Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

The judge's gavel fell heavily, and the crisp sound echoed in the silent courtroom, shattering the last bit of luck that Boss Zhou had. "Zhou Qiang, sentenced to ten years in prison for fraud..." I let out a breath, and the heavy stone in my heart finally fell to the ground. I turned to look at Bai Hanchuan, and a trace of relief appeared in his deep eyes.

From the time Zhou Qiang's conspiracy was exposed in the conference room to the court's verdict today, this period of time seems like a long tug-of-war. Bai Hanchuan held my hand, and the warmth of his palm passed to me, dispelling the remaining chill in my heart. He turned his head and said in a low voice with a hint of emotion: "It's finally over." I know that this sentence contains too much. In order to fight against Zhou Qiang's malicious competition, he worked hard and endured tremendous pressure. For many nights, he stayed awake all night, flipping through materials and looking for countermeasures. Now, the clouds have finally cleared and the moon is shining.

I held his hand and nodded. Yes, it's over. We can finally return to our peaceful life and focus on the farming business we love.

Walking out of the court, the sun shines on my body, making me feel warm. Reporter Li came up to me with a bright smile on her face: "Congratulations! Justice has finally been served!" She held my hand, excited like a child. "I must report this good news and let everyone know!"

After seeing off reporter Li, Bai Hanchuan and I returned to the planting base. The base was thriving, with lush green vegetables growing well and the air filled with the fragrance of soil. Aunt Liu was busy in the field, and when she saw us coming back, she immediately put down her work and came to greet us with a smile: "Li girl, Hanchuan, you're back? I heard that the man surnamed Zhou was sentenced to ten years in prison, it's really gratifying!"

I smiled and nodded: "Yes, Aunt Liu, our lives will be peaceful from now on."

Aunt Liu smiled so much that her eyes narrowed into slits: "That's right! You two are good people, and things will definitely get better and better!" Her blessing was simple and sincere, and it warmed my heart.

In the evening, the sun sets and the sky is dyed golden red. Bai Hanchuan and I stand on the ridge of the field, watching the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the field. Everything seems so peaceful and beautiful.

Bai Hanchuan suddenly spoke in a deep and magnetic voice: "Do you remember when we first started building this planting base? At that time, the conditions were difficult and the funds were insufficient. We suffered so much..." He paused, a trace of reminiscence flashed in his eyes, "Zhou Qiang tripped us up everywhere and almost made us fail..."

I listened quietly, and my thoughts went back to those difficult years. We started from scratch and experienced countless difficulties and challenges, but we always supported each other and never gave up.

"Thinking about it now, those days were hard, but also full of memories." Bai Hanchuan turned his head and looked at me, his eyes gentle and affectionate, "Li'er, thank you for always being by my side."

I smiled and leaned my head gently on his shoulder, feeling the warmth coming from him. At this moment, my heart was filled with happiness and satisfaction. We have experienced wind and rain, and finally welcomed the rainbow. There is still a long way to go in the future, but I know that as long as we walk hand in hand, we will be able to create a better future.

A breeze blew by, bringing a hint of coolness. I looked up and saw a sneaky figure flashing by not far away...

That sneaky figure made my heart tighten, and an ominous premonition arose. I pulled Bai Hanchuan's sleeve and asked, "Did you see that person just now?"

He followed my gaze and frowned slightly, "See, he looks familiar..." We decided to follow him quietly to see who he was.

The man sneaked into a small restaurant. We found a secluded place to sit and observe his actions. After a while, a well-dressed middle-aged man came in and talked to the man in a low voice. I looked carefully and recognized that the middle-aged man was Judge Wang! My heart sank suddenly. Could it be...

They spoke in low voices, and we couldn't hear the specific content clearly, but from their expressions and movements, we could tell that the atmosphere seemed a little tense. After a while, the man took out a thick envelope from his bag and stuffed it into Judge Wang's pocket. Judge Wang hesitated at first, but finally accepted it.

Seeing this, my heart sank to the bottom. Could it be that Judge Wang was bribed? I turned to look at Bai Hanchuan, and his face was also terribly gloomy.

We did not act immediately, but continued to observe. After the man left, Judge Wang did not leave immediately, but sat there with a gloomy look on his face. After a long while, he suddenly stood up and walked out of the restaurant quickly.

Bai Hanchuan and I looked at each other and immediately followed him. Judge Wang walked straight to the court, and we followed him all the way, feeling confused and uneasy.

The next day, the court held another hearing. This time, the audience seats were full of people, and everyone wanted to know what tricks Boss Zhou's family had played. Judge Wang sat in the judge's seat with a serious expression, and his eyes swept across the audience seats and finally fell on Boss Zhou's family.

"Before the official verdict, I have something to announce." Judge Wang's voice was sonorous and powerful. "Yesterday, someone tried to bribe me to make a favorable verdict in Zhou Qiang's case. I have reported this to my superiors and handed over the bribe money."

As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar in the courtroom. Boss Zhou's family members turned pale and trembled all over. They never thought that Judge Wang would make this matter public.

Judge Wang continued, "Zhou Qiang, you not only committed fraud, but also attempted to interfere with judicial justice, which is an even greater crime!" He picked up the gavel and slammed it down. "Now, I declare that Zhou Qiang is guilty of fraud and bribery, and he is sentenced to fifteen years in prison and a fine of one million yuan!"

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the verdict. Justice was finally served! The reputation of the planting base was completely restored.

In the following days, the business volume of the planting base increased dramatically, and many new customers and partners came to us. Bai Hanchuan and I were very busy, but our hearts were filled with joy and a sense of accomplishment.

One night, I was sorting documents in the office when I heard a hurried knock on the door. "Come in," I said.

The door opened, and a man in a suit walked in, with a look of anxiety on his face... "Boss Mu, something happened..." The Zhou Qiang case was settled, and the big stone that weighed on our hearts finally fell. Not only did the reputation of the planting base recover, but orders also came in like snowflakes. Bai Hanchuan and I were often busy until late at night. In the office, under the dim light, we smiled at each other, and all the fatigue turned into sweetness.

"It seems that we have to expand the scale." Bai Hanchuan put down the documents in his hand and rubbed his eyebrows.

I nodded and said excitedly: "Yes, that's exactly what I meant! We can make use of the wasteland behind and build a few more greenhouses..." We discussed future plans one after another, with our eyes shining with longing for the future.

Expanding the scale is easier said than done. Funding turnover, staff recruitment, equipment procurement... every link is full of challenges. Fortunately, Bai Hanchuan and I have accumulated a lot of experience and connections before, and some old customers have also lent a hand. We finally overcame many difficulties and successfully expanded the base.

Looking at the brand new planting base, I feel a sense of accomplishment. New greenhouses are rising from the ground, neatly arranged in rows, full of greenery and vitality. Workers are busy shuttling among them, with happy smiles on their faces.

Of course, our success also attracted some people’s jealousy. Some people in the village saw that our business was booming and started gossiping behind our backs, saying that we had forgotten our roots after making money, and even spread rumors that our products had problems.

"Human greed is really insatiable! Xiao Mu and his wife worked so hard to start their own business. Is it easy? Now that they have finally achieved some success, they can't stand seeing others doing well!" When Aunt Liu heard the gossip, she immediately stood up to speak for us.

"That's right! They use regular fertilizers and technologies, and their product quality is better than anyone else's. We're all watching!" Several other neighbors also echoed.

Hearing this, a warm current surged in my heart. I know that no matter when and where, there are always some kind people silently supporting us.

As the days passed, the base ran more and more smoothly. We could finally slow down and enjoy this hard-earned stable life. In the evening, as the sun set, Bai Hanchuan and I walked hand in hand on the path in the field. The breeze blew by, bringing with it the fragrance of the soil and the sweetness of ripe fruits.

"It's great." I leaned gently on Bai Hanchuan's shoulder, feeling the tranquility and happiness of the moment.

"Yes," Bai Hanchuan put his arm around my shoulders, his eyes gentle, "it's all worth it."

The next morning, a quick phone ring broke the morning tranquility. I picked up the phone and heard the anxious voice of a worker on the other end: "Boss Mu, it's bad! The newly purchased seedlings... are all dead!" My heart tightened, and an ominous premonition came to my mind... Bai Hanchuan and I immediately drove to the base and saw a large area of ​​withered seedlings from a distance, like a dead black ocean, which was particularly dazzling in the morning light...