Rebirth 70: I am a Koi

After the old man waved his sleeves, an antique wooden table and two chairs appeared out of thin air in the office.

He motioned for Bai Hanchuan and I to sit down, then he slowly said: "I am the guardian of this space system. You can call me Lingxuzi." I nodded blankly, feeling like I was dreaming.

Bai Hanchuan looked alert and held my hand tightly.

Lingxuzi seemed to see his worry and explained with a smile: "Don't be nervous, I mean no harm. This space system chose you because it is destined to be with you. Now that you have completed the first phase of the task, this system will also usher in an upgrade."

He paused and continued: "After this upgrade, you will gain more powerful abilities, enough to cope with future challenges." "Challenges?" I repeated it doubtfully, with a hint of uneasiness rising in my heart.

Lingxuzi stroked his beard and looked at me meaningfully: "The road ahead is still long..." After he finished speaking, he turned into starlight and disappeared.

Bai Hanchuan and I were the only ones left in the office. We stared at each other, unable to recover for a long time.

Although they won the previous confrontation, the agricultural group did not give up. Secretary Sun was secretly planning a new conspiracy and wanted to attack the planting base again. The atmosphere in the base became a little tense.

Is this sudden system upgrade a blessing or a curse?

I looked down at the pendant on my chest. It no longer shone, but lay quietly like an ordinary piece of jade.

But I know clearly that it has changed, just like my life, it is full of unknown variables.

Bai Hanchuan patted my shoulder gently and said firmly: "Don't worry, no matter what happens, I will be by your side."

I looked up and smiled at him, feeling a warm feeling in my heart.

Yes, no matter how many storms lie ahead, as long as he is with me, I will have nothing to fear.

Just as we were immersed in this moment of tranquility, a hurried knock on the door broke the silence of the office.

"Director Bai, Director Mu, someone is looking for you outside..."

After there was a knock on the door, assistant Xiao Liu poked his head in panicked: "Director Bai, Director Mu, Mr. Lin is here!" Mr. Lin?

Mr. Lin, the leader in the agricultural industry?

Bai Hanchuan and I were both stunned.

Why did he suddenly visit our small planting base?

Without thinking too much, we quickly got up and went out to greet them.

An energetic old man walked in surrounded by a crowd of people. It was the famous Mr. Lin.

He smiled at us kindly and said, "I've heard that you two young people have done a good job and have bred many excellent new varieties. I came here today to see them." I quickly asked Mr. Lin to sit down, feeling very excited.

The arrival of Mr. Lin is undoubtedly the greatest affirmation of our planting base!

Mr. Lin took a tour around the base and praised our planting techniques and management model.

He was particularly interested in the new varieties I cultivated in the space and expressed his amazement repeatedly.

Finally, he made a surprising statement: "You two, I am willing to provide technical support and industry resources for your base. I hope we can work together to push the development of our country's agriculture to a new height!"

This is simply pie in the sky!

With Mr. Lin’s support, our planting base will have a broader space for development and we no longer have to worry about suppression from agricultural groups!

I excitedly shook Mr. Lin's hand, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Lin!"

The arrival of Mr. Lin undoubtedly injected a shot in the arm to the planting base.

The atmosphere in the base suddenly became lively, and everyone's face was filled with joyful smiles.

However, the good times did not last long, and the agricultural group soon got the news.

Secretary Sun had a gloomy face and slammed the document in his hand onto the table. "Mr. Lin actually went to help them? It seems that we have to increase our efforts and never let them turn over!"

I have a vague feeling that a bigger storm is coming.

Bai Hanchuan also sensed the danger. He walked up to me and said in a firm voice, "Lili, don't be afraid. If enemies come, we will fight them; if water comes, we will block it with earth!" I nodded, trying to stay calm.

But at this moment, the pendant on my chest suddenly began to glow again, and a powerful force surged into my body... I raised my head abruptly and looked at Bai Hanchuan, "I seem to... have upgraded again." Bai Hanchuan looked at me with a complicated expression, and reached out to hold my slightly trembling hand.

This warm current was stronger than any previous one. The land area in the space expanded several times, and a clear spiritual spring appeared, and even... a small processing plant!

I feel like a superman full of energy and strength.

I took a deep breath and looked at Bai Hanchuan, my eyes full of confidence: "Hanchuan, we can do it!"

Mr. Lin’s arrival was a huge help, but it also completely angered the agricultural group.

They stepped up their crackdown on us, with various inspections and fines coming one after another. They even started spreading rumors and discrediting our products.

Bai Hanchuan advocates tough confrontation, facing the offensive of the agricultural group head-on, collecting evidence and exposing their conspiracy.

The military spirit in his bones made him uncompromising. He would rather die in battle than be manipulated by the enemy.

But I was a little hesitant.

I know that a head-on confrontation will only result in losses for both sides and will not do us any good.

I wonder if there is still a possibility of reconciliation?

Perhaps, we can identify the pain points of agricultural groups, negotiate with them, and seek opportunities for win-win cooperation.

Because of differences in opinions, a disagreement arose between Bai Hanchuan and me for the first time.

He thought I was too naive, that the greed and ambition of agricultural groups were a bottomless pit, and that any compromise would only make them become more aggressive.

But I think he is too impulsive. We should deal with the crisis in a more flexible way instead of just confronting it head-on.

At night, we sat in the yard and looked at the starry sky.

Bai Hanchuan gently held my hand. His palm was warm and strong, as if it could dispel all my uneasiness.

"Lili," his voice was low and gentle, "I know there are some differences between us, but you have to believe that everything I do is to protect you and the base."

I looked up and looked into his eyes, which were full of love and determination.

I know that what he said is true.

Whatever our differences, our goal is the same: to protect our home.

I held his hand in return and nodded gently.

Just as we were actively responding to the crisis, a sudden piece of news broke the peace of the base.

Secretary Sun...is missing.

Xiao Liu hurried over to report: "Director Bai, Director Mu, something bad has happened! Secretary Sun...is missing!" Bai Hanchuan and I looked at each other, and we both had a bad feeling...all the clothes in his closet were gone...

The news of Secretary Sun's disappearance was like a bomb, causing a stir in the base.

Bai Hanchuan and I immediately rushed to Secretary Sun’s dormitory. The room was in a mess and the closet was empty, as if the escape had been premeditated.

"He ran away?" I murmured to myself, feeling that things were not that simple.

Bai Hanchuan's face was gloomy. He keenly sensed something was wrong: "Lili, this might be a trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain."

His words gave me a shock.

Secretary Sun’s disappearance happened at a critical moment when the agricultural group was pressing us step by step. Could it be a trap they deliberately set?

Just as I was thinking about it, Elder Lin called me in a serious tone: "Jinli, the Agricultural Group suddenly withdrew all charges against you and publicly apologized, saying that it was Secretary Sun's personal behavior and they were completely unaware of it."

This sudden reversal made me even more confused.

It is really incredible that the attitude of the agricultural group changed so quickly.

Could it be that Secretary Sun has some key evidence against them, which is why they are so eager to distance themselves from the matter?

"When something is out of the ordinary, there must be something fishy going on!

“I clenched my fists, my intuition told me that this storm was far from over, and a bigger conspiracy might have just begun.