Mu Lin stood in court, gazing coldly at the defendant across from him. This was the very man he had cured of Meniere’s disease. Now, swayed by the Japanese, he had turned around and sued Mu Lin for a pittance. Mu Lin wanted to see how this man would fare today.
Jill, sitting at the plaintiff’s bench, kept his head bowed and avoided Mu Lin’s gaze. He hadn’t expected things to end up this way. The Japanese clinic he had hoped to rely on had collapsed when three of its patients died simultaneously. Now, the forces behind the Japanese had vanished completely, leaving him alone as their scapegoat. If the trial hadn’t already begun, Jill would have fled the city immediately to save himself and his family from becoming victims of Mu Lin’s vengeance. Everyone knew Mu Lin never let even the smallest offense go unpunished.
The courtroom was packed with spectators, and the sea of people made Judge Maurice uneasy. He knew this trial had drawn global attention, and even the slightest mistake could ruin his reputation forever.
On the afternoon the Japanese surgeon failed, the newly appointed Prime Minister of Country Y immediately held a press conference. Prime Minister Major publicly announced a series of decisions regarding Mu Lin, particularly the granting of the title Duke of Augustus, which shocked the world.
In today’s modern society, Country Y’s nobility system is more of an honor, a national recognition of an individual. Although Country Y is not particularly stingy with titles, this generosity mainly applies to lower-ranking nobility. For higher titles, especially the top-tier title of Duke, Country Y has been extremely reluctant to grant them in recent decades.
Compared to this, the other rewards Country Y gave to Mu Lin were less surprising. Soon after, the government of Country U praised Mu Lin, declaring their firm support for him and the Mu Lin Clinic, commending their significant contributions to the people of Country U. Then came a wave of praise from European countries. The media’s previous criticisms of Mu Lin vanished overnight.
The trial of Mu Lin, originally scheduled for the next day, was postponed because his supporters had all gone into hiding. The original presiding judge, fearing retaliation from Mu Lin’s faction, feigned illness and checked into a hospital.
This made the judicial community of Country U, which prided itself on fairness, feel as if it had been slapped in the face. In fact, anyone with a bit of sense in the world understood that the Japanese could not have gained such momentum without the tacit approval of the U.S. government. For certain factions within the U.S. government, Mu Lin and his faction had become a force that could not be ignored in influencing American politics.
These extreme racists had always harbored deep hatred for Mu Lin but usually refrained from openly showing it for the sake of their own interests. They were secretly delighted by the Japanese actions. In their hearts, a compliant servant was far easier to control than the repulsive Mu Lin. But now, the Japanese had dealt them a heavy blow in front of the whole world.
With Country Y’s public stance, the American elite quickly realized that, for their own survival, they still needed Mu Lin. So they immediately came out to publicly praise him. And the European governments, which had always followed the lead of Country Y and Country U, finally began to openly support Mu Lin.
When Claire and the staff at Mu Lin’s clinic saw the overwhelming victory, they felt a deep sense of relief despite the unexpected ease of their success. Especially Claire and Hong Jiani, after learning about the actions of these nations, became even more supportive of Mu Lin.
To avoid retaliation from Mu Lin, they had no choice but to select Judge Maurice, who had closer ties to Mu Lin. After all, Country U always claimed to be a country with a fair legal system. Therefore, Judge Maurice was also worried, fearing that Mu Lin might lose his temper in court.
Seeing that the basic procedures of the trial were completed and the outcome was clear, Maurice finally relaxed. He looked at Mu Lin and said, “The defendant will now give his final statement.”
Seeing Maurice’s fawning gaze, Mu Lin felt a bit helpless. These Westerners might act like close friends in daily life, but when it came down to it, they always put their own interests first. If the Japanese hadn’t completely failed, Maurice wouldn’t have stepped forward either.
Thinking of this, Mu Lin decided to use this opportunity to send a warning to these people, so they wouldn’t run away at the first sign of trouble in the future. At the same time, he wanted to make it clear to them that this Japanese incident was his final limit.
“Your Honor, esteemed members of the jury,” Mu Lin began, “standing here today, my heart is filled with mixed emotions. I never imagined that as a doctor who has saved so many lives, I would end up standing in a courtroom.
“I am now an Asian-American, but I was once a Chinese citizen. Was it because of my Chinese heritage that I had to work harder than others? Even after all my efforts, can I still not receive fair treatment? If so, then I can only say that I will have to leave this country. Fortunately, this time many people have recognized me and acknowledged my efforts.
“I love this land. Among its people are my friends and family. Of course, there are also those who oppose me, like Mr. Jill here. I can only face this reality.
“As a doctor, I ask you all, what is the value of your life? I think everyone would say, ‘Life is priceless.’ Yes, life is priceless! Then I ask you, gentlemen, I used my superb medical skills to save lives that are priceless. I did not ask for all your possessions, only charging what I believed was fair. Where is the wrongdoing in that?
“Every patient in my clinic has a dedicated treatment team. I ask you, gentlemen, has any of you ever received such presidential-level treatment in a regular hospital? No, you haven’t. Only in my clinic can you receive such treatment! Just because I charge a bit more than others, is that fraud?
“And I only treat three patients a month. Is that too many? Remember, I also treat one underprivileged patient for free. Each case I personally oversee, which is why, since its opening, the Mu Lin Clinic has treated thousands of patients without a single failure!
“So standing here today, I still want to say: saving lives is a doctor’s duty. But I am also a person, an ordinary one, with just a little medical skill. I have my own emotions, my joys and sorrows. I will not abandon my principle of refusing to treat my enemies. If this place no longer welcomes me, then I will have no choice but to leave.”
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