Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

"So many!" I flipped through the thick stack of documents in my hand. The introductions of each bank and investment institution were printed in fancy colors, but my heart was getting heavier and heavier.

Hanchuan also frowned, flipping through the documents one by one, and writing something on paper from time to time.

We started by contacting local banks, however, the results were not ideal.

“Mr. Mu, we’ve also visited your planting base, and found that it’s still too small, and…” The bank representative spoke very tactfully, but we all understood what he meant.

"Mr. Bai, it's not that we don't believe in your ability, it's just that this project is too risky, and we are also responsible for the depositors' funds!" The head of another bank also rejected our loan application.

After a series of setbacks, we began to turn to investment institutions.

"What is the market prospect of your project? What is the profit model?" The investment managers asked questions one after another, and I tried my best to explain and convince them.

However, most investment institutions focus on short-term benefits and are not interested in projects like ours that require long-term investment and have a long payback period.

"Mr. Mu, we are currently focusing on emerging industries such as the Internet and high technology. Traditional industries like agriculture..." The investment manager was interrupted by Hanchuan before he could finish his words.

"What's wrong with traditional industries? Food is the primary need of the people, and agriculture is the foundation!" Han Chuan was rarely emotional. "I believe that as long as we persist in doing it with our heart, traditional industries can also achieve results!"

However, no matter what we say, the final result is still the same, rejection, rejection, and rejection again...

In the office, Hanchuan and I sat in silence, and the documents on the table seemed to be mocking our arrogance.

"Am I... really at the end of my rope?" I murmured to myself.

Hanchuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly picked up his coat and said, "No, there is still a glimmer of hope..."

The hope that Hanchuan mentioned is a faint ray of light. We don't have time to indulge in frustration and loss, we must grasp any glimmer of possibility.

"Now that the country encourages agricultural development, there will definitely be relevant support policies." Hanchuan flipped through the materials I brought back. The densely packed text recorded various preferential policies and subsidy projects.

“But these policies have very high requirements, we…” I hesitated. Most of these policies are aimed at large enterprises or cooperatives. It is difficult for small-scale planting bases like ours to meet the requirements.

"How do we know if we don't try?" Han Chuan said firmly, "Let's study it first to see which projects are suitable for our situation."

In the following days, we immersed ourselves in the data pile almost every day, carefully studying the specific content, application conditions and procedures of each policy. We also consulted some government departments and industry associations, hoping to get more professional guidance.

"What is the main product of your planting base?" asked the staff of the Agriculture Bureau on the other end of the phone.

"We mainly grow organic vegetables and fruits, using..." I introduced our planting model and product advantages in detail.

"Well, now the country encourages the development of green agriculture. In your case, you can consider applying for the 'Green Agriculture Development Fund'." The staff's advice gave us hope.

However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

"The competition for this fund is too fierce, with only a few vacancies each year." After the consultation, Hanchuan's tone was a little heavy.

"Moreover, the application materials are very complicated. You need to provide a detailed project plan, financial statements, environmental assessment reports, etc." I flipped through the thick application guide and felt overwhelmed.

"Also, the review of this project is very strict. It not only considers the qualifications of the enterprise and the project itself, but also requires on-site inspections and expert reviews," Hanchuan added.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. "We still have time. As long as we prepare carefully, we can do it!"

"Yes, we can't give up any hope." Hanchuan held my hand with a firm look in his eyes.

“Knock, knock, knock…” There was a knock on the office door, and the secretary’s voice came from outside, “Mr. Mu, Mr. Bai, someone is looking for you outside. They say…”

"Who?" I asked.

"He said he was... someone who could help us." The secretary's voice became smaller and smaller, and he seemed a little uncertain.

Hanchuan and I looked at each other, a hint of doubt arose in our hearts, and we stood up and walked out...

Hanchuan and I walked outside the office and saw an old man in plain clothes, holding a cane in his hand, looking energetic and with a deep gaze. Before we could ask, the old man introduced himself: "Hello, I'm Lao Tian, ​​a retired gardener. I heard that your planting base has encountered some difficulties recently, maybe I can help."

The appearance of the old man opened another window for us. Lao Tian is experienced and knows the application process and evaluation criteria of the Green Agriculture Development Fund very well. He not only provided us with valuable advice, but also recommended several experts with rich experience in finance and law.

"When applying for funds, the project plan is crucial. It must highlight your strengths and characteristics, and it must also comply with national policy guidelines..." Lao Tian patiently gave us guidance while flipping through the draft of our plan.

Following Lao Tian’s advice, we decided to invite a professional financial advisor and lawyer team to assist us in preparing application materials. The financial advisor team helped us sort out our financial situation, improve our financial statements, and conduct professional financial analysis and forecasting based on our project plan. The lawyer team provided us with legal consulting services to ensure that our application materials met the requirements of relevant laws and regulations.

"This environmental assessment report is well done, with detailed data and thorough analysis." The head of the legal team carefully reviewed our materials and nodded in approval from time to time.

After several months of hard work, we submitted a complete application and successfully passed the initial review. Next, we went through expert review, field investigation and other links, and finally, we succeeded!

"Congratulations, your project has received support from the 'Green Agriculture Development Fund'!" the staff excitedly informed us, their joy was beyond words.

This joy belongs not only to Hanchuan and me, but also to all the employees who have worked hard for it. That day, the entire planting base was filled with a joyful atmosphere, and everyone had bright smiles on their faces.

But the good news does not stop there. An investment institution focusing on the field of agricultural technology also extended an olive branch to us.

"We are very optimistic about the development prospects of your planting base. Your ideas and models are very consistent with our investment direction." After inspecting our planting base, the representative of the investment institution expressed a strong willingness to invest.

Finally, we successfully obtained a sum of government support funds and an investment from an investment institution, which solved the urgent needs of the planting base. Hanchuan and I stood in the office of the planting base, looking at the sunshine outside the window, with our hearts full of gratitude and expectations for the future. We know that this is just the beginning, and there will be more challenges waiting for us in the future, but we are ready.

At this moment, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and the secretary walked in hurriedly...

"Boss Mu, Boss Bai, something has happened!" Secretary Xiaoli's face turned pale and she spoke in a hurry, "There seems to be something wrong with the new variety of strawberries cultivated at our base!"

My heart skipped a beat, and a bad feeling came over me. We spent a lot of effort to cultivate the new strawberry variety, and Lao Tian and several botanical experts devoted countless days and nights to it. It was also the key to our investment this time.

"Don't be anxious, talk slowly." Hanchuan's steady voice made Xiaoli's emotions a little more stable.

"This morning, Master Liu from the technical department went to the greenhouse to check on the growth of strawberries as usual, and found that the leaves of a batch of strawberries had wilted and turned yellow, and the fruits had begun to rot. We have isolated the problematic areas and collected samples for testing, but..." Xiaoli's voice became smaller and smaller, and it was obvious that she also knew the seriousness of the matter.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. "Let's go check it out."

In the greenhouse, technicians were anxiously discussing the problematic strawberry seedlings, and the air was filled with a rotten smell. Seeing the once vibrant strawberry seedlings now look sick, my heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand.

"We are still unsure of the cause," said Liu, the technical director, who took off his mask and frowned. "We have ruled out the possibility of pests and diseases. We initially suspect that there is a problem with the soil or water quality, but the specific results will have to wait for the test report to come out before we can be sure."

My eyes fell on the withered strawberry seedlings, and my heart was filled with worry and anxiety. The new variety of strawberries is the future of our planting base. If something goes wrong, it will not only cause huge economic losses, but also make us lose our credibility and even affect our previous investment.

"Don't worry, we will find a solution." Hanchuan held my hand and gave me a firm look.

The next few days were like years, as we waited anxiously for the test results. At the same time, we did not give up any hope and actively sought solutions to the problem. I contacted Lao Tian and several botanical experts, told them the situation in detail, and sent them photos. They also took it very seriously and said they would try their best to help find the cause and made some suggestions.

However, things turned out to be worse than we thought. The inspection report showed that the strawberry seedlings were infected with a rare virus that spread quickly, had a high mortality rate, and there is currently no effective treatment.

As soon as the news came out, the entire planting base was shrouded in a haze. Employees were worried that the base would close down and they would lose their jobs; investors were worried that their investment would go down the drain, and they called to inquire about the situation, their tone full of doubt and dissatisfaction.

I felt like I was standing on the edge of a cliff, with the wind howling and the possibility of falling into the abyss at any time...