Blood Will Tell - Fortune’s Fool | 3

Episode Date: March 19, 2026

 A shocking attack by Bobby’s crew forces Trung and Anh to confront their new reality — what happens when the lifestyle is thicker than blood?This episode contains descriptions of self-harm. If you or someone you know needs support coping with thoughts of self-harm, text the word “CONNECT” to 741741 for free, confidential support from a trained volunteer Crisis Counselor.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Audible subscribers can listen ad-free. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. A quick note that this episode contains descriptions of self-harm. It's a weekday afternoon, and 15-year-old Trung should be at school. Instead, he's bounding up and down on an outdoor trampoline. I had always seen trampolines in the backyard of somebody's house in different movies and all this stuff, seeing the kids having fun. So I popped on.

I just started jumping, trying to do some backflips. There was like a good maybe 30, 40 seconds. So I was like, I forgot what I was doing. I'm just jumping on this trampoline. For just a moment, Trung is carefree, feeling the rush of air as he bounds toward the sky, the drop in his stomach as he falls back to Earth. And then right away after that, I was like, oh, shit, all right,

can't be here too long. I got to get going. The trampoline doesn't belong to. a friend. It's not even in the backyard of anyone he knows. He and some friends have come to this house to rob it. Just doing what we always do, you know, ransacking the house. Since getting involved with Bobby, Trong has been busy, selling drugs and providing backup to the big homies. He's been in fights and volunteered for missions, mostly busting up property owned by rival groups. And he's also been doing a lot more of this, breaking into people's homes.

He runs through the house grabbing whatever of value he can. Only then, something stops him short. I passed by this cabinet, and there were pictures of the family members. I had a good feeling that there were Vietnamese. Seeing that, it was like, oh, shit. It could be somebody I know. I was hit with a wave of shame and guilt.

I was like, damn, I'm doing this to my own people. For a moment, Trong is flooded with remorse, an understanding of how wrong what he's doing is. But only just for a moment, because as he looks at the photos of this Vietnamese family in this very nice house, a second thought follows closely on the first. Oh, why can I be this?

Why was not born with this kind of lifestyle? In this moment, Trung is hit with the unfairness of it all, how hard his parents work and how little they have, and that unfairness quickly turns to jealousy and resentment. An internal struggle is quickly taking shape. Between Trung, the kid who still wants to earn his dad's approval, who's thrilled by the chance to bounce on a trampoline, who knows better than to do any of the things he's doing.

and the Trong who feels like he's been dealt in unfair hand, that he deserves more, and who is actually getting more by working for Bobby and the big homies. A 15-year-old kid who is getting better and better at turning off the voice that tells him not to do bad things. I looked the way just tried to not look at the family pictures and completed what I was there to do. Trung gets out of the house and he doesn't look back.

As he and his friends drive further and further away, Trung still believes that he can be both versions of himself. But if he's going to continue following Bobby's orders, he'll have to find a way to keep these conflicting desires separated. Because if he can't, he might end up with nothing. From Wendery and Campside Media, I'm Jen Miller, and this is Blood Will Tell. This is episode three,

Fortune's Fool. It's a Saturday morning. The twins groan as their alarm goes off. They rolled in late after partying with their cliques. On out with Kevin and trung with Bobby. On's been burgling and beefing with rival crews. He's landed in Juvie a couple of times, and his parents are forced to pay restitution for one of his burglaries,

an astronomical sum that will take them years to fulfill. Trung spent time in Juvie too. If the twins are in competition for who's rolling harder, it's a tough call. But this morning, their top priority has nothing to do with their crews. Trung gets out of bed and fumbles around for his uniform. We were really pushing to get our Eagle Scout. Their father put the twins in scouts when they were little,

and they've been marching in step ever since. Their troop is made up of all Vietnamese. kids with a name that comes directly from Vietnam's military history. Dyn Bolin, a historical figure, a child riding a water buffalo. A child military prodigy celebrated for leading an army to victory when he was just 14 years old. Duk wants his boys to be as fearless and honorable, as dedicated to their Vietnamese community as their troops' namesake.

And today, Trung is poised. to make his father proud. He's running for senior patrol leader, or SPL, the highest position a scout can hold in his troop. They can't be late. Trunk quickly irons his olive green pants and khaki button-down shirt with the sleeves that just cover his tattoos.

Ahn can't be bothered with the iron, and he's missing his neckerchief. Again. The twins head to a local high school where a few dozen scouts assemble at the base of a grassy hill. All the younger scouts kind of sat around the hill, looking into the top of the hill where the speech happened.

All eyes staring up at the top of the hill while the candidates deliver their speeches. Trung is up last. That was my first experience to promote myself in that way to try to win some kind of election. I'm here talking to them as their senior, and it's a moment to impress them. They may be impressed with what he's saying,

but he can also see them looking at his brand-new Reebok classics. Every single week I would wear a different pair of shoes, and the kids are all commenting on that. Trung is not at all concerned about the contradiction of this moment, that he's wearing drug money shoes to a Boy Scout selection, because Trung has figured out how to make his double life work. put up a wall and ignore the contradictions whenever it suits him. When he's running with Bobby, he's not thinking about scouts or homework.

And when he's with his troop, he pushes away any thoughts about the criminal side of his life. I block a lot of that out. It didn't cause me a lot of dissonance. It's as simple as that. And sure enough, when the votes come in that day, Trung's elected. Yeah, it was a really proud moment. for me to be able to get that position. He's like SPL? Like, wow.

Trong was like a leader. He's in charge of the four kids. And I was like, damn, could I do that? Anand Trung might be on even footing now when it comes to the lifestyle. But with scouts, school, girlfriends, getting respect from grownups, Trung remains in the lead. Yeah, everyone thinks my brother's maybe even better looking or smarter or can get more girls, this and that.

I was like, dang, man, this guy. I was, like, getting everything. I just thought it was better in me. Today, at the scout ceremony, On receives a promotion, too, from an assistant patrol leader to patrol leader. But it's short-lived. He soon gets caught fleeing from a house he robbed,

and he has to wear an ankle monitor. He struggles to conceal it under his scouts uniform. I'm running around. And it was showing one of the kids told the parents, and then the parents told my scoutmaster, she cried, you know, she's like, what, how's going on? Like, why, why, why? That's when, like, they know.

You know, my image is different now. A visible ankle monitor speaks much louder than a shy kid like On Can. He wishes the scouting community could see him as a good kid the way they see Trung as good, because that's who he is too. I don't disrespect my parents. I have manners, you know, because I enjoy listening to, like,

Rihanna, Beyonce, and Green Day, you know, like, that's not gangster. But people can only see On in relation to his brother. The better Trung does at scouts and school, the more everyone focuses on how much trouble On is getting into, but not even Ahn understands just how dangerous the lifestyle is, though he's about to get a wake-up call. It's the last weekend in May,

and the Bay area's foggy summer is just setting in. We went to a Boy Scout camping trip. It's a big trip with the entire scouting community, including everyone's parents. On the last afternoon, while Awn's at the barbecue pit, waiting for lunch, he gets a call from a friend. Vincent, the guy who first introduced On to the lifestyle, who On has looked up to for years,

he has been killed. Whoa, like, he's dead. Vincent was stabbed right around the corner from the Twins' apartment. I just seen him the week before, and I find out, like, he got killed. It's heartbreaking. He died so close to home. It's like, oh, shoot, like, all this is actually real. That's the first time I realized that this is some serious stuff.

Until now, the lifestyle has felt a little like play acting. Yes, they're doing illegal things. They know they're hanging around menacing people, but it's never really hit this close to home before. Now, though, their friend is dead, and everybody is really frightened and on high alert. I was sleeping on the couch during that time, and then I had a knife and a gun under the couch.

A gun that one of the guys in his crew had given him, just in case. His parents find it. My dad was, like, freaking out. He was like, what the heck? Like, why do you have this? You know, like, oh, my God, you know? Like, he was just thinking all kind of stuff.

And my dad broke that gun apart, like, military style. He just, like, drove around to many different neighborhoods just to throw different pieces around. Duk is forced to face what's been right there in front of his nose for nearly a year now. Some people who knew him warned me that my son might be getting involved in some gang. When I asked him, he just said he was hanging out with friends. But after Vincent is killed, there's no more denying the truth.

I told them, if you have a gun, the police could arrest you and even arrest your parents. They just kept nodding and agreeing, yes, yes, but that was it. Ahn and Trung are in too deep to heed their father's warning, or slow down. Bobby's got Trung on constant call, so much so that his position in the scouts is starting to slip. Because it was in the midst of my other life. I was getting so deep into it that I really was letting go of scouting more and more. And not long after losing Vincent, On loses Kevin, the leader of his clique.

Kevin got locked up. And it doesn't stop with Kevin. A handful of On's homies are also arrested. Oh my God, this is my crew and everyone just slowly breaking apart. I don't have my older homie anymore. And I thought I had like an identity. Now it's like I'm on my own. Alone, without Kevin, without his crew.

For a moment, On is lost. And so he gravitates to the one person he has left, the person he looks up to the most, the person who always used to be chasing after him, but who he now feels five steps behind, his brother. But with his brother comes Bobby, and more danger than either twin could have imagined. Trong is on a day trip at the beach,

at the beach with a group of friends from school. It's an afternoon of relaxing and goofing around. Trung's been clocking a lot of time for Bobby lately, and today, he thinks, is a much-needed day off. Before Trong has the chance to open another bag of chips, a text from Bobby arrives. Get to the Denny's. Now. Trung doesn't know what's going on,

but when Bobby tells you to show up, you show up. He quickly packs up the towels and snacks and rushes back to town. As Trung pulls into the parking lot, he sees friends from his crew. Bobby's there, and on too. Bobby doesn't say much. He just directs the group toward a fence. And it seemed like kind of everybody is looking at me. Like I'm this worthless piece of shit.

Bobby says it has come to his attention that Trung royally screwed up a job. job for him a while back. And because of this, Trung needs to learn a lesson. Bobby instructs the group to go for it. On stands still. They ran and pushed him. Push Trung to the ground. And they just starting hitting him, kicking him.

On can't do anything, but watch their friends beat the crap out of Trung while Bobby looks on. I just kind of felt helpless in a way that I couldn't do anything. On doesn't dare do anything. The anger of Bobby was just so overwhelming. What have they gotten themselves into? With Kevin and that crew, it felt like a family hanging out with my homies, and we are putting in work or doing whatever, getting each other's back. But suddenly, On understands just how different it is with Bobby and the big homies.

It felt like I was just a little homie, like little soldiers. Finally, Bobby makes the call and they all back off. On and some friends help Trung up. He's bloody and bruised, and on hears Bobby tell Trung. You know I love you, right? Later that day, the whole crew is back at someone's house. Everyone is drinking and talking like nothing happened, including Trung and On. We actually did not talk about much, you know, how we felt, how we deal with

things. Never, you know, like, hey, you know, are you okay? But under the surface, Trong is spiraling. I felt very lonely. I felt like there was like nobody there when everybody was there. He goes into the kitchen and finds a knife. Then he locks himself in the bathroom. I just want to disappear. He presses the knife edge to his hand, not too hard, just hard enough to draw blood. It feels terrible. to get beat up by your friends. But it feels even worse to know that your brother,

the one who has always stood up for you, can't help. Because you're both living by these rules, my enemies are your enemies, and that doesn't just apply to the rivals. If Bobby says, we're all against Trung, then we're all against Trung.

It feels like the lifestyle comes before blood. I feel like there was nothing else left for me. Trong cleans his hand. He joins his crew in the other room, and he doesn't speak a word about how he feels. But in his head, questions start popping up. Should I be doing this? Is Bobby my mentor or just an asshole?

What kind of life will I have if I keep following him? And as Trong is wrestling with all of these doubts, he encounters someone new. After one of his arrests, Trung is sent to a court-mandated diversion program. It's specifically for teens involved in criminal activity. And there, he meets a guy we're calling Tim. He looks like me. He dressed like me.

He was a Vietnamese. Tim is a guest speaker at the program. He was this person that came from this particular lifestyle and had gone in trouble, had gone through a lot of stuff. very similar things that a lot of others go to. Tim talked about turning his life around, putting crime and violence behind him. It was inspiring.

He was being vulnerable. Trung's thinking, maybe he should be trying to be more like Tim. Maybe there's a clean way out of some of this mess he's gotten himself into. But that hope is very short-lived, because when Bobby picks Trung up that afternoon from the program, he sees Tim.

And the look Bobby gets on his face, Trung knows that look. Bobby tells Trung... Oh, no, that's not who you want to be friends with. This isn't friendly advice. It's a warning. So I realize, oh, you know, that person is actually not all totally away from that lifestyle. Not just not totally away from the lifestyle. Tim is actively part of a gang, an enemy gang.

Like that is someone that I'm forbidden to be friends with. Because Trung is, after all, in his own San Jose version of Fair Verona, where everything is tainted by these warring houses and their ancient grudges. Once he learns that Tim is essentially a capulet, he should know better than to push his luck. But for some reason, he just can't. And so every time Tim stops by Trung's, part-time job at a boba shop and wants to chat, Trung does.

Each time I saw him, I agree with respect. When he's talking to Tim, Trung never mentions that he's a Montague. He never lets on that he knows about Tim's affiliation. He keeps up their appearances, that he's a way we're teen, and Tim's a potential mentor who might set him straight. And despite Bobby's warning, you might even call them friends. These people that I hang out with now are enemies, and it's just all by association.

And just like Romeo and Juliet, it's only a matter of time before their true identities are revealed, and the grudge between their warring houses leads to disaster. One night, Trung and On are summoned to a throwdown with some rivals. They have no idea which rivals will be there

or what this fight is about, but they drop everything and go because that's what you do. I'm not going to tell you exactly what goes down. I've promised my sources not to share details that might compromise their safety. And that includes this event. But as you can probably surmise,

it's two rival gangs. There's a confrontation, there's violence. And Tim is there. And it's likely that he sees On, because On is out in front, ready to fight. And Trung, cautious as always, hangs back. But it doesn't matter, because in the lifestyle, their identical DNA is a liability. Because he recognized my face.

Being a twin, consequences happen. Significant consequences. In other words, it doesn't matter which brother Tim saw. As twins, they are more easily identifiable, easily interchangeable. And even more so, because of the foundational rule of the lifestyle, My enemies are your enemies. Which means if Tim thinks one brother has deceived him, then the other brother has two, by default.

And Tim and his crew will seek revenge against both. Not long after this, a friend tells the brothers to be careful. Tim and his crew have put a so-called green light on their backs. Trong has heard this term. He knows to be scared of it. It would mean no matter where I go, who I ran into, so many people have been ordered to attack. And oftentimes that means with very severe violence that can be fatal. Trung knew he was taking a risk with those friendly conversations at the boba shop.

But he couldn't have imagined that Tim, the guy who was meant to lead him away from his life of crime, would become the brother's biggest threat. Trung may have gotten himself into this situation, but now both brothers might have to pay with their lives. The green light is a mark that means death, or something close to it. And now it's one more thing the twins share that binds them even closer

and separates them from everyone else. Because with a hit on their backs, there's only one person each brother knows without a doubt that he can trust, the other. Trung becomes paranoid that almost anyone else could be a threat. It seemed like everybody that I know were like acquaintances were on the other side. And on? I always had a knife on me.

I'm always looking over my shoulder. Because the twins know a key rule of the lifestyle. Don't get caught slipping. Being in a place where you are seen by you from the other group and just not being prepared. It's a heavy burden, always being vigilant, always being ready for someone to attack, and it's a burden the twins have to carry for at least a year, all while they try to live their lives. The brothers graduate high school. Trung actually finishes a semester early.

They move out of their parents' apartment and move into the family home of Troum of Trunk. Trung's girlfriend. They start community college, and Trung gets a better paying job at T-Mobile. Day by day, he feels less like a gangster. Like, maybe I can do something different. Maybe I don't have to try to invest into this kind of lifestyle that hasn't really been paying off in the past few years. Trong has convinced himself that if he feels like a regular college kid, then he is a regular

college kid. This kind of denial can put him in perilous situations. And it does. It's a typical weekend night, and Trung is standing outside an underground bar in a warehouse outside of town. He knows he shouldn't be here without a crew, but lately he's worried less and less. This club has lots of different rooms, each with its own music and vibe. Trung barely takes two steps into the lobby when he feels a pair of hands. Grab my shoulders, turn me around, and then I just felt, bink, a big glass bottle.

hitting me in the face. And I was just dazed for a second. Chaos ensues. I saw Tim. And his crew is there too. All those guys right now, I'm like, oh, shit, I'm fucked. You know, I got no backup. There was a door behind where I was standing.

The club's owner tries to pull Trong out of harm's way, pushing him behind the door and slamming it closed. It was a small room. There was a couch table and a TV. I looked over to see a bunch of random people. they're like, what the f-you-know-what are doing here? And I can still hear on the other side. People are yelling.

You can hear the commotion. The boss was yelling, hey, just stay in there, stay there. Don't try to get out. Trong is terrified, his chest heaving. He feels sick. I imagine the worst thing. I imagine my family is going to find out that I was left for dead in the morning. I know these businesses were, they're not really well-made.

It was probably put together pretty quickly. So I just felt the wall. and I felt like it was hollow, so I took a chance. I just punched it real hard, and it made a hole. And I was able to see the other side. Like, there was another room,

so I just, as hard as I can, I kept punching, punching, punch, and made, like, a huge hold. I don't even know what all those people were watching me, thinking during that time. Probably like, damn, San Jose, man. Just a drunk running, Like, not even feeling the pain.

It was just all survival mode. As soon as the hole is large enough, Trung pushes through. And again, there's another group of people in the next room. Trung hurries to the door of this room and peers out into the hall. The guys who'd come at him are still there and arguing about where he'd gone. It was like one of those movies where, you know, there's just like so much commotion. Everybody distracted into, like, thinking that the person is, like, right in front of them. But they just slipped out in the back.

And I was like, oh, shit. That's the exit door right there, so I just slipped away slowly. Holding his breath, eyes on the exit. If they had just turned around, like any single one of it just turned around, they would have just been able to get me so quickly. He makes it outside, and he's off. Just ran as fast as I could. I don't even know if those guys are chasing me,

so I'm just like, just keep running, keep running. I could just be executed right there. That was what was going through my mind. Just keep going, keep going, like, forcing my legs to keep running. Trung reaches a junkyard behind a fence. It was like a very open street, so I was like, if they decided to get in their car and just drive by right now, like, I'm fucked. So I decided to hop a fence.

And instead of hopping down to the ground, I decided to hop onto like a roof area. And like within three seconds, it all just collapsed right under me. I landed like on my top. back once I hit the ground. I couldn't breathe for, I don't know, 10, 20 seconds. Trung finally picks himself up,

calls Bobby, and explains what happened. I got caught sleeping, like, I need y'all to come get me right now. He hangs up, catches his breath, and keeps his eyes open for anyone who might still be on his tail. A car rolls up, and Bobby pops his head out.

Finally, Trung has back. up, Bobby's got a few friends with him. Trung gets in the car, but Bobby doesn't say much. They go to meet one of the older bros to get his take on the situation. His position is clear. Man, next time, just take it. Just stand her and get fucked up, right? And then get them back.

Trong can't believe what he's hearing. I had a feeling like I was going to be killed. Finally, Trung understands. What I expected from an organization like that was having backup. That if something like this were to happen to me, they'll round up everybody to go get revenge. But it wasn't like that. It wasn't like that at all. I don't think it was ever like that for us.

I started to feel like I inherited something that was so much bigger than myself and the organization. I don't think they even prioritize. Why protection? Forget protection, because after this night, the big homies tell Bobby to give Trung another message. If you don't do something back, then we're going to get you. If Trung looks weak, it reflects badly on the whole organization. But the organization doesn't care about Trung enough to help him be strong, let alone to have his back or his brothers, if either are caught by the green light again.

It's a crushing realization. He owes this organization everything, his own life if necessary, and they owe him nothing. Trung is desperate to walk away, but he can't. The green light and the big homies, they have two great a hold on him.

And he's also trapped by this futile quest to prove himself, to be man enough, to avoid shame at all costs. So Trung will keep trying to balance the double lives he's leading. he'll continue to sacrifice his sanity, his agency, his very sense of self, until he can't balance it any longer. And that moment will come on another night when he lets his guard down, when he hears about a party, out in the suburbs, and he convinces his brother to come along with him. In an attempt to prove himself, Trong will end a man's life. And then he'll sacrifice the one and only thing he still holds close.

The person who is most important to him, his brother. I knew what he wanted to say. Why are you out? And why am I in here? He was crying and begging to get him out. That's coming up on the next 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. If you or someone you know needs support coping with thoughts of self-harm, text the word connect to 741-741 for free confidential support

from a trained volunteer crisis counselor. 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 Lindsay Kilbride and Ashley Ann Craigbaum.

Our producer, is Annie Wynne. Our story editor is Ashley Ann Craig Baum. Sound design and mix by I Wen Lytram Ewan Lyram Yuen and Mark McAdam. Fact-checking by Tracy Lee. Consulting by Thomas Lou. Translation by Tranvue. Voice acting by Tam Duong. For Wondry, managing producer is Sarah Mathis. Letup India is senior managing producer. Senior development editor is Rachel B. Doyle. Executive producers are Josh Dean, Vanessa Gregoriatis, Adam Hoff, and Matt Cher for Campside Media. Executive producers are Nigerie Eaton, Julia Lowry Henderson, Marshall Louis, and Jen Sargent for Wondery.