Mu Lin thought to himself, “These old folks have planned everything already. They’ve even recruited doctors and nurses. This is really forcing me into a role I never asked for. What’s even more annoying is that old professor, always meddling in everything. Now that things have gone this far, if I don’t give in and save their faces, all my previous efforts would have been in vain.”
With this thought, he turned to the group and said, “I’m very grateful for your kind intentions. I’ll accept this clinic.” Everyone felt relieved and let out a collective sigh of relief. “However,” he continued, “regarding the use of the foundation funds, I think it would be best to have a professional accounting firm conduct annual audits. If the foundation cannot cover the expenses, I am willing to personally shoulder the costs.”
The group immediately voiced their objections, urging Mu Lin not to neglect his own interests, and to consider the livelihood of his two younger sisters, and so on.
After they had finished speaking, Mu Lin said, “Let me tell you all, I currently have my own business. However, since I am still a minor, it is being managed by my appointed agent. Since I will be treating patients here, I will only accept a limited number each month. I won’t take on additional patients, so it’s better that the foundation covers the expenses. I will also have the foundation professionally managed. I believe that through the foundation’s returns, we can maintain the clinic’s financial balance. However, you all will still need to pay for your own treatments here.” Everyone laughed heartily; they hardly cared about such small amounts. Then, Mu Lin mentioned the name of his real estate company to prove his credibility. Only then did the others believe him.
“I won’t be staying here for long as a physician. I’ve already informed the professor of my conditions. I hope you all have no objections?” Mu Lin scanned the crowd. The elders had originally planned to bind him to the hospital and foundation, but now that they saw he already had his own business and was still willing to offer them free treatment, how could they dare to disagree?
Seeing their agreement, Mu Lin continued, “I know you all meant well today, but I’m a low-key person. Would you please ask the reporters from the media to leave? I know these reporters are from your own companies, so I’m sure you can make it happen.”
After dismissing the reporters, Mu Lin said, “I understand your concerns about your health. According to the chivalric and gentlemanly spirit, I suggest you decide among yourselves who gets the monthly treatment slots and submit the names to my secretary at the beginning of each month. Then I will schedule the treatments based on the situation. Does that sound acceptable to you all?” Mu Lin cleverly passed the responsibility of selecting patients back to them, avoiding potential resentment that might otherwise turn good intentions into bad outcomes. As for the secretary role, Finny, Kelly, and Celia were in need of internship opportunities, so he decided to entrust them with managing the clinic. After all, being foreigners themselves, they would more easily gain the trust of these Westerners. In the end, the clinic opened quietly, and to the uninitiated, it looked like a private club for the elite. Every day, luxury cars could be seen parked there.
With the clinic issue settled for now, Mu Lin began enjoying his life freely. Meifang and Meizi had already started school, while Krystal had gone to Europe. Finny and the others were now managing the clinic. With the clinic newly established and a large sum of money needing management, they were all busily occupied and had no time to bother Mu Lin. Recently, after absorbing some energy from floating stones, Mu Lin had successfully advanced from the middle layer to the middle-upper layer of the Yuan Dan stage. His true energy was becoming increasingly liquid-like within his meridians. However, there was an existing problem. As a doctor, Mu Lin had a more profound understanding of the theory and knowledge of the balance of the five elements and yin-yang than most. He had also noticed a flaw in his cultivation method—the imbalance of excessive yang energy. Unfortunately, his sect’s cultivation techniques lacked any methods to harmonize yin and yang. This was also the reason why, over thousands of years, no one from Qingxuan Palace had ever advanced to the ranks of cultivators. Those who reached the late Yuan Dan stage would shatter their bodies upon breaking through, and this had been the case without exception for thousands of years. Perhaps this was precisely why Qingxuan Palace had managed to survive until today. Who could possibly explain the karmic reasons behind it all?
Mu Lin planned to begin absorbing floating stones soon to continue advancing toward the upper layer of the Yuan Dan stage, hoping to use modern knowledge to address this flaw.
It was another day when patients came to the clinic. There were five patients today. Since they all had chronic illnesses, Mu Lin wasn’t in a hurry. Instead of treating one patient per week, he treated five patients at once, solving their problems all at once. After finishing his work for the day, Mu Lin went to the rest room to relax for a while. At that moment, a nurse informed him that a Chinese woman had come to the hospital and insisted on meeting him in person. Since she had no appointment and refused to give her name, the security personnel on the floor escorted her to the rest room, and the nurse asked Mu Lin whether he would see her.
Because Mu Lin preferred to keep a low profile, the clinic didn’t operate publicly. Everyone who came here were high-profile figures, either wealthy or influential. Therefore, security was especially tight. No one who wasn’t registered at the clinic could enter unless invited by someone who had access. Thus, the clinic had become a small gathering place for the upper class. Of course, some of these people also wanted to become familiar with Mu Lin. Now, a Chinese woman had arrived, refusing to give her name, which naturally piqued Mu Lin’s curiosity. But who could she be? He couldn’t imagine anyone he knew coming here. Meifang, Meizi, and Krystal were all known to the security staff.
Mu Lin instructed the security personnel to bring the visitor to the sixth-floor meeting room and said he would go there shortly. At this point, he no longer feared anyone being able to harm him.
When he saw the visitor, he was immediately stunned, unable to utter a word. In contrast, upon seeing Mu Lin, the visitor immediately lunged at him like an angry mother leopard, claws bared, shouting, “You little brat! Finally found you!”
The security personnel immediately grabbed the woman and subdued her, pinning her onto the sofa. However, she continued to struggle and curse.
Regaining his usual calm expression, Mu Lin signaled the security personnel to release her and return to their posts. As the guards left, they seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent. Soon, rumors began circulating among the hospital staff about a woman who had traveled across the world to find her husband, with Mu Lin being accused of abandoning her.
Mu Lin was completely unprepared for the visitor to be Hong Jiani, the girl he had once spanked. Internally pained, he still managed to keep his expression neutral. Seeing her try to jump up again, he said coolly, “If you want to get spanked again, by all means, come ahead.”
Hearing this, Hong Jiani stopped in her tracks, but her face turned bright red with anger. Still, she shouted, “You little thief! You did all that and then ran away, making me search for you for a whole year!”
“Miss Hong seems to have the wrong idea. I was commissioned by your father to treat you. Strange! I don’t recall doing anything wrong,” Mu Lin replied calmly.
Seeing that Mu Lin maintained his usual indifferent expression, as if they had no relationship at all, Hong Jiani suddenly thought of how she had secretly left home and traveled all the way to country U to find him. Her heart ached, tears streamed down her face, and she began to sob silently.
Mu Lin hadn’t expected the angry girl to suddenly burst into tears. He was no longer a complete novice when it came to understanding the feelings between men and women. After letting her cry for a while, he picked up a tissue and handed it to her. “Wipe your tears. You’re a grown woman now, yet you still cry like a little child. Don’t you worry others will laugh at you?”
“Mind your own business!” Hong Jiani took the tissue, her expression softening slightly. She felt as if she were acting coquettish with Mu Lin, and her face flushed slightly. Mu Lin, hearing her words, also felt a bit awkward.
“How did you find me, Miss Hong?” Mu Lin asked, trying to make conversation.
“How else? I knew your passport name, so I eventually found your destination by checking flight records. Right after graduation, I started tracing the flights and found you in Salt Lake City. Later, I found out about your current school. I didn’t expect you to be famous there. Someone told me to go see the professor, and that’s how I found you.” Hong Jiani’s expression suggested that finding Mu Lin had been as easy as tracking down a lost puppy. The latest chapters of this book are exclusively available on Qidian.
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