Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

The rusty door made a harsh friction sound, like the roar of a wild beast, which was creepy.

When Bai Hanchuan and I walked into the factory, a damp and rotten smell hit us in the face, choking me and making me cough a few times.

The factory was empty and eerie. The moonlight shone through the broken roof, casting mottled shadows that danced like ghosts.

Abandoned machines and debris were piled up everywhere, like monsters lurking in the darkness.

"Is there really someone here?" My voice trembled a little, and I held Bai Hanchuan's hand tightly, as if I was holding on to my only support.

Bai Hanchuan patted the back of my hand and comforted me, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you." Although his voice was firm, I could still sense a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

We followed the instructions in the anonymous letter and came to an open space in the center of the factory.

It was very quiet around us, with no other sound except our own breathing.

Time passed by minute by minute, but the mysterious man never showed up.

“Could this be a trap set by opponent Li?” My heart grew heavier and heavier, and a feeling of uneasiness entangled me like a vine.

"He deliberately led us here so that he could attack the base."

Bai Hanchuan frowned, pondered for a moment and said, "It's possible. We can't wait any longer, we must go back immediately!"

Just as we were about to turn around and leave, I suddenly heard a faint sound of footsteps coming from deep within the factory.

The footsteps were getting closer and my heart was beating faster and faster.

Could it be that the mysterious man finally appeared?

Or... someone who is Li's opponent?

I subconsciously hid behind Bai Hanchuan and held onto the corner of his clothes tightly. Bai Hanchuan also looked around vigilantly, his hand unconsciously reaching for his waist.

Suddenly, a familiar voice broke the silence: "Don't be nervous, it's me."

We looked in the direction of the sound and saw Detective Lin walking out from the shadows...

Detective Lin walked out of the shadows, with a barely perceptible fatigue on his face, but he pretended to smile casually: "It seems that my worries are unnecessary. You are indeed alert enough." He paused, and his eyes became sharp. "However, this is indeed a trap. Opponent Li has sent people to ambush around, waiting for you to fall into the trap."

I looked around in surprise. There seemed to be something hidden in the darkness, which was chilling. Bai Hanchuan held my hand tightly, his eyes full of worry.

"I have already dealt with them all." Detective Lin said lightly, as if he had just done something insignificant.

He pulled out a small recorder from his pocket. "This is the confession we got from them. The ambition of Li's opponent is far greater than we thought."

Several men's voices came out intermittently from the recorder. They mentioned the conspiracy of Li's opponent, who planned to annex our planting base and even wanted to do something to us... I didn't dare to think further. A chill ran from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

"Luckily, Detective Lin, you showed up in time." I said with lingering fear, "Otherwise we would really be in danger."

"This is just the beginning." Detective Lin put away the recorder, his face solemn, "The real challenge is still to come." He paused and continued, "The anonymous letter does mean someone wants to help you, but to get further help, you need to find a key witness hiding inside Li's opponent's company. He has evidence of all of Li's crimes."

"Li's rival company is heavily guarded. How can we find this person?" I asked worriedly.

Bai Hanchuan said with a firm look in his eyes: "I'll go."

"Absolutely not!" I almost shouted. Bai Hanchuan's suggestion frightened me. "What kind of place is Li's opponent's company? It's a den of wolves and dragons! If you rush in like this, what's the difference between that and committing suicide?"

His brows were furrowed, and his tone became tough: "Lili, I know you are worried about me, but the situation is urgent now, and we can't wait! If we can't find the witness as soon as possible, the base will be annexed by opponent Li, and all our efforts will be in vain!"

“But…” My voice trembled. “We can call the police and seek legal help. Why should we take such a big risk?”

"Law?" He smiled bitterly. "Do you think Li will leave any evidence behind? Since he dared to do this, he must have a way to get away. Our only hope now is to find that witness and get solid evidence!"

"Even so, you shouldn't go!" I grabbed his arm, my nails almost digging into his flesh. "Detective Lin is experienced, he can help, or we can think of other ways..."

"Lili, listen to me," he interrupted me, speaking in a slower tone, "I know you're scared, and I'm scared too, but I can't just watch everything we have be destroyed. Although Detective Lin is very capable, he's an outsider after all. There are some things he can't do himself. Only if I go there in person can I make sure everything is foolproof."

We were in a stalemate, and the air was filled with tension.

I looked at his determined eyes, my heart filled with fear and worry, but I was deeply touched by his sense of responsibility and determination.

Suddenly, he hugged me tightly in his arms. His arms were warm and strong, which made me feel a little at ease.

"Lili," he said in a low and hoarse voice, "I know you are worried about me. I promise you that I will be careful and I will come back safely." He paused, his tone more determined, "For our base, for our future, I have to do this."

His words flowed into my heart like a warm current. I felt his strong determination and understood the burden on his shoulders.

I took a deep breath and pushed all my worries and fears down inside.

"Okay," I finally nodded, but my voice was still trembling, "You have to promise me that you will come back safely."

He hugged me tightly, without saying anything, just kissed my forehead gently.

Detective Lin cleared his throat, breaking the brief silence, "Now that we've decided, let's start making a plan." He walked to the table and spread out a map, "I've got the internal structure diagram of Li's opponent's company..." He pointed to a red dot on the map, "The key witness may be here..."

Detective Lin handed Bai Hanchuan a set of work clothes: "This is the uniform of the logistics staff of Li's opponent's company. If you change into this, you can reduce the risk of being suspected." Bai Hanchuan took the clothes and changed them quickly.

He is tall and even wearing loose work clothes, it is difficult to hide his upright posture.

Detective Lin handed him a work ID and a pass. "This is forged, but it's enough to allow you to move freely within the company. Remember, you are a new maintenance worker, responsible for repairing circuits."

My heart was in my throat, I clenched my fists tightly, and my palms were full of sweat.

I tried to remain calm and told him, "Be careful and retreat immediately if anything happens." Bai Hanchuan gave me a reassuring look, "Don't worry, I will come back safely." He turned around and walked resolutely into the night.

Detective Lin and I stayed in the car and kept in touch with Bai Hanchuan through micro-earphones.

"Everything goes well. I have entered the building." Bai Hanchuan's voice came from the headset, deep and clear, but it made me more nervous.

Time passed by minute by minute, and every second seemed as long as a century.

Detective Lin continued to guide Bai Hanchuan forward according to the company's internal structure diagram, and I prayed silently on the side, hoping that everything would go well for him.

"I've reached the target area." Bai Hanchuan's voice came again, with a hint of barely perceptible nervousness.

"The situation in the target area is complicated. I need some time..." His voice suddenly became intermittent and finally disappeared completely in the noisy sound of electricity.

"Hanchuan! Hanchuan! Can you hear me?" I shouted anxiously into the headset, but got no response.

Detective Lin's expression also turned serious. He quickly operated the equipment in his hand, trying to reconnect the signal.

"The signal is being jammed..." He whispered, frowning, "It seems that we are in trouble..." He suddenly raised his head and looked at me, his eyes full of worry, "I have to go in..."