A jade appraisal session turned the visitors from New York from arrogance to sighs of despair. Mu Lin didn’t retaliate with harsh words despite their disbelief in him.
However, this jade appraisal incident delighted the big shots in Boston.
In the afternoon, Mu Lin was set to leave Boston for New York. At his clinic, he reassured the Boston crowd once more, promising them that their monthly treatment quotas would remain unchanged. Only then did he bid them farewell.
Mu Lin didn’t allow the women to see him off, mainly to avoid alerting anyone. He boarded his car with Fanny and two other women, while the entourage followed in their own vehicles.
Not wanting to lose face to their New York counterparts, the Boston bigwigs arranged for a police escort, forming a long motorcade of luxury sedans that stretched all the way to the airport.
The New York big shots’ arrangements indeed took Mu Lin by surprise—they had chartered a private business jet to fetch him. Only when Mu Lin boarded the plane did the welcoming party finally relax, relieved to have completed their mission.
Seated comfortably on the private jet, Mu Lin began to reflect on the information he had about New York, all of which was already ingrained in his mind from his initial research.
New York is the largest city and commercial port in the United States, serving not only as the nation’s financial hub but also as one of the world’s financial centers. Located at the southeastern tip of New York State by the Hudson River estuary and bordering the Atlantic Ocean, it comprises five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Richmond. Covering an area of 780 square kilometers, the city proper has a population of over 7 million, while the greater metropolitan area exceeds 18 million. New York is also home to the United Nations headquarters, situated along the East River in Manhattan.
Manhattan, the smallest of the five boroughs at just 57.91 square kilometers, is the heart of New York. Despite its narrow east-west span and elongated north-south shape, it houses major banks, insurance companies, industrial giants, transportation firms, and the world-renowned New York Stock Exchange. Over a third of America’s top 500 companies have their headquarters here. Wall Street, located in southern Manhattan, is the symbol of New York—the stronghold of American monopoly capital and a byword for financial oligarchy. The famous New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange are both based here, making it one of the nation’s key securities trading hubs.
New York is also a cultural, artistic, musical, and publishing hub, boasting numerous museums, galleries, libraries, research institutions, and art centers. The headquarters of the three major U.S. broadcasting networks and some of the most influential newspapers are located here.
As one of America’s industrial centers, New York leads the nation in industries like apparel, printing, and cosmetics, while also playing a significant role in machinery manufacturing, arms production, petroleum refining, and food processing. Most of its rivers connect to the Atlantic, and its massive, well-equipped port remains ice-free year-round. The city is also a crucial railway hub. With over 1,000 kilometers of subway tracks, New York boasts the world’s longest and fastest underground transit system. The city has three international airports, with the famous John F. Kennedy International Airport handling 50% of the nation’s air cargo imports and exports and 35% of international passenger traffic.
New York is also the city with the most skyscrapers. Iconic structures include the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, and the former World Trade Center (destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001). Both the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center towers soared over 100 stories into the sky, earning New York the nickname “The City That Stands Tall.”
New York is home to the largest concentration of ethnic minorities in the U.S. Over a million Black residents primarily inhabit Harlem, while the famous Chinatown houses 150,000 Chinese and around 50,000 Southeast Asians. There are also sizable Italian and Jewish communities.
These are just the surface details. Beneath the city’s facade, aside from Chinatown, New York’s underworld is dominated by five major families: the Hudsons, the Blacks, the Stanleys, the Moseys, and the Pools. Each family controls one of the five boroughs, maintaining a delicate balance without encroaching on one another. Their histories are intertwined with the city’s development.
This time, the provocation came from the Hudson family in alliance with Chinatown’s Black Tiger Gang.
Despite its small size, Chinatown harbors four gangs: the long-established Lion Gang, the Black Tiger Gang, the Japanese-led Black Dragon Gang, and the Red Star Gang, primarily composed of Vietnamese and other Southeast Asians.
Mu Lin would never tolerate threats to his safety right under his nose. This was the perfect opportunity to eradicate New York’s underworld once and for all.
When the plane landed at New York’s airport and Mu Lin stepped out of the cabin, he was greeted by a sea of the city’s elite, who erupted in cheers at his appearance. As he descended the stairs, the mayor was already waiting, embracing him in a bear hug.
Then, raising Mu Lin’s hand, the mayor addressed the crowd: “Today, we warmly welcome Daniel to New York in an official capacity. Let us honor him with the highest ceremonial welcome—first, a review of the honor guard we’ve prepared for him.” The crowd cheered and stepped back, revealing a line of honor guards stationed along the airport walkway. The mayor escorted Mu Lin as he inspected the formation.
Mu Lin hadn’t expected the New York bigwigs to go all out with such a grand gesture—a military-style honor guard review, the highest protocol for welcoming dignitaries.
Not a single media reporter was present at the airport, a clear sign that these people knew his preferences and his aversion to facing the press. The airport staff, however, were baffled, as they had no idea who the VIP was—they were simply following orders.
Mu Lin marveled at their audacity. Such a display could have sparked a political earthquake unless both major parties had already reached a consensus on the matter. For a seemingly ordinary doctor like him to warrant such treatment was indeed something to take pride in.
In the past, Mu Lin had focused solely on cultivation, wary of distractions that might hinder his progress. But after forming his Golden Core, his mindset underwent a fundamental shift. With the immense power and near-eternal lifespan of a cultivator, ordinary mortals now seemed as insignificant as ants in his eyes.
Now, he simply wanted to enjoy life—free, unrestrained, and随心所欲. Only then would he consider his path of cultivation anew.
After the review, the mayor invited Mu Lin to speak.
“Ladies and gentlemen, and all friends present today,” he began, controlling his emotions and keeping his tone measured, “I am thrilled to be in New York and deeply honored by your warm welcome. As your friend, I pledge to serve you wholeheartedly in the days to come.”
His brief, composed speech was exactly what the New York elite wanted to hear.
(Published first on Qidian.)
In the afternoon, Mu Lin was set to leave Boston for New York. In his clinic, he once again reassured the Boston crowd, guaranteeing that their monthly treatment quotas would remain unchanged. Only after saying his farewells did he depart.
Mu Lin did not allow the women to see him off, mainly to avoid drawing attention. Accompanied by Fen Ni and the other two women, he got into his car while the others followed behind.
To avoid embarrassing the New York leaders, Boston’s elite had specially arranged police cars to lead the way. A line of various luxury RVs formed a long convoy, making its way all the way to the airport.
The New York leaders’ arrangements indeed surprised Mu Lin. They had specially arranged a private jet to pick him up. Only after Mu Lin boarded the plane did those who had come to greet him finally relax, having completed their task.
Sitting comfortably on the private jet, Mu Lin began to think about the information on New York already stored in his mind. He had long digested all this information when he first arrived.
New York is the largest city and commercial port in the United States. It is not only the financial center of America but also one of the financial centers of the world. Located at the mouth of the Hudson River in southeastern New York State, it borders the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of five boroughs: Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, covering an area of 780 square kilometers. The city’s population exceeds seven million, while the greater New York metropolitan area, including the suburbs, has a population of 18 million. New York is also the location of the United Nations headquarters, whose complex is situated on the banks of the East River in Manhattan.
Manhattan is the smallest of the five boroughs, covering only 57.91 square kilometers. However, this narrow east-west and long north-south island is the center of New York. Major banks, large insurance companies, big industrial firms, major transportation companies, and the world-famous New York Stock Exchange are all concentrated here. More than one-third of the top 500 companies in the United States have their headquarters in Manhattan. Wall Street, located in the southern part of Manhattan, is the symbol of New York and the stronghold of American monopoly capital, synonymous with financial oligarchs. Both the New York Stock Exchange and the American Stock Exchange are located here, making it one of the major centers for securities trading in the United States.
New York is also a cultural, artistic, musical, and publishing center in the United States, home to numerous museums, art galleries, libraries, scientific research institutions, and art centers. The headquarters of the three major American television networks and some of the most influential newspapers are located here.
New York is also one of the industrial centers of the United States, leading the nation in industries such as clothing, printing, and cosmetics. Machinery manufacturing, arms production, oil processing, and food processing also hold significant positions. Most of the city’s rivers lead to the Atlantic Ocean, and its port is massive in scale with excellent facilities, remaining ice-free throughout the year. New York is also an important transportation hub by rail, with an underground railway system over 1,000 kilometers long, currently the longest and fastest subway system in the world. The city has three international airports, with the famous John F. Kennedy International Airport handling 50% of the country’s import and export cargo air transport and 35% of international passenger traffic.
New York also has the most skyscrapers. Representative buildings include the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, and the former World Trade Center (which was attacked by terrorists and collapsed on September 11, 2001). Both the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center had over 100 floors, soaring into the sky, majestic and magnificent. Because of this, New York earned the nickname “the city that stands.” New York is also a cultural, artistic, musical, and publishing center in the United States, home to numerous museums, art galleries, libraries, scientific research institutions, and art centers. The headquarters of the three major American television networks and some influential newspapers and news agencies are located here.
New York is the region in the United States with the most concentrated ethnic minorities. There are over one million African Americans, mainly concentrated in Harlem. The famous Chinatown has 150,000 Chinese and around 50,000 Southeast Asians. There are also many Italians and Jews.
These are all the public information. In the underground world, apart from Chinatown, New York is mainly dominated by five major families: the Hudsons, the Blacks, the Stanleys, the Moxleys, and the Poole families. They divided the five districts of New York into five territories, each not interfering with the others. The development of these families has accompanied the growth of the city.
This time, the offenders were the Hudson family in alliance with the Black Tiger Gang from Chinatown.
In the small Chinatown, there are actually four gangs. One is the historic Lion Gang, and another is the Black Tiger Gang. There is also the Rising Sun Dragon Gang, and finally the Red Star Gang, mainly composed of Vietnamese and other Southeast Asians.
Mu Lin absolutely would not allow anyone to threaten his safety under his own roof. This was the best opportunity to completely deal with all the gangs in New York.
When the plane landed at the New York airport, Mu Lin walked out of the opened cabin door and saw a dark crowd of prominent figures waiting at the aircraft door. As soon as he appeared, there was an enthusiastic cheer. When he stepped down the gangway, the mayor was already waiting in front of him, giving him a big bear hug first.
Then he raised Mu Lin’s hand, facing the welcoming crowd, “Today, we warmly welcome Daniel to New York. Let us honor him with the highest courtesy by first inviting him to inspect the honor guard we’ve prepared for him.” Amid cheers, everyone stepped back. What Mu Lin saw was a line of honor guards stationed along one side of the airport corridor. The mayor accompanied Mu Lin as he inspected the honor guard.
Mu Lin had not expected that the New York elites would go so far as to welcome him with the highest honor usually reserved for state guests—the inspection of the military honor guard.
There wasn’t a single media reporter at the airport. It seemed they all already knew his preferences and understood he disliked dealing with journalists. The airport staff, however, were left puzzled, as they had no idea who the honored guest was, only following instructions to do their jobs.
Mu Lin hadn’t expected these people to be so bold as to do this. It seemed that unless both political parties had reached a consensus on this matter, such an act could trigger a political earthquake. Thinking about it, he realized that as an ordinary doctor on the surface, he was indeed worth all this effort, and he should feel proud.
Although previously Mu Lin had focused on cultivating Daoist immortality, fearing entanglements that might interfere with his cultivation, since forming his golden core, his thoughts had fundamentally changed. With the immense power and endless time of a cultivator, ordinary people had become like ants in his eyes—insignificant.
Now, he only wished to enjoy life fully, to experience the freedom and spontaneity of doing as he pleased, and within that, consider his cultivation path.
After the inspection, the mayor invited Mu Lin to speak. “Ladies and gentlemen, dear friends gathered here today, I am thrilled to have arrived in New York and feel honored by your warm welcome. From now on, as your friend, I will wholeheartedly serve you all.”
Mu Lin controlled his emotions, delivering a brief, calm speech—exactly the kind of words the New York elites had hoped for. This book is first published on Qidian.
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