned, thinking, “For the past few years, everyone in this province knows that the Director of this company is a sloppy businessman, but somehow he manages to get through any loophole. This guy is a classmate of Boss Nam!”…

"The printer just moved to a new printing house!" Thành exclaimed, turning back to the screen.

"So, boss, please approve my online campaign!" Huyen whispered.

"Could it be... Mr. Nam's instructions, and how quickly he grasped them?" A fleeting, unsettling thought crossed Thanh's mind as he rested his chin on his hand, gazing at Huyen, whose eyes held a hopeful, hopeful expression...

- Is it really necessary to rush through just the opening ceremony news? No... let's wait until the closing day to do a summary report.

A dark cloud briefly crossed Huyen's dove-like eyes as she gazed at him silently, as if he were a stranger. Awkwardly tucking the manuscript into her bag, she stammered, trying to suppress a sob: "Yes... Yes!"

Tap. Tap. Tap… Tap! The sound of clogs hurriedly faded away. The room was silent, and Thanh could hear his heart pounding.

“Company X… On my shift, I was given the authority to approve online posts… but should I really ‘assist’ Mr. Nam? Besides, it’s a conference report, what’s the rush? Being lenient will spoil reporters!” Thành pictured Huyền’s confused gaze, startled voice, and the rhythmic clicking of her shoes, seemingly filled with an indescribable resentment. He inadvertently thought of Liên and pictured two contrasting images. Huyền was gentle and unassuming… She radiated such kindness and amiability, while his wife was equally capricious and pretentious! Another thing that always annoyed him was Liên’s constant focus on lucrative business deals. Liên was outgoing, while Huyền was introverted and sentimental… Thinking of this, Thành suddenly remembered the quarterly company party from last month. In a moment of high spirits, raising a glass with the others, when he stood close to Huyền and clinked glasses, he didn’t know what had given him the courage to discreetly kiss her hair. For a moment, Huyen looked up at him with warm, trusting eyes… And yet, he had just been so inconsiderate with Huyen – Thanh’s thoughts were in turmoil, and he repented like a sinner…

A few days later, early in the morning, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Nam stumbled into the Editorial Office and placed a manuscript in front of Thanh:

- I've carefully reviewed reporter N's ​​article about Company X! The sports event is also an opportunity to boost business morale for enterprises. It's a "key" article on the Economics page, a sure-fire way to get sales! Businesses are ordering 300 copies… The Director wants to have a chat with us this weekend!

- Huyen wrote about this incident; this is her area of ​​expertise!

- I know! Perhaps we need to reassign the reporters to different areas. N. seems well-suited to this area, while Huyen lacks the ability to connect with businesses. Journalism requires applying principles flexibly, at the right time and in the right place!

- Yes, sir! There's an unexpected family matter, so I'd like to request the day off! I'm currently organizing my assignments to prepare for my presentation...

"Really?" Mr. Nam's rough, calloused hand slapped Thanh's shoulder. "Then let me handle this issue!" Mr. Nam chuckled, his eyes, usually rarely meeting anyone's gaze, suddenly flashing with a sharp glint beneath his bushy eyebrows. "Your wife just got back, didn't she? You're quite the flatterer. You can take a couple of days off!"

That afternoon, Thanh went online and saw an interview with the Director of Company X about their determination to innovate and the promising prospects opening up for the business… He shook his head slightly and muttered: "Self-promotion! Have both sides lost face? Well, don't expect that from them!"

***

Hey! What's your definition of news?

- You're drunk! A reputable journalist asking such a question! - Tuan raised his glass: - "Get in the car! Cheers!"

After a slight chuckle following the "one hundred percent," Tuan stared intently at Thanh: "Are you kidding me? According to the classic textbooks we often teach the younger generation... news is 'an announcement about something new or something that happened not long ago'! There's even a very poetic definition: 'News is the flower of a vase, the bread of a loaf of bread!'" Stopping, Tuan poured wine into two full glasses: "Stop! There's an important meeting tomorrow! And is there any new news?"

Thành slumped onto the table, running his hand through his disheveled hair. After a few moments, he lifted his head, twirling his wine glass before slowly draining it: "That's right! It turns out I not only failed to see the flowers but also broke the vase!"

- "Oh, 'Godfather,' don't daydream and dramatize things so much! Get married, or you'll start acting senile!" - Tuan gently patted Thanh's arm as a gesture of sympathy and comfort.

- My wife insisted on a divorce because she couldn't understand my passion for my profession! I couldn't "tie her down," but I'm saddened that you remember Luu Quang Vu's poem "Brown Bees in the Deep Night"? It's so poignant: "I love you, through all four seasons on the waves / I thought I'd find gold and silver after stealing your ship / But all I found were broken planks and a dilapidated floor...!" You said that journalists like us, with our meager royalties, can't compete with... And why do we allow ourselves to sit at the same table with "tycoons"? Money or the pen, which has more power and influence? Ha, ha, ha! But after the breakup, she found what she needed! "What I need, you don't have / I don't care about the breezes you offer," that's life, sir! "Sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams" is like holding a death sentence! I lost both the flowers and the vase... Oh, and three long years have passed!

- What happened three years ago?

- You know that Deputy Editor-in-Chief Nam of my newspaper quickly secured a rather lucrative position in economic sector A before the Director of Company X was arrested for intentionally violating the law, corruption, bribery, etc.

- That was just recently, so why three years? If you count the time you and your wife separated, I heard it was about two years ago?

- News isn't just the flowers in a vase… News should be the opening salvo of a battle. Only then will a barrage of artillery fire follow… that's how the reporting and investigation begin. Who said that? - Silence. Thanh smiled, his eyes distant. Tuan impatiently interrupted: - We're jumping from talking about life to talking about work!

- Here's the thing: if, three years ago, I hadn't been distracted and had acted responsibly enough to read and approve Huyen's news report for online publication, the Director of Company X wouldn't be standing before the court now!

"Really?" Tuan winked. "Who is Huyen?"

"Gentle, graceful, yet strong-willed!" Thành said slowly, his voice filled with regret. After a moment of silence, he continued: "While Deputy Editor-in-Chief Nam was doting on and promoting Company X, her news report, though it only covered the sports event as a pretext to highlight and delve into several areas of production and business where the company and its director showed signs of wrongdoing… Yet I refused to read that report, and even vaguely misunderstood Huyền's motives for writing it. If I had read and published it that afternoon… it would have been the 'last straw,' creating a good opportunity for professional debate. If public opinion had paid attention, things wouldn't have easily turned out like they did later, with Deputy Editor-in-Chief Nam instructing his team to manipulate, embellish, and polish the image of Company X. Back then, the newspaper published a promotional article, and more than a month later, the company invited Mr. Nam and reporter N to travel to Thailand… During that trip, Huyền took leave and went back to her hometown in the North." Unfortunately, her mother suffered a severe stroke, forcing her to take more than a month off, but her mother did not survive… Returning to the editorial office, Huyen was shocked and worn out… The Deputy Editor-in-Chief constantly assigned her to work in remote areas with strict requirements regarding time and articles… He said that in such a situation, few could concentrate on their professional work. During the year-end review, Mr. Nam instructed his “subordinates” to bombard Huyen with comments that felt like bullets… Some commented, “Huyen’s articles lack foresight. Through a drop of water, one must see the ocean; her perspective and assessment of Company X’s production and business activities lacked sharing and encouragement…” The Editor-in-Chief was about to be transferred, and fearing conflict and also wary of Mr. Nam’s extensive connections, Huyen did not express her own opinion. Huyen was rated “Failure to complete tasks,” and the office whispered, “The Editorial Board commented that Huyen has no potential for development in journalism.” About three months later, she requested a transfer to Ho Chi Minh City. She continued working in journalism, but moved between two more editorial offices…

Wow, that's serious!

- No matter how I try to justify it… I deeply regret my past oversight of not paying attention to Huyen's news! During the period when she was under pressure and needed someone to empathize with her, I was "given" Mr. Nam's suggestion to be assigned to set up a representative office in the southern districts of the province… Then my family affairs became a complete mess…

"How is Huyen doing now?" Tuan asked anxiously.

Thành, lost in thought, opened his briefcase and searched for the letter: "Huyền just sent me the draft of the news report she wrote three years ago and this letter. Please read it...!"

Tuan held the letter, reading it over and over with a pensive expression. Resting his chin thoughtfully, Tuan narrowed his eyes at Thanh and nodded slightly: "There's still a chance, 'knight'!" Huyen admired him and considered him a professional idol. She couldn't deny being moved by his kindness, dedication, and passion in every exchange and feedback on her work… When he refused to read the newsletter, he unintentionally and unexpectedly caused her immense disappointment. She even thought he was in cahoots with Mr. Nam! Then, the complications the Deputy General Manager sowed in the office shattered her dreams and pure faith… Huyen kept the newsletter and sent it back to him… It wasn't simply a reproach or to keep as a memento. She still cared about and sympathized with his predicament, like a deer caught in a net, in his life and career. Three years had passed, and as time goes by, what do we call it? Ah… the conflict and right and wrong have finally been clearly resolved. Listen to my advice, you should meet her soon!

*Excerpt from the short story collection, *Late Fire*

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202506/bai-bao-khong-dang-7673456/