Right from the time I came up with the idea of conducting this series of investigations, I understood that it would be impossible to collect multi-dimensional, convincing evidence if I just stayed on the sidelines. To play the role of a person who needs to take an exam to practice a real estate brokerage, I have to commit as a real candidate, experience the entire process from online learning to registration, review and taking the exam, how to stay alert and safe for myself.
Between two roles, one identity
From the early days of working in groups, I was just an outsider, typing corny messages to ask about the course, fees and how to easily pass the exam. But behind the easy answers is a strict operating system of the lines that make documents, learn to "use", take "to-get" exams and issue certificates as a transaction item.
Online classes are the time when I have to work as a news reporter, producing news articles every day. Many times, I put down my phone to interview an expert and had to change my voice to play the role of a "sneadless" contestant asking the staff at the other end. The confusion between two worlds: One side is a journalist searching for the truth, the other side is a role that needs to be fully transformed.
One day at the end of June 2024, to be at the Tan Trao University exam site, Tuyen Quang province, I had to wake up at 3am, waiting for a bus to Tuyen Quang - a place I had never set foot in. Not being able to help but worry, I surfed through the messages I had exchanged on the bus and checked the necessary documents. As a woman, traveling far away alone, facing people willing to use money to "buy and sell degrees", I did not know what was waiting for me ahead. But I understand, there is no way to see the problem clearly and get all the evidence by really stepping inside.
In each class or application, each time I was "suggested" how to do a quick test to get a pass, I had an extra piece of paperwork. Because behind those quick "deals" is an entire market manipulated by profitability. And the most worrying thing is that many people in that system don't see anything wrong. They believe that everyone does the same.
Lying has become a wore path
What worries me most is the unintentional assistance of some organizations and individuals licensed for training and testing. When I was suggested that I just pay, study through a loudspeaker and then take the exam with someone to help me " get through the door", I realized that deception had become an accepted way of death in this field. Having a practice certificate in hand, something that should demonstrate capacity and professional responsibility, can be achieved through fraud.
Throughout the investigation journey, there was something that made me feel uneasy. That is the fact that a young female employee of a real estate company, born in 2000, supported me in the process of learning and participating in the real estate brokerage exam. Right after the series of articles are published, it is very likely that she and many related people will have to take responsibility for their actions. This is a harsh reality that the press sometimes faces: The truth is exposed, but the consequences fall on specific people, individuals who are not completely proactive in violations, even just a small link in a larger chain of fraud.
I understand that she may have made mistakes, or at least gone the wrong way. But I cant help but think about other consequences: A job loss, a future affected, and the confusion not only of herself but also of her whole family. Her story reminds me of the fragility of fate in a pressured and tempting professional environment, where young people are most vulnerable.
grate after the journey not alone
In that journey, I was not alone. colleagues always closely follow and advise on legality, recording techniques, and data storage. The court also created all conditions for me to wholeheartedly pursue the topic, even though that means I have to take care of myself to work both professionally and pursue a long-term investigation. Not everyone understands the feeling of both writing a morning news report and preparing documents to transform into an afternoon "contestant".
The series of posts was posted as a milestone, but not to celebrate. I know that behind each newspaper page is a series of unanswered questions: How many certificates are issued in a fake form? How many people are practicing brokerage without enough capacity and knowledge? And when will the "olations" in the exam be seriously closed?
For me - a young female reporter - this series of investigative articles is a challenging journey. But it is also thanks to it that I better understand the role of the investigative press in protecting the integrity of society. It is not always possible for journalists to enter the "bright zone", sometimes having to enter the "dark zone" - where there is no clear line between real and fake, between safety and risk.
When I closed all the archive files, I felt grateful for this journey. I have been trained in courage, skills and more importantly, believe in the work I am pursuing. I could not immediately change a system, but at least, I contributed an additional voice from the truth.
