The conference room fell into an eerie silence. None of the powerful figures present had expected Mu Lin to abruptly halt the negotiations. In their eyes, every problem in the world had a solution—it was just a matter of the cost involved. Their insistence that acupuncturists from Mu Lin’s clinic must obtain Western medical licenses was merely a tactic to gain more leverage in the talks. This was the nature of politicians and businessmen alike. In their minds, since Mu Lin had now become a businessman himself, he should act like one, engaging in the usual back-and-forth of negotiation once a price was set. But no one expected this guy to slam the door shut on talks so quickly after they had barely begun. This time, they had truly experienced the temper of Mu Lin, known as both the “Black Market Poison” and the “Political Earthquake!”
Speaking of Mu Lin’s nickname, “Political Earthquake,” it was tied to two incidents involving the clinic. Every politician who had even the faintest connection to gangs attempting to target Mu Lin’s clinic had fallen from grace in those events. After all, who in politics hasn’t had dealings with shady characters? But anyone even slightly linked to organized crime had suffered a major downfall. The local political scene had been shaken like an earthquake, with unstable politicians collapsing entirely. That’s how he earned the nickname. Of course, Mu Lin himself didn’t even know about it—he certainly wouldn’t have imagined his reputation had already reached Europe.
Now, hearing Mu Lin issue a dismissal, they simply pretended not to notice. Some smoked, others drank coffee, and no one spoke first. They were both fond of and frustrated by Mu Lin. Seeing their thick skin, Mu Lin stood up to leave.
“Danny, could you please wait a moment?” It was Senator Ludendorff, the one Mu Lin had previously treated.
The man was already in his sixties. Out of respect for his age, Mu Lin sat back down on the sofa, curious to hear what he had to say.
“Young man, why are you so impatient?” The elder feigned scolding. Mu Lin remained expressionless. If it weren’t for the deep friendship between the senator and the professor, he would have left long ago, unwilling to deal with these troublemakers.
“Danny, may I ask about your next plans?” Mu Lin knew the senator was trying to probe for information.
Out of courtesy, Mu Lin replied, “I’m sorry, Mr. Ludendorff. Thank you for recommending such a great place—I now have a vacation villa in the beautiful city of Bonn. My next destination is Paris, France. Their delegation has already arrived in the U.S., only to find out I was away. Now they’ve returned to Paris, and out of respect, I will go there to discuss some matters. Anything you’d like me to pass along to the professor? If so, it might take some time.”
As soon as Mu Lin spoke, the expressions of everyone in the room turned sour. They had hoped to gain some advantage through negotiations by creating obstacles for Mu Lin, but now he was leaving for France—what a predicament!
“Danny! Could you please give us a little more time? We need to exchange opinions and discuss some things. Just an hour at most—would that be okay?” It was Ludendorff again, speaking politely.
Seeing their courteous approach, Mu Lin agreed and left the meeting room, returning to his own quarters.
“Master! Didn’t you already break off talks with them? Why agree to wait any longer? I don’t think waiting will lead to anything good. These people are just trying to make things hard for you!” It was Xiao Laipi speaking.
The little guy had been sulking all morning after Mu Lin had selfishly escaped without him, barely exchanging a word since. Now, unable to contain his curiosity, he finally asked.
“Hehe!” Mu Lin chuckled. “This is going to take a while to explain.”
“Master! Here’s some water!” Xiao Laipi eagerly brought a glass and placed it on the coffee table.
“Hmph! That’s better!” Seeing Xiao Laipi soften, Mu Lin dropped his act.
“Let me tell you, did you really think I didn’t know what those guys were up to? Their demands were just meant to pressure us into submission. That way, they could get their hands on the clinic later and take a cut of the profits.
My clinic is mine! No one touches it! If I have to, I’ll just open it elsewhere. And if they ever come begging again, they’ll have no choice but to follow my lead.
You think they don’t understand the consequences? Of course they do! That’s why none of them left when I stopped the talks.
That old man just wanted to give them an excuse to save face!” Mu Lin took a sip of water, ending his explanation.
“But Master, why did they all look so gloomy when they heard you were going to France?” Xiao Laipi still hadn’t grasped the reason.
“Hehe!” Mu Lin chuckled again. “If you could figure out my plans so easily, what kind of master would I be?” He sighed, noticing Xiao Laipi’s impatient expression and realizing he had teased him enough.
“Listen carefully. For centuries, France and Germany have been bitter rivals. In the minds of their people, the two nations have been enemies for generations—even politicians aren’t immune to this.
So when they heard I was going to Paris, they panicked, regretting the unreasonable demands they had made at the beginning. Think about it—our clinic is already famous across the Americas and Europe. If I successfully open one in France but fail in Germany due to their interference, don’t you think their people and political opponents will seize this opportunity to attack them? When that happens, none of them will be able to keep their positions. That’s why they all looked so miserable. Unless something unexpected happens, they should quickly agree to our terms, maybe even offer better conditions.”
Looking down, he saw Xiao Laipi making a face, clearly showing disbelief.
“Don’t believe me? Just wait and see! When have I ever been wrong? And if I win, you’re getting a spanking!”
Xiao Laipi stuck out his backside, leaving Mu Lin momentarily speechless.
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