Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

The quiet night is always short. The hustle and bustle of the trade fair seems to still echo in my ears, and the sweet warmth seems to still linger on my fingertips, but a lingering sense of uneasiness surges into my heart like a tide.

I rubbed my temples, trying to recall the flash of strangeness that occurred to me last night. It was Boss Zhou, the well-dressed man with a cold look in his eyes. The smile on his face when he handed over his business card, now thinking about it, was more like a wolf showing its fangs.

"What are you thinking about?" Bai Hanchuan's voice pulled me back from my thoughts. He handed me a cup of hot milk with a hint of concern in his eyes.

"I always felt something was wrong with Boss Zhou last night." I took the milk and took a sip, but the warm liquid could not dispel the chill in my heart.

Bai Hanchuan frowned slightly, "I also think he has bad intentions. He came to the planting base early this morning."

"So fast?" I was a little surprised. "What did he say?"

Bai Hanchuan's face darkened. "The conditions for cooperation he proposed are very harsh. He almost swallowed up all the profits of our planting base. Moreover..." He paused, as if he was choosing his words, "He hinted that if we don't agree, we will be in big trouble."

My heart sank suddenly, and a surge of anger rushed to my head. This was clearly a naked threat! Why should we let him bully the planting base we worked so hard to build? I stood up suddenly and wanted to go to that Boss Zhou to argue, but was pulled back by Bai Hanchuan.

"Li'er, calm down." His eyes were calm and firm, like a magic needle that stabilized the sea, calming the waves in my heart.

"But..." I bit my lip, feeling unwilling, "Are we just going to let him bully us like this?"

Bai Hanchuan shook his head. "Of course not. But now is not the time to have a falling out with him. The trade fair isn't over yet. If we clash with him here, it will only make things worse." He patted the back of my hand gently. "Trust me, I will handle this matter."

Although his words were gentle, they carried unquestionable power. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. I knew that Bai Hanchuan was calmer and more rational than me, and he must have a better way to solve this problem.

At this time, there was a knock on the office door. Bai Hanchuan motioned for me to sit down, and then said in a deep voice: "Come in."

The door opened, and Boss Zhou walked in with his hypocritical smile. He walked straight to us with a smug look in his eyes, as if everything was under his control.

"Well, have you two thought it over?" His tone carried a hint of almsgiving, as if giving us the opportunity to cooperate was a great gift from him.

Bai Hanchuan looked at him calmly, without any sign of retreat in his eyes.

"Boss Zhou," he said slowly, his tone calm but with a hint of warning, "Although our planting base is not large, it is not a soft persimmon that can be easily manipulated..."

The smile on Boss Zhou's face gradually disappeared, and a hint of viciousness flashed in his eyes. He was about to speak, but was interrupted by a rapid knock on the door.

"Come in." Bai Hanchuan's voice remained steady.

The door opened, and a man in military uniform walked in. He walked straight up to Boss Zhou, saluted, and then said in a deep voice, "Boss Zhou, please come with us."

Boss Zhou's face turned pale instantly. He looked at the person in horror, his lips trembling, but he couldn't say a word...

The blood on Boss Zhou's face faded, like a crumpled piece of paper, his mouth opened but no sound came out. He looked at the newcomer in horror, his eyes full of disbelief and... fear. A trace of doubt flashed through my mind, but also mixed with a hint of pleasure. Is this Boss Zhou finally going to reveal his true face?

The man in military uniform ignored Boss Zhou's reaction and said seriously again: "Boss Zhou, we have received a report that you are suspected of economic crimes. Please cooperate with our investigation."

"This...this...must be a misunderstanding!" Boss Zhou stuttered in his defense, his eyes flickering and looking around like a trapped beast looking for an escape route. "I...I am a legitimate businessman! You...you can't do this to me!"

The man in military uniform had a blank expression on his face. He took out a document and said, "This is an arrest warrant. Please cooperate." His tone left no room for doubt or resistance.

Boss Zhou wanted to say something, but was restrained by two men in military uniforms. He struggled for a few times, and finally hung his head helplessly, and was led out like a deflated ball. The office returned to silence, with only the heavy breathing of the three of us echoing in the air.

I was very angry when I heard these words. How dare he threaten us like this! I wanted to refute and ask him why he slandered us like this, but Bai Hanchuan stopped me with his eyes. I understood what he meant. We didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble at the trade fair. It's better to have less trouble than more. Now that Boss Zhou has been taken away, I can feel relieved.

After Boss Zhou left, the air seemed to be much lighter. I took a deep breath and turned to look at Bai Hanchuan, only to find that he was frowning and lost in thought.

"Hanchuan, what are you thinking about?" I asked softly.

He raised his head, his eyes solemn, "I'm afraid this matter is not that simple."

“What do you mean…?” I had a bad feeling in my heart.

"There must be someone behind this Boss Zhou." Bai Hanchuan said firmly, "He is just an ordinary businessman. He can't be so bold as to openly threaten us at the trade fair and is suspected of economic crimes."

In the next few days, Bai Hanchuan began to investigate Boss Zhou's background. He used some connections and finally found some clues. It turned out that Boss Zhou was not as simple as he seemed. There was a huge interest group behind him, specializing in some gray industries. The reason why he targeted our planting base was because our products affected their market share.

"This Boss Zhou is really a tough guy." I looked at the information that Bai Hanchuan had collected, and I couldn't help but feel a little scared. If we really confronted him head-on, the consequences would be disastrous.

Bai Hanchuan's expression was also somewhat ugly. "The people behind him are very cruel. We must be careful in dealing with them."

My heart sank. This was not just a business competition, but also a battle with undercurrents. Although Boss Zhou was taken away, the people behind him were still there, and they would not give up.

"Li'er, don't worry." Bai Hanchuan held my hand and gave me strength. "I will protect you and our planting base."

His words gave me some comfort, but the worry in my heart did not completely dissipate. I know that this battle has just begun...

"Knock, knock, knock..." A knock on the door broke the silence of the office. Bai Hanchuan motioned for me to open the door. I walked to the door, took a deep breath, and opened the door... "Mr. Bai, Ms. Mu, someone wants to see you..." The person whispered, his eyes drifting behind me, with a hint of subtle nervousness.

The person who came was a young man wearing ordinary work clothes. I recognized him. He was a staff member of the trade fair. He stood at the door a little awkwardly, his eyes flickering, as if he had something difficult to say. "Who wants to see us?" Bai Hanchuan asked in a deep voice, with a hint of vigilance in his tone.

The young man stammered, "It's... it's a few reporters. They... they want to interview you about... about Boss Zhou..."

My heart sank suddenly, and a chill ran up from the soles of my feet. Reporters? How could they get the news so quickly? Although what happened to Boss Zhou happened backstage at the trade fair, there weren't many people present at the time, so the news shouldn't have spread so quickly. Unless... someone deliberately spread the news.

I subconsciously looked at Bai Hanchuan, and his face also turned gloomy. Obviously, he had thought of this. Once the matter of Boss Zhou being taken away was exposed by the media, it would inevitably have a negative impact on our planting base. Even if we finally proved our innocence, it would leave a stain and make people doubt our products.

"No!" Bai Hanchuan said in a firm tone, leaving no room for questioning.

The young man looked embarrassed. "But... those reporters are very persistent. They said... if you don't show up, they will... they will report it themselves..."

I understood what he meant. If we refused the interview, the reporters would probably make up stories and exaggerate the incident, and things would only get worse.

"Let them in." I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. It's better to take the initiative than to passively take the beating.

The young man nodded and turned to leave. Soon, several reporters filed in, holding cameras and recorders in their hands, looking at us sharply.

I barely managed to get through the following interview. The reporters' questions were more pointed than the last, and they pressed us step by step, trying to get some information that was unfavorable to us out of us. I tried to stay calm and answer their questions in an official tone, neither admitting nor denying, and trying to avoid giving them any handle.

After sending the reporters away, I felt weak all over and slumped in a chair. "Hanchuan, I'm worried..." My voice trembled.

Bai Hanchuan walked over to me and hugged me gently. "I know what you are worried about, but we can't lose our composure. The most important thing now is to stabilize the morale of the troops and calm the emotions of the employees."

His words reminded me that Boss Zhou's incident would not only affect our reputation, but also the morale of our employees. If our employees also began to worry about the future of the planting base, our situation would be even more difficult.

We immediately called all employees together, explained the situation to them, and promised to handle the matter properly and not let any employee be affected. At the same time, we also increased publicity efforts, actively conveyed positive information to the outside world, and worked hard to restore the image of the planting base.

However, the development of the matter was far beyond our expectations. We underestimated the ruthlessness of our opponents and the cruelty of this secret war.

In the evening, the staff of the trade fair found us again, looking panicked and speaking in a hurried tone, "Mr. Bai, Ms. Mu, something bad has happened!" He handed us a newspaper, and the front-page headline had a few eye-catching bold words: "The head of a well-known planting base is suspected of economic crimes, and the product quality is worrying!" The accompanying picture was a photo of Boss Zhou being taken away...