Readiness Is All | 5

Summary

Blood Will Tell — Episode 5: “Readiness Is All”

Podcast: Blood Will Tell
Host: Jen Miller (Narrator)
Date: April 2, 2026
Production: Audible | Campside Media

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Episode Overview

This pivotal episode of Blood Will Tell delves into the aftermath of Trung’s confession that he, not his twin brother Ahn, committed murder at a San Jose birthday party. The episode explores themes of accountability, the complex twin-bond strained by silence and guilt, and the grueling process of personal transformation within the criminal justice system. Trung’s journey—coming clean, his time incarcerated, emotional reckonings, and efforts towards rehabilitation—foregrounds questions of justice, atonement, and whether anyone can truly move on.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Trung’s Confession and Turning Himself In

• Trung’s Conversation with His Father ([01:24]–[02:49])

  • Trung confesses to his father Duck that he’s the real perpetrator and plans to turn himself in.
    • Trung: “I told him that I was the person who did it and that my brother is in there for something that I did. This is something that I need to do…” ([01:39])
  • Duck had always suspected the truth but felt it wasn’t his place to interfere, seeing it as Trung’s burden.
    • Trung: “He saw a level of maturity that he hasn't seen before.” ([02:08])

• Liberation through Truth ([03:20])

  • Trung describes feeling “so free” after coming clean.
    • Trung: “Like everything that I’ve been feeling, all the challenges, all the heaviness in my chest, it’s all gone and I’m ready.” ([03:20])

2. The Courtroom Switch: Justice Realigned

• Courtroom Scene ([04:48]–[06:26])

  • Trung observes his brother Ahn, “in shackles”, and recognizes the pain he’s caused.
    • Trung: “I’m about to do something that can relieve him from all that pain.” ([05:39])
  • Lawyers negotiate a plea deal: Ahn gets released with an accessory charge, Trung gets voluntary manslaughter.
    • Ahn on his release: “It was like a very, very bittersweet moment, you know, like, oh, shoot, like I’m actually going to go home.” ([07:21])

• A Brief Reunion in Jail ([07:38])

  • The twins are briefly held together:
    • Trung: “A sense of relief I have felt for almost two years.” ([07:57])
  • Ahn gives a meaningful farewell to a friend, Kevin, with a card:
    • Charles (Kevin): “Don’t forget you’re still like a pretty lotus in a muddy pond. No man ever wrote that to me before, man. I broke down crying, man.” ([08:51])

3. Trung’s Prison Adjustment and Inner Turmoil

• Prison Realities ([09:39]–[10:12])

  • Trung is recognized as Ahn’s twin, must contend with both the “green light” (gang retribution) and the isolating anxiety of incarceration.
    • Trung: “I was just preparing just in case something would happen...if something were to go off, I’m going to have to defend myself.” ([10:12])
  • Unexpected: his relationship with Ahn grows more strained, not less.
    • Trung: “I had imagined that things would be okay, that our relationship would be much stronger than ever. But that hasn’t happened.” ([10:36])

• Growing Tensions Between Brothers ([11:43]–[12:35])

  • Phone calls become contentious; Trung feels unappreciated after coming clean.
    • Trung: “Such a huge thing just happened. Like, I did what you wanted. Aren’t you grateful I finally did it instead of still giving me shit?” ([11:43])
  • Trung’s frustration and lack of purpose manifest physically:
    • Trung: “I punch the wall… and I broke my hand.” ([13:11])

4. Ahn’s Life on the Outside

• Adapting and Supporting Family ([15:37]–[17:03])

  • Ahn resumes life: takes Trung’s things, supports their parents, visits Trung in jail.
    • Ahn: “Trung’s clothes are now Ahn’s clothes. Trung’s car is now Ahn’s car. Even Trung’s old job at Olive Garden is now Ahn’s new job.” ([15:46])
  • He finds brief comfort and nostalgia during prison visits:
    • Ahn: “This is An’s favorite part… that boyhood feeling of never doubting that your brother is beside you, with you. It’s so comforting.” ([17:43])
  • Despite his chill persona, Ahn struggles with the past and present dangers—the persistent “green light” even outside prison.

• Entrepreneurial Distraction: The Underground Club ([19:56]–[21:46])

  • Ahn and his friend Charles open an unlicensed strip club—“Players Club”—to find purpose and distance from Trung.
    • Ahn: “I was running an underground strip club. That’s exactly what it was.” ([21:38])
  • The club attracts both the local underground scene and past enemies—a new risk.

5. Confronting Danger: Ending the “Green Light” Threat

• Negotiating with Rivals ([23:21]–[26:17])
  • Charles encourages Ahn to “squash it,” ending the gang vendetta by directly talking to rivals.
    • Charles: “He’s making it easier for when Trung gets out to where he doesn’t have to look over his shoulder…” ([24:16])
  • Tense but anticlimactic moment:
    • Ahn: “Nah. Like, nah, I don’t want it anymore. Just, you win. Like I lose, you win.” ([26:08])
  • The “green light” is lifted. Both brothers are finally free from that external threat.

6. Trung’s Personal Reckoning and Rehabilitation

• The Sentencing and Facing the Victim’s Family ([27:03]–[28:20])

  • Trung is sentenced to 7 years and faces the family of the man he killed.
    • Trung: “Just sitting there listening to the impact, the traumas, right, that I’ve caused... Even in a whole crowd of people, I allow myself to cry.” ([27:39])

• Finding Meaning: Shakespeare, Education, and OMCP ([29:00]–[32:59])

  • Trung embraces rehabilitation—college, meditation, GED tutoring, and the Shakespeare for Social Justice program.
    • Trung: “I don’t want to come out of prison being the same, you know, rebuilding my life as if nothing has happened.” ([28:54])
  • Becomes involved in drama therapy and sees the power of performing and self-expression:
    • Trung: “You know, being this person who was like, I guess the good guy…was how I wanted others to portray me.” ([31:59])
  • Inspired by cellmate Tien, Trung joins OMCP, a rigorous program to become a state-certified substance abuse counselor.

• Deepest Self-Examination: Confronting Performance and Denial ([34:16]–[38:28])

  • In OMCP’s “Denial Management”, Trung realizes his journey so far has been partly performative, even in confession and therapy.
    • Group member feedback: “The way that you talk about your story and how I see you, it seems very performative.” ([35:11])
    • Trung: “I’m trying to sell this whole story that I’m a good person. And they saw right through it…Because it was all an act.” ([36:19], [36:46])
  • Trung breaks down—confronted with the core truth of his actions and past.

7. Release--and Lingering Doubt ([39:21]–[39:44])

• Trung earns early release credits (milestones) through rehabilitation, but his feelings are not of triumph, but of guilt: - Trung: “I do not feel that I was punished enough, that I served enough time that would even be considered justice…” ([39:21]) - Trung: “I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve to be released this early. I don’t deserve to enjoy all of this.” ([39:34])
• The episode closes with the central unresolved issue: facing his brother Ahn and the years taken from him.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “[I told him that I was the person who did it and that my brother is in there for something I did.]”
  — Trung to his father ([01:39])

• “I feel so free. Like everything that I’ve been feeling, all the challenges…everything is gone and I’m ready.”
  — Trung, after confessing ([03:20])

• “[I’m about to do something that can relieve him from all that pain.]”
  — Trung, on seeing his jailed brother ([05:39])

• “It was like a very, very bittersweet moment, you know, like, oh, shoot, like I’m actually going to go home.”
  — Ahn, realizing he’s about to be released ([07:21])

• “Such a huge thing just happened. Like, I did what you wanted. Aren’t you grateful I finally did it instead of still giving me shit?”
  — Trung, in a heated phone call with Ahn ([11:43])

• “Don’t forget you’re still like a pretty lotus in a muddy pond. No man ever wrote that to me before, man. I broke down crying, man.”
  — Charles (Kevin), reading Ahn’s parting note ([08:51])

• “I punch the wall… and I broke my hand.”
  — Trung’s rage and frustration ([13:11])

• “I was running an underground strip club. That’s exactly what it was.”
  — Ahn, on his new entrepreneurial venture ([21:38])

• “Nah. Like, nah, I don’t want it anymore. Just, you win. Like I lose, you win.”
  — Ahn, lifting the “green light” ([26:08])

• “Just sitting there listening to the impact, the traumas, right, that I’ve caused, hearing from the parents, the cousin, the girlfriend, it all just hit me. My actions took away so much.”
  — Trung, at the sentencing ([27:39])

• “I’m trying to sell this whole story that I’m a good person. And they saw right through it…Because it was all an act.”
  — Trung, on his performative repentance ([36:19], [36:46])

• “I do not feel that I was punished enough, that I served enough time that would even be considered justice for what I did.”
  — Trung, upon learning of his early release ([39:21])

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Important Timestamps

• [01:39]: Trung confesses to his father
• [03:20]: Trung describes post-confession liberation
• [05:39]: Trung’s resolve to right the wrong
• [07:21]: Ahn reflects on bittersweet release
• [08:51]: Emotional jail goodbye between Ahn and Kevin
• [10:12]: Trung’s vigilance and anxiety in jail
• [11:43]: Heated phone call between brothers
• [13:11]: Trung breaks his hand in frustration
• [15:46]: Ahn’s life after release, family dynamics
• [21:38]: Ahn describes opening Players Club
• [26:08]: Ahn squashes gang vendetta
• [27:39]: Trung faces the victim’s family at sentencing
• [31:59]: Role-playing and emotional authenticity in prison theater
• [36:19]: Trung confronted for being “performative”
• [39:34]: Trung’s ambivalence about early release

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Tone and Style

The episode is intimate, candid, and emotionally raw. The dialogue is self-examining, sometimes pain-filled, alternating between resignation, hope, bitterness, and brief humor. The narrative lingers on moments of vulnerability and self-reckoning, capturing the difficult, non-linear path toward forgiveness—both of others and of the self.

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Closing

Episode 5 ends on lingering tension and unresolved guilt. Trung has confronted the truth of his actions, stripped away defense mechanisms, and begun genuine rehabilitation. But ahead lies the most personal reckoning: whether he and Ahn can heal the rift, and whether Trung will ever feel worthy of release, forgiveness, or a new life. The saga nears its conclusion, promising a final confrontation between the brothers in the series finale.

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For listeners seeking a complete, nuanced story of trauma, sacrifice, and identity, “Readiness Is All” offers both stark truths and open questions, resisting easy redemption in favor of honest self-examination and the slow work of change.

Transcript

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Audible subscribers can listen ad free. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. Campsite media. It's a chilly fall evening in San Jose as trung loads two 50 pound boxes into the trunk of his car.

[Trung]

Name, address and everything. Where it's going to go and where it's going to come back. Literally every side of the box.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

They're full of gifts. Dove soap, chocolates in bulk, flea market jewelry. Everything Duc is bringing to his family in Vietnam. He's leaving for a 28 day trip and trung is seeing him off. In the car, they chat about his dad's plans, the relatives and friends he'll see, the places he'll visit. But underneath all of this, this is a heavy feeling. Because when Duc returns, Trung won't be there to pick him up. Just a few days earlier, Trung had finally come clean to his father. It came in a quiet moment when they were out having lunch. Duck told Trung he'd noticed a change in him.

[Trung]

I always see in your eyes just so much sadness, he said. Something has changed. He didn't see that feeling of sadness anymore.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

As he looked at his dad, Trung wasn't sure what to say next. He took a breath.

[Trung]

And then I finally told the truth. I told him that I was the person who did it and that my brother is in there for something that I did. This is something that I need to do and it should have happened in the beginning and now I will be turning myself in.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung waited for his fears about this moment to come true. For his dad to erupt in fury or express his deep shame. But Duck was calm.

[Trung]

He tells me he saw like a level of maturity that he hasn't seen before.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Duc then made his own startling confession. He suspected Trung was guilty all along. But he felt it wasn't his place to interfere. Not with the law and not with the brother's relationship. That this was Trung's hardship to bear and to figure out for himself. On the ride to the airport, they don't talk much more about it. They've never been comfortable sharing their feelings with each other. But that changes when they reach the security check.

[Trung]

My dad looked really sad and I just told him, you don't need to be sad. When you come back, you won't see me anymore. You will see my brother. He's going to come home and really like everything is going to be okay. I felt strong to be able to tell my dad that.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung hugs his dad tightly and watches him disappear in the security line. Any sadness, Trung feels about saying goodbye to his father is quickly taken over by another feeling.

[Trung]

Like I feel so free. Like everything that I've been feeling, all the challenges, all the heaviness in my chest, it's all gone and I'm ready.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung has come clean to his dad, his therapist and his lawyer. Now a court date has been set to formally reverse the charge against Ahn. Trung feels the freedom that comes with feeling finally telling the truth. But there's one person he hasn't been totally honest with yet. Himself. From wendry and campside media, I'm jen miller, and this is blood will tell. This is episode five. Readiness is all. Whoever designed the Santa Clara county hall of justice was not subtle. The main entrance is framed by a sleek facade made up of 20 pristine mirrored panels. As Trung approaches the door, he sees his reflection, confident in his black suit and tie, looking like a man who is secure in the decision he's made.

[Trung]

Today is the day that I'll be turning myself in.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung has rehearsed this day over and over in his mind. It's the climax of the play he's been performing, the consummate act of his bravery. Finally, he'll be setting everything right. Trung greets his attorney, Barney, and they walk into the courtroom. He sees his mom and a handful of friends already seated. The deputy DA is there, sitting at one end of a long table. Barney and Ahn's attorney Clinton take their seats at the table and Trung slides into the gallery behind them. He watches as his brother is led into the room, dressed in his jail issued clothes, red tunic and khaki pants, his hands shackled to his sides.

[Trung]

I see my brother. I'm thinking about all the calls that he begged me to save him because during that time it was so painful for him to be there, to lose his girlfriend, to lose his life. I'm about to do something that can relieve him from all that pain.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

The brothers stay seated as their lawyers stand and walk into the judge's chambers. Barney and Clinton have spent months negotiating a deal with the Deputy da, Clinton to get unreleased and Barney to get the murder charge downgraded from first degree to voluntary manslaughter. Clinton has a choice phrase for it. That was the sweet ordeal.

[Trung]

If we hadn't presented everything we had,

[Ahn]

he would be facing 25 to life.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Now they just need the judge to give a ruling and make the deal officially. Here are the basics of what the lawyers shared with one. Trung had initially attempted to de escalate the fight and Then jumped in when he thought his brother was in danger. Two, the problematic ways the lineup was conducted. And three, the wrong brother had sat in jail for 21 months. When they return to the courtroom, the judge asks Trung to rise and state his plea.

[Trung]

I looked at my friends, I looked at my family. I nodded. My girlfriend at the time, I think he was crying.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

He stands up and tells the judge guilty. And then the judge rules. Trung will be charged with voluntary manslaughter, and Ahn will be released almost immediately with an accessory charge.

[Ahn]

It was like a very, very bittersweet moment, you know, like, oh, shoot, like I'm actually going to go home.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

What happens next is a blur to both of the twins. Ahn is escorted out of the courtroom and into a holding area. Then Trung is brought in.

[Trung]

They placed me and Ahn in a cell together just for a brief moment.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

They're both cuffed, so it's impossible to give a proper hug. Instead, they do their best to touch hands. Pressing their bodies as close together as the restraints will allow was like a

[Trung]

sense of relief I have felt for almost two years.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

The twins barely have time to speak before the bailiffs come to take them out. Trung to his incarceration and an to his freedom. Ahn returns to his cell to collect his things and say his goodbyes.

[Ahn]

You know, talking to Kevin and just, you know, like, hey, bro, I'm going home, man.

[Charles]

I just felt like I lost my freedom again. It was his turn to be like, my big brother. Cause he told me, like, not to cry. Don't give up. He's like, hey, I got you something. But don't open it until I leave.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

After Ahn is out of view, Kevin's door clicks shut. Kevin looks down at what Ahn just handed him. It's a card, and inside it read,

[Charles]

don't forget you're still like a pretty lotus in a muddy pond. No man ever wrote that to me before, man. I broke down crying, man.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

It doesn't take long until Trung arrives.

[Charles]

Hey, An's brother's here. All the guys in there call it the switch. Like the movie. I think it was Lindsay Lohan or something. They switch as twins.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

The Parent Trap.

[Charles]

Everyone was like, whoa. Everyone was shocked, like they switched their twins. It was just crazy. I was under the impression that since they're doing a switch, then they're going to bring Trung right back into my room. But they didn't. They sent him to the next house.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

When Trung enters the county jail, the confidence he felt Walking into the courthouse vanishes. It feels like all eyes are on him.

[Trung]

It was as if, like, everybody already

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

knew me, including his new cellmate.

[Tien]

The door pops open and I was like, oh, you're An's brother.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Tien has been in jail for two years, awaiting trial. When Trung shows up, he immediately sees how nervous Trung is.

[Tien]

His head was constantly on a swivel. He was looking around a lot. And I knew it was something that I experienced when I first came was a lot of anxiety.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Jail can be dangerous for anyone. But Trung must also contend with the green light.

[Trung]

I was working out a lot. I was just preparing just in case something would happen. I did have in the back of my mind that, like, if something were to go off, I'm going to have to defend myself.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

The threat of the green light feels like a constant hum whenever he's away from his cell. But soon, another source of anxiety, an unexpected one, begins to take shape. His brother.

[Trung]

I mean, I think me coming in and finally turning myself in. I had imagined that things would be okay, that our relationship will be stronger, much stronger than ever.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

But that hasn't happened. Coming clean has not restored their relationship as Trung believed. It seems to have made it worse. Every time he comes back from a phone call with Ahn, Trung stews in his cell. Tien doesn't really understand.

[Tien]

I would ask him, hey, you know, what is it about your brother that when you talk about him, you're so upset? So he shared that the whole altercation happened between his brother and somebody else because his brother was so drunk.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

As the weeks tick by, their phone calls grow contentious until one day, it's just too much for Trunk to take. While holding the receiver up to his ear, Ahn complains about the different ways it's been hard to acclimate to life outside. As the call goes on, Trung gets increasingly heated.

[Trung]

I was really frustrated. Such a huge thing just happened. Like, I did what you wanted. Aren't you grateful I finally did it instead of still giving me shit?

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

For months, Trung has geared up to play the part of the courageous brother who finally did the right thing. He set the stage to have the charges switched. A happy ending to this tragic tale of mistaken identities. But he didn't consider how he'd feel waking up every day in a cell without a motivating purpose and with a lot of unresolved feelings toward his brother. And he definitely didn't think about how difficult it would be for Ahn to recover from those two lost years in My head.

[Trung]

I was like, dude, like, you just came home. You have your freedom. Why are we arguing about this?

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

They continue sniping at each other until the call cuts out. Trung's 15 minutes of phone time is up. He stomps back to his cell. Tian watches him come in, can practically see the rage steaming off of him.

[Tien]

He got really upset and he started yelling, started throwing things around.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung is all emotion. He's ping ponging from the bed to the wall and that's when he loses it.

[Trung]

I punch the wall that's like so thick. It's just like a brick of rock and. And I broke my hand.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

He spends that night staring at the ceiling of the hospital room while his hand throbs weighed down inside a cast. His cast is considered a weapon.

[Trung]

So I could no longer stay at that cell block.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

He's moved into a secluded infirmary unit. It's dark, barely any windows, no yard time, and no interactions from others besides infirmary staff. He'll be stuck in here until the cast comes off.

[Trung]

Having to stay by myself. There was nobody there for that whole month. It was just me and my emotions and my thoughts. It was what I was fearful of. Just being alone, being forgotten.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Fears that pushed him toward countless bad decisions. And so many of Trung's attempts to prove himself to be recognized involved Ahn. Not because of anything Ahn intentionally did to him, but because of their proximity, their innate competitiveness, the pressures they felt from their dad. The list goes on. But instead of taking full responsibility for his actions, Trang has found comfort in blaming his brother. If you have a really close sibling, you know what I'm talking about. If he hadn't made me so mad, I wouldn't have punched the wall. If he hadn't been so drunk, I wouldn't have run into the fight with a knife. If Trung is going to repair his relationship with Ahn, let alone move forward with his life, he'll have to realize that he only has himself to blame. He never considered how Ahn would actually feel after his release. He punched the wall. And regardless of how drunk his brother was, he stabbed a man. And right now, only he can pull himself out of this emotional hole. Back in San Jose, Ahn wakes up at 6am with a hangover.

[Ahn]

When I'm going to visit Trung, it's up to me to get up early, make sure have the right clothing.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

He opens up his closet and flips through his options. He can't really afford new clothes, so it's mostly things he wore before he was arrested. Plus everything that belonged to Trung. Trung's clothes are now Ahn's clothes. Trung's car is now Ahn's car. Even Trung's old job at Olive Garden is now Ahn's new job at Olive Garden.

[Ahn]

The interview was funny because the manager, who was just laughing the whole time, was just shocked that we just look alike. So he just hired me on a spot. So for sure that helped me.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Since today is visitation day, his clothing options are strict. No jeans or anything else that's blue, so no one can mistake him as wearing an inmate uniform. Once dressed, Ahn gets into his car, well actually Trung's car and heads over to his parents house. He's been helping them with a lot of things lately. Shuttling them to doctor's appointments and helping them pay the bills. And on visit days, driving them to the prison. These family car rides to visit Trung are often tense. Like today, Ahn is trying to manage his headache as Deok yells at him to slow down. Then there's the annoying routine they have to follow once they arrive.

[Ahn]

You have to do paperwork, you have to show your id.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Then they wait, sometimes for hours, until finally they're escorted into a cafeteria where they have the chance to stock up on food for Trung.

[Ahn]

Just a lot of vending machines all over around. My mom go this way, I go this way, my dad go this way. Get all the food that we can because we knew Trung didn't have those type of food. You know, hot cheeseburgers or Asian food. Then we just sit there and wait until he comes out.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

They lay everything out on the table and wait for the guards to bring the men in.

[Ahn]

When I see Trung comes out and people are like, huh? There's two of them.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

This is An's favorite part.

[Ahn]

And that's when like I realized, like, oh yeah, this feeling I used to get when I was younger. Yeah, I miss that.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

That boyhood feeling of never doubting that your brother is beside you, with you. It's so comforting. There is still so much unspoken between them. Years of frustrations, questions about who bears the blame for the party and then for everything that followed. But Ahn doesn't want to think about any of that.

[Ahn]

I think my personality, I'm very phlegmatic, like I'm very chill. I don't hold grudges.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

At least this is what Ahn tells himself. He doesn't want to be angry with Trung. He just wants to move on. But it's not easy. Along With Olive Garden. He tries a handful of other jobs,

[Ahn]

renting out cars on Turo, trying to do some Amazon dropshipping.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Nothing really pans out. Then the relationship with his girlfriend finally falls apart for good. And on top of it all, there's still the green light. Like at the gym.

[Ahn]

When I walk in sometime, I'm looking to the left where the weights are at, and then I happen to see one of those guys, Tim's guys. I make eye contact with them. They notice me. I think they're waiting for a move, too, to walk to the locker room. And I just go sit there for a little bit. I think, well, okay, you know what? I'm gonna just go walk back out and just head back to the door and just head out. Just knowing in the back of my mind, like, okay, one of these guys attack my brother. And could be any of them. I don't know who, but I'd rather just avoid it.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Ahn's not sure how much danger he's in. He's been off the streets for nearly two years. He's not active in the lifestyle anymore, and he didn't do the thing that would have really screwed him. With all these guys, he didn't snitch. But the paranoia is driving him crazy. Ahn needs a distraction. He needs a purpose. So he starts networking, looking up his old friends from school.

[Charles]

Like Charles, he messaged me on Facebook. He's like, all right, let's go hang out. Let's go drink. Let's catch up.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Charles tells an that he has a buddy interested in starting up an underground club. His friend will put up the money for the club if Ahn and Charles take care of operations. Ahn is excited. The club is exactly what he's been looking for. It's entrepreneurial. It's something he can really throw himself into, and it has nothing to do with his brother. There's only one problem.

[Ahn]

It was not legit, of course.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

It's like underground, meaning no permits or inspections to speak of. They find a warehouse for rent in an industrial part of town. The space is where people could go once the legal bars close.

[Ahn]

The crowd started coming in after downtown,

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Ahn was envisioning something with a touch of class.

[Ahn]

I was trying to go with the

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

name Lotus, but he's outvoted.

[Ahn]

And my other homie wanted to call

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Players club, which, given the vibe, is probably the more accurate name. On a typical night, an and Charles pass through a curtain and head down a hall with VIP rooms on the left and right. On the back wall, there's a large mural of a lotus with the outline of three naked women doing drugs, smoking weed.

[Ahn]

Everywhere, lights are off.

[Charles]

You have music, jumping LED strip lights all around. We want to do, like, a San Jose thing, so we did a teal

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

color, a nod to the sharks, the local hockey team.

[Charles]

We had, like, a disco strobe type of light, dj, open dance floor. But we have strippers as well.

[Ahn]

I was running an underground strip club. That's exactly what it was.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Ahn knows the club could get him into trouble with authorities and even land him back in jail. But he reasons he's not selling drugs or burglarizing houses or soldiering for a criminal organization. He's running a small business with friends. Also. The money's good, so it's a risk he's willing to take.

[Charles]

When we started making a name for ourselves, hip hop, Bay area artists would come in.

[Ahn]

We had a 49er player there before, too, but I'm not going to drop his name.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

But it's about more than the money. He feels successful. People are looking up to him.

[Ahn]

You feel all buttered up, feeling good. All these people saying, oh, yeah, yeah, he's one of the owners.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

And that, of course, there's another problem with the club, the patrons. Not the famous athletes or the bay area musicians, but the crews and organized crime groups, the people that ahn is literally trying to avoid.

[Charles]

I was like, hey, this guy's gonna be coming around. I'm letting you know. Heads up. An at the time was kind of, like, pissed at me. His face getting red. He's getting angry, like, oh, are you hanging out with this guy? That's the other gang. But then I had to check him too. You gotta deal with it, you know, we're in business together. We're making money. Some of these guys are cool with our other friends. So it is what it is.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Charles is basically telling on, you know, what kind of business we're in and, you know who we're serving. If you have a problem with them, deal with it.

[Ahn]

He said, like, hey, these guys, they got a table. You want to squash it or what?

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Meaning, do you want to squash the green light?

[Ahn]

I thought it was a stupid beef from the beginning. Just because we're twins and they're attacking us. I just wanted it to be over.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

But ahn had never considered this an option. Could it really be as simple as telling the enemies he wants the beef to be over? What if he approaches their table and they attack him? Shoot him on the spot. Then Charles reminds him that this threat Is already following him whether or not he decides to approach these guys.

[Charles]

You know where you say if you walk in a restaurant, you walk in the gym, you see these guys, and then you gotta leave, you know?

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

And it's not just about Ahn. When Trung finally gets out of prison, does Ahn want his brother returning to a life of vigilance and paranoia?

[Charles]

He's making it easier for when Trung gets out to where he doesn't have to look over his shoulder and all that.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

And this is Ahn's club, his turf, with his own people there to back him up. Ahn takes it all into consideration and quickly makes his decision.

[Ahn]

Yeah, man, let's do it.

[Charles]

They pull up maybe six, seven people.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Ahn enters through a back door to scope it out and recognizes a few of the enemies. One who definitely has an issue with him.

[Ahn]

He looked at me and this other guy who's, like, famous in their side, started walking in, and they just mugged the crap out of me and they went to the room.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Charles clocks all this, and he's getting nervous.

[Charles]

So we're in the VIP room, and I'm telling my boy, hey, just be on toes. That's, you know, just in case something happens. I had a gun on me. And then my other friend, we're just sitting there being alert, just watching.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

If there's any good time for an to approach, it's now. He takes a deep breath.

[Ahn]

I was like, all right, all right. And then I went up to them. Ah say, hey, is everything all good? He asked, like, hey, you still want it?

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Ahn's adrenaline is pumping, but through it, he feels a wave of disbelief. This guy at the table seems to think Ahn wanted to be in this fight. He looks right in the man's face, and then the man next to him and realizes, they're just like us.

[Ahn]

They're just a little bit older. They're Vietnamese. This is so dumb. They're in my club. My friends are cool with them. I'm no longer with the association of who I was with. My brother's locked up. I have too much to lose.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

For just a moment, everything hangs in the balance.

[Ahn]

And then I was like, nah. Like, nah, I don't want it anymore. Just, you win. Like I lose, you win.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

An the fighter puts his fists down. The other guys accept his concession. The green light is done. There's no more hit hanging over his head or his brother's. They're free from the danger that has followed them for five years. But they are not out of the woods. Because Ahn still hasn't faced the person who's posed the greatest danger to him, his own brother. Before Truong can be transferred from county jail to state prison, he has to be formally sentenced for his crime.

[Trung]

The sentencing date was very emotional because

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

he has to face the friends and family of the man he killed. You may be wondering about this man and why I haven't talked about him more. I made multiple attempts to reach his family and his friends, but they didn't want to talk to me. But they do speak on his behalf at the sentencing.

[Trung]

They showed me the whole presentation with, you know, videos, pictures of my victim.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

And then the family reads their prepared testimonies.

[Trung]

Just sitting there listening to the impact, the traumas, right, that I've caused, hearing from the parents, the cousin, the girlfriend, it all just hit me. My actions took away so much. It took away his future. It took away everything that he could be. And I've changed the lives of his families and friends forever. Even in a whole crowd of people, I allow myself to cry. I allow myself to show, like, my true emotions.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trang's starts to wonder, how did he become the kind of person capable of committing such a crime? And is it now possible to become a different kind of person? What if it's not? And then the judge announces his sentence. Seven years in state prison. Trung is transported to California State Prison Solano, and soon after he arrives, he decides to get to work.

[Trung]

I don't want to come out of prison being the same, you know, rebuilding my life as if nothing has happened.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Through the prison grapevine, Trung learns about Proposition 57, a new ballot initiative that encourages prisons and incarcerated people to focus on rehabilitation.

[Trung]

I felt a sense of agency that if I put in the hard work, like, it's going to pay off and I can rebuild a life for myself, that this whole prison experience here is really about rehabilitation.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

The proposition also creates new pathways toward early release.

[Trung]

This includes college education, therapeutic programs, even things like going to AA group. Consistently. People like myself who has, like, violent convictions can also earn milestones if we put in the work.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Milestones, meaning rehabilitative programs and certificates that can shorten your sentence. And some of the rehabilitation options are surprising. Trung hears about a performance of Shakespeare's King Lear made up almost entirely of other incarcerated men.

[Trung]

I was like, oh, shit, they held this in prison.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

He enters the gym to find the chairs already filling up. There's not much of a set, but the actors conjure riveting scenes with just a few simple tunics and cardboard swords. The show is part of Shakespeare for Social justice, another program offering sentence credits. As the performance continues, he starts to visualize himself up there, all eyes on him, like he could be the one in the spotlight, the one who makes the audience hold its breath. He signs up. The program is designed as drama therapy, using Shakespearean stories and themes to tap into repressed emotions. At rehearsals, men do uncomfortable things, like stare into the eyes of their scene partners and physically embody feelings of fear and love. It's risky to act this way in prison, but for Truong, that's part of the appeal. Of course, growth and change require bravery. His first production is much ado about nothing. He's cast as Claudio, the misguided lover boy.

[Ahn]

But here these ill news with the ears of Claudio. This so and so the prince woos

[Trung]

for himself the character. Somebody portrayed his fiance as cheating on him and like, he was really heartbroken.

[Ahn]

Friendship is constant in all other things, saving the office, the affairs of love.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung is able to throw the heartache of his recent breakup into the role. He's also able to shine. He performs a breakdancing solo. And hams up a couple of key moments for laughs. At the end of the play, his character is largely redeemed for his mistakes.

[Trung]

You know, being this person who was like, I guess the good guy was how I wanted others to portray me.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung's days are busy. He's rehearsing, teaching GED students, studying for his associate's degree, and meditating. He feels productive, like maybe he really is the good guy. Then Trung's cellmate, Tien, is accepted into a totally different kind of program. The title is a the Occupational Mentor Certification Program. Everybody calls it OMcP, and it trains you to become a substance abuse counselor certified by the state. The program is selective and rigorous, and as Trung watches Tien move through his assignments, he realizes that it offers the opportunity for an even deeper level of personal growth.

[Tien]

Every time I came back with an assignment, I was like, hey, is it okay if I read this to you? Writing my commitment offense, writing about my childhood abuse, writing about my trauma, I was able to to sit in the cell with Trung, talk about it. I was able to sit there, cry, and have somebody who would encourage me support me. Even though he was not going through

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

the program Trung applies to omcp.

[Trung]

I felt the need to understand the cause and effect that eventually led to committing the crime and my incarceration because I was still feeling very guilty and

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

ashamed of what I did when he's accepted. He sees right away that it's nothing like the other programs.

[Trung]

They're focusing on discovering themselves. And I crave, like the knowledge that they had.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung throws himself into the work. He feels like he's making real progress. Then comes a unit called Denial Management. Truong and his cohort sit in a circle to talk about the masks they wear, the men they are inside versus the men they want everyone to see. The facilitator lays out the ground rules.

[Trung]

It's gonna hurt. I'm gonna be sharing what I need to share. And then others in the group are allowed to provide feedback as honestly as possible. And I'm just going to listen. And I can't say anything back. I'm just going to listen.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

He begins to share what led him into the lifestyle, the pain he's caused, and how finally, finally, after so much trauma, he stood up and took responsibility. And now here he is in prison, accepting the consequences, dedicating all of his time to learning how to be his true self. If this is a test, he feels like he's acing it. Trung finishes talking and then waits. After a few moments of silence, another participant in the circle begins to speak.

[Trung]

Appreciate you sharing, but the way that you talk about your story and how I see you, it seems very performative.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Trung's face grows hot. Counter arguments are piling up. But he's not allowed to speak. It's the rules of the exercise. The feedback continues.

[Trung]

Even though you were talking about his pain and all that, it was as if you were putting a show on. And he made this connection about being in Shakespeare. Are you acting? And so like, where are you being genuine?

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

All Trung can do is sit there and listen as man after man tells him. They don't believe him.

[Trung]

After all the feedback, they continued on with the group. And I was just not there anymore. I just checked out. I wanted to disappear. And as everyone was leaving, I just couldn't hold my emotions anymore. The tears came and it just. It wouldn't stop

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

that pain. The facilitator promised. It's here.

[Trung]

I'm trying to sell this whole story that I'm a good person. And they saw right through it.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

In some way or another, he's always been playing a role.

[Trung]

It describes my whole life experience, really, from childhood up to when I grew up.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

That boy scout who his parents could be proud of.

[Trung]

I wanted to be that person that was like this smart, dedicated student. So let me sell you this, but don't look at that.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

The guy who gets the job done

[Trung]

for Bobby, you know, wanting to be seen, wanting to not be invisible. I'll be whatever you want me to be, as long as you know I am seen. But it's all fake. Because it was all an act.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

A series of costumes and roles.

[Trung]

If I take out this mask, then you know, you will see my true self. A coward, dumb, immature. Really this bad friend, bad son, bad boyfriend. Someone that just doesn't care about others. I had put in years of work to hide that from people.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

And what's left after he's done hiding? There's just the truth of what Trung did.

[Trung]

When I finally acted and I stabbed him. It's very strange to say, actually, but there was a moment of relief. And I think that relief was you proved yourself that you're not this coward. Why did I have to do that? Just to be able to prove that that a selfish act, all the consequences, everything, everyone that was hurt, the ripple effect of all that pain was all traded for that. A buddy of mine came over, puts his hand on my shoulders and comforted me.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

This is the work, he tells Trung. Two other guys come over, putting their

[Trung]

arms over me and just telling me that it's going to be okay. It took some time for me to really receive that message.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

That you cannot hide from yourself, that looking at yourself is going to hurt a lot. And it keeps on hurting, maybe forever. But you have to look. That's the point. Many months later, Trung and Tien emerge from the crucible of OMCP and become registered substance abuse counselors. And then, in August 2019, nearly four years into his seven year sentence, a letter arrives in the mail. There are no more milestones left for Trung to earn. His release date has been set. March 8, 2020. As he reads this news, he's overwhelmed with joy, followed by emotions he didn't anticipate.

[Trung]

I do not feel that I was punished enough, that I served enough time that would even be considered justice for what I did. The magnitude of my actions.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Is Trung really ready to go home?

[Trung]

I don't deserve this. I don't deserve to be released this early. I don't deserve to enjoy all of this.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

Because now that Trung has finally faced himself, there's still someone else he must face. He will never be able to do right by his victim or by his friend. B. But there's someone else he hurt. Someone he took years away from. Someone with whom he still needs to make things right. His brother.

[Ahn]

Like I woke up to a nightmare. So you got to understand that. I do feel guilty. I do. But I didn't make that decision to stab that person.

[Narrator (Jen Miller)]

That's on the next and final episode of Blood Will Tell. Audible subscribers can listen to over 200 podcasts ad free, including hit shows like Dr. Death, Business wars, and Over My Dead Body. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. Blood will tell is a production of wondery and campside media. This series is reported, written and hosted by me, jen miller for campside media. Our senior producers are lindsey kilbride and ashley ann krigbomb. Our producer is annie nguyen. Our story editor is ashley ann krigbaum. Sound design and mix by ewen lai trimuin and mark twain mcadam fact checking by tracy lee consulting by thomas lu translation by tran vu for wondery, managing producer is sarah mathes. Leta pindia is senior managing producer. Senior development editor is rachel b. Doyle. Executive producers are josh dean, vanessa gregoriadis, adam hoff and matt sher. For campside media, executive producers are nidri e. Eaton, julia lowery, henderson marshall louie and jen sargent. For wondery.