Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

Accountant Sun's words were like thunder, exploding in my ears. More than one? My breath stagnated, and my heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand. Bai Hanchuan's face also became solemn. He took the account book and carefully read it page by page, frowning more and more.

The air in the office seemed frozen, and it was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe. I forced myself to calm down and tried to recall the ins and outs of each account. Could it be that someone deliberately tampered with it? This thought flashed through my mind, and it made me shudder.

"Have you checked everything?" My voice trembled a little.

Accountant Sun's face turned pale. He nodded and handed us the sorted accounts. "There are seven in total. The amounts are not large, but the total is not a small amount."

I looked at the numbers in the account book and felt dizzy. Although the money was not much, it was a double blow to us who were already struggling. More importantly, the appearance of these seven accounts meant that there were loopholes in our account management, which made me even more worried about the future of the base.

"Hanchuan, we..." I looked at Bai Hanchuan, but found that there was a determination flashing in his eyes.

"Don't worry, Jinli, we'll figure it out." He held my hand and gave me a reassuring look. "Let's first check these accounts thoroughly and see if there are any other problems."

In the following days, we worked almost non-stop, carefully checking every account and every detail. The staff at the base also felt the tense atmosphere, and their faces were full of worry and anxiety.

Lao Wang, the oldest employee in the base, came to me, rubbing his calloused hands, and said with a trembling voice: "Manager Mu, can the base... can the base still hold on?"

His words were like a needle that pierced my heart. Lao Wang is an old employee of the base. He is honest and has always worked diligently. He is old, and if the base closes down, it will be difficult for him to find a job.

I looked at his expectant eyes and felt bad. "Don't worry, Lao Wang, we will do our best to keep the base." I tried to make my tone firm, to give him some hope and to give myself some strength.

However, I felt powerless. The bank's collection was getting more and more urgent, and the court's verdict was still pending. We were like being trapped in a swamp, the more we struggled, the deeper we sank.

"Jinli, I'm going to the bank." Bai Hanchuan's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Why are you going to the bank?" I asked confused.

"I'll go see President Zhao and discuss the loan." His tone was firm, with a hint of determination in his eyes.

I watched him leave, feeling a little uneasy. President Zhao had clearly rejected our loan application before, and if we go again this time, I'm afraid there will be no good results... He pushed open the heavy door of the bank, and a gust of cold air hit him, making him shudder. I looked at the gloomy sky outside the window, feeling like a stone was pressing on my heart. Bai Hanchuan went to the bank and hasn't come back yet. Will President Zhao agree? I asked myself again and again, but I couldn't get a positive answer. The uneasy feeling wrapped around me like a vine, making it difficult for me to breathe.

Time passed by, and the agonizing wait made me restless. I stood up and paced back and forth in the office, and the whistling wind outside the window seemed to laugh at my powerlessness.

Finally, the office door was pushed open and Bai Hanchuan walked in. His face was livid and the anger in his eyes was almost bursting out.

"How is it?" My voice trembled a little.

"President Zhao didn't meet me at all. He just asked his secretary to pass on the message that the bank's decision will not change." Bai Hanchuan's voice was low and hoarse, with suppressed anger.

My heart sank, and a feeling of despair came over me. Was there really no way out?

"They... they are so inhumane!" Bai Hanchuan slammed his fist on the table, making a dull sound.

I walked over and gently held his hand, hoping to give him some comfort. "Hanchuan, don't be like this, let's think of another way."

His hands were cold and stiff, and I could feel the pain and despair in his heart.

"Jinli, I..." He looked at me, his eyes full of helplessness and self-blame, "Am I useless?"

I shook my head and hugged him tightly. "No, Hanchuan, you have tried your best. It's not your fault."

I know that he is more eager to solve the current dilemma than I am. He shoulders the hopes of the entire base and is under more pressure than I am.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. "Hanchuan, we still have the base and everyone else. We can't give up."

His eyes gradually regained clarity and he nodded. "You're right, we can't give up."

I decided to hold a staff meeting to tell everyone about the current situation at the base and to discuss solutions together. I knew that only by uniting as one can we overcome the difficulties.

The conference room was packed with people, and everyone's face was filled with worry. I stood on the stage, looking at the familiar faces, and my heart was filled with strength.

"Comrades, I know that everyone is worried about the future of the base." I said straight to the point, "The bank's collection and the court's judgment have put us under tremendous pressure."

I paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "But we can't give up! Back then, we started from scratch and built this base brick by brick. We have experienced so many ups and downs and overcome so many difficulties, but we have survived! Today, we still have to unite as one and overcome the difficulties together!"

My words resonated with everyone and there was warm applause in the conference room.

"Manager Mu, we believe in you!" Lao Wang was the first to speak out, "The base is our home, we will live and die with the base!"

"Yes! Let's find a solution together!"

“We can save water and use less fertilizer!”

"We can repair some simple equipment ourselves and reduce maintenance costs!"

……

Everyone offered their own suggestions. Looking at their hopeful eyes, I felt a warm current in my heart. I knew that we could definitely overcome the difficulties before us!

At this time, there was a knock on the office door. A young employee walked in, looking a little nervous. "Manager Mu, someone from the court...someone is coming from the court..." he said.

Someone from the court? My heart sank suddenly, and a chill ran up from the soles of my feet. Could it be...here to pronounce the verdict? It's much earlier than expected! I looked at Bai Hanchuan, and his face also became solemn.

"Please let them in." I tried to keep a calm tone.

Two court staff members came in with serious expressions and documents in their hands. "Comrade Mu Jinli, Comrade Bai Hanchuan, we are from the Municipal People's Court. This is the judgment on the contract dispute between your base and Hongda Company."

My palms began to sweat and my heart was beating so fast that it was about to jump out of my chest. My hands trembled slightly as I took the verdict. Bai Hanchuan also came over nervously, and we held our breath and read the contents of the verdict together.

Before I could see clearly, one of the staff members said, "Due to the complexity of the case, further verification is required. The verdict will be announced in advance and the specific time will be notified separately." After that, they left.

Announce in advance? What does this mean? We looked at each other, not knowing whether it was good or bad. Was the situation favorable to us, or worse? This unknown waiting was more tormenting than a direct verdict.

"Jinli, don't worry. No matter what the outcome is, we will face it together." Bai Hanchuan held my hand and gave me strength.

I nodded and tried to force a smile. I knew I couldn't fall down, I had to be strong, for the base, for everyone, and for him.

Bai Hanchuan went to the bank again. This time, he decided to see President Zhao no matter what. He stood at the door of President Zhao's office for several hours, motionless like a sculpture. Finally, in the evening, President Zhao appeared.

"Comrade Bai, are you still here? Is there anything that can't be discussed tomorrow?" President Zhao seemed a little surprised.

"President Zhao, I know you are very busy, but this matter is of vital importance to our base, and I must explain it to you in person." Bai Hanchuan spoke sincerely and his eyes were firm.

He followed President Zhao into the office, described the new plan and development potential of the base in detail, and took out the data and plan that had been prepared long ago. President Zhao did not believe at first that a base on the verge of bankruptcy could have any development prospects, but after seeing the detailed data and promising plans provided by Bai Hanchuan, he began to waver.

"If we can get a bank loan, we are confident that we can turn losses into profits within a year and double our profits within two years!" Bai Hanchuan said passionately.

At this moment, the office door was pushed open and several bank executives walked in. "President Zhao, we are discussing Hongda Company's loan application. What do you think..."

When they saw Bai Hanchuan, their faces were somewhat unhappy. "Comrade Bai, we have already discussed your case, and the bank's decision will not change."

"Please give us another chance! Our new plan..." Bai Hanchuan was unwilling to give up. He argued and refuted their doubts point by point, demonstrating the advantages and potential of the base to the fullest.

President Zhao sat aside, listening quietly, his brows furrowed, lost in thought.

When he came out of the bank, night had already fallen. Although President Zhao did not give an answer on the spot, Bai Hanchuan felt a glimmer of hope. President Zhao's attitude did not seem as firm as before.

However, the court's decision was like a sword hanging over our heads, which could fall at any time. If we lose the case, all the efforts we made in the bank might go to waste. We didn't know how to face such a result. The future was full of uncertainty, which made us feel suffocated.