Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

After Expert Wang left, the base hadn't recovered yet when our partner, Boss Wang, came in aggressively with his secretary. As soon as he entered the room, his shrewd eyes scanned the area like a hawk, and finally landed on me and Bai Hanchuan, with a scornful smile on his lips.

"Bai Hanchuan, what do you mean? Why did you suddenly terminate the cooperation? Do you know how much I invested in this project..." Boss Wang's voice rang out in the base office like thunder, making my eardrums buzz. Secretary Zhang behind him was submissive, like a pug wagging its tail for mercy.

I took a deep breath and tried to suppress my displeasure. There was indeed an accident at the planting base recently. Some of the seeds in the warehouse were damp due to improper storage, but this was just a minor incident and did not affect the overall cooperation. We have taken remedial measures and promised to complete the order on time.

However, Boss Wang didn't seem to care about these. He sat down on the chair, crossed his legs, and tapped the table with his fingers, making a "dong dong dong" sound that seemed to be tapping my nerves.

"Bai Hanchuan, the management of your base is too lax. Even the seeds can get damp. What can you guarantee in the future? I have to re-evaluate the price of cooperation." Boss Wang's words were light, but like a sharp knife, stabbing into my heart.

I worked hard to run this planting base, from site selection, seedling cultivation to planting, I personally did every step and put in a lot of effort. But now, I was looked down upon by Boss Wang, and the grievance and anger in my heart surged up like a tide.

Bai Hanchuan noticed my change of mood, he gently held my hand and gave me a soothing look. Then he stood up, walked to Boss Wang, and said calmly and firmly: "Boss Wang, the previous cooperation has been smooth, this is just an unexpected incident, we have already..."

However, before Bai Hanchuan could finish his words, he was rudely interrupted by Boss Wang.

"Accident? Humph, I think you are just poorly managed! The market is not good now, you still want to cooperate at the original price? No way!" Boss Wang sneered disdainfully, his eyes full of greed. He seemed to have made up his mind to take advantage of the situation and lower the cooperation price.

I looked at Boss Wang's ugly face and could no longer suppress the anger in my heart. I stood up suddenly and was about to open my mouth to refute, but was gently pulled back by Bai Hanchuan. He shook his head at me and signaled me to stay calm.

"Boss Wang, the product quality of our planting base has always been well-known. This accident does not affect it..." Bai Hanchuan explained patiently.

"Stop talking nonsense! Either lower the price or terminate the cooperation!" Boss Wang waved his hands impatiently and said in a tough tone, "You guys decide for yourself!"

After he finished speaking, he stood up, as if ready to leave. Secretary Zhang saw him and hurriedly followed him.

"Boss Wang..." I was about to speak when Bai Hanchuan suddenly grabbed my hand. His palm was a little cold, but it gave me great strength.

He looked at me with a firm and deep gaze: "Li'er, there's no need to beg him."

Bai Hanchuan's hand was like a steady rock, steadying me just as the storm in my heart was about to erupt. "Boss Wang," he spoke again, his voice steady and powerful, "We understand how you feel at the moment, but this incident was indeed an accident. We have taken measures to ensure that similar situations will not happen again. Moreover, you are aware of the quality of our base's products, and we will never let you down."

Boss Wang smiled contemptuously, his smile full of disdain and calculation. "Bai Hanchuan, don't play these empty tricks with me. The market is not good, do you think I don't know? How many bases are begging to cooperate with me now? You want to keep the original price after this happened? Dream on!" His fat fingers tapped on the table, making an irritating sound. Secretary Zhang behind him followed him like a puppet, with a flattering smile on his face.

I felt like there was a fire burning in my chest, about to burn me. The base I had worked so hard to build, all the hard work I put in, was so vulnerable in the eyes of this person.

"Boss Wang," I took a deep breath, tried to control my emotions, and said calmly, "This accident did cause us losses, but we have tried our best to make up for it and guarantee that it will not affect the delivery date and product quality. As for the price, the contract we signed before..."

"Contract?" Boss Wang laughed as if he had heard a joke, his laughter full of contempt. "Contract? What time is it now? You are still talking to me about the contract? Little girl, you are too naive!" He looked at me with a condescending look, as if I was an ignorant child.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails almost dug into my flesh. I didn't want to endure it any longer. I didn't want this arrogant businessman to trample on my dignity and hard work.

I took out the previously signed contract from the filing cabinet and placed it in front of Boss Wang. "Boss Wang, please take a look. Article 13 of the contract clearly states that unless there is force majeure, neither party may unilaterally change the price." My voice was not loud, but it was resounding, and every word was full of power.

The smile on Boss Wang's face froze. He picked up the contract and looked at it carefully, his face gradually becoming gloomy. Secretary Zhang also leaned over to take a look, and the smile on his face also disappeared, replaced by a trace of panic.

The office was completely silent, save for the sound of Boss Wang flipping through the contract papers. The air froze, like a taut bowstring that could break at any moment.

Boss Wang finally finished reading the contract. He slammed the contract heavily on the table, his face turned ashen, but he couldn't say a word.

I looked at him, and an indescribable pleasure welled up in my heart. I won, at least at this moment, I won over this arrogant businessman.

"Boss Wang..." Just as Bai Hanchuan was about to speak, Boss Wang suddenly changed his expression. He put on a hypocritical smile on his face, and his tone became gentle, "Hey, Brother Bai, Miss Mu, you see, I am doing this for your own good..." He sighed, pretending to be regretful and said, "The market conditions are so bad now, if you continue to insist, you will only..." He paused, a cunning light flashed in his eyes, "You will only get deeper and deeper..." Just as Bai Hanchuan was about to speak, I reached out to stop him. I know that Boss Wang's "earnest" persuasion is just another form of exploitation. Seeing that the hard way didn't work, he tried the soft way, hoping that we would retreat in the face of difficulties, so that he could take advantage of the fire. I took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in my heart, and said calmly: "We appreciate Boss Wang's kindness. But we have our own plans for the development of the base."

The scene when the base was first established came to my mind. At that time, this place was still a barren land with weeds and no grass. Bai Hanchuan and I, together with a group of like-minded young people, worked day and night and sweated profusely to turn this wasteland into a vibrant planting base. We have experienced so many ups and downs and overcome so many difficulties to achieve today's results. I will never let this boss Wang destroy everything easily!

"Ms. Mu is really as capable as any man!" Boss Wang smiled meaningfully, "However, sometimes, persistence is not necessarily a good thing. He who knows the times is a hero. I hope Miss Mu can understand this truth." Although his tone was gentle, it carried a hint of threat.

I met his gaze without fear and said firmly, "Boss Wang, we know the situation of our base very well. We believe that as long as we persevere, we will be able to overcome the difficulties before us."

Seeing that I was not interested, Boss Wang's face darkened again. He stood up, straightened his suit, snorted, and left the office. Secretary Zhang followed closely behind him. Before leaving, he turned back to look at me with a hint of resentment in his eyes.

When Boss Wang walked to the door, he suddenly stopped and looked back at our planting base, his eyes full of viciousness and calculation. Bai Hanchuan walked to my side and whispered, "I don't think he will give up, he must have other means."

I nodded, feeling slightly uneasy. Boss Wang's behavior today was too abnormal. He had come here to bargain for the price, but he suddenly changed his attitude. There must be something fishy going on.

As night fell, the base was quiet. I stood by the window, looking at the flashing lights in the distance, my heart filled with anxiety and uneasiness. Boss Wang's threat was like a huge rock, pressing on my heart and making me breathless.

The next morning, a loud noise broke the tranquility of the base. I walked to the gate and saw that it was crowded with people, and a tabloid reporter was taking photos and interviewing... Bai Hanchuan walked to my side with a serious expression and said in a deep voice: "Something happened..."