Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

Outside the exhibition hall, the autumn wind blew a few fallen leaves around our feet. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my surging thoughts. Bai Hanchuan walked side by side with me, his broad palm wrapped around mine, continuously conveying strength.

"Don't be nervous, Li'er." His low voice sounded in my ears, with a hint of comfort, "Everything will be fine."

I forced a smile and nodded. Although I said I wasn't nervous, my heart was beating like a restless little rabbit. The results of the re-examination had not yet come out, and I couldn't help but worry about the fate of Baiyun No. 1.

We walked slowly along the tree-lined path outside the venue, hoping to relieve the pressure in our hearts. The sunlight shone through the gaps between the branches and leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on the ground. I kicked the pebbles under my feet aimlessly, my thoughts drifting.

Suddenly, Bai Hanchuan stopped and I followed his gaze and saw a familiar figure walking towards us. It was Editor-in-Chief Liu, the boss of the young reporter who had previously reported on the "Baiyun No. 1" incident.

"Boss Mu, Comrade Bai," Chief Editor Liu greeted us warmly, "I didn't expect to meet you here."

"Hello, Editor-in-Chief Liu." Bai Hanchuan and I responded quickly.

"Your 'Baiyun No. 1' has caused quite a stir!" Editor-in-Chief Liu said with a smile, "Our newspaper's phone is almost blown up. Many people are calling to inquire about the follow-up progress and are concerned about the final outcome of 'Baiyun No. 1'."

I was delighted, it seems that the power of public opinion should not be underestimated.

"I have to thank Editor-in-Chief Liu and your newspaper for speaking out." I said sincerely, "If it weren't for your report, Baiyun No. 1 would probably have been buried."

"No, no, I just did what I should do." Editor-in-Chief Liu waved his hand. "To be honest, I feel very angry when I see such a good rice variety like Baiyun No. 1 being maliciously suppressed. I believe that the truth will come to light and Baiyun No. 1 will definitely get the recognition it deserves."

Editor-in-Chief Liu's words gave me great encouragement, and the fire of hope in my heart burned even more vigorously. We talked about the "Baiyun No. 1" for a while, and Editor-in-Chief Liu said that he would continue to pay attention to this matter and feedback the latest news to us in a timely manner.

At this moment, a well-dressed middle-aged man walked towards us, followed by two assistants. The man was slightly overweight, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and his every move exuded a shrewd and capable aura. I noticed that he walked straight towards us, his eyes scanning back and forth between us and Editor-in-Chief Liu, and finally fell on me... The corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a meaningful smile.

He walked up to us, held out his hand, and said with a big smile: "Hello, everyone. I am Zhang Desheng from Harvest Agriculture."

Harvest Agriculture! My heart skipped a beat. Harvest Agriculture is one of the best agricultural companies in China, with cooperative planting bases all over the country. If we can cooperate with them, it will definitely be a huge opportunity for our base. I immediately realized that this was the legendary Boss Zhang.

I quickly reached out my hand and shook his: "Hello, Boss Zhang, I am Mu Jinli from the Baiyun Planting Base, and this is my lover, Bai Hanchuan."

"I've heard of you for a long time, Boss Mu, Comrade Bai." Zhang Desheng's gaze stayed on me and Bai Hanchuan for a moment, and finally fell on my face. "I have been following the news about 'Baiyun No. 1'. I happened to pass by here today. I didn't expect to meet you. It's fate!"

Editor-in-Chief Liu smiled and said, "It seems that the charm of 'Baiyun No. 1' is really great. Even Boss Zhang was attracted to it."

Zhang Desheng laughed: "That's right! Who doesn't know about Baiyun No. 1 now? I came here after reading the news reports. I'm very interested in your planting base and want to know more about it."

I suppressed my excitement and tried to remain calm and said, "Boss Zhang, thank you for your compliment. Baiyun No. 1 is still under review and the final result has not yet come out."

"I believe in the quality of 'Baiyun No. 1' and I also believe that justice is in the hearts of the people." Zhang Desheng looked at me meaningfully, "Even if the results of this trade fair are not satisfactory, it will not affect my confidence in your base. I always believe that good products will eventually be recognized by the market."

His words undoubtedly gave me a reassurance and made me have a deeper impression of him. He is a businessman with unique vision and great courage.

"Boss Zhang, shall we go over there and talk?" I suggested, pointing to a rest area not far away.

Zhang Desheng readily agreed. We sat down in the rest area, and I began to introduce in detail the planting technology, product features, and the development process of "Baiyun No. 1" in our planting base. Bai Hanchuan also supplemented it, mainly explaining from a technical perspective, so that Zhang Desheng had a deeper understanding of the advantages of "Baiyun No. 1".

I noticed that during the whole process, Zhang Desheng listened very carefully and asked some professional questions from time to time. His questions were very sharp and profound, which forced me to be very alert to respond. Bai Hanchuan responded well. His profound knowledge and rich experience made Zhang Desheng nod frequently with admiration in his eyes.

Time passed by, the sun set, and the sky was dyed golden red. Our conversation became more and more in-depth and speculative. I felt that there seemed to be a wonderful resonance between Zhang Desheng and me.

At this moment, Zhang Desheng's cell phone rang. He picked up the phone, said a few words, and his face suddenly became solemn. He hung up the phone, looked at me, and slowly said: "Boss Mu, I just received news..." He paused, his eyes deep, "The results of the re-examination are out..."

I stared at Zhang Desheng nervously, my heart in my throat. "What's the result?" I almost blurted out.

Zhang Desheng took a deep breath, and his eyes swept back and forth between me and Bai Hanchuan. After a long while, he slowly said, "The result... is that 'Baiyun No. 1' passed the re-examination and won the gold medal!"

The huge surprise came like a tide, and I could hardly believe my ears. "Really? We...we won the gold medal?" My voice trembled slightly, and my eyes were a little wet.

Bai Hanchuan also showed a relieved smile on his face, and he held my hand firmly and forcefully. Editor-in-Chief Liu clapped excitedly and kept saying "Congratulations".

Zhang Desheng smiled and nodded, "Congratulations, Boss Mu, Comrade Bai. The quality of 'Baiyun No. 1' has been finally recognized, and it is well deserved."

I calmed down my excitement and looked at Zhang Desheng with gratitude, "Thank you, Boss Zhang, and thank you for your trust and support for us all the time."

"I believe in my own judgment." Zhang Desheng's eyes were full of admiration. "'Baiyun No. 1' has great potential. I believe it will shine in the market. So..." He paused, his eyes sharpened, "I have some ideas about cooperation."

My heart was in my throat again, and I held my breath waiting for his next words.

Zhang Desheng leaned forward slightly, and his tone became serious: "I am very optimistic about 'Baiyun No. 1' and I am also very interested in your planting base. However, the negative comments that appeared at the previous trade show still make me a little worried. Although the truth is now out, the impact of the negative news is still there, which may cause certain obstacles to our future cooperation."

I understood his concerns and said sincerely, "Boss Zhang, we understand your concerns. We are actively taking measures to eliminate those negative impacts. We believe that time will prove everything, and the quality of 'Baiyun No. 1' will win market recognition."

Bai Hanchuan added: "We are also improving our publicity strategy and will pay more attention to product promotion and brand building to enhance the market competitiveness of 'Baiyun No. 1'."

Zhang Desheng pondered for a moment and nodded, "I believe you have the ability. I will think about it carefully and give you an answer in a few days."

My heart was in suspense again. Although Zhang Desheng's attitude was more positive than before, the final outcome of the cooperation had not yet been determined.

Zhang Desheng stood up and prepared to leave. He extended his hand and shook mine again. "Boss Mu, Comrade Bai, I'm very happy to talk to you today. I hope we will have the opportunity to cooperate in the future."

I also reached out my hand and shook his hand tightly. "Thank you, Boss Zhang. We look forward to hearing your good news."

After watching Zhang Desheng leave, I breathed a sigh of relief. Although the result has not yet been finalized, at least we see hope.

The afterglow of the setting sun fell on us, stretching our shadows out. Bai Hanchuan and I stood there silently, thinking back to the conversation with Zhang Desheng just now, with mixed feelings in our hearts.

"Let's go, let's go back." Bai Hanchuan's voice broke the silence.

I nodded and turned with him to our booth.

"You said..." I just started to speak, but was interrupted by a noise coming from a distance.

"What's going on?" Bai Hanchuan frowned and pulled me towards the direction where the crowd was gathering...