Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

Bai Hanchuan put the file bag on the table, slumped down in the chair, and rubbed his eyebrows.

"Li'er, Lawyer Zhao has carefully studied the contract between us and Supplier Zhou and found some legal clauses that can be used. If we can prove that Supplier Zhou has maliciously breached the contract, we can buy some time and even make him compensate us for our losses."

A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart, but it was quickly extinguished. "But how can we prove it? We don't have any solid evidence."

Bai Hanchuan sighed, "Lawyer Zhao said that we can start with the recent business activities of Zhou's supplier to see if we can find evidence that he maliciously raised prices or colluded with other bases to suppress us. But this will take time and is very risky, so the chances of success are not high."

I picked up the financial report on the table, and the dense numbers made me dizzy.

In the past few days, although several old customers continue to cooperate with us out of friendship, new orders are still very few.

The base's capital chain is becoming increasingly tight, and the workers' wages are almost unpaid.

"Li'er, don't worry, we will get through this." Bai Hanchuan held my hand and gave me some comfort.

His hands were cold and his tired look made me feel even more distressed.

I know he is under more pressure than me.

At this time, there was a knock on the door.

I opened the door and it was Lao Zhang from the base.

He rubbed his hands, looking uneasy. "Manager Mu, the workers... the workers are all talking about the base going bankrupt, they... they want to get their wages in advance..."

I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "Lao Zhang, tell everyone that the base will not close down. We will solve the problem as soon as possible and the wages will be paid on time. Please trust us."

After Lao Zhang left, I closed the door and leaned against it, feeling weak all over. Bai Hanchuan walked over to me and hugged me gently. "Li'er..."

He wanted to say something but stopped himself, and finally just hugged me tightly.

Outside the window, the night was deep and I seemed to see endless darkness coming towards us... Suddenly, Bai Hanchuan's cell phone rang.

He picked up the phone and his face changed. "What did you say? Editor-in-Chief Liu agreed to meet?...Okay, we'll go right over."

He hung up the phone and looked at me, with a gleam in his eyes. "Li'er, maybe... we still have a chance..."

Bai Hanchuan held my hand tightly. His palm was warm and strong, which dispelled some of the chillness in my heart.

We drove to the newspaper office with Lawyer Zhao. Along the way, none of us spoke and the car was filled with a tense atmosphere.

When we arrived at the newspaper office, Editor-in-Chief Liu was already waiting for us in the office.

He still had that smiling face, as if what happened before had never happened.

"Mr. Bai, Ms. Mu, what brings you here?" he greeted hypocritically.

Bai Hanchuan didn't exchange pleasantries with him and directly placed a stack of documents in front of him.

"Editor-in-Chief Liu, these are all evidence of reporter Wu's illegal operations. I think you should understand what this means."

The smile on Editor-in-Chief Liu's face froze. He picked up the document and flipped through it quickly, his expression becoming increasingly uglier.

Lawyer Zhao added, "Editor-in-Chief Liu, reporter Wu's behavior has seriously damaged the reputation of our base. We reserve the right to pursue legal responsibility. Of course, if you can handle this matter properly, we can also consider withdrawing the complaint."

I noticed that beads of sweat were oozing from Editor-in-Chief Liu's forehead, and he kept wiping them with a handkerchief.

He knew that if this evidence came to light, his career would be over.

After a long while, he raised his head, with a hint of compromise in his tone, "Mr. Bai, Ms. Mu, this matter is indeed the negligence of our newspaper. I will definitely deal with it seriously."

After leaving the newspaper office, Bai Hanchuan's expression remained solemn.

He knew that this was only the first step, and we still had to face difficulties from Zhou's supplier.

At this time, Lawyer Zhao's cell phone rang. After answering the call, he looked at us and said, "There is movement from the supplier Zhou." He paused and continued, "He asked us to meet tomorrow."

A gleam of light flashed in Bai Hanchuan's eyes, "It seems that he is going to risk everything..."

After leaving the newspaper office, I felt a little relieved, but I still didn't dare to let my guard down. Supplier Zhou was not someone who would give up easily.

The next day, we arrived at the appointment on time.

Supplier Zhou sat there, drinking tea pretending to be calm, but his slightly trembling fingers revealed his nervousness.

He got straight to the point and said, "Mr. Bai, Ms. Mu, I came here today to have a good talk with you."

"What to talk about?" Bai Hanchuan said in a cold tone.

"I know my previous behavior was a bit extreme," Zhou, the supplier, smiled apologetically, "but everyone is doing it for profit, and I just want to make a little more money..."

"So you're going to team up with other suppliers to put pressure on us?" I directly exposed his lie.

Supplier Zhou's face changed. "Ms. Mu, don't say anything nonsense. When did I join forces with other suppliers?"

I sneered and put a document in front of him, "Take a look for yourself." This document was compiled by Lawyer Zhao overnight. It recorded in detail the evidence of Zhou's supplier contacting other suppliers, and even had recordings.

Supplier Zhou's face turned pale. He didn't expect that we had so much evidence.

He originally wanted to get other suppliers to join him in putting pressure on us, but other suppliers saw that his previous behavior was a bit excessive and that we had the ability to fight back, so they were unwilling to go along with him.

Now, he was completely isolated and helpless.

He sat dejectedly on the chair, like a defeated rooster.

After coming out from Supplier Zhou, I breathed a sigh of relief.

When he got home, Bai Hanchuan had already prepared a table full of dishes.

Under the warm yellow light, the aroma of the food is particularly tempting.

"Thank you for your hard work." Bai Hanchuan served me a bowl of soup.

"You've worked hard too." I took the soup and a warm feeling surged in my heart.

We all suffered tremendous pressure during this period, but fortunately we got through it together.

After dinner, we snuggled on the sofa, and Bai Hanchuan gently stroked my hair. "I'm sorry to have worried you during this period."

"Me too." I leaned my head on his shoulder, "But now it's finally over."

"Yes," Bai Hanchuan said in a low voice, "but..." He paused, "I always feel that things are not that simple..."

"Yeah," I agreed, but I didn't feel relieved.

Although supplier Zhou appeared to be submissive on the surface, there was a flicker of unwillingness in his eyes. I felt that he would not give up.

"He made such a fuss before, but now he has suddenly stopped. I feel uneasy."

Bai Hanchuan hugged me tightly and rested his chin on the top of my head.

"You're right. I also think it's not that simple." He was silent for a moment, then said firmly, "We have made preparations for the worst. No matter what tricks he plays, we can handle them."

I nodded, trying to suppress the uneasiness in my heart.

The joining of Lawyer Zhao really helped us a lot. He not only helped us organize the evidence, but also developed a series of response strategies, including how to deal with pressure from other suppliers, how to deal with newspapers, and even how to deal with possible legal disputes.

With his help, we are no longer in a rush like before, but can handle everything in an orderly manner.

In the next few days, the base returned to its former tranquility and Supplier Zhou did not appear again.

But this calmness makes me more uneasy, like the calm before the storm.

I always feel like something is going to happen, but I can't tell what it is.

That day, Lawyer Zhao called and his tone sounded a little serious.

"Ms. Mu, I just got the news that Supplier Zhou seems to be contacting a new buyer and is preparing to sell his goods at a low price."

"New buyer?" My heart skipped a beat and I immediately realized the seriousness of the matter.

If a supplier really sells goods at a low price, it will inevitably disrupt the market order and cause a huge impact on our base.

"Yes," Lawyer Zhao continued, "I suspect he is deliberately retaliating against us and wants to disrupt our business."

I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. "I understand. Thank you, Lawyer Zhao. We will find a solution as soon as possible."

After hanging up the phone, I immediately told Bai Hanchuan the news.

After hearing this, his brows furrowed and his face became gloomy.

"It seems that he is determined to go against us."

I held his hand and gave him an encouraging look. "Don't worry, we can definitely find a solution."

At this time, the phone rang again.

I picked up the phone, but before I could even open my mouth, I heard the other party's anxious voice: "Manager Mu, something bad has happened, Supplier Zhou..."