After a moment of thought, the mayor took a deep breath and spoke sincerely to Mu Lin, “Dr. Daniel, I wonder what it is that we’ve done wrong that has caused you to lose trust in this country and feel disillusioned with this democratic nation, to the point of deciding to leave. Would you mind sharing your thoughts with us? Perhaps we can help?”
Mu Lin remained silent for a while, pretending to be deep in thought. The others grew tense, holding their breath anxiously, eyes fixed on him.
Mu Lin felt the moment was right and finally spoke slowly, “Sigh! The main issue is the terrible public security situation in this country, and the fact that the media in this democratic nation have begun to lie. I feel like this country has become unrecognizable to me. The city I once knew has turned into a place I no longer recognize—it feels completely foreign. Tell me, who could possibly have positive feelings toward a city and country full of lies?”
Deliberately pretending not to understand Mu Lin’s implications, the mayor continued feigning ignorance, “Oh! What specific incident could have caused Dr. Daniel to feel so strongly about this?”
“Oh! Don’t you know, Mr. Mayor?” Mu Lin offered a hint, waiting to see if the mayor would take it.
“Then, Mr. Daniel, would you mind explaining this to us in more detail?” It seemed the mayor finally understood the gravity of the situation and decided to play along.
Mu Lin took out two video tapes and a stack of newspapers from his desk drawer and laid them in front of the mayor. He then casually turned on the TV, which was broadcasting news about the Heilong Gang.
“Mr. Mayor, this was specially delivered to my assistant this morning. I watched it and was deeply shocked to find that it was all about me!” Mu Lin said solemnly, then shifted tone, “But when I read the related reports, I found that the media had twisted the facts, portraying it as if my own countrymen were trying to harm me. Tell me, how could I not feel disillusioned toward a country full of lies and filled with hostile citizens? Mr. Mayor, have you seen these tapes? Could it be that you really don’t know the truth?” He offered another hint—it was time to climb the ladder. This was called doing others a favor to benefit oneself.
“Oh my God, are you referring to this incident? Could there really be a hidden side to it? Dear Dr. Daniel, I swear to God, I had no idea there was more to this story. The police department never submitted any reports about this, and I truly hadn’t seen these two tapes showing the gangsters threatening you!” The mayor said earnestly. Mu Lin decided not to press further on the mayor’s slip-up.
“Oh! I’m terribly sorry! I must have misunderstood you, Mr. Mayor. I thought you, or perhaps other officials, had already received copies of these tapes. Since you haven’t seen them, would you like to watch them together with me now?” Mu Lin offered the ladder again. He was starting to get tired of constantly setting them up.
“With pleasure, of course!” It seemed the mayor, too, was growing tired of climbing the ladder. He wanted to rest for a moment and think about his next move.
Mu Lin pressed the call button, and two young female police officers entered to play the tapes. Everyone pretended to be watching the tapes, but in reality, each was secretly strategizing. Only the two young officers were watching for the first time, visibly outraged.
After the two tapes finished playing, the mayor, ever the experienced politician, was the first to break the silence, “My God! I can’t believe such a terrible thing happened in my city! I deeply sympathize with Dr. Daniel’s experience. But are you feeling alright now?”
“Oh, you know, if I hadn’t been drugged yesterday, how could someone have taken advantage of me? It was just a minor hypnotic technique. Once I realized what had happened, I resolved the issue immediately! Otherwise, you could try shouting the phrase mentioned at the end of the tape and see what happens,” Mu Lin clarified the situation and then offered reassurance.
“Oh, in that case, we can all relax a bit!” The mayor exhaled in relief, clearly thinking, “As long as you’re still useful, we can manage this.”
“Sigh! I’m deeply troubled that this country allows criminals to run rampant like this! It’s become such an unsafe place!” Mu Lin began to present his demands.
“Dr. Daniel, rest assured! This is a democratic country that protects its people, especially compassionate individuals like you, who are the top priority for government protection!” The mayor patted his chest, vowing loyalty. Come on, this kid was practically a grandfather-level figure! He needed to be treated with utmost care. Otherwise…
“Sigh!” Mu Lin sighed again.
The mayor’s heart skipped a beat. Oh no, what else now? He thought to himself. “Dr. Daniel, is there anything else troubling you? Please share it with us. Perhaps we can find a solution together!” He was ready to offer mutual support and save face for everyone.
“I’m deeply distressed about my countrymen’s situation, Mr. Mayor. Just think! The Heilong Gang, which is clearly Japanese, is now being portrayed as Chinese from Chinatown. You must know that my clinic staff and I are all from China. If we were to walk on the streets and encounter angry citizens, we might get attacked and injured, which would prevent us from continuing to serve the clinic!” Mu Lin revealed another card. If you don’t inform the media that it was the Japanese gang behind this, we will stop treating your VIPs. Let’s see who gets more anxious first.
“Mr. Daniel, please rest assured. We’ll move your clinic’s press conference this afternoon to the police station, okay? At that time, we’ll give a clear explanation to the national media and absolutely will not allow upright, compassionate individuals like you to be wronged!” The mayor thought the matter was resolved and continued to vow loyally, patting his chest again. It seemed he would have to temporarily sacrifice his own dog to satisfy the national VIPs.
But Mu Lin wasn’t done yet, “Mr. Mayor, could you tell me where these people obtained the military-grade anesthetics and biochemical weapons? This makes me feel extremely uneasy! What if someone becomes dissatisfied with me one day and uses biochemical weapons against me? My life would be in danger again! And I’m deeply concerned about such major loopholes in the country’s management of military supplies!”
“Dr. Daniel, please be assured, I will suggest to the members of the Senate and House of Representatives that they propose legislation to sanction the production of biochemical weapons. Those who produce biochemical weapons will become our key targets for crackdowns. As for your personal safety, we will instruct the New York Police Department to develop a special protection plan for your review.” Since he had already been implicated, the mayor decided to drag everyone down with him.
“One last issue: after watching the tapes, I found that nine other gangs across the country were also involved in this incident. I’m worried that when I travel to other cities in the future, I may face retaliation from these gangs and their allies!” Since they dared to commit such acts on the first day, they must be prepared to face the consequences. Mu Lin intended to send a strong message to the entire national underworld. Otherwise, these ordinary street gangs would keep bothering him, which would be extremely annoying. He decided to take this opportunity to deal a heavy blow to all the gangs involved.
Since he had already involved the Senate and House of Representatives, he might as well drag all these VIPs into this mess. “Dr. Daniel, please rest assured. Upon returning, I will coordinate with the relevant federal departments and state governments to establish a joint task force. We will launch synchronized operations across all states, and if necessary, we will not hesitate to deploy the National Guard. We will surely eliminate all the gang members threatening you.”
“Then I sincerely thank you, Mr. Mayor, for all the efforts you’ve made on my behalf!” Mu Lin said insincerely, feigning politeness.
“Not at all! Not at all! It’s our failure to manage things properly that caused you to suffer such injustice!” The mayor also politely feigned humility.
Naturally, the meeting ended with both sides satisfied, shaking hands and parting ways cordially.
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