Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

"You are the breeders of 'Baiyun No. 1', right? I am Xiao Liu, a reporter from Jianghuai Daily." A young man wearing glasses and carrying a shoulder bag stood in front of us a little awkwardly, holding a notebook and a pen in his hands.

I was a little surprised and subconsciously glanced at Bai Hanchuan. He also looked confused and obviously didn't expect that a reporter would come to him at this time.

"Hello, I'm...Excuse me..." I spoke hesitantly, not knowing the purpose of this reporter's visit.

"It's like this," reporter Xiao Liu adjusted his glasses and said a little embarrassedly, "I have been following the agricultural development of our province and have heard about your planting base. To be honest, I admire your courage and persistence."

He paused, then continued, "I came here today to interview you about Baiyun No. 1. I believe that many people, like me, are eager to learn more about this new type of rice."

I was stunned for a moment, and a warm feeling surged in my heart. It turned out that not everyone was standing idly by and watching us. At least there were people who were silently paying attention to us and caring about the fate of "Baiyun No. 1".

"But..." I looked at Bai Hanchuan, still feeling a little hesitant.

"Jinli, I think this is an opportunity." Bai Hanchuan shook my hand and gave me a firm look, "We can use the media to let more people know about 'Baiyun No. 1' and its value!"

Reporter Xiao Liu also nodded and added: "I can help you contact the experts from the Provincial Academy of Agricultural Sciences. They may be able to clear the name of 'Baiyun No. 1'!"

My heart began to beat violently, as if I saw the dawn of hope.

"Okay! I promise you, I can provide any information you need!" I said excitedly, turning around and rummaging through the file bag behind me...

"Great!" Reporter Xiao Liu showed a happy smile on his face, "I still need some more detailed information, such as..."

I took a deep breath, suppressed the emotions in my heart, and handed all the information about "Baiyun No. 1" to reporter Xiao Liu. The thick stack of documents carried the countless days and nights of hard work of Bai Hanchuan and I, and also carried our heavy hopes.

"It's all here, from breeding to cultivation, to the yield data of the experimental fields, every detail is here." I said in a firm tone, my eyes full of trust.

Reporter Xiao Liu took the document solemnly, his eyes sparkling with admiration. He flipped through it quickly, making notes in his notebook from time to time, as if he was racing against time to pass on this hope as soon as possible.

"Great! These data are so valuable!" He said with emotion as he recorded them. "I believe that Baiyun No. 1 will definitely get the recognition it deserves!"

Looking at the busy figure of reporter Xiao Liu, my heart became much calmer, as if I saw a ray of light in the darkness.

"Jinli, look at this!" Bai Hanchuan suddenly spoke and handed a document to me.

I took the document and found that it was the evaluation report on Baiyun No. 1 submitted by the review team. Bai Hanchuan pointed to one of the data and frowned, "Look, the data here is obviously inconsistent with the experimental data we submitted, and..."

He paused and continued, "I investigated the expert reviewer who signed this letter. It seems that he had accepted sponsorship from a competitor and attended their academic seminars before."

I was shocked. Is there really something fishy going on here?

Although there is no direct evidence, Bai Hanchuan's discovery undoubtedly revealed a hidden clue for us and also allowed me to see a turning point in the situation.

"Should we tell reporter Xiao Liu about this?" I lowered my voice and looked at Bai Hanchuan.

He hesitated for a moment, a look of determination flashed in his eyes, "Tell him! We must believe in the eyes of the masses, and we must also believe in the power of the media!"

I nodded heavily, "Okay!"

We looked at each other and saw the light of hope in each other's eyes.

I walked over to reporter Xiao Liu and said, "Xiao Liu, we found something..."

I took a deep breath and told reporter Xiao Liu everything about Bai Hanchuan's discovery and our suspicions. After listening to me, he frowned and wrote down everything in his notebook.

"This matter is of great importance. I need to verify it." Reporter Xiao Liu's expression turned serious.

"We understand," I nodded. "These are just our guesses. There is no solid evidence, but I believe that the truth will eventually come to light."

A hint of appreciation flashed in reporter Liu's eyes, "I will do my best to find out the truth and give the public an explanation." His firm tone made me see the responsibility and courage of a journalist.

We handed over all the information to reporter Xiao Liu and provided the information of the review experts we knew. He immediately started working, making phone calls, sending telegrams, and contacting various parties for verification.

Three days later, reporter Xiao Liu's news release was published on the front page of the local newspaper, with the headline: "The mystery of why Baiyun-1 was not selected: What is the truth behind the data discrepancy?"

The article detailed the advantages and experimental data of Baiyun No. 1 and questioned the low score given by the jury, especially naming the expert who was suspected of accepting bribes from competitors. The article finally called on the relevant departments to investigate the evaluation process of the exhibition and give justice to Baiyun No. 1.

Once the news was released, it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, immediately causing a thousand waves.

People were discussing the fate of Baiyun No. 1 and questioning the fairness of the exhibition. Many people who had previously treated us coldly or even mocked us began to re-examine the matter.

"That's what I said. How can such good rice be worthless?"

"Someone must be behind this, deliberately suppressing us!"

"Yes, we must investigate thoroughly and give Boss Mu an explanation!"

The power of public opinion is enormous, and the organizers of the trade fair felt unprecedented pressure. Under pressure from public opinion, they had to review the jury's scores and promised to give the public a satisfactory answer.

Reading the reports in the newspapers and listening to people's discussions, I felt mixed emotions: joy, excitement, worry, and anxiety.

I know this is just the beginning, and we have not yet achieved the final victory. How will the exhibition organizers deal with this matter? Is there really a problem with the evaluation expert? Can "Baiyun No. 1" get the recognition it deserves? All of this is still unknown.

I held Bai Hanchuan's hand tightly. His hand was warm and strong, giving me great strength.

"Don't worry," he comforted me softly, "We have taken the most important step. I believe that justice will eventually defeat evil, and light will eventually dispel darkness."

I nodded, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in my eyes.

Yes, no matter what, we must persevere, for the sake of "Baiyun No. 1", for our dreams, and for the hopes of all farmers!