Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

Bai Hanchuan's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in my ears. My heart instantly rose to my throat, and a bad premonition quickly spread.

"What happened?" I asked anxiously, my voice trembling slightly with nervousness.

Bai Hanchuan took a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm, and said in a heavy tone: "The base received several calls from customers today, all saying that our vegetable prices are too high. Some people said that they saw negative news about the quality of our base's products on social media and asked for a return."

My mind went blank. Negative news? How could it be possible? The quality of our products has always been good, and there have never been any problems. How could there be negative news all of a sudden?

"Who is behind this?" I asked, gritting my teeth and suppressing my anger.

Bai Hanchuan's face was terribly gloomy. He clenched his fists tightly, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. "I have asked Assistant Lin to check it out. I believe there will be results soon."

My heart sank, and a feeling of powerlessness came over me. The competitor's attack came so fiercely and so unexpectedly that we were like a small boat in a storm, which could be swallowed by the huge waves at any time.

Worse news followed. Bai Hanchuan's company was also maliciously attacked by competitors. Some important projects were forced to suspend due to technology leaks, and customers were lost one after another. The company fell into an unprecedented crisis.

The continuous blows have exhausted us physically and mentally. Looking at Bai Hanchuan's increasingly thin face, my heart aches like a needle. I know that he is under more pressure than me, but I can't do anything about it. I can only silently accompany him and give him support and encouragement.

"Don't worry, we will get through this." I held Bai Hanchuan's hand and said in a firm tone.

Bai Hanchuan held my hand in return, his eyes full of fatigue and determination, "Well, we will face it together."

I know that this storm has just begun, and what awaits us is a more severe test. However, I will not give up. Together with Bai Hanchuan, I will protect our homeland and our love.

At this time, Assistant Lin came in hurriedly, holding a document in his hand, his face solemn, "Boss Bai, Boss Mu, I have found out who is behind this..."

Assistant Lin's tone was serious and his face was solemn, which made me feel nervous. He took a deep breath and said, "It was the Zhao Group. They spread rumors behind our backs and maliciously slandered us."

Zhao Group? I clenched my fists, furious. It was them! Bai Hanchuan and I had long guessed that they were behind this, but we didn't expect them to be so despicable!

"Why would they do this?" I asked, suppressing my anger.

"The Zhao Group has always wanted to take over our market. This time, they probably want to take advantage of our misfortune." Bai Hanchuan said in a cold tone, with a chill in his eyes.

"We can't just let this go! We must fight back!" I clenched my fists and said firmly.

Bai Hanchuan nodded, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes, "I have asked the lawyer to prepare materials to sue the Zhao Group for defamation and unfair competition."

I know this is a tough battle. The Zhao Group is rich and powerful, and we are just a small company. How easy is it to bring them down?

But no matter what, we will not give up! I will make the Zhao Group pay for their despicable behavior!

However, the litigation process was more difficult than we imagined. The Zhao Group used all its connections to prevent us from collecting evidence and even bribed some media to spread negative comments about us.

For a time, we were caught in a whirlpool of public opinion, with all kinds of doubts and insults overwhelming us.

What’s worse is that this incident has also affected our family.

"Mom, why do my classmates say that Dad's company is going to go bankrupt?"

During dinner, my usually lively and cute son Xiaoyu suddenly spoke in silence, with a hint of uneasiness and grievance in his childish voice.

My heart sank suddenly. I resisted the pain in my eyes and patted his head with a smile. "Don't listen to their nonsense. Dad's company is doing well and it won't go bankrupt."

"But..." Xiaoyu bit his lip, his eyes red, "They said Dad was a liar, and Mom was a bad person..."

Hearing what my son said, my heart ached like a needle. These rumors not only hurt me and Bai Hanchuan, but also hurt our innocent children.

I hugged Xiaoyu tightly, holding back my tears, "Xiaoyu, you have to believe mom and dad, we haven't done anything to let others down. Those people just don't understand the situation, so they talk nonsense."

"Really?" Xiaoyu raised his head and looked at me eagerly.

"Of course it's true." I tried to force a smile and kissed his forehead. "You are mom and dad's favorite baby. We will never lie to you."

Xiaoyu seemed to be comforted, nodded and stopped talking.

However, I know that this incident left a shadow on his young mind. He became silent and no longer as lively and cheerful as before.

Seeing my son's lonely figure, my heart was broken. I swear, I must solve this matter as soon as possible, clear my name and Bai Hanchuan's name, and give my son a happy childhood!

However, at this moment, a phone call broke our already precarious peace. On the other end of the phone, my brother's anxious voice came: "Jinli, it's not good, Dad... Dad..." On the other end of the phone, my brother's voice was intermittent, anxious and mixed with crying, which made me tremble with fear. "Brother, don't be anxious, talk slowly, what happened to Dad?" I held the phone tightly, my palms were full of sweat.

“Dad… Dad went to help in the fields, but his old illness relapsed and he’s now in the hospital…” My brother’s voice was heavily nasal, and it was obvious that he was crying in anxiety.

My head was buzzing, as if it was going to explode. My father's health had always been poor, and this had been a source of worry for me. I didn't expect that the thing I was most worried about would happen.

"Which hospital? I'll be there right away!" I grabbed my coat and rushed out, anxious.

"In the County People's Hospital..."

I hurried to the hospital and saw my brother pacing anxiously outside the operating room. When he saw me, his eyes were red and he choked up and said, "The doctor said... that Dad's condition is very dangerous this time..."

My heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and it became difficult to breathe. I held back my tears, comforted my brother, and prayed silently in my heart, hoping that my father could get through this difficult time safely.

However, misfortunes never come singly.

The next day, I received a call from Lin Xiao. Her voice was exhausted and a little tearful: "Jinli, I... I may not be able to hold on any longer..."

Lin Xiao's flower shop has always been the hard work of my sister and I. However, due to my affairs, the business of the flower shop has plummeted recently, and some people even maliciously disrupted it, which made Lin Xiao exhausted.

"Xiaoxiao, don't be anxious. Tell me slowly. What happened?" I tried to stay calm and figure out the whole story.

"This morning, when I opened the door, I found that someone had splashed red paint on the entrance of the store and written a lot of ugly words... Now no one dares to come to buy flowers..." Lin Xiao's voice was choked with sobs, and I could feel her despair and helplessness at the moment.

My heart felt like it was stabbed by a needle, and it was in pain. In order to deal with me, the Zhao Group even spared the innocent Lin Xiao!

"Xiaoxiao, don't worry, I will definitely help you get justice!" I clenched my fists, with rage burning in my eyes.

However, facing the blows that followed one after another, I felt a deep sense of powerlessness. My father was still in the hospital for treatment, Lin Xiao's flower shop was also in danger, and the situation of Bai Hanchuan and I was getting more and more difficult. I seemed to be trapped in a quagmire, struggling but seeing no hope.

At night, I dragged my tired body back home. Bai Hanchuan was coaxing Xiaoyu to sleep. When he saw me coming back, he quickly got up, hugged me in his arms, and asked softly, "How is it? Is Dad feeling better?"

I shook my head, unable to hold back my tears. Bai Hanchuan patted my back gently, silently comforting me.

"Hanchuan, I...I'm really tired..." I leaned on his shoulder, my voice choked with sobs.

"I know, I know everything." Bai Hanchuan's voice was low and firm, "We will face it together. No matter what happens, I will be by your side."

Late at night, Xiaoyu had fallen asleep, and Bai Hanchuan and I sat in the living room, looking at each other in silence.

"Hanchuan, do you think... can we still hold on?" I looked at the dark night sky outside the window, my heart filled with confusion and anxiety.

Bai Hanchuan held my hand, his hand was warm and strong, giving me infinite strength. "Yes, we will hold on..." I shook my head and leaned weakly on his shoulder, "But Xiaoxiao's store was smashed, Dad is still in the hospital, and the Zhao family is pressing on. I really don't know what to do next..."

Bai Hanchuan gently stroked my hair, his tone gentle but firm: "Don't be afraid, we still have each other. I will find a way to solve Xiaoxiao's problem, and I will also hire the best doctor for Dad. As for the Zhao family..."

He paused, a fierce look flashed in his eyes, "I'll make them pay!"

I raised my head and looked at the man in front of me. Even in difficult situations, he was still like a mountain, giving me support and strength.

"Hanchuan, thank you. I'm glad you're with me." I held his hand, and a warm feeling surged in my heart.

"Silly, we are husband and wife, why are you talking like this?" He smiled and scratched my nose. "Go to bed early, you have to go to the hospital to see your father tomorrow."

I nodded and stood up to wash up, but he pulled me back. "What's wrong?" I looked at him in confusion.

He didn't say anything, but just hugged me tightly, as if he wanted to rub me into his body. I felt the warmth from his chest and his strong heartbeat. At this moment, I felt extremely relieved.

"We will be fine, believe me." He whispered in my ear, his tone firm and unquestionable.

I closed my eyes, leaned in his arms, and quietly felt the tranquility and warmth.

It was late at night, the sound of wind and rain outside the window gradually subsided, and the only sounds left in the house were the even breathing of Bai Hanchuan and I. Suddenly, a rapid knock on the door broke the silence, and I opened my eyes suddenly, with a bad premonition flashing through my mind.

"Who is it? It's so late..." I muttered as I got up and opened the door.

When I opened the door, a stranger was standing outside. He was wearing a wide-brimmed hat with the brim pulled down so low that I couldn't see his face clearly.

"You are..." I asked puzzledly.

"Ms. Mu Jinli?" He lowered his voice, with a hint of mystery in his tone, "I have important information about your opponent. Do you want to know?"