Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

Lawyer Liu handed over the document. His hands were shaking so much that he almost dropped it. "This is... the additional evidence we just received. It's... very unfavorable to us."

My heart sank and I grabbed the document.

The densely packed words crawled through my heart like countless ants, and every line brought a biting chill.

I could barely make out what was written on it, everything in front of me was blurry.

Bai Hanchuan held me, took the document, and quickly glanced through it. His face was livid, and he said nothing.

The next day, we went to the court.

The air was suffocatingly heavy. The gallery was filled with people. Their eyes swept over us like searchlights, and the whispers buzzed, as if foreshadowing the fate we were about to face.

Xiao Zhang followed behind us, his face pale, his lips trembling, he wanted to say something but in the end said nothing.

My palms were full of sweat and I held Bai Hanchuan's hand tightly, as if I was grabbing the last straw.

He held my hand in return, and the warmth in his palm gave me a sense of strength.

The judge took his seat and the courtroom was silent. The sentencing began, the judge's voice was solemn and cold, and every word was like a hammer hitting my heart.

"…The plaintiff's appeal is dismissed and the original judgment is upheld…"

With a loud bang, I felt like the whole world collapsed.

The sounds around me became blurred and everything in front of me began to spin.

Bai Hanchuan hugged me tightly, and I could feel his body trembling.

"Jinli, it's okay, I'm here." His voice was low and firm, but it couldn't stop me from falling into the abyss of despair.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the courtroom, and a sharp voice pierced the solemn atmosphere.

"Mu Jinli, Bai Hanchuan, I never thought you would have this day!"

I almost couldn't stand, Bai Hanchuan supported me, and his eyes like a knife shot towards the source of the sound.

Boss Zhang had a smug look on his face, and behind him was a group of ferocious looking people.

"Mu Jinli, Bai Hanchuan, what do you have to say now?" Boss Zhang laughed arrogantly, "I want your base! The price is up to you!" He stretched out a hand and gestured a very low number.

A surge of rage surged in my heart, and I almost rushed up and tore his ugly face apart.

Bai Hanchuan grabbed me and said coldly, "Boss Zhang, please give me some space so that we can meet again in the future."

"Hahaha, future? Do you have a future?" Boss Zhang seemed to have heard a huge joke, "Sign quickly if you know what's good for you, otherwise..." He deliberately prolonged his voice, and the threat was self-evident.

Bai Hanchuan slammed his fist on the table, "Don't even think about it!"

Boss Zhang sneered and walked away with his men, leaving the room full of sneers and ridicule.

I sat dejectedly in the chair, feeling weak all over.

Just then, my phone rang.

It’s President Zhao.

I was almost afraid to answer the call, but finally I pressed the answer button.

"Ms. Mu, although the verdict is not in your favor, I see the potential of your base..." President Zhao's voice was unexpectedly calm, "I am willing to give you another chance, but..."

My heart suddenly sank. Sure enough, there is no such thing as a free lunch. "But what?"

"The conditions will be more stringent than before." President Zhao paused, "We will discuss the specific details when we meet."

I hung up the phone and looked at Bai Hanchuan. His brows were furrowed and his eyes were complicated.

“Knock knock knock—” There was a rapid knock on the door, and an anxious voice came from outside the door: “Mr. Mu, it’s bad, the suppliers are here…”

My head buzzed and everything went dark before my eyes.

Before I could recover from the blow of losing the lawsuit, the supplier came to demand payment again, which was simply adding insult to injury.

I took a deep breath, forced myself to calm down, and went out with Bai Hanchuan to face this group of ferocious creditors.

The warehouse entrance was crowded with people, and shouting and complaints were heard one after another.

At a glance, I saw Boss Zhang, who was looking very arrogant in the crowd. He was surrounded by a group of people who were pointing at us with a gloating smile on their faces.

Several of his followers were even more arrogant, saying sarcastic things in a veiled tone: "Hey, isn't this President Mu? How did you end up like this?" "Tsk tsk tsk tsk, it's really a changing world, you were so glorious before, but now..."

I suppressed my anger and tried to remain calm: "Everyone, please be quiet. I know everyone is very anxious. We will definitely solve this problem as soon as possible."

"As soon as possible? We've been waiting for a long time!" A burly supplier interrupted me rudely, "Mr. Mu, we are not unreasonable people, but it is only natural to pay back debts!"

Another supplier also echoed: "Yes, President Mu, we all have our own difficulties, you can't let us cushion the burden all the time!"

I looked around and saw the anxious and suspicious faces like mountains pressing down on me, making it hard for me to breathe.

I felt like a trapped animal, forced into a desperate situation.

Bai Hanchuan held my hand tightly, his palm was cold, and I knew he was also under tremendous pressure.

"Everyone, please give us some time..." Bai Hanchuan's voice was hoarse. I had never seen him so tired.

"Time? We've already given you plenty of time!" A supplier waved his hands impatiently, "Now, either pay me back or we'll take legal action!"

I felt my heart tighten and a feeling of despair surged up like a tide.

At this moment, I suddenly remembered the space system... I pulled Bai Hanchuan and whispered a few words in his ear.

He looked up suddenly, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

I took a deep breath, turned around and said to everyone, "Everyone, please follow me." I took them to the laboratory, took out some rare plant seeds from the space and showed them to them.

These seeds emit a strange luster and look extraordinary at first glance.

"This is..." A supplier widened his eyes in surprise, "This is... the legendary..."

I smiled slightly, "Yes, this is..." I paused deliberately, and then said slowly, "I believe that these seeds can change everything."

A partner who had been silent before, now had a gleam in his eyes. He walked forward, looked at the seeds carefully, then turned to me and said firmly: "Mr. Mu, I believe you!"

The words of my partner Lao Li were like a reassurance, gradually quieting down the originally noisy laboratory.

Others also gathered around, their eyes gleaming with greed and hope.

I struck while the iron was hot and explained in detail the value and future benefits of these seeds, and promised to give them generous rewards.

Boss Zhang stood at the edge of the crowd, his face livid. His sinister eyes swept over me, and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth. I knew he would not give up easily.

After seeing off the last batch of suppliers, I felt like all the strength in my body had been drained away. Bai Hanchuan supported me and asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

I forced a smile: "It's okay, just a little tired."

When I returned to the office, Bai Hanchuan poured me a glass of water and gently placed it in front of me.

"Jinli, I know you feel bad, but we will definitely get through this difficult time." His voice was low and powerful, bringing me a little comfort.

I nodded, picked up the glass of water, but couldn't drink a sip.

Although the seeds in the space temporarily stabilized the situation, it was ultimately not a long-term solution.

The threat from Boss Zhang still exists, and I always feel like he has some tricks up his sleeve.

In the evening, I stood at the window of the laboratory, watching the sunset, my heart filled with uneasiness.

At this moment, I accidentally caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing in the distance.

I rubbed my eyes and looked again, but there was nothing.

"What's wrong?" Bai Hanchuan walked to my side and looked in the direction I was looking.

"I think I saw someone over there..." I pointed to a forest in the distance, sounding a little uncertain.

Bai Hanchuan frowned and walked to the window to observe carefully for a while. "Maybe you saw it wrongly. It's getting dark and the visibility is not very good."

I also hope that I am seeing things, but there is always a lingering uneasiness in my heart.

The next day, the uneasy feeling intensified.

I always feel like someone is watching us secretly, and some unfamiliar faces begin to appear around the base.

"Hanchuan, I always feel like something is wrong." I held Bai Hanchuan's hand and said in a serious tone, "It seems like someone is spying on the base..."

Bai Hanchuan's face changed, "I'll go take a look." He turned around, picked up his coat, and strode out.

I stood in front of the window, looking at his back, and prayed silently in my heart: I hope everything is safe.

In the evening, Bai Hanchuan came back with a terribly gloomy face. He walked up to me and said in a low voice: "The monitoring equipment in the laboratory has been tampered with..."