Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

Perseverance in the storm

"...Hello? Uncle Wang, what happened? Why are you so anxious?" The phone in my pocket vibrated more and more violently. My heart tightened and a feeling of uneasiness spread in my heart.

"Mr. Mu, it's bad, the base...something happened at the base!" Uncle Wang's voice on the other end of the phone was extremely anxious, mixed with the whistling wind and crackling rain, which made me tremble with fear.

"Uncle Wang, don't be anxious, tell me slowly, what happened?" I tried to keep my voice steady, but my heart was in my throat.

"This evening, a strong wind suddenly blew and heavy rain fell. The roofs of several greenhouses were blown off, and the experimental fields... were also flooded..." Uncle Wang described the situation at the base intermittently, and my face turned paler as he spoke.

How could this happen?! My eyes went dark. I had carefully prepared for this seminar for so long and it was about to be a success. How could something go wrong at this critical moment?!

"Jinli, what's wrong?" Bai Hanchuan noticed that something was wrong with me and asked in a low voice.

I took a deep breath and handed him the phone. "Something happened at the base. There was a storm..."

Bai Hanchuan took the phone and his expression instantly became serious. He made a quick decision while listening to Uncle Wang's report. "Uncle Wang, please organize people to rescue what can be rescued and minimize the losses. We will rush back immediately!"

After hanging up the phone, Bai Hanchuan made a prompt decision: "I will contact the helicopter now, and we will rush back overnight."

"Okay!" I forced myself to calm down. Now is not the time to panic. The situation at the base is urgent and we must race against time!

We immediately contacted representatives of international agricultural organizations, explained the natural disaster that had hit the base, and expressed our helplessness and apologies for the possibility that we might not be able to hold the seminar as scheduled.

"Ms. Mu, please rest assured. We understand the situation and are very sorry for the damage to the base." The representative's voice was full of concern. "Please make sure to prioritize the safety of personnel and disaster relief. We can discuss the seminar later."

The representatives' understanding and support made us feel a little more at ease. Bai Hanchuan had already arranged a helicopter. We hurriedly said goodbye to everyone and rushed to the helipad in the wind and rain.

Sitting in the helicopter, I looked out the window at the dark night sky, my heart filled with worry and anxiety. What kind of damage would this sudden storm bring to our base? Could we still save the crops we had carefully cultivated?

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." Bai Hanchuan held my hand. His palm was warm and dry, as if conveying a powerful strength to me.

I nodded and leaned my head gently on his shoulder. Yes, no matter what difficulties we encounter, we will face them together.

The helicopter slowly landed on an open space near the base. As soon as we got off the plane, we saw a devastated scene: the wreckage of the greenhouse was scattered all over the ground, the experimental field was flooded, the originally vibrant scene disappeared, the air was filled with the damp smell of soil and rain, and there was also a trace of indescribable despair...

“Boss Mu, Boss Bai, you’re finally back!” Uncle Wang ran towards us, covered in mud, his face full of fatigue and worry, “The base… the base suffered heavy losses…”

"What's the situation now?" My heart sank, but I forced myself to stay calm.

"We have tried our best to rescue him, but..." Uncle Wang hesitated, "You should come with me to see for yourself..."

We followed Uncle Wang, walking on the muddy ridges, with one foot deep and one foot shallow. With every step, my heart sank. Looking around, the fields that were once full of hope were now in ruins. My heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible big hand, and I could hardly breathe...

"Mr. Mu, don't worry too much. The International Agricultural Organization said..." A young employee ran over with a satellite phone in his hand. Before he finished speaking, there was a hurried call from the other end of the line... "...Mr. Mu, I'm a representative of the International Agricultural Organization. We have paid attention to the situation at the base. Please rest assured that we will do our best to assist you in overcoming the difficulties." The representative's voice on the other end of the phone was full of power, which undoubtedly gave us a shot in the arm.

"Thank you, thank you for your support!" My hand holding the phone was trembling slightly, and my tone could not hide my excitement and gratitude.

"We will arrange a team of experts to go to the base as soon as possible to assess the losses and provide necessary technical guidance. Please be sure to be prepared," the representative continued.

"Okay, we will definitely cooperate with you to the best of our ability!" I answered firmly, with a glimmer of hope burning in my heart.

After hanging up the phone, I told the good news to the employees present. The haze that had originally shrouded everyone's hearts seemed to dissipate a lot in an instant, and a glimmer of hope appeared on everyone's face.

“Great, the International Agricultural Organization will help us!”

“We can rebuild our home!”

The employees encouraged each other, and their eyes were filled with renewed fighting spirit. Yes, as long as we are united, no difficulty can defeat us!

However, the reality is more serious than we imagined.

The venue originally prepared for the seminar is now in a mess. The roof of the greenhouse has been blown off, and the tables and chairs inside have been soaked by rainwater. The experimental fields have suffered heavy losses, and many precious crops have been submerged by floods. How easy is it to restore them to their original state?

To make matters worse, due to the storm, transportation was disrupted and many invited guests were unable to arrive on time. We kept receiving calls from guests, some because of flight cancellations, some because of road disruptions, and some because of safety concerns that they had to change their itineraries...

My heart sank with every phone call I received. This sudden disaster was like a nightmare that shattered all our efforts and hopes.

"How could this happen..." I sat weakly in the chair, looking at the gloomy sky outside the window, my heart filled with powerlessness.

"Jinli, don't lose heart, we still have a chance." Bai Hanchuan gently held my hand, his eyes firm and warm, "Although the seminar has been affected, we still have time and a chance to make up for it."

"But..." I raised my head and looked at the man in front of me who was always calm and determined, "But, it's too late, we..."

"No, there's still time." Bai Hanchuan interrupted me, "We can adjust the format and content of the seminar to suit the current situation."

He paused, his eyes deep and firm, "This disaster may be a test from God for us, but it is also an opportunity for us to show the world our determination and ability..."

His voice was deep and powerful, like a warm current flowing into my heart, dispelling the haze in my heart.

Yes, we can't just give up like this!

I took a deep breath and looked out the window. The wind and rain had gradually stopped. In the sky, a glimmer of light was breaking through the clouds, bringing the dawn...

"You're right, we..." I turned to look at Bai Hanchuan, but was suddenly stunned, because he was frowning, staring at the mobile phone screen with a serious expression.

"What's wrong?" My heart tightened and an ominous premonition came to my mind.

He raised his head, looked at me with complicated eyes, and said slowly: "I just received the news..."

"...There may be something wrong with our rice seeds... " Bai Hanchuan's voice was very low, but it was like thunder, exploding in my ears.

"What?" I grabbed his arm and asked in disbelief. "What did you say? What happened to the seeds?"

He took a deep breath and handed me the phone. The screen showed an urgent notice from the laboratory. In short, the new variety of rice we cultivated may have defects that have not yet been discovered. We need to stop promoting it immediately and recall the seeds that have been sold.

My head buzzed and my vision went dark. These seeds were cultivated with countless efforts and all our hopes. They are the core of our base and even the entire seminar!

“How could this happen…” I fell back into my chair helplessly, and before my eyes appeared the expectant smiles of the employees and the farmers who were full of hope for the new varieties…

"Jinli, I know this is hard for you to accept, but we have to face reality." Bai Hanchuan's voice pulled me back from the abyss of despair. "The most important thing now is to find out the root cause of the problem and try our best to make up for the losses."

Yes, he is right, now is not the time to despair, we still have a chance!

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. "You're right. We still have a chance. Let's arrange the seminar first, and then focus on solving the seed problem."

"Okay." Bai Hanchuan nodded, his eyes full of appreciation and support. "I have contacted the technical team, and they will come to the base as soon as possible to investigate."

I stood up, walked to the window, looked at the fields in the distance that had been ravaged by wind and rain, and suddenly an unprecedented fighting spirit surged in my heart.

This sudden disaster not only tests our planting base, but also tests the will and determination of each of us.

"Notify everyone to hold an emergency meeting!" I turned around and looked at everyone present with a determined look, "We need to adjust the plan and continue the seminar!"

"Continue?" Everyone looked at each other, their eyes full of confusion and worry.

"That's right. Not only will the seminar continue, but it will be even better!" I said firmly, without any doubt. "We will change part of the seminar to online live broadcast, and invite agricultural experts and scholars from all over the country and even the world to participate in the discussion. At the same time, we will also invite local farmers to come to the site, so that they can experience the technology and concepts of our base firsthand!"

I paused, looking at everyone with burning eyes, "This disaster may cause us heavy losses, but it cannot defeat us! We must prove to the world that even in the face of difficulties, we still have the courage and determination to overcome everything!"

My words were like a flame, igniting the hope and fighting spirit in everyone's hearts, and the atmosphere in the entire conference room suddenly became warm.

As night fell, Bai Hanchuan and I stood in a messy planting base, looking at the distant sky... In the distance, there seemed to be a ray of light, breaking through the clouds and rising slowly...

"We..." I just opened my mouth, but suddenly I heard hurried footsteps, and then a figure ran up to us breathlessly... "...Professor Li!" I saw who it was and shouted in surprise.

The visitor was none other than Professor Li, the retired horticultural master who had been silently supporting us. Although he was old, he was still in good spirits, and his eyes were full of love and persistence for agriculture.

"Girl, I heard that something happened at the base, so I rushed over to see if there was anything I could do to help." Professor Li smiled kindly and patted my shoulder.

"Professor Li, why are you here?" Bai Hanchuan stepped forward and held Professor Li's hand, his eyes full of gratitude. "You are old, you should rest at home."

"Why should I take a break? I have devoted my whole life to agriculture. Now that the base is in trouble, how can I just sit there and watch?" Professor Li said, pulling out a file bag from behind him. "This is some research data I have compiled over the years. Perhaps it will be helpful for you to solve the seed problem."

I took the document bag, and a warm feeling welled up in my heart. This heavy document not only represents Professor Li's hard work, but also carries the expectations and encouragement of the older generation of agricultural people for us.

"Thank you, Professor Li." Bai Hanchuan and I said in unison.

"What are you thanking me for? This is what I should do." Professor Li waved his hand and looked around, frowning slightly. "The situation at the base is worse than I thought. But don't worry, I have contacted a few old friends. They are experts in various fields and will arrive tomorrow morning."

I opened my eyes wide in surprise. Could the "old friend" that Professor Li mentioned be...

"What you said is..." I was so excited that I was a little incoherent.

"Yes, they are the ones you are thinking of." Professor Li nodded with a smile, "I have already told them about the situation here. They are very concerned and said they will do their best to help."

At this moment, my heart is completely at peace.

With the support of these highly respected experts and scholars, we will definitely overcome the difficulties!

As night fell, Bai Hanchuan and I stood in a messy planting base, looking at the sky in the distance.

In the distance, there seemed to be a ray of light, breaking through the clouds and rising slowly...

"Look, the sun..." I pointed to the east and muttered to myself.

"It's about to come out." Bai Hanchuan held my hand, interlocked our fingers, and spoke in a firm tone.