Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

After Lin Xiao left, the office returned to silence, but I still felt uneasy. That strange text message weighed on my heart like a stone, making it hard for me to breathe. Bai Hanchuan saw my uneasiness and reached out to hold me in his arms, "What's wrong? Are you still worried about those rumors?"

I shook my head, "No, I just..." Before I could finish my words, the office door was flung open and the secretary ran in in a panic, "Boss Bai, something bad has happened!"

Bai Hanchuan's face darkened. "What's the matter? Tell me slowly."

"Our...the project our company was building was sealed!" the secretary said breathlessly, "Also, the bank suddenly called and said they wanted to take back the loan in advance..."

My heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition came over me. These things happened too suddenly and too strangely, as if an invisible hand was secretly controlling all of this.

Bai Hanchuan asked calmly: "Do you know who did it?"

The secretary shook her head and said, "It's not clear yet, but..." She hesitated and looked at me, seeming to have some concerns.

I knew that this incident was most likely related to the mysterious investor. It seemed that his son was not going to let it go and wanted to retaliate against us. Thinking of this, I could not help but feel angry. We won the competition fairly, so why did we have to suffer such an undeserved disaster?

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Bai Hanchuan patted my hands, his tone firm and powerful, as if everything was under his control.

We spent the next few days running around and worrying about everything. The son of our competitor was ruthless. He used his family's resources and connections to launch an all-round attack on our industry. He used hostile takeovers, spread rumors, created negative news... Various means emerged one after another, and we were exhausted from dealing with them.

"Bang!" I slammed a document onto the table and said through gritted teeth, "This bastard is really going too far!"

Bai Hanchuan looked solemn. Although he didn't say anything, I could feel the pressure emanating from him. He had hardly slept these days. In order to solve these problems, he ran around and tried every possible way, but he was like being caught in an invisible net. The more he struggled, the weaker he became.

"Hanchuan, what...what should we do?" For the first time, I felt confused and helpless. Facing this powerful opponent, we seemed to have no ability to fight back.

Bai Hanchuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and said with a firm look: "Don't be afraid, even if I lose everything, I will protect you and our business!"

His words warmed my heart, but I felt even more uneasy because I knew that the real test had just begun...

The lights in the office were on all night, illuminating the documents and drawings on the table, making it look particularly deserted. Bai Hanchuan rubbed his brows tiredly, with a hint of anxiety in his tone that was difficult to conceal, "The funding gap is still too large, and the bank is pressing us hard. If this continues..."

He didn't finish his words, but I knew what it meant. The company's working capital had dried up, and several cooperative projects had been forced to stop. If we couldn't find new investment, we would only face bankruptcy and liquidation.

"How's the situation at the planting base?" I tried to make my tone sound calm, but my clenched fists betrayed my nervousness.

Bai Hanchuan shook his head, his expression becoming even uglier. "To make matters worse, suppliers have heard about this and are demanding early payment. We simply can't afford that much money. The base has stopped all supply channels. If this continues..."

His words stopped again, but I knew that if the planting base was shut down, it would undoubtedly be a further blow to us.

"Damn it! They are trying to force us to death!" I couldn't bear it any longer and pounded the table in anger, my heart filled with powerlessness and despair.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door, and Lin Xiao walked in with a haggard face and red eyes, as if she had just cried.

"Xiaoxiao, why are you here?" I quickly stood up and asked worriedly.

Lin Xiao forced a smile and said in a casual tone: "I came to see you. What? Don't you welcome me?"

"How could that be? But why did you..." I noticed that she was carrying a suitcase, and I suddenly had a bad feeling in my heart.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Lin Xiao interrupted me and put the suitcase on the ground. "The flower shop is temporarily closed. I'll come over to help you."

"But your flower shop..." I know that the flower shop is Lin Xiao's hard work and the embodiment of her dreams. Now for us, she actually...

"It's okay, it's just for a while," Lin Xiao waved his hand pretending to be relaxed, "I'm more worried about you than the flower shop."

I hugged Lin Xiao tightly, my heart filled with emotion and guilt. At this time, she could still support us without hesitation. I will never forget this friendship.

"Okay, don't be sad," Lin Xiao gently pushed me away and said firmly, "Now is not the time to cry. Let's work together to find a solution and we will definitely be able to get through this!"

Looking at Lin Xiao's determined eyes, a glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. Yes, with them here, we can definitely overcome the difficulties!

Suddenly, a rapid phone call broke the brief silence. Bai Hanchuan picked up the phone and his face instantly became solemn.

"What? How could this happen..." A deep voice came from the other end of the phone, with undisguised pride, "Boss Bai, I regret to inform you that our company has decided to cancel the cooperation with you. We will pay the penalty according to the contract."

Bai Hanchuan's knuckles turned white as he held the phone. He took a deep breath and tried to keep his tone calm. "Can I ask why? Our cooperation has always been pleasant, hasn't it?"

"I'm sorry, this is a decision made by the company's top management. I have no right to interfere." After saying this, the other party hung up the phone without any reluctance.

Bai Hanchuan put down the phone dejectedly, his face livid. Seeing this, my heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding came over me.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with any project?" I tried to sound calm, but my clenched hands betrayed my nervousness.

Bai Hanchuan leaned weakly on the back of the chair, closed his eyes, and uttered a few words in pain: "It was a cooperation with Hongda Group. They unilaterally tore up the contract."

"What?!" Lin Xiao and I exclaimed in unison. Hongda Group is one of the largest companies in the country. Their project is vital to our company. If we lose this project, it will be a devastating blow to the company.

"How could this happen? Why would they do this?" Lin Xiao asked in disbelief, his tone filled with anxiety and worry.

"Why else? It must be our competitors behind the scenes!" I said gritting my teeth, with rage burning in my heart. We have encountered misfortunes one after another during this period of time. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that someone is deliberately targeting us.

Bai Hanchuan opened his eyes, his eyes full of fatigue and helplessness. He waved his hands weakly and said, "It's useless to say this now. The most urgent thing is to find a way to solve the problem."

"But now our capital chain is broken and our planting base is at a standstill. What can we use to fight them?" I felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Facing powerful opponents, we are like a small boat in the ocean, which may be swallowed by huge waves at any time.

"There will always be a way. We can't give up!" Bai Hanchuan stood up suddenly, with a gleam of determination in his eyes. "I don't believe that they can cover the sky with one hand!"

Lin Xiao also clenched his fists and said firmly: "Yes, we can't give up! There must be a chance of turning around!"

I looked at them and a glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. Yes, with them around, we can definitely overcome the difficulties!

As night fell, the lights in the office were still on. The three of us sat around the table, looking through documents over and over again, trying to find a solution to the problem. However, reality was like a set of shackles that bound us tightly and made us unable to move.

Suddenly, Bai Hanchuan seemed to remember something. He raised his head abruptly, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes. He picked up the phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Hello, Lawyer Zhang? I need you to do me a favor..."

Bai Hanchuan's voice was low and firm, like a flash of lightning in the dark night, illuminating the direction we were heading. I looked at his profile and prayed silently in my heart, hoping that this time, we could survive...

"What did you say?! This is impossible!" Bai Hanchuan stood up suddenly, and the documents in his hand fell to the ground. His face was pale, and his eyes were full of shock and disbelief. Lawyer Zhang's voice came from the other end of the phone, heavy and certain: "It is absolutely true, Hongda Group has been acquired, and the new chairman is..." He paused, as if it was difficult to speak, "It is the son of the competitor you mentioned before."

My head buzzed, as if a hundred bombs had exploded at the same time, making me dizzy. How could this happen? How could it happen so quickly? Before we had time to catch our breath, the enemy came back with even greater force and more brutal tactics!

Bai Hanchuan fell weakly into a chair, covering his face with his hands, his voice trembling with a hint of despair: "It's over, everything is over..."

Lin Xiao was also stunned. She covered her mouth, her eyes instantly turned red, and tears welled up in her eyes.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep myself calm. I knew that this was not the time to despair. The more it was at this time, the more we had to cheer up! I walked to Bai Hanchuan and gently held his hand. His hand was cold, without a trace of warmth.

"Hanchuan, don't worry, we still have a chance." My voice was firm and powerful, hoping to give him some strength.

He raised his head and looked at me, his eyes confused and empty, like a ship that had lost its direction, drifting in the wind and rain.

"Chance? What chance is there? They have pushed us into a desperate situation!" His voice was full of despair and powerlessness.

I held his hand tightly without saying anything, but I could feel the pain and despair in his heart. Yes, facing such a powerful opponent, we are like an ant, and we may be crushed to death by them at any time.

I walked to the window and looked out at the brightly lit city, feeling mixed emotions. This city once carried all our dreams and hopes, but now it has become a cold cage that traps us, with no escape.

"No matter what, we will not give up." I looked at the night view outside the window and swore in my heart. Then, I turned around and looked at Bai Hanchuan and Lin Xiao with a firm look...