Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

The air in the office was as heavy as solidified glue, and even breathing became laborious. The electric fan that Bai Hanchuan had just installed was whirring, but it couldn't blow away the growing gloom in my heart. Ever since the rumors about Boss Zhou spread, we were like being stuck in a quagmire, the more we struggled, the deeper we sank.

This morning, the account manager of the bank called and warned us seriously that if the negative impact of the rumor could not be resolved as soon as possible, they would reconsider the loan issue for the base. After hanging up the phone, my hands couldn't stop shaking. If there was a problem with the loan, the base would really be finished.

I rubbed my swollen and aching temples, trying to keep myself calm. Seeing this, Bai Hanchuan walked over to me and gently patted my shoulder, "Don't worry, we will solve it." Although his tone was firm, I could still hear a hint of fatigue.

To make matters worse, the HR manager came running in that afternoon and reported that a large number of the newly recruited employees had been shaken by the negative news about the base, and many had already submitted their resignations. This was undoubtedly adding insult to injury, as the training of the new employees had just ended and it was time for them to start production, and their departure would seriously affect the operation of the base.

I felt like a huge rock was pressing on my chest, and I couldn't breathe. The base that I had built with great difficulty was about to be destroyed. I forced myself to cheer up and discuss countermeasures with the HR manager, hoping to stabilize the remaining employees. We increased their salaries and promised to solve the problem as soon as possible and give employees more benefits. But I knew that these were only stopgap measures. If the problem could not be fundamentally solved, people's hearts would not be retained.

In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun poured into the office through the window, casting long shadows on the floor. I leaned back in my chair tiredly, feeling that all the strength in my body had been drained. Bai Hanchuan was also silent, his brows furrowed, and the atmosphere was so depressing that it was suffocating.

Suddenly, the phone rang sharply, breaking the silence in the office. I picked up the phone, but before I could even open my mouth, the other party said hastily, "Manager Mu, something happened!..." The other party's voice was a little flustered, and my heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came to my mind... "What?"

"What? Boss Li wants to suspend cooperation?" I could hardly believe my ears, and the pen in my hand fell to the ground with a "click". On the other end of the phone, the salesperson in charge of connecting with Boss Li said anxiously: "Yes, Manager Mu, Boss Li said that our base is now surrounded by negative news, and he is worried that it will affect the reputation of his products, so..." I took a deep breath and tried to keep myself calm, "I know, I will contact Boss Li as soon as possible."

After hanging up the phone, I felt a black screen in front of my eyes. Boss Li is one of the largest partners of our base. If he stops cooperating, it will be a devastating blow to the base. I fell into the chair helplessly, staring blankly at the sky outside the window that was gradually darkening.

Bai Hanchuan walked over and gently held me in his arms, "What's wrong?" His voice was low and gentle, like a warm current slowly flowing into my heart, gradually warming my cold body.

I told him about Boss Li, and his face became serious. "It seems that Boss Zhou is determined to kill us this time." He gritted his teeth and said with anger in his eyes.

I know that now is not the time to complain. The most urgent thing is to find a way to solve the problem. I pushed Bai Hanchuan away and forced myself to cheer up. "I'll go check the situation on the field."

The fields at the base, which were once green, now look a little sluggish. I squatted down and carefully checked the growth of the crops. Sure enough, due to rumors that were everywhere some time ago, the work at the base was once in chaos, which affected the growth of some crops. The leaves turned yellow and the growth was obviously not as good as before. If measures are not taken in time, the yield will definitely be affected.

My heart sank to the bottom. It was really like adding insult to injury. I called the technicians in charge of field management, asked them about the situation in detail, and arranged for them to take remedial measures as soon as possible, hoping to minimize the losses.

It was already late at night when he returned to the office. In the office, Bai Hanchuan was still busy, calling other partners, hoping to stabilize them and avoid more cooperation projects being suspended.

I walked over to him and gently held his hand. His hand was cold and his palm was full of sweat. I knew that he was under more pressure than me during this period.

"How is it?" I asked softly.

He shook his head and said in a heavy tone, "The situation is not optimistic. Many partners are taking a wait-and-see attitude towards us. They are all waiting to see if we can resolve this crisis."

I was silent. I knew that the difficulties we were facing were more serious than I had imagined.

Suddenly, the office door was pushed open, and the captain of the base security team walked in in a panic, "Manager Mu, Manager Bai, something bad has happened..." He spoke in a hurried tone, with beads of sweat on his forehead, as if something urgent had happened. "Base..." He stammered, as if he couldn't speak.

The security captain took a deep breath and finally uttered a complete sentence: "The base... the base is on fire!"

My head buzzed, as if it had exploded. A fire? How could it be a fire? I stood up suddenly and grabbed the security captain's arm. "What did you say? Where is the fire?" My voice became shrill and piercing because of nervousness.

"Warehouse...over there in the warehouse..." The security captain pointed outside the window, his face pale.

Warehouse! Most of our base's agricultural supplies and equipment are stored there. If the warehouse is burned down, the loss will be immeasurable. I didn't dare to think any further, grabbed my coat, and rushed out of the office with Bai Hanchuan.

The raging fire lit up half the sky, and the thick smoke made it hard to breathe. The warehouse was blazing with flames, and the crackling sound of burning was terrifying. The workers in the base took fire extinguishers and buckets and tried desperately to control the fire, but the fire was too big and their efforts seemed to be in vain.

My heart sank to the bottom, this was undoubtedly worse than before. I looked at everything in front of me, feeling weak all over, my legs were weak, and I could hardly stand. Bai Hanchuan held me up, his face was livid, and his eyes were burning with anger.

"Have you called the police?" he asked sternly.

"It has been reported, and the fire brigade is on the way." replied the security captain.

We waited anxiously for the fire brigade to arrive, and every minute and every second seemed extraordinarily long. Watching the fire engulfing the warehouse, my heart ached as if it were being stabbed by a knife. This was not only a material loss, but also the hope of the base we had worked so hard to build was being destroyed bit by bit.

The fire was finally brought under control, but the warehouse had been burned beyond recognition. Looking at everything in front of me, I felt like I had fallen into a bottomless abyss, with no hope in sight.

Bai Hanchuan has been running around these days, trying to raise funds from other channels to strengthen the security of the base and improve the growing environment of crops, but he has been blocked everywhere. Banks are unwilling to lend us money, and investors are avoiding us, as if we have become a plague that everyone is afraid to avoid.

Boss Zhou also fanned the flames behind the scenes, spreading rumors that our base's capital chain was broken and it was about to go bankrupt, causing some suppliers to worry about our ability to pay, and they asked us to pay for the goods in advance or even stop supplying them.

I sit in my office, looking at the pile of bills and collection notices, feeling a splitting headache. I know that the difficulties we face now are more serious than ever before.

Bai Hanchuan pushed the door open and came in. He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and a layer of blue stubble on his chin. I know that he has been working harder than me during this period, and he has been under more pressure than me.

"How is it?" I asked softly, with a hint of trembling in my voice.

He shook his head, walked over to me, and gently held me in his arms, "Don't worry, we will definitely get through this difficult time." His voice was low and hoarse, but it carried a reassuring power.

I know that he is comforting me and himself. We are like a small boat drifting in the vast ocean, which may be swallowed by the huge waves at any time.

Suddenly, the office phone rang, and the shrill ring broke the silence in the office. I picked up the phone and took a deep breath, "Hello?"

A strange man's voice came from the other end of the phone, "Is this Mu Jinli?"

"I'm."

"I have some information about you and your husband Bai Hanchuan. Do you want to know?" The man's voice was low and cold, with a hint of threat.

My hand holding the phone began to tremble involuntarily, and an ominous premonition came to my mind. I looked at Bai Hanchuan beside me, and his face became solemn. "You..." I was about to ask who the other party was, but there was a busy tone on the other end of the phone...

After the call was hung up, the office was dead silent, with only my rapid breathing echoing. The man's voice was like a thorn, piercing deep into my heart, making me feel cold. Bai Hanchuan walked to my side and held my hand. His hand was warm and strong, giving me a little comfort.

"Don't be afraid. If enemies come, we will fight them; if water comes, we will block it with earth." His voice was steady and firm, but he couldn't hide the worry between his brows.

I know that he is more anxious than I am now. This sudden fire, the malicious competition from Boss Zhou, and this mysterious phone call, all the pressure is on his shoulders, making him breathless.

In the next few days, we were like walking on a tightrope, taking every step carefully, fearing that we would fall into the abyss if we were not careful. The atmosphere in the base became tense, and the workers were talking about it and panicking. I knew that if we could not turn the situation around quickly, the base would probably collapse.

"Hanchuan, what should we do?" I leaned on his shoulder, feeling exhausted both physically and mentally.

He stroked my hair gently and was silent for a moment before he slowly said, "We must find out who is behind this to completely solve the problem."

I know he's right, but how easy is it? In this era of information blockage, trying to find the mysterious man on the phone is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

We began to re-sort out all the clues, from the warehouse fire, to Boss Zhou’s malicious competition, to the mysterious phone call, trying to find some clues.

"Could it be Boss Zhou?" I looked at Bai Hanchuan and expressed my guess.

He shook his head. "Although Boss Zhou is ruthless, he shouldn't be so bold, and there is no need for him to deal with us in this way."

"Who could it be?" I fell into deep thought.

We checked all the information on the base and interviewed every employee, but still found nothing. As time went by, our pressure became greater and greater, as if there was an invisible net that bound us tightly and made us unable to move.

One night, I was sorting out some documents when Bai Hanchuan suddenly came over with a document in his hand. His face was solemn and his eyes were flashing with complex light.

"Jinli, look at this." He handed me the document.

I took it and looked at it. The document recorded all of Boss Zhou's business activities over the years, including how he suppressed his competitors, how he obtained improper benefits, and even some records of him bribing officials.

"These..." I looked at Bai Hanchuan in surprise, "How did you get them?"

He took a deep breath, "I asked a friend for help..." He paused, then continued, "Jinli, I think we could start from here..." Before he finished his words, someone knocked on the door.

"Knock knock knock..." The knocking on the door was rapid and forceful, as if foreshadowing that something bad was going to happen.