Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

"Mr. Robert." Bai Hanchuan turned around, the fierce look on his face instantly disappeared, replaced by a polite smile, "You got up early too."

My heart was pounding like a drum. I turned around slowly and saw Robert standing not far behind us with his usual arrogant smile.

"I heard that Mr. Bai's planting base has recently developed new varieties. As a colleague, of course I have to come and learn from them." Robert spoke fluent Chinese, but there was a subtle hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"Mr. Robert, you are too kind. We are just a small country business. How can we compare with your multinational corporation that can call the wind and rain?" Bai Hanchuan responded neither humbly nor arrogantly.

I noticed that Robert's smile froze for a moment, but soon returned to normal. "Mr. Bai, you are too modest. I have heard about your new variety. I heard that the market feedback is quite good."

"It's okay. It's still in the starting stages and needs continuous improvement." Bai Hanchuan said lightly, without any emotion in his tone.

Robert's eyes swept back and forth between me and Bai Hanchuan, as if looking for some flaws. "I believe in the abilities of Mr. Bai and Ms. Mu. They will definitely be able to overcome all difficulties and create greater glory."

After he finished speaking, he smiled and turned away. Looking at his back, I felt more and more uneasy. He definitely didn't come here for a simple greeting.

In the following days, my hunch was confirmed. First, the planting base received complaints from customers one after another, saying that the new varieties we provided had quality problems, resulting in reduced crop yields. Then, local newspapers and TV stations also began to report on the matter. For a time, the planting base was caught in a chorus of doubts.

"This is impossible!" I looked at the latest quality inspection report in my hand, my face pale, "Our products have been strictly tested, there is absolutely no way this kind of problem would occur!"

"I know." Bai Hanchuan's expression was equally grim. "This matter is very strange. Someone must be behind this."

"Who could it be?" I murmured to myself, and Robert's calculating face suddenly appeared in my mind.

"I'll go find Mr. Zhao and ask about the situation." Bai Hanchuan made a prompt decision, picked up his coat and walked out.

"Wait for me, I'll go with you!" I caught up with him, and I had a strong premonition that this incident was definitely not as simple as business competition.

We drove to Mr. Zhao's home, but found nothing there. The neighbor told us that Mr. Zhao had returned to the countryside a few days ago, saying that he had something to deal with in his hometown.

"How could it be such a coincidence?" My doubts deepened, and I felt that this matter was becoming more and more strange.

"It seems that we can only start investigating from other aspects first." Bai Hanchuan frowned, with a gleam in his eyes, "I believe that as long as someone did it, there will be traces left."

At this moment, my cell phone suddenly rang. The caller ID showed that it was Manager Wang, who was in charge of sales at the planting base. He said hurriedly, "Boss Mu, something bad has happened..."

"What happened, Manager Wang? Please tell me slowly." I tried to stay calm, but my hand holding the phone tightened involuntarily.

"Early this morning, several long-term customers suddenly called and said they wanted to cancel their orders. Some customers also said they would wait and see for a while before making a decision..." Manager Wang's voice was full of anxiety and uneasiness. "There are also many reporters gathered outside the base. What should we do, President Mu?"

My heart sank when I heard the news. Robert's counterattack was faster and more violent than we thought. It seemed that he was determined to kill us this time.

"I understand. Please calm down the employees and customers first. We will be back soon." After hanging up the phone, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down.

When I returned to the planting base, the scene was even worse than I had imagined. Angry reporters surrounded the base gate and kept asking the security guards all kinds of sharp questions.

"Boss Bai, Boss Mu, may I ask what explanation do you have for the quality issues of this new variety?"

"There are rumors that your new breed uses banned drugs. Is this true?"

"This incident has caused serious damage to your reputation. How do you plan to recover the loss?"

……

Bai Hanchuan and I finally squeezed through the crowd and entered the base. We immediately held an emergency meeting to discuss response strategies.

After some investigation, we finally found out that the customers who complained were secretly contacted by Robert Company. They deliberately spread rumors and created panic in order to attack our new varieties and seize market share.

"How despicable!" I slammed the table angrily, and the anger that had been pent up for these days finally burst out, "We absolutely cannot let them succeed!"

"The most urgent task now is to clarify the facts as soon as possible and recover the losses." Bai Hanchuan analyzed calmly, "I have contacted an authoritative organization to test our products, and I believe there will be results soon."

In the next few days, we raced against time. On the one hand, we actively cooperated with the investigation of relevant departments, and on the other hand, we clarified the facts to the public through various channels and promised to compensate the customers who suffered losses.

Thanks to our efforts, the truth of the incident finally came to light. The clients who spread the rumors also admitted that they had accepted bribes from Robert's company and apologized publicly.

However, despite our best efforts, the impact of the negative news was beyond our expectations. Many customers cancelled their orders due to concerns about problems arising again, and the sales of the planting base plummeted.

“How could this happen…” I looked at the latest sales report, my face pale, and a deep feeling of powerlessness surged in my heart.

Bai Hanchuan's face was equally solemn. He said in a deep voice: "It seems that we still underestimated Robert's determination. This battle is more difficult than we thought."

He walked to the window, looked at the sky in the distance, and said in a heavy tone: "Jinli, I have a feeling that this is just the calm before the storm..."

My heart suddenly sank, and an ominous premonition came over me. Before I could say anything, there was a knock on the office door, and the financial manager walked in with a pale face, and said in a trembling voice: "Boss Bai, Boss Mu, something bad has happened..."

"What's wrong? You're so flustered." Bai Hanchuan frowned and asked in a deep voice.

The financial manager took a deep breath, his tone unable to conceal his anxiety: "Boss Bai, Boss Mu, the funds in our account...are no longer enough to support the daily operations of the base."

"What?!" My head buzzed and I felt dizzy. How could this happen? I had just gotten through this difficult time a while ago, how could it be so...

"Robert came prepared this time. Not only did he cut off our sales channels, he also secretly manipulated the market, causing obstacles to our financing plans..." Bai Hanchuan's face was terribly gloomy, and it was obvious that he also realized the seriousness of the problem.

My heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cellar, and a deep sense of despair and powerlessness swept over me. Could it be that we were really going to lose to Robert and watch him destroy everything we had worked so hard for?

"And..." The financial manager hesitated, as if he had something to hide.

"If you have any other questions, just tell me." I forced myself to calm down. Now is not the time to escape. We must face the reality bravely and find ways to solve the problems.

"The botanical experts you asked me to contact earlier heard that we were short of funds and... also refused to cooperate."

I fell into the chair helplessly, my eyes were dark. To make matters worse, the broken funding chain meant that we could no longer continue our research on the new varieties we had carefully cultivated. What was worse was that even the mysterious ally who had promised to help us could no longer provide assistance due to the stagnation of the project.

"Jinli, don't worry, we can definitely find a way." Bai Hanchuan held my hand with a firm tone, but I knew that the anxiety and uneasiness in his eyes were no less than mine.

I tried to force a smile and comforted her, "Well, I believe you."

But what else can we do? All our hopes are being shattered bit by bit. Is fate really going to play tricks on us like this?

As night fell, the office of the planting base was silent. Bai Hanchuan and I stood side by side in front of the window, looking at the dark night outside, feeling confused and uneasy.

"Jinli..." Bai Hanchuan suddenly spoke in a low voice, "I..."

He seemed to want to say something else, but was interrupted by a rapid knock on the door...

"Come in." Bai Hanchuan responded in a deep voice.

The financial manager walked into the office with a serious look on his face, holding a document in his hand. "Boss Bai, Boss Mu, an old man who calls himself 'Gardener Liu' came to the outside of the base and said he wanted to see you."

"Gardener Liu?" Bai Hanchuan and I looked at each other and saw a hint of surprise in each other's eyes. We are not unfamiliar with this name. In the gardening world, it represents legend and the pinnacle. However...

“He…he asked to see you by name, and also said…” The financial manager looked embarrassed and seemed a little hesitant.

"What else?" I asked, a glimmer of hope rising in my heart.

"He also said that if you don't see him, he will keep waiting until you are willing to see him." There was a barely perceptible excitement in the financial manager's tone.

Bai Hanchuan and I both felt our hearts skip a beat. Could it be that...

Without thinking too much, we immediately stood up and walked out of the office quickly.

At the entrance of the base, an old man wearing coarse cloth, a straw hat and a slightly hunched back stood there quietly. Although the years have left traces on his face, his eyes are still bright and sparkling with wisdom.

"Are you... Mr. Liu Gardener?" I asked tentatively, unable to hide my excitement in my tone.

The old man slowly took off his straw hat, revealing a kind and amiable face. He looked at us with a hint of admiration in his eyes, "You must be Jinli and Hanchuan, right? It's true that heroes emerge young!"

"Mr. Liu, do you know us?" Bai Hanchuan asked with a hint of doubt in his tone.

"Haha, not only do I know you, I also know that you have encountered some troubles recently." Gardener Liu's tone was calm, but it was like thunder, exploding in our ears.

"You..." My throat was choked with sobs, and my heart was filled with disbelief. This legendary gardening master would actually appear here, and he seemed to know everything about us...

"Don't worry, kids. I'm here to help you." Gardener Liu patted my hands, his tone kind and firm, "I believe that as long as we work together, we can overcome the difficulties in front of us."

His words, like the warm sunshine in winter, dispel the haze in our hearts and ignite the fire of hope in our hearts.

However, before we could recover from the surprise, the financial manager came running over again, "Boss Bai, Boss Mu, outside... there's another group of people outside..."

"Who is it?" My heart rose to my throat again, and an ominous premonition came to my mind.

The financial manager had a complicated expression on his face, with a hint of disbelief in his tone, "They...they claimed to be researchers from the XX Botanical Research Institute, and said...they came to apply for a job..."

Bai Hanchuan and I looked at each other, and we both saw a hint of shock and confusion in each other's eyes. XX Botanical Research Institute, that is the top botanical research institution in China, why would they suddenly send someone to apply for a job here?

"Jinli, it seems that the trouble we encountered this time is more complicated than we imagined..." Bai Hanchuan held my hand tightly, speaking in a low voice, looking out the window. There, I don't know when, it has been covered with dark clouds, just like our mood at the moment, heavy and depressed...

I took a deep breath, suppressed the anxiety in my heart, and looked forward firmly. "No matter what, we have to persevere, right?"

Bai Hanchuan nodded without saying anything, but just held my hand a little tighter.

Outside the window, a strong wind suddenly blew, causing the branches to sway and whimper, as if foreshadowing that a bigger storm was about to come...