The vicious female supporting role is posted in the opposite direction by the cub

Haidu City, Haixing Company.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Lei Ran pushed open the creaking iron gate of Haixing Company, which was corroded by the sea breeze. Dust mixed with the smell of old sea and despair rushed out.

Under the gray, leaden sky outside the window, the outline of the company's aquaculture farm built along the sea could be vaguely seen. Huge tanks and net cages were silently submerged in the murky seawater, and the rusty mechanical arms, lacking maintenance, resembled dying steel skeletons.

The desolation in the office area was shocking; the empty, dusty desks and chairs seemed to still hold traces of its former prosperity and bustle.

The few remaining people moved with a numb and sluggish gait.

Accountant Zhang's calloused fingers tapped out the farm's maintenance costs and unsold inventory on the old keyboard, which was covered in fish scales and salt.

Next to Xiao Li, in the sample box, lay seafood that had been caught from the fish farm this morning.

These should have been the company's source of confidence, but now, due to the loss of sales channels, they exude a depressing, faintly fishy smell, teetering on the brink of death, inside the simple box.

Xiao Wang, who was in charge of trade, futilely switched between the phone and the computer screen, trying to contact even a small distributor. However, the constant busy tone or the impatient hang-up from the other party made her voice weaker and weaker. In the end, she was left staring blankly at the Excel spreadsheet filled with the words "Customer contact interrupted".

Upon seeing Lei Ran return, warehouse manager Lao Fang quickly approached him, clutching a stack of forms: "Manager Lei, the fish farm... the payment for the new batch of bait hasn't been secured yet... if this drags on any longer, that batch of grouper will..."

Xiao Li's voice was choked with tears: "Manager Lei, the seashells at the shallow sea aquaculture farm have recently started dying in large numbers! We can't figure out the cause, so we have to collect them first, otherwise the entire aquaculture area will be affected! The collected shells... are all piled up in the temporary warehouse, and they smell terrible..."

Xiao Wang suddenly raised his head and added in a dry voice, "Manager Lei, three distributors have already notified us that they want to terminate their contracts... They said... that the water quality in the sea area next to Haifeng City is better and the supply is more stable, and they... are more optimistic about that area."

What she didn't say was that the remaining companies were completely unreachable by phone.

Old Zhang finally stopped typing, and the silence only grew heavier with the cessation of the keystrokes. He sighed deeply, his eyes filled with unfathomable weariness and a barely suppressed anger.

“The bank… just called. That previous mortgage loan… is due next week. They made it clear they can’t renew it. Offering an umbrella on a sunny day, taking it away on a rainy day… Ha, they take it away faster and more ruthlessly than anyone else.” He slammed his thin, withered hand heavily on the table. “Interest! We’re almost unable to pay this month’s interest alone!”

The farm has long been operating at a loss, and a large number of employees left last year. They are struggling to keep going until now, but they are truly powerless to continue!

Lei Ran stood in the center of the office, like a lonely target, bearing the bad news from all directions.

Every sentence was like a heavy hammer blow, slamming down on this dilapidated ship named "Starfish"!
Outside the window, the huge shadow of the farm was cast in. What was once Jiang Yu’s proud “own source” now looked like a huge wound, constantly oozing despair and decay.

“President Jiang…” Lei Ran whispered almost subconsciously, the two words sounding hollow and powerless in the despairing air.

He took out his phone—he had dialed that number countless times.

I pressed the redial button again, the action carrying an almost numb, ritualistic quality. But the receiver still gave that cold, mechanical reply: "The user you dialed is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later..."

"Still can't get through?" Old Zhang's voice was hoarse, carrying a mocking tone that suggested he already knew the outcome. "How long has it been? Manager Lei, how long has it been since General Manager Jiang... taken care of things here? Three years? Five years? Or even longer?"

No one answered.

The answer is etched in everyone's heart.

The only sound in the huge office was the endless lapping of the waves outside the window.

I can't get a loan anymore.

The goods are not selling.

Even the farms that people depend on for survival are experiencing mass die-offs...

Fifteen years ago, Haidu City experienced a precipitous collapse. At its most difficult time, the government even reduced the rental price of the sea area by half! General Manager Jiang was very decisive. At this critical moment, he made a bold move and rented nearly a thousand acres of contiguous sea area for aquaculture, pursuing a path of self-production and multi-market sales.

But now, the captain who brought them aboard this ship and once vowed that "the tide will come back" has long since disappeared into the vast ocean, without a trace.

Does she know about the starfish's current situation?
Would she care about this company that she's supported for so many years?
No one knows the answer...

Old Zhang spent the most time at the company; his deeply lined face was etched with the marks of sea breezes and the passage of time. His withered fingers unconsciously stroked the old ledger on the table, as if he could touch the dust of the past.

"Xiao Lei, back when President Jiang founded Haixing... ha, it wasn't much better than it is now. You didn't see it, did you? A slight change in policy or news, and it was like a 'precipitous drop'!"
The investors, land speculators, and construction workers who were scrambling to get in... all fled faster than the tide receded! Haidu was emptied overnight. There were hardly any people on the streets, not even a stray dog. The emptiness was chilling!

Back then, instead of running away, General Manager Jiang went to "buy more" like she was scavenging for scrap! She bought up that dilapidated warehouse next door that had long been stinking and decaying! Renovating it, leasing sea areas, opening a fish farm... So much money was poured in, it was truly astonishing... Outsiders just thought she was trapped and unwilling to give up, that she was a fool. But those of us who stayed knew the truth! At that time, how many locals who relied on the docks and warehouses for their livelihood were knocked unconscious on the shore by this storm?

The investors had fled, jobs were gone, and the money from the land sale was either spent or nearly depleted… life was truly unbearable! At this critical moment, Mr. Jiang took over a warehouse, registered a company, and started hiring… Although the wages were low, at least he gave hundreds of families a way to survive and food to eat!

A glimmer of light seemed to appear in his cloudy eyes: "Starfish... this name sounds small, but back then, it was the only light in this 'ghost town'! Her investment was not considered a good plan by everyone, but it truly stabilized people's hearts and really... alleviated the economic pressure on a large number of people! Everyone remembers her kindness!"

And what happened? Who could have imagined? Five or six years have passed, haven't they? President Jiang… she was able to brave the storms and steer the ship in, how… how could she suddenly abandon it and let it sink? She said the tide would come back? …But even if the tide does come back… will our ship… this ship she built with her own hands, and then abandoned with her own hands… have enough time to wait for her?

Lei Ran opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

He joined the company ten years ago. As a native of Haidu who had gone to Beijing early on, he was capable and did very well there. However, several elders in his family passed away one after another, leaving only his elderly father who insisted on staying in Haidu.

He is a filial son, and only decided to return to develop his career when he had no other choice.

When Haixing Company was recruiting, he was valued by General Manager Jiang and became the manager despite opposition.

For this trust, he devoted ten years of his life to applying the skills he had honed in the capital to this remote coastal area.

He streamlined the accounts, optimized breeding practices, and managed to open up sales channels amidst a policy downturn. Like a helmsman, he stabilized the company during market turmoil and rallied employees who were unwilling to leave. Through sheer tenacity and dedication, he persevered for six years after General Manager Jiang unilaterally cut off contact with them.

But now...

Old Zhang said with heartache, "Xiao Lei... without you, Haixing wouldn't have made it this far... we've all seen it."

His voice was like a blunt knife, carrying a dying despair that cut into Lei Ran's taut nerves.

"But Xiao Lei... we really can't hold on any longer! We can put aside bank loans, aquaculture accounts, and employee salaries for now, but can the sea area usage rights wait for anyone?! I remember clearly... the lease term expires this year!"

Renewal now costs money, a lot of money, and requires re-approval, not to mention the Ocean Bureau's assessment and the money needed to bribe officials for various qualifications... Where is President Jiang?! All that money she invested in this underground land back then... is about to become a worthless piece of paper!

Where is she?!
A desperate questioning echoed in the deathly silent office, like a needle puncturing Lei Ran's last shred of strength. Xiao Wang, his eyes red and his voice choked with emotion, said, "Manager Lei, I know you've tried your best... but we... we can't afford to wait any longer! The people at the farm quietly asked me yesterday that they haven't been paid for four months, and their families urgently need the money... I... I can't answer them..."

Lei Ran leaned against the cold edge of the table, his fingers digging deep into his palms, his throat dry and painful. "What about you? You all want to leave?"

No one answered directly.

Silence is more powerful than any words!

Finally, it was Old Li who spoke with difficulty: "Xiao Lei, everyone... can't afford to wait any longer. My wife and kids need to eat, my elderly parents need medical care... Starfish... Starfish... I'm so grateful to President Jiang for what he did back then... but now..."

"Don't say anything, I understand." Lei Ran had just opened his mouth when his phone suddenly rang sharply, and the name "Attorney Zhang" flashed on the screen, making his heart sink.

When the call connected, Attorney Zhang's voice sounded cold and formulaic.

"Manager Lei, Hongxin Feed Mill, Dayang Cold Chain Logistics, and several of your former partner companies have joined forces and, acting as creditors, filed a bankruptcy liquidation application with the Haidu Intermediate People's Court on the grounds that Haixing Company 'clearly lacks solvency and is unable to repay its debts as they fall due.' The court has accepted the case and will hold the first hearing in three days. The documents will be delivered to the company immediately. As the current person in charge of the company, you need to…"

Lei Ran didn't hear a single word that followed.

"Bankruptcy...liquidation?" he murmured repeatedly, his voice as light as a feather, yet it crushed his last bit of strength.

"...Yes. The creditor's application does not require the debtor's consent. Once accepted, the company will be taken over by the administrator..."

The phone slipped from Lei Ran's hand and fell to the dusty floor with a "thud".

The sound wasn't loud, but it resonated like thunder in everyone's hearts.

The creditor has filed a lawsuit.

The company can go bankrupt.

He wanted to say something, but his throat felt like it was filled with seawater, salty and pungent...

Submitting the lawsuit materials and filing a case takes time. Even if the case is successfully filed, there won't be a hearing so soon. The date is set for three days later? It's likely that they used some connections to simplify the process.

As for the logistics side, it's just a normal business relationship. It's understandable that they're anxious since the company hasn't settled accounts for a long time.

But Hongxin Feed Factory shouldn't be like this!

Four years ago, they also encountered financial problems. At that time, Haixing not only did not kick them when they were down, but also lent them a large sum of money to help them get through the crisis.

This time, they're not even showing the slightest bit of leniency?

How could human relationships be so cold and indifferent?

What's even more disheartening is that his ten years of hard work, the fortress that everyone gritted their teeth and held together, turned out to be as fragile as a piece of paper in the face of legal proceedings.

Lei Ran looked up at the several weary, desperate faces before him, faces etched with the weight of life's burdens. Old Zhang's hair was completely white, Xiao Wang's eyes were red and swollen, and Old Li's lips were tightly pressed together...

Does he intend to drag them down with him into this cold, underwater tomb built by President Jiang's disappearance and the hopeless future?

An indescribable weariness and immense relief swept over him.

Forget it...

He took a deep breath, his shoulders slumped instantly, and his voice was low and tired, yet carried a calmness that came from giving up the struggle: "All of you... go."

Old Zhang suddenly looked up: "Little Lei?!"

“The company… is finished.” Lei Ran forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, bent down to pick up his phone from the ground. The screen was cracked with spiderweb-like lines. “It’s Lawyer Zhang on the phone… Our business partner sued us and filed for bankruptcy liquidation… The court accepted the case… Hearing in three days…”

Dead silence.

Complete silence!
Even the sound of the waves outside the window seemed to have disappeared.

“Let’s go,” Lei Ran repeated, his voice hollow, “Before the manager takes over…pack your things and find another job. As for wages…” He paused, the immense shame making it almost impossible for him to continue, “I…I’ll try my best to find a way…”

"Manager Lei!" Xiao Wang covered his face and burst into tears.

Old Zhang's cloudy tears finally rolled down his cheeks: "What a tragedy..."

Lei Ran waved his hand, signaling them to leave; he needed to be alone.

Ten years, all for nothing.

He stayed because his father wanted to come back, and because of his trust, but in the end... he ended up like this?

Just as this suffocating despair enveloped him like a leaden cloud, the phone with the shattered screen stubbornly began to vibrate again.

It's an unknown number.

Who is it this time?
What terrible news is coming next?
He no longer cares.

The company is going bankrupt; what could be worse than this?
He mechanically, with an almost resigned indifference, swiped to answer the call.

"Hello?" His voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper rubbing.

But on the other end of the phone came a voice that was completely different from what he had expected.

Her voice was clear and gentle, yet possessed an undeniable penetrating power, as if it could pierce through the gloom filling the room: "Hello, are you Manager Lei Ran from Haixing Company? I am Yan Yueqing, President Jiang's daughter."

Lei Ran suddenly sprang up from the slumped sofa! (End of Chapter)