Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

A trace of struggle flashed across Lao Liu's face, and finally he drooped his shoulders like a deflated ball. He told the story of how he was seduced by Boss Wang's sweet talk and money and finally did this foolish thing.

"Jinli, I'm sorry for you and for everyone!" Old Liu burst into tears of regret, "I was bewitched and greedy for petty gains. I am willing to accept any punishment!"

I looked at Lao Liu crying bitterly, feeling mixed emotions. I knew that Lao Liu was truly repentant, but the mistake he made could not be undone. I took a deep breath and turned to look at all the employees. Their faces were filled with anxiety and suspicion.

"I know everyone must have a lot of questions in their minds right now," I said firmly, "I promise you that we will get to the bottom of this matter and give you a satisfactory explanation!"

Bai Hanchuan came forward, held my hand, and gave me a determined look. He turned to the crowd and said in a loud voice: "We have called the police and found relevant evidence to prove that this incident was maliciously framed by our competitors! They bribed Lao Liu and tried to destroy our base with such despicable means!"

Bai Hanchuan's words were so powerful that the originally noisy venue suddenly quieted down. He then showed the evidence we had investigated overnight, including the call records and transfer records between Boss Wang and the representatives of competitors, as well as the invoices for their purchase of banned pesticides.

The evidence was irrefutable. The employees looked at Lao Liu with a little more sympathy, but looked at Boss Wang and his team with anger and contempt.

"We know that once trust collapses, it is difficult to rebuild it." I spoke again. Although my voice was not loud, it was clearly heard by everyone. "In order to prevent similar incidents from happening again, we will strengthen internal management, establish a sound compliance system, and train all employees on relevant laws and regulations..."

I listed in one breath a series of rectification measures we had formulated, hoping to regain the trust of our employees.

"I believe that as long as we unite as one, we will be able to overcome all difficulties!" Bai Hanchuan's voice sounded again, his tone full of power.

At this moment, the door of the conference room was pushed open, and two unexpected figures appeared at the door...

Everyone's eyes were focused on the door; even Old Liu, who had his head lowered, couldn't help but look up out of curiosity.

It turned out to be the retired old expert and...Oh, I recognized him, the young man I met at the gate of the Agricultural University that day!

The old expert walked forward with a smile, "Xiao Mu, I'm late, did I cause any trouble?" He patted my hands affectionately and looked around, "Everyone, I have worked in agriculture all my life and have been retired for many years. I should be at home planting flowers and raising birds to enjoy my old age. But when I saw Xiao Mu, I remembered my enthusiasm for starting a business back then, and I couldn't help but want to help!"

He pulled out a pair of reading glasses from his pocket and put them on, pointing to the young man behind him and said, "This is the grandson of an old friend of mine, Xiao Zhao, who is now an expert in botany. As soon as this young man heard about our base, he followed me without saying a word, saying that he wanted to make suggestions for the development of our base!"

Xiao Zhao smiled shyly, pushed up his glasses, and began to analyze the advantages of our base from a professional perspective: superior geographical location, advanced planting technology, scientific management model...

"I believe that as long as we continue to work hard, we can build a first-class green ecological agricultural base in the country!" Although Xiao Zhao's tone was gentle, the confidence revealed in his words was extremely contagious.

The employees, who were originally a little nervous, gradually calmed down. The old expert was highly respected, and Xiao Zhao was young and promising. Their words undoubtedly gave everyone a shot in the arm.

Just as everyone was immersed in joy and hope, the door of the conference room was pushed open again. This time, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie came in. He looked anxious, and when he saw me and Bai Hanchuan, he immediately walked over quickly.

"Mr. Mu, Mr. Bai, we were blinded by evil and did something wrong before! We sincerely apologize to you and hope that you can forgive our mistakes and give us a chance to make amends..."

His tone was sincere and his attitude was very humble, completely different from his previous arrogant appearance. I exchanged glances with Bai Hanchuan. It seemed that this sudden crisis also made our competitors realize their mistakes and our strength...

"Mr. Wang, this matter..." I just opened my mouth when I was gently stopped by Bai Hanchuan.

He looked at the other person and said calmly, "Mr. Wang, please take a seat. Regarding this matter, we want to..." He stopped talking and looked towards the corner of the meeting room, where Old Liu was lowering his head, his shoulders trembling slightly...

After Bai Hanchuan motioned for Mr. Wang to take a seat, he turned to look at Lao Liu and said in a gentle tone: "Lao Liu, raise your head and look at me."

Lao Liu's body trembled noticeably, and he slowly raised his head, his cloudy eyes full of anxiety and guilt. I noticed that he seemed to be holding something tightly in his clenched hands.

"Old Liu, I know you have contributed a lot to the base over the years and have been working diligently. We are all very grateful to you." Bai Hanchuan's voice was low and powerful, as if it carried a soothing force. "I believe that you were confused for a moment and were blinded by someone in this matter."

Old Liu's eyes turned red instantly. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he was choked with sobs and couldn't speak.

"Old Liu, please take the things out." Bai Hanchuan's voice carried a hint of unquestionable majesty.

Lao Liu's hands trembled even more violently. He hesitated for a moment, and finally slowly opened his palm, revealing something inside - a small USB flash drive.

"This is..." My heart sank. It seemed that things were more complicated than we thought.

Bai Hanchuan took the USB drive, inserted it into the computer, and opened it. Inside were confidential documents about our base! My breath was choked. If these documents fell into the hands of competitors, the consequences would be disastrous!

"Mr. Wang, it seems we need to have a good talk." Bai Hanchuan's face turned serious. He turned the computer screen towards Mr. Wang and said in a cold tone, "Is this what you call a 'sincere apology'?"

Mr. Wang's face turned pale immediately. He hurriedly explained, "This... This was not ordered by me! I didn't know anything about this at all!"

"I believe you are not aware of this matter." Bai Hanchuan interrupted him, staring at him sharply, "But, your subordinates did such a thing, and as the person in charge of the company, you must bear the corresponding responsibility!"

I continued what Bai Hanchuan said, "Boss Wang, we accept your apology, but we can't just let this matter go. We need you to publicly clarify the facts, restore the reputation of our base, and ensure that something like this won't happen again."

Mr. Wang was stunned for a moment, as if he had not expected us to put forward such harsh conditions. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something else, but was stopped by Bai Hanchuan's sharp eyes.

"Mr. Wang, the competition between us should be based on fairness and justice, not on such despicable means." Bai Hanchuan's voice was sonorous and powerful. "I hope you can seriously consider my proposal and give us, and yourself, a chance."

After intense negotiations, Mr. Wang finally agreed to all our conditions. He promised to publicly clarify the facts, stop all malicious competition, and work with us to promote the healthy development of the industry.

After seeing Mr. Wang off, I leaned back in my chair tiredly and breathed a sigh of relief. This sudden crisis was finally resolved.

I looked up at Bai Hanchuan. He was standing by the window, looking into the distance. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on him, outlining his tall figure.

"We..." I was about to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps.

“Oh no! Something happened…” “Something happened! Lao Liu… Lao Liu…” Xiao Li from the base rushed in, sweating profusely and gasping for breath.

My heart skipped a beat. "What's wrong, Lao Liu? Tell me slowly."

"Old Liu...he fainted in the field!"

As soon as I heard it, I immediately rushed to the place where Lao Liu fainted with Bai Hanchuan. I saw Lao Liu lying on the ridge with a pale face, holding the USB drive tightly in his hand. I quickly asked Xiao Li to call a doctor, and Bai Hanchuan and I helped Lao Liu to a cool place.

When Lao Liu woke up, it was already evening. The doctor said that he fainted because of long-term mental stress and physical exhaustion.

"Lao Liu, how do you feel?" I asked with concern as I sat on the edge of the bed.

Lao Liu struggled to sit up, and I quickly supported him, "Don't move, have a good rest."

"Boss Mu, I'm sorry for you and the base..." Lao Liu's voice was hoarse and weak, his eyes full of self-blame and guilt, "I was confused for a moment and almost made a big mistake..."

I held his hand and whispered, "Lao Liu, it's all over now. You don't have to blame yourself anymore. We are all very glad that you can turn back from your mistakes."

Bai Hanchuan also patted Lao Liu on the shoulder and said, "Have a good rest. The base still needs you."

Lao Liu's eyes were moist, he held my hand tightly, choking with sobs and unable to speak. I knew that this "thank you" was not only for me, but also for this base where he had poured countless efforts.

After this incident, the atmosphere in the base has become more united and harmonious. The employees have realized the importance of unity and cherished this hard-won job even more. Seeing them working energetically, my heart is filled with joy and relief.

In the evening, Bai Hanchuan and I stood in the square of the planting base, looking at the sunshine in the sky. The golden afterglow fell on the fields, coating everything with a layer of warm light.

"We succeeded." I exclaimed, "We protected this home together."

Bai Hanchuan gently put his arm around my shoulders and said, "Yes, let's do it together."

I looked up at him, the afterglow of the setting sun shone in his deep eyes, as if lighting up the stars in the sky.

"But..." He paused and looked into the distance, "This may just be the beginning."

I followed his gaze and saw a black sedan slowly approaching and stopping at the gate of the base.

The car door opened and a tall and straight figure walked out of the car.

"That's..." I opened my eyes wide in surprise, "Why is he here?"