Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the magnificent sea, gilding the distant city with a layer of gold. Our family of five, including Lin Xiao, stood together at the dock, waiting for the ferry to the International Flower Exhibition.

The children were excitedly running through the crowd, chattering about the exotic flowers and plants they were about to see. Lin Xiao was helping me sort out the flowers I was going to bring to the exhibition, and from time to time she looked up into the distance, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Don't worry," Bai Hanchuan gently held my hand, "our flowers will definitely amaze everyone."

I shook his hand back, my heart full of gratitude and confidence. This international flower exhibition is the first step for our planting base to go global and a key step for us to realize our dream.

The ferry slowly approached, and we boarded the ship with the crowd. The children leaned over the railing, pointing at the increasingly distant coastline and cheering. I looked at their innocent smiling faces, and my heart was filled with happiness and hope.

The exhibition officially opened three days later. Flower lovers and professionals from all over the world gathered together to appreciate various rare flower varieties. Our booth was located in the center of the exhibition hall, and the carefully arranged flowers attracted the attention of many visitors.

“These flowers are so beautiful! What varieties are they?” a blond-haired, blue-eyed foreign businessman walked up to our booth and asked in not very fluent Chinese.

"Hello, this is a new variety we cultivated, called 'Pearl of the Orient'." I introduced it with a smile, "It combines the advantages of many rare orchids, with a long flowering period, rich fragrance, and..."

"It also contains the romance and poetry that is unique to you Orientals," the foreign businessman took over my words, his eyes sparkling with admiration. "My name is William, I'm from the Netherlands, and I'm glad to meet you."

William showed great interest in our flowers and asked in detail about the planting techniques and market prospects. Bai Hanchuan communicated with him in fluent English and the two had a great time.

"Ms. Mu, Mr. Bai," William put down the flowers in his hand, "I am very interested in your planting base. I wonder if I can have the honor to visit it?"

I exchanged glances with Bai Hanchuan, "Of course, we..."

"Wait," an old voice came from the crowd, "Can I go with you?"

I turned around and saw an old man in plain clothes walking towards us. He walked steadily and looked energetic. Although his hair was gray, his eyes were bright and seemed to see through everything.

"Professor Wang!" Bai Hanchuan was the first to recognize the person and quickly walked over to him, his eyes full of surprise, "Why are you here?"

This Professor Wang is the retired horticultural master who taught me how to cultivate the "Pearl of the Orient". He has been living in seclusion in the countryside, devoting himself to the study of flower cultivation technology. I didn't expect to appear here today.

"I heard that you were going to participate in the International Flower Exhibition, so I came to see you." Professor Wang said with a smile, "How is it going? Is everything going well?"

"Thanks to your guidance, our 'Pearl of the Orient' is very popular." I said gratefully.

"Well, I took a look and it is indeed well cultivated." Professor Wang nodded with satisfaction and turned his gaze to William, "Who is this?"

"Hello, my name is William, and I'm from the Netherlands." William extended his hand politely, "I'm very interested in the 'Pearl of the Orient', and I really appreciate your cultivation techniques."

Professor Wang exchanged a few pleasantries with William, and then turned the topic to flower cultivation technology. To my surprise, Professor Wang was very knowledgeable about the international flower market. He not only pointed out some technical deficiencies of William's company, but also made some suggestions for improvement. William nodded frequently, his eyes full of admiration.

"Professor Wang, I have benefited a lot from your insights," William said sincerely. "I wonder if you are interested in joining our company as a technical consultant? I believe that with your experience and ability, you will definitely help our company move to a higher level."

Professor Wang pondered for a moment, then turned to look at me and Bai Hanchuan, "I'm old, and I just want to enjoy my old age, but..." He paused, his eyes fell on me, "If my students are willing to follow my example, I can consider it..."

As we were concentrating on talking, we heard the cheerful laughter of children from a distance. I looked in the direction of the sound and saw that they were playing happily with a dark-skinned little girl, who was holding a "Pearl of the Orient" in her hand and smiling with two rows of white teeth exposed.

"It seems that the children have found new friends." Lin Xiao said with a smile, "I'll go see them." After that, he walked towards the children.

I looked at Lin Xiao's back, and suddenly I had an inexplicable premonition in my heart...

Lin Xiao came back, with a hint of excitement on her face, and some complex emotions that I couldn't read. "The kids had a great time with Mr. William's assistant," she said, lowering her voice, "I just chatted with the assistant and learned that their company is actively looking for a partner who can represent them in expanding their business in Asia." She paused, her eyes moving back and forth between me and Bai Hanchuan, "What do you think...?"

My heart moved, and I exchanged glances with Bai Hanchuan. We both understood that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Over the years, our flower planting base has developed rapidly, but it has always been limited to the domestic market. William's company is a giant in the international flower industry. Cooperating with them is equivalent to opening the door to the world.

"Professor Wang, what do you think?" Bai Hanchuan looked at Professor Wang, seeking his opinion.

Professor Wang pondered for a moment and said slowly: "Opportunities are rare, but we must act within our means. The international market is highly competitive, and risks and opportunities coexist."

"We understand," I took over. "We will consider it seriously and make a prudent decision."

In the following days, we had in-depth exchanges and negotiations with William's company. They were impressed by our planting technology and management experience, and expressed a strong willingness to cooperate. After careful consideration, we finally decided to seize this opportunity and signed a cooperation agreement with them.

Standing on the square of the International Flower Exhibition Center, Bai Hanchuan and I looked into the distance. As the sun set, a gorgeous sunset glow burned in the sky, heralding new hopes and dreams.

"We..." Bai Hanchuan just opened his mouth but was interrupted by a burst of hurried footsteps.

"Dad! Mom!" A clear and smiling childish voice came from not far away. We turned around and saw the children running towards us, followed by Lin Xiao and Professor Wang. The children excitedly told us about the exotic flowers and plants they saw at the exhibition, and their chirping sounds were like happy notes, echoing over the square.

"Look at you, you're all sweaty." I smiled and took out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped their sweat one by one. "Promise your parents that you will listen to Aunt Lin and Grandpa Wang in the future. Got it?"

The children nodded obediently, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Jinli, Mr. Bai," Lin Xiao walked up to us and said mysteriously, "Mr. William's assistant told me that there is a very special guest at this exhibition. He is very interested in the flowers in our base and wants to discuss cooperation with you."

I was slightly startled and exchanged glances with Bai Hanchuan. It seemed that our chance had really come.

"Who is that guest..." Bai Hanchuan asked in a deep voice.

"I don't know his exact identity either," Lin Xiao lowered his voice, "I only know that he is from Europe and is a very influential flower merchant."

Europe? I was moved. Could it be...

While I was thinking, a tall foreign man in a dark suit walked towards us. He had short blond hair, a pair of deep and sharp blue eyes, a faint smile on his face, and his every move revealed the aura of a person who had been in a high position for a long time.

"Mr. Bai, Ms. Mu, nice to meet you." He greeted us in fluent Chinese, his voice deep and charming, "I am..."

Before he finished speaking, I heard light footsteps behind me, and then a familiar voice sounded in my ears:

"Long time no see, Jinli."

I turned around suddenly and looked at the person in front of me in disbelief.

How could it be him? !