Chapter 22: The Cause of the Illness

“Mr. Daniel, I have to say, I’m very interested in your acquisition proposal. It’s the most favorable one I’ve encountered in the past two months. I must admit, your proposal preserves the dignity of our Douglas family. Personally, I’m very grateful to you. As a lawyer, please forgive my impertinence, but I must admit, I have some doubts about your ability to acquire.”

Mu Lin took out a certified check. “Mr. Douglas, you can arrange for your financial staff to verify the authenticity of this check. Then we can continue our discussion.”

After the financial staff verified the authenticity of the check, Douglas said, “I have another condition. Can I repurchase my car and villa at the original price? Also, when can we sign the contract? And when can your money arrive?”

Mu Lin thought maybe this last question was Douglas’s real focus. A combination of mutual interests was the most reliable kind. By sharing a portion of the profits, Mu Lin gained Douglas’s sincere cooperation and ensured he wouldn’t resist the acquisition. Without these benefits, even though U country’s legal system was well established, who could guarantee Douglas wouldn’t try to sabotage things behind the scenes?

“I’ve already invited two lawyers from the Burse Law Firm. They will bring the acquisition-related documents for your review. If you agree to the acquisition terms, you can sign them. Once you sign, I will transfer $50 million to you. Then I will invite the Link Accounting Firm to audit the firm’s accounts. Once they complete the audit, I will transfer the remaining funds.

“Additionally, I will inject $10 million into the firm for business development and personnel expenses. The Link Accounting Firm will conduct annual financial audits of the firm going forward. Also, I’d prefer our cooperation remain confidential, which I believe is also what you desire.” After the two lawyers from the Burse Law Firm arrived, Mu Lin left the Douglas Law Firm and returned to his apartment. These matters were better handled by professionals, who would do a better job than he could.

He would call Douglas once the acquisition contract was signed. By then, the three young women at the apartment had already returned. Influenced by Mu Lin, the girls had taken more courses last semester, and this semester they had also registered for additional courses, preparing to graduate alongside Mu Lin.

Now, everyone at the college knew Mu Lin had three girlfriends, and the three women proudly considered themselves his girlfriends, constantly clinging to him. However, Mu Lin inwardly refused to acknowledge this. He thought, “They’re older than me. What kind of relationship is that?”

Mu Lin calculated his assets. At the current rate of expenditure, he still had about $300 million left in his account. He had only been here for less than a year, so he needed to find a way to launder the money, or there might be trouble later if someone investigated the origins of his wealth.

Considering what he had discovered when purchasing Klier’s residence, Mu Lin decided he should establish a separate real estate company, which would make operations easier and ensure the profits wouldn’t fall into someone else’s hands.

The problem was that registering a company here required being at least 18 years old, and he hadn’t reached the legal age yet. The people closest to him were Mei Fang and Mei Zi, who were even younger than him. This was a headache.

At this moment, Finney told Mu Lin that his younger sister had called, saying someone at home was sick and asking him to come back immediately. Mu Lin thought Mei Zi was sick, so he hurried to Klier’s house by taxi. As soon as he entered, he saw Mei Fang and the others quietly crying. When Klier saw Mu Lin, she rushed into his arms, sobbing, “Brother, Auntie is sick. We want to take her to the hospital, but she says there’s no money. We offered to use our money, but she refused. She just lay in bed foaming at the mouth, waaah…”

“It’s okay! Brother is here. Don’t be afraid!” Mu Lin patted Mei Zi’s head. “I’ll go check on Klier first. You all rest for a while.” Mu Lin went to Klier’s room and saw her curled up, convulsing, her teeth clenched tightly.

Seeing this, Mu Lin immediately realized it was a seizure similar to epilepsy. He quickly pressed the points Yamen, Neiguan, Houxi, Fengchi, Dazhui, and Renzhong to stabilize her condition first. Then he called Mei Fang and took out cinnabar and amber, ground them into powder, took five cents of each, divided them into two portions, and gave one portion to Klier to take first. After finishing all this, Klier slowly regained consciousness.

Daisy and Bess rushed into Klier’s arms, crying loudly. Mu Lin pulled Mei Fang and Mei Zi out of Klier’s bedroom. He hadn’t yet determined Klier’s exact condition and needed to wait until she stabilized before making a definitive diagnosis and starting treatment.

“Mr. Daniel, I must say, I am very interested in your acquisition proposal. It is the most favorable offer I have encountered in the past two months. I must admit, your proposal preserves the dignity of our Douglas family, and for that, I am personally very grateful to you. As a lawyer, please forgive my bluntness, but I have some doubts about your ability to carry out this acquisition.”

Mu Lin took out a certified check and said, “Mr. Douglas, you can have your financial team verify the authenticity of this check. After that, we can continue our discussion.”

Once the financial team confirmed the check’s validity, Douglas said, “I have one more condition. Can I repurchase my car and villa at the original price? Also, when can we sign the contract? And when will your funds be transferred?”

Mu Lin thought that perhaps the latter question was Douglas’s real concern. A union based on mutual benefit is the most reliable. By sharing a portion of the profits, Mu Lin secured Douglas’s sincere cooperation and avoided resistance. Without these benefits, even though U.S. laws are well-established, who knew if Douglas, feeling resentful, might secretly cause trouble?

“I have already invited two lawyers from the Borth Law Firm. They will bring the relevant acquisition documents for your review. If you agree to the terms, you can sign them. Once you sign, I will transfer $50 million. Then, I will have the Link Accounting Firm audit the firm’s accounts. After their review, I will transfer the remaining amount.

Additionally, I will inject $10 million into the firm for business development and operational expenses. Moving forward, the Link Accounting Firm will conduct an annual financial audit. I also prefer to keep this collaboration confidential, which I believe aligns with your wishes as well.”

After the two lawyers from the Borth Law Firm arrived, Mu Lin left Douglas’s office and returned to his apartment. These matters were better handled by professionals.

Once Douglas signed the acquisition contract, he would call Mu Lin. By then, the three girls in the apartment had already returned. Influenced by Mu Lin, they had taken on more courses last semester and planned to graduate alongside him.

Now, everyone at the college knew Mu Lin had three girlfriends, and the girls proudly claimed the title, constantly clinging to him. However, Mu Lin didn’t acknowledge it—after all, his “wives” were older than him. What kind of relationship was that?

Mu Lin calculated his assets. At his current spending rate, he still had around $300 million left in his account. Having been here for less than a year, he needed to find a way to launder the money. Otherwise, if someone investigated the origins of his wealth, it could cause trouble.

Considering what he had discovered while purchasing Claire’s residence, Mu Lin decided to establish a separate real estate company. This would make operations easier and ensure the profits stayed in his hands.

The problem was that registering a company here required being at least 18 years old. He hadn’t reached the legal age yet, and the only people he could rely on—Mei Fang and Mei Zi—were even younger. A headache indeed.

Just then, Fanny informed Mu Lin that his sister had called, saying someone in the family was sick and urging him to return immediately. Assuming it was Mei Zi, Mu Lin hurriedly took a taxi to Claire’s house.

Upon entering, he saw Mei Fang and the others quietly crying. Mei Zi rushed into his arms, sobbing, “Brother, Auntie is sick! We wanted to take her to the hospital, but she refused, saying we didn’t have money. We offered to use our savings, but she still refused. Now she’s lying in bed, foaming at the mouth…”

“Don’t worry, I’m here now,” Mu Lin patted Mei Zi’s head. “Let me check on Claire. You all rest for a bit.”

Entering Claire’s room, Mu Lin found her curled up, convulsing, her teeth clenched. Recognizing it as a seizure—likely epilepsy—he quickly applied pressure to key acupoints (Yamen, Neiguan, Houxi, Fengchi, Dazhui, and Renzhong) to stabilize her condition.

He called Mei Fang over and prepared a mixture of cinnabar and amber powder, dividing it into two doses. After administering one, Claire gradually regained consciousness.

Daisy and Bess immediately rushed into Claire’s arms, crying loudly. Mu Lin led Mei Fang and Mei Zi out of the bedroom. He needed to wait until Claire’s condition stabilized before making a proper diagnosis.

Glancing outside, he realized it was already evening. Knowing the girls hadn’t eaten, he took Mei Fang and Mei Zi to the supermarket for groceries. After a simple meal, he asked Mei Fang to invite Claire and her daughters to dinner.

The atmosphere at the table was somber, with everyone eating quietly. Only Claire forced a smile, urging them to eat.

Breaking the silence, Mu Lin said to Daisy and Bess, “Don’t worry. After dinner, I’ll examine Claire properly. I promise I’ll cure your mother.”

Mei Zi chimed in, “That’s right! My brother Mu Lin is amazing. He can cure any illness. Auntie, you’ll be fine!”

After a short rest, considering Mei Fang and the others had school the next day, Mu Lin sent them to bed. He called his apartment to inform the girls he’d be late and told them to manage dinner on their own.

Turning to Claire, Mu Lin said, “Madam, you’ve been suffering from this illness for years, and this episode has lasted a while. Why haven’t you sought medical help? If you’d like me to treat you, I’d appreciate it if you could share your condition with me.”

He couldn’t admit he had already investigated her.

Suddenly, Claire spoke in Chinese, “Mu Lin, you should know I’m also Chinese. But I despise Chinese people—though you’re different. When I was a child, my family lived in New York’s Chinatown. My father ran a grocery store, and my mother worked at home. We were happy back then.

“Then, a man started frequenting our store. When my father wasn’t around, he’d flirt with my mother. He wanted her to divorce my father and marry him. My mother scolded him and sent him away. When my father returned, she told him, but he didn’t believe her—not even when I confirmed it.

“Eventually, my father befriended this man. They drank and gambled together. My father lost all our savings and even owed money to the Black Tiger Gang. We later discovered this man was the gang’s deputy leader.

“When the gang came to collect, my father reached out to friends and relatives for help—just $4,600. But no one helped. We could’ve repaid it in three months.

“The man then offered to take our store as payment. Only then did my father see his true colors. They fought, but the man—skilled in martial arts—brutally injured my father and seized the store.

“He then threatened my mother: if she didn’t go with him, he’d kill me and my father. My mother begged for help, but no one came. The gang even… assaulted me. That’s when my illness began.

“In the end, my mother had no choice but to leave with him. My father, humiliated, took his own life. My relatives abandoned me, and I was sent to an orphanage.”

Seeing Claire’s distress, Mu Lin interjected, “Do you know this man’s name? Or what happened to your mother?”

Claire gritted her teeth. “His name was Ma Rulong. They left New York, and I was too afraid to return to Chinatown to ask about my mother. I don’t know what became of her.”

“I see. Have you had episodes since then?” Mu Lin asked, realizing the investigation report had missed many details. The Black Tiger Gang’s influence must have deterred deeper inquiries.

“Yes, but not as severe. Later, I was adopted by Jack Lesser, a Black former sailor. My father had once helped his family. When Jack returned from a voyage and learned of my situation, he took me in. To protect me, he moved us to Boston.

“He raised me, though he often went on long voyages. When I turned 18, he adopted another girl—the daughter of a deceased colleague—and I left his care. At 20, I married him.

“During those years, I worked hard to support myself and stayed relatively stable. Jack was a good man, but he died of colon cancer when I was 23, leaving behind Bess Lesser. My condition worsened from grief.

“Later, at the hospital, I met Tom Klaus, a White airline pilot. He found me collapsed outside and helped me. He was there with his daughter—his wife had passed. We grew close and eventually married.

“With a loan, we bought this house. But when I was 25, Tom died in a plane crash, leaving his daughter Daisy Klaus.

“Raising two girls alone was hard. After Tom’s death, I lost my job and burned through our savings. My current salary barely covers our needs.

“I didn’t have health insurance this time, and my application for free care was pending. When the episode hit, I couldn’t afford the hospital.”

Mu Lin now understood—Claire’s childhood trauma had left deep scars. Stress and exhaustion triggered her condition. The root cause was clear.

Seeing the somber atmosphere, Mu Lin said to Daisy and Bess, “Don’t worry. After dinner, I’ll examine Mrs. Klier. Believe me, I will definitely cure your mother.”

Mei Zi also said to Klier, “Right, my brother Mu Lin is really capable. He can cure any illness. Auntie, don’t worry!”

After a short rest, considering Mei Fang and the others had school the next day, Mu Lin sent them all to bed. He made a call back to the apartment, telling them he might return a bit later and asked them to manage their dinner themselves.

Mu Lin turned to Klier and said, “Madam, you’ve had this illness for quite some time, and this episode has lasted a while too. Why haven’t you gone to the hospital? Also, if you need my treatment, I hope you can talk to me about your condition.”

Mu Lin couldn’t tell her he had already investigated her. Klier suddenly spoke in Chinese, “Mu Lin, you should know I’m also Chinese, but I hate Chinese people. However, you’re different from them. You don’t know, when I was little, our family lived in New York’s Chinatown. My father ran a grocery store, and my mother stayed home. Back then, our family was so happy.

“Later, a man often came to our store to buy things. Sometimes when my father wasn’t home, he would talk nonsense to my mother. This man had his eyes on my mother. Once, he told my mother to divorce my father and marry him. My mother scolded him and sent him away. When my father came home, my mother told him, but my father didn’t believe her. I told him too, but my father still didn’t believe.

“Later, my father and this man became good friends, often drinking and having fun together. Then my father became addicted to gambling, squandering all our family savings and even owing a large sum to the Black Tiger Gang. We didn’t know this man was the deputy leader of the Black Tiger Gang. When the Black Tiger Gang came to collect the debt, my father asked people he had helped and his relatives for money, but no one lent him a penny. Just a small amount—$4,600! Not a single Chinese person helped us. Our family could have paid it off in three months.

“At this point, this man presented the IOU note, telling my father that we could settle the debt by handing over our grocery store. My father finally saw the man’s true face and had a big argument with him. But this man was from the Black Tiger Gang, and he knew martial arts. My father was beaten and crippled, and our grocery store was seized. That wasn’t the end of it. This man threatened my mother. If she didn’t go with him, he would kill me and my father. Finally, my mother asked for help from others, but still no one helped us. This man even had members of the Black Tiger Gang humiliate me, and that’s when I developed my illness.

“In the end, my mother had to give in and go with this man. Later, my father couldn’t bear the humiliation and committed suicide. Not a single one of my relatives took me in, and I was sent to an orphanage.”

Seeing Klier’s emotions getting out of control, Mu Lin interjected, “Do you know what this man’s name is? And do you know anything about your mother’s situation?”

Klier gritted her teeth and said, “This man’s name is Ma Rulong. They later left New York, and I was too afraid to ask around in New York’s Chinatown. I still don’t know anything about my mother’s situation.”

“Oh, I see. Then have you had any more episodes after that?” Mu Lin hadn’t expected the situation to be so complicated. It seemed that even after such a long time, the investigation reports still had many discrepancies. It appeared the Black Tiger Gang’s influence was quite rampant, making the investigators reluctant to dig deeper. Mu Lin thought for a moment and asked.

“I have had episodes, but they weren’t too severe. Later, I was adopted by Jack Lester. He was a black man, once a sailor, who had been helped by my father. After returning from a sea voyage, he learned about my situation and adopted me. He was afraid I would be hurt again, so he left New York and settled in Boston, where he raised me.

“He still often went on long sea voyages every year. When I turned 18, he adopted the daughter of a deceased colleague, and I ended my adoption relationship with him. At 20, I married him.

“During this time, I supported myself through part-time work and studies, and I was in a relatively good mood, with few episodes. Jack Lester was a good man, but unfortunately, he died of colon cancer when I was 23, leaving behind the adopted girl, Bess Lester. At that time, my mood was very bad, and I had episodes frequently.

“At that time, I met Tom Claus at the hospital. He was a white commercial airline pilot. That time, I had fainted in front of the hospital, and he took me there. He was taking his daughter to the hospital for treatment because his wife had died. After that, we often kept in touch, and later I married Tom Claus. We took out a loan to buy our current house. When I was 25, Tom Claus died in a plane crash, leaving behind his daughter from his previous marriage, Daisy Tom.

“I, a single woman, had to raise two children. When Tom was alive, life was manageable. Two months after I lost my job, I spent all our savings. The job I found now only pays enough to raise the two children. This time, I didn’t buy health insurance, and my application for free health insurance hadn’t been approved yet. This episode came suddenly, so I couldn’t go to the hospital.”

It seemed Klier’s psychological trauma from childhood had, after so many years, deeply etched itself into her innermost being. Once the patient’s body was exhausted and her mood was poor, the illness would recur. The cause of the disease had been identified.