Friday morning, the StarBrite office was much busier than usual. A commercial video (TVC) project for a major automobile brand was entering an intense pre-production phase.
Tra sat at her new desk, her fingers flying across her laptop keyboard. Not only did she have to finish StarBrite's prop inventory, but she was also struggling with an administrative project for her university. A third-year student, a part-time teaching assistant at the Dong Do–Tay Do English Language Center, and an intern on top of that, Tra sometimes had so much on her plate that she could barely catch her breath.
"Yes, ma'am, this is Lam Moc Tra from the class committee..." Tra held her phone between her shoulder and ear while continuing to type. "Has the administrative project to retrieve the course syllabi and physical education completion records from our school's old campus gotten the red stamp yet? The report is due next week..."
After hanging up, Tra let out a long, weary sigh. Running back and forth between the university's two campuses to request paperwork had exhausted her. She stretched and rubbed her temples.
"What's with the grimace?" Vu Hoang Hai emerged from his office carrying a thick stack of documents. He was wearing a simple black polo shirt today, but he still radiated the authority of a leader.
"Nothing, sir. I'm just worried about some paperwork for school." Tra jumped and quickly straightened her back.
Hai set the stack of documents on her desk.
"Put the schoolwork aside this afternoon. The design team needs someone to go down to District 12. The company is preparing to film a simulated driving scene for the car brand's TVC. There's a vehicle simulator training center down there with a simulated cabin. Go there, contact the manager named Thinh, and bring me the detailed dimension drawings for that simulator cabin. The carpentry team needs precise measurements to build the fake set."
Tra's eyes widened. District 12? It would take nearly an hour by motorbike from the downtown office, and the Saigon sun was blazing like it meant to melt the pavement.
"Understood, sir! I'll go right away." Though she felt a little discouraged, Tra stood up and accepted the assignment immediately. She knew this was a chance to get more exposure to the real production process instead of sitting in the office handling paperwork.
Hai watched the petite girl hurriedly stuff her things into her backpack, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Take a ride-hailing motorbike. The company will cover the fare. Remember to reapply your sunscreen. I don't want my intern passing out from heatstroke somewhere along the way."
Tra paused, her heart skipping a beat. This stone-faced boss occasionally tossed out brief words of concern that were unexpectedly warm.
When she arrived at the simulator center in District 12, Tra quickly found Thinh. Not only did she get the drawings, but thanks to her quick thinking and strong communication skills, she also got permission to sit inside the simulator cabin and try it out herself. She took notes on blind spots and the sensation of vibration and shaking. These practical details would certainly help the directing team enormously when they arranged the camera angles.
By the time she finished and returned to the company, it was already four in the afternoon. Tuan had his feet propped up on a chair, glued to the iPad screen as he watched the VCT Pacific Stage 1 Valorant playoffs, occasionally slapping his thigh at a player's highlight play.
"You're back? Boss Hai's been looking for you." Tuan jerked his chin toward the glass-walled office.
Tra hurried over with the stack of documents and knocked before entering. She gave a detailed presentation covering not only the dimensions but also her firsthand experience of the view from inside the simulator cabin. Hai listened intently, clear satisfaction in his eyes.
"Very good. Taking the initiative to get hands-on experience is an essential quality in a production professional." Hai nodded. "Next June, the company will have an extended location shoot in Da Lat and Buon Ma Thuot. Get your schoolwork organized and prepare to travel with the crew."
"Huh? We're going to Da Lat and Buon Ma Thuot?" Tra exclaimed, her eyes shining. She had originally planned to book a sleeper bus ticket with FUTA Bus Lines or Vexere and take a backpacking trip that June. She never expected the company to send her on a business trip to those exact two places. "I promise I'll get everything arranged properly!"
"Don't get excited too soon. Working an outdoor event isn't the same as going on vacation." Hai snuffed out her excitement with a cold remark, though a barely perceptible glimmer of amusement lit his eyes. "Your birthday is coming up on September 10, right? Focus on doing a good job. If this business trip is successful, I'll consider approving a permanent employee contract for you as a birthday present."
Tra froze. Boss Hai actually remembered her birthday from her job application? She bent at the waist, grinning from ear to ear.
"Thank you, sir! I absolutely won't let you down!"
The setting sun streamed through the glass windows, gilding one corner of the office. In Tra's heart, the seeds of admiration, trust, and a feeling she still couldn't put a name to were slowly and quietly reaching toward the sunlight.