Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

After Han Chuan left, I felt even more uneasy. The appearance of Lawyer Liu made me feel that things were far more complicated than I thought. I struggled to get out of bed, walked to the window, and watched Han Chuan hurriedly walk towards the black car parked downstairs. He was hunched over, and his steps were heavy, as if he was carrying a heavy burden on his shoulders. My heart was also tightened.

I endured the discomfort, put on my clothes, and quietly followed him out. Hanchuan and Lawyer Liu met in a secluded teahouse. I found a corner seat and sat down, listening attentively, trying to catch their conversation.

"...I have already collected all the evidence." Han Chuan's voice was low and hoarse, "Boss Wang is determined to bring us down this time."

"Mr. Bai, don't worry. I have carefully studied the evidence and it is enough to sue Mr. Wang for defamation." Lawyer Liu's voice was steady and calm, "It's just..."

"Just what?" Hanchuan asked.

"Even if we win this lawsuit, it will have a great impact on the reputation of the base. Many partners are waiting and watching. If we can't calm down this storm as soon as possible, the base is likely to face a greater crisis."

Hanchuan was silent. I know that he knows the seriousness of this crisis better than anyone else. We have worked hard to develop the base to its current size. If we fail because of this incident, all our previous efforts will be in vain.

"I know that suing is the worst option." Han Chuan's voice was filled with helplessness, "But we can't let Boss Wang smear us like this. We must fight back."

I felt even worse when I heard this. Hanchuan was under too much pressure. Not only did he have to deal with the affairs of the base, but he also had to bear pressure from all sides.

Their conversation continued, but I couldn't listen any more. I got up and left the teahouse, walking aimlessly on the street. The autumn wind blew down the leaves on the roadside and chilled my heart.

When I got back to the base, I saw Hanchuan standing by the window, staring into the distance in a trance. His back looked particularly lonely and desolate. I walked over and hugged him gently.

"Hanchuan, no matter what happens, I will face it with you."

He turned around and hugged me tightly in his arms.

"Jinli, thank you." His voice was a little choked, "I will definitely protect you and the base."

In the next few days, Hanchuan and Lawyer Liu were busy preparing to sue Boss Wang. I worked hard to recover and secretly investigated Boss Wang's background, hoping to find some useful clues.

One night, Hanchuan returned home with a terribly gloomy face.

"What's wrong?" I asked quickly.

He took a deep breath and said, "Lawyer Liu suggested that we reach a settlement with Boss Wang..."

He paused, then looked at me with a complicated expression, "...He said that this would be more beneficial to us."

Han Chuan's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over my head, chilling me from head to toe. Reconcile? How to reconcile? Just let it go? Let Boss Wang go unpunished, continue to smear us, or even intensify his treatment of us? I couldn't accept such an outcome.

"No!" I almost blurted out, "Absolutely no reconciliation! Why? He maliciously slandered us and damaged our reputation. Why should we compromise?"

Han Chuan's expression became even uglier. He rubbed his temple irritably. "Jin Li, I know you are feeling unbalanced, but Lawyer Liu said..."

"Is what Lawyer Liu said necessarily right?" I interrupted him, in an excited tone, "He only considered the issue from a legal perspective, but he didn't consider our feelings, nor the future of the base!" I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down, "Hanchuan, we can't just let it go like this, we must make Boss Wang pay the price!"

"I know, but..." Hanchuan's voice was full of fatigue. "Jinli, you have to consider the base too. Many partners are waiting and watching. If we continue to tangle with Boss Wang, the base may very well..."

"I know!" I interrupted him again, "That's why I said, we can't reconcile, nor can we confront head-on. We need a compromise plan that can both protect the rights and interests of the base and reduce losses." I walked to the table, picked up a pen and paper, and quickly wrote, "Look, let's collect more evidence to prove Boss Wang's malicious defamation. Then, we won't sue him directly, but..." I paused, looked into Hanchuan's eyes, and said word by word, "Instead, we will send him a lawyer's letter, warning him to stop spreading rumors, and publicly apologize to restore the reputation of the base. If he refuses to cooperate, we will formally sue him."

I finished my thoughts in one breath, and waited nervously for Hanchuan's response. The room was silent, and only the ticking of the wall clock could be heard. Hanchuan looked at what I wrote, frowning, and said nothing.

After a long while, he raised his head, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, "Jinli, your idea..." He paused, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, "Maybe it really works."

My heart finally settled down and I breathed a long sigh of relief.

The next morning, I sent the revised plan to Lawyer Liu, who called me soon after.

"Ms. Mu, your plan is really brilliant!" Lawyer Liu's voice was full of praise. "It can not only give Boss Wang a warning, but also avoid a direct conflict and gain the initiative. It's really great!"

After receiving the affirmation from Lawyer Liu, I felt more confident.

In the next few days, Lawyer Liu formally sent a lawyer's letter to Boss Wang. We all held our breath, waiting for Boss Wang's reaction. However, after receiving the lawyer's letter, Boss Wang didn't take it seriously at all. Not only did he not apologize, but he even spread rumors and even threatened: "Just you? You want to fight me? Wait and see, I will let you..." The phone suddenly rang harshly, breaking the tense atmosphere in the room...

The ringing of the phone pierced the stagnant air sharply. I grabbed the receiver with my heart pounding. "Hello?" My voice was trembling.

"Ms. Mu, there's been no movement from Boss Wang. In fact..." Lawyer Liu's voice was solemn, "He's getting worse."

My heart sank, and a chill ran up from the soles of my feet to my heart. Could it be that we underestimated Boss Wang's meanness?

In the following days, Boss Wang's smear campaign intensified. He even bribed some small media outlets to report negative news about our base. Partners terminated their contracts one after another, and the base fell into an unprecedented crisis. Hanchuan's face became increasingly gloomy. I tried to remain calm, but I also felt the huge pressure suffocating me.

"It seems that we have no choice but to go through legal procedures." Hanchuan's voice was low and firm.

I nodded and held his hand tightly. I knew this was a tough battle and we had no way out.

On the day of the trial, I sat in the audience, my palms were sweaty. Boss Wang hired the most famous lawyer in S City, who was dressed in a suit and had a strong aura. He had a confident smile on his face, as if he was sure of winning.

"Your honorable judge, fellow jurors, we believe that the plaintiff's so-called 'malicious defamation' is complete nonsense..." Boss Wang's lawyer spoke eloquently and tried to explain all the evidence as coincidence and misunderstanding.

My heart was in my throat, and I stared at Lawyer Liu. Lawyer Liu was calm and composed. He produced evidence piece by piece, including chat records between Boss Wang and the reporter, transfer records, and even a recording of Boss Wang admitting to defaming the base.

In court, the evidence presentation was like a gripping movie, where every detail was crucial. Lawyer Liu was calm and measured, exposing Boss Wang's lies one by one. Boss Wang's face became increasingly ugly, and he kept talking to his lawyer in a low voice, his eyes full of panic and anxiety.

Boss Wang's lawyer started to fight back, trying to find loopholes in the evidence, but they were all resolved by Lawyer Liu. The two sides exchanged sharp words, and the atmosphere in the courtroom was extremely tense.

I felt my heart was about to stop. Although we were in the upper hand, I knew in my heart that this was just the beginning of a tug-of-war. Boss Wang's calmness made me uneasy. He seemed to have a trick up his sleeve. When the judge announced the adjournment, I saw a barely perceptible sneer on Boss Wang's face.

The verdict has not been announced yet, and the staff at the base are anxiously waiting. Every day someone asks me when the verdict will be out. I can only force a smile and comfort them by saying it will be soon, but I am becoming more and more uneasy.

At this moment, the bank manager suddenly came to the base... He looked solemn, holding a document in his hand, and slowly said, "Ms. Mu..."