Clair’s words had left everyone without any motivation to continue studying. Bits and Dais whispered to each other, and with just a little effort, Mu Lin could hear Dais recounting to Bits all about Clair and Mu Lin. Mu Lin himself, however, was above stooping to petty reactions.
Meifang and Meizi were clearly also distracted by the events of the evening, their expressions no longer focused. Seeing this, Mu Lin felt that keeping them studying further would be ineffective, so he sent them off to rest.
The girls scattered like a flock of birds. Originally, each girl had her own room, but now they clearly divided into two groups. Dais went to Bits’s room, and naturally, Meifang followed Meizi into hers.
Mu Lin understood they needed time to process the night’s events, and with a bitter smile, he sat alone in the living room watching television. Sitting alone on the couch, he reflected over the entire healing process, feeling confident there had been no mistakes. The more he thought about it, the more puzzled he became.
The night deepened. Although it was a weekend, the streets were already quiet, with few pedestrians. The absence of outside noise made the television seem louder, echoing through the silent living room. Mu Lin knew it was very late, and using his spiritual awareness, he confirmed that the four girls and Clair had all fallen asleep.
He used his energy to gently press Clair’s sleep point, preventing her from waking up in the night and calling for him, which would also disturb his cultivation. Mu Lin thought to himself that for now, he’d just let things be as they were. Lying on the couch, he began to cultivate. In the middle of the night, Meifang brought over a blanket and covered him, gazing at his face for a long time. Mu Lin remained silent.
Before dawn, Mu Lin felt a warm body snuggle into his arms. By instinct and the familiar scent of a young woman, he knew it was Meizi. Back in Hong Kong and at his home in Salt Lake City, Meizi often sneaked into his arms to sleep. Though he had tried to stop her a few times, faced with her cheek-rubbing antics and his affection for her, he had eventually given in.
As daylight approached, Mu Lin gently patted Meizi’s cheek and pulled her up. Grumbling, Meizi followed him out for the morning exercises. Soon after, Meifang, Dais, and Bits also came running out. Mu Lin glanced at them; each had slightly swollen eyelids, a sign of poor sleep. He knew the girls hadn’t fully believed his explanations. But he didn’t care—any further explanation at this point would be useless and might even make him seem evasive, like trying to cover up something that was obvious.
Life would just have to go on as usual. Mu Lin had never been one to take losses lightly, but lately, he felt as though his luck had been bad. First, there was Hong Ji’ni in Hong Kong, whom he had given a small punishment in the end.
Then came the three girls from the dormitory, and now Clair—his mind had wandered again.
First came the warm-up: relaxing the body, stretching the limbs, followed by a one-kilometer jog. The residents in the neighborhood were mostly familiar with each other by now. Those who saw Mu Lin running with four young girls in the morning greeted them warmly, and Mu Lin and the girls responded with equal enthusiasm.
Then came martial arts practice. By this time, some people had already begun to follow Mu Lin’s group. Mu Lin had lived here for half a year, and when neighbors expressed interest in joining, he was always accommodating. He taught young boys the Twelve Road Zhang Quan (Long Fist), girls the Ten Road Tan Tui (Spring Legs), adults the Hu Quan (Flower Fist) and Shaolin Lianhuan Quan (Continuous Boxing), and the elderly Tai Chi. However, the breathing and energy cultivation techniques were exceptions he did not teach.
Mu Lin felt that the neighbors around had always been very kind to them. As for those troublemakers who came looking for a fight, Mu Lin gave them no mercy—kicking and punching, but always careful not to leave serious injuries that might bring the police or lawyers. Though he wasn’t afraid of trouble, dealing with it wasted time. Instead, he left them with hidden internal injuries, making them suffer for a few days. After that, they would usually cross the street to avoid him.
When Mu Lin and the girls returned home, Clair had already prepared breakfast. After eating, Mu Lin noticed Clair preparing to leave for work and said to her, “Clair, recently I acquired the Douglas Law Firm. As you know, I haven’t reached the legal age yet, so I can’t manage the firm directly under the law. I know you used to work at Douglas and are familiar with its operations. You studied economics and management and are a certified public accountant. Therefore, I’d like to appoint you as my full representative to oversee the firm effectively.”
Clair immediately stopped in her tracks. This news was shocking. Previously at Douglas, she had only been a regular financial staff member, and she had been among the first to be laid off. Her position at the firm was clearly not high.
In this society where whites are dominant, people of color are often marginalized unless they possess unique talents that others can’t replace. In such cases, they might be offered tempting conditions. The entire enterprise and the country itself function under such biased norms. After all, this was a money-driven world where whites held the upper hand. Although Clair had tried to distance herself from her Chinese heritage and assimilate into Western culture, her efforts were in vain. She had been among the first to be laid off during the initial small-scale staff reductions, which had left her heartbroken for a while.
But she knew that the firm was a global legal entity, highly influential even in Boston. As a regular employee, though not privy to internal affairs, she could sense that the firm was in serious trouble—otherwise, a company of such influence wouldn’t suddenly start laying people off.
Through the gifts and stories that Dais and Bits brought back from their Spring Festival trip to Salt Lake City, Clair knew that Mu Lin was wealthy, but she had never imagined he was this rich—rich enough to acquire the law firm. And now he was offering her, an Asian Chinese woman, the role of his full representative to oversee the company. The news was like a bombshell, leaving her stunned. She turned around, her face filled with shock, her mouth open in disbelief.
“Is this really true? Please say it again. I just can’t believe it!” Clair was still in disbelief after a long pause.
Mu Lin had no choice but to patiently repeat himself, thinking to himself that women could be so troublesome. At the same time, he sent a pulse of energy into Clair’s body to calm her down. But to his surprise, as soon as Clair heard his words, she threw her arms around him, kissing him repeatedly while murmuring, “It’s true! It’s true!”
Mu Lin didn’t dare to struggle too hard, fearing he might hurt her. When Clair finally let go, he wiped his face, which was now covered in her saliva, thinking to himself how Clair had somehow mastered Meizi’s cheek-rubbing technique. This skill was indeed powerful—he had fallen for it again.
He didn’t stop to consider that if a man tried to use this trick on him, he would have kicked him away long ago—there was no way he would have fallen for it. Turning around, he suddenly noticed four gaping mouths, drooling uncontrollably.
It was Meifang and the other three girls. Now, all four of them wore expressions of shock, mouths wide open, clearly stunned by the scene.
Mu Lin thought to himself, “Oh no! I had just told them yesterday that there was no intimate relationship between Clair and me, and now this complete reversal has happened. Now I’m like tofu dropped into coal dust—neither can I blow it off nor can I clean it up. Sigh! It’s like mud getting into my pants.”
By now, Clair had calmed down. Seeing the four girls’ expressions, she told them to go out and play, saying she had important matters to discuss with Daniel. She showed no sign of embarrassment whatsoever.
As the four girls left, each made a funny face at Mu Lin, clearly mocking him.
After the girls left, Clair said to Mu Lin, “I think we should keep this matter confidential for now, so I sent them away. May I see the acquisition documents? How far along is the acquisition process?”
Upon hearing Clair’s words, Mu Lin realized how familiar she was with the company’s bylaws and financial matters. Coupled with her current infatuation with him, he felt he had indeed chosen the right person.
Mu Lin asked, “So, sister, are you willing to serve as my full representative? Then I will contact Douglas, and you will return to the Douglas Law Firm as Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer. Are you willing?”
“Yes, I am very willing. What reason would I have to refuse managing my little brother’s business?” Clair replied eagerly.
“Then your annual salary will be $250,000, and I will also grant you 3% equity in the firm. The house you currently live in will be provided as a company benefit. Are you satisfied with these terms?” Mu Lin continued.
“Very satisfied! Even if you didn’t pay me, I would still be willing to manage my little brother’s business!” Clair affirmed.
“If there are no issues, then we’ll first call Mr. Douglas and then go back to my dorm to review the acquisition documents.” Mu Lin usually kept such documents in his ring but couldn’t tell Clair that, so he said they were in his dorm.
After making the call, he led Clair to his room. The three girls had gone out, probably for shopping. Mu Lin took out the documents, and Clair began reading them carefully. Mu Lin told her that he had currently hired the Link Accounting Firm to conduct a financial audit and that he needed her to oversee the process immediately. He also summoned his lawyer, who arrived to witness the signing of the power of attorney. Thus, Clair officially became Mu Lin’s first full representative of his business ventures.
This book is first published on Qidian.
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