Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

The office was dead silent, with only the whistling wind outside the window, which sounded like the low whimpering of a wild animal. The stack of termination letters was like a small mountain, weighing me down so hard that I couldn't breathe. The bright red seals and glaring signatures, every word was like a sharp knife, slicing my heart.

"This... What on earth is going on?" I muttered to myself, my voice as dry as sandpaper. I mechanically flipped through the termination letters, my fingertips were cold, as if I had lost consciousness.

Bai Hanchuan's face was even darker than the night outside the window. He held the phone tightly, his knuckles turning pale. After a long while, he put down the phone, a thick layer of frost condensed between his brows.

"Uncle Wang said that everything is normal at the base and nothing unusual has occurred." His voice was low and hoarse, with a barely perceptible tremor.

I looked up blankly and looked into his eyes. In addition to shock and anger, there was also a hint of deep worry in his eyes.

Suddenly, Bai Hanchuan stood up and paced back and forth in the office like a trapped beast. "Boss Zhou... He said he wanted us to disappear completely from the market..." He paused and slammed his fist on the table, making a dull sound.

My heart was shaken, and Boss Zhou's sinister tone and threatening eyes instantly appeared in my mind. Could it be... Could it be that he was the one behind all this?

“But...how did he do it?” I felt powerless, as if I had fallen into a huge whirlpool, being pulled by an invisible force, unable to break free.

Bai Hanchuan did not answer. He walked to the window, looked at the dark night sky outside, and remained silent.

"No, I have to find out what happened!" I took a deep breath and tried to keep myself calm. I picked up the phone and tremblingly dialed a customer's number.

"Hello, Manager Wang, I'm Mu Jinli..."

"Mr. Mu..." The voice on the other end of the phone was a little hesitant, "About the termination of the contract..."

"Manager Wang, we have been cooperating for such a long time and it has always been very pleasant. Why do you want to terminate the contract suddenly?" I tried my best to sound calm, but I was extremely anxious inside.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a while, and then a sigh came. "Mr. Mu, to be honest, I received an anonymous letter..."

"Anonymous letter?" My heart sank suddenly and an ominous premonition came over me.

"Yes," Manager Wang lowered his voice, "The letter said... that the products from your planting base have serious quality problems..."

"This... this is sheer nonsense!" I almost yelled, "Our products have all been rigorously tested, there is absolutely no way there will be any quality issues!"

"I know, Mr. Mu," Manager Wang said helplessly, "I also believe in your quality, but... this letter..."

He seemed to be about to say something but stopped himself. My heart felt like it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, almost suffocating me.

"This letter...what's written on it?" My voice was trembling and I could hardly hear my own voice.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a moment, and then Manager Wang's deep voice came...

"The letter... is accompanied by photos of your base's products. Those vegetables and fruits... are all rotten and spoiled..." Manager Wang's voice became smaller and smaller, and finally almost inaudible.

My mind went blank. Rotten fruits and vegetables? How could this be possible? Our products have always been well preserved and have been strictly inspected before shipment. This is absolutely impossible!

"Manager Wang, I assure you, someone is definitely trying to frame us! Those photos must be fake!" I explained eagerly, hoping he would believe me.

"Mr. Mu, I know it's not easy for you, but... I also have to be responsible for my company..." Manager Wang sighed, "Now the market is saying that your base products have problems, I can't take the risk..."

His words hit me like a heavy hammer. I knew that no matter how much I explained, he would not change his mind.

I hung up the phone helplessly, my heart sinking to the bottom. An anonymous letter and a few forged photos could destroy all our efforts!

Bai Hanchuan walked over to me and gently put his arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry, we'll find out." His voice was calm, but I could sense the anger and anxiety in his heart.

I looked up and saw his determined eyes, and a glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. Yes, we can't give up! We must find out who is behind this and clear our name!

In the next few days, we rushed around, contacted customers, and explained the situation, but to little avail. Rumors spread rapidly like a virus, more and more customers chose to cancel their contracts, and our planting base fell into an unprecedented crisis.

Just when we were about to despair, Officer Zhang brought good news.

"We found the address where the anonymous letter was sent from," Officer Zhang said with a hint of excitement. "After investigation, we found that this address is related to Boss Zhou's company!"

My heart was shocked. It was indeed him! Boss Zhou, you are so cruel!

"Great!" I clenched my fists excitedly, "Now we can finally prove our innocence!"

Bai Hanchuan also showed a relieved smile on his face. "Justice will eventually triumph over evil!"

We immediately informed all our clients of the news and provided them with the police's findings. Some clients expressed their willingness to reconsider their cooperation, which gave us hope.

However, just when we thought things were getting better, a phone call broke this brief peace.

"Mr. Mu, something bad has happened..." Uncle Wang's anxious voice came from the other end of the phone, "In the market... in the market..."

"What happened in the market?" My heart sank suddenly, and an ominous premonition came to my mind...

“In the market…in the market, rumors have begun to spread that there are problems with the products of our planting base! Many potential customers have been scared away!” Uncle Wang’s voice was tearful, and my heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

Rumors, another rumor! We have already clarified the anonymous letter, why are there new rumors? Boss Zhou, what on earth do you want to do? !

I held the phone tightly, my palms were full of sweat. "Uncle Wang, don't worry, we will definitely find a way to solve it."

After hanging up the phone, I leaned back in the chair, feeling like all the strength in my body had been drained away. Bai Hanchuan came over and hugged me tightly. "Li'er, don't be afraid, I'm here."

His embrace gave me some comfort, but it did not reduce the anxiety in my heart. I knew that this crisis was more serious than any previous one.

"We must take the initiative!" A trace of determination flashed in Bai Hanchuan's eyes, "I decided to hold a press conference to clarify the facts and restore our reputation."

I nodded in agreement. Now, we can only fight to the death.

On the day of the press conference, Bai Hanchuan stood on the stage in a suit and tie and spoke eloquently. He explained in detail the ins and outs of the anonymous letter incident and presented the police's investigation results.

However, just as the press conference was about to end, a sharp female voice suddenly sounded. "Mr. Bai, how do you explain those photos circulating in the market? Aren't those rotten and spoiled fruits and vegetables from your planting base?"

I recognized the woman who asked the question right away. She was Boss Zhou's secretary - Secretary Liu! Why was she here?

Bai Hanchuan was obviously a little surprised, but he quickly calmed down and replied calmly: "Those photos are fake. We have called the police. I believe the police will find out the truth soon."

Secretary Liu was not relenting and continued to ask, "Boss Bai, you said the photo was fake. Do you have any evidence? If there is no evidence, it would be hard to convince people."

Each of her questions was like a sharp knife stabbing into our hearts. I knew she was deliberately trying to cause trouble.

Bai Hanchuan's face became uglier and uglier, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. I knew he was about to collapse.

In the following days, the situation took a turn for the worse. Although Bai Hanchuan tried his best to clarify the matter at the press conference, the impact of the rumor was irreversible. More and more customers canceled their orders, and our capital chain began to become strained.

I looked at the empty warehouse and the few employees, and felt helpless. The once bustling planting base has now become so desolate.

"Li'er..." Bai Hanchuan's voice was low and hoarse.

I looked up and saw the fatigue and worry in his eyes. I knew that he was also reaching his limit.

We stood in the middle of the warehouse, silent to each other.

Suddenly, Bai Hanchuan's cell phone rang. He picked up the phone and his face changed suddenly.

"What?!" He stood up suddenly and the phone in his hand fell to the ground.

My heart tightened, and I had a premonition that something bad had happened... "They... They actually..." Bai Hanchuan's voice trembled, and he looked at me in disbelief.