Guo Lei smiled fawningly. "Don't you worry, Young Master Wu. I guarantee you'll have a good time."
Then, he roared, "Everyone, get... right now!"
Guo Lei's voice suddenly trailed off.
A figure drenched in fresh blood slowly emerged from the Medicine Hall.
Guo Lei stared at the face—one he prayed he would never see again, even in his nightmares. He was instantly stupefied, his body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.
A chill shot up from the soles of his feet to his scalp. 'It's the Living Yama!'
"Well, look who it is," Mu Lin said with a smile. But to Guo Lei, that smile was a death sentence from the grim reaper himself!
"M-Mr. Mu." Guo Lei's legs went so weak he almost collapsed to his knees before Mu Lin. The horrific images of Master Pang and his men's deaths replayed in his mind. 'Am I about to go and join Master Pang?'
"You... were you about to attack me?" Mu Lin asked coolly.
Guo Lei took a huge step back and hastily explained, "N-No, how could I, Mr. Mu? Th-This is all a big misunderstanding!"
"Guo Lei, you son of a bitch, what do you think you're doing?"
Wu Ming was furious. 'Is this piece of trash trying to rebel?'
Mu Lin smiled. "Oh? So if you're not here looking for trouble, does that mean you're here to help me?"
Then, Mu Lin pointed at Wu Ming and said to Guo Lei, "Kill him. Otherwise, you'll be the one left behind."
Wu Ming's pupils contracted. 'Something isn't right about this!'
THUD!
Suddenly, Wu Ming was kicked to the ground.
He stared at Guo Lei in disbelief and roared, "You suicidal bastard, you fucking dare to attack me?"
Guo Lei stared at Wu Ming without a word. 'Is replacing Master Pang that important? More important than my own life?'
'Of course not! My life is what's important!'
'Master Pang and his crew were so powerful, yet Mu Lin killed them in an instant. So what if, with Wu Long's backing, I replaced Master Pang?'
'If I'm dead, how can I enjoy the riches and glory that come with it!'
Guo Lei picked up the Wolf Fang Club and, without another word, brought it smashing down on Wu Ming's head.
"AH! AHH! AHHH!"
Horrific screams echoed in front of the Medicine Hall. Two minutes later, Wu Ming was only breathing out, no longer breathing in.
Guo Lei's face was ashen. He looked at Mu Lin. "Mr. Mu, are you satisfied?"
"Satisfied," Mu Lin nodded. "Clean this up, then you can leave."
"Yes, yes, of course."
Mu Lin turned and went back into the Medicine Hall.
Zhao Ling'Er poked her head out to peek outside and whispered, "Are they leaving?"
"Don't be afraid. They won't come in," Mu Lin said, comforting her when he saw her timid expression.
"Mm-hm." Zhao Ling'Er trusted Mu Lin completely.
Sure enough, once Guo Lei and his men had finished cleaning up, they all left.
While waiting for the Chinese medicine to finish brewing, Mu Lin ground some other herbs.
The whole process took over two hours. Afterwards, Mu Lin evenly applied the ground herbs to Chen Xi's wounds and glanced at the time.
"I have to head back. Is it alright if Chen Xi and the others stay here at your Medicine Hall for now?"
"Don't worry, Brother Mu. I'll take good care of them." Zhao Ling'Er's face flushed. 'I wanted to ask Mu Lin to stay too, but I could never bring myself to say it.'
After calling for Zhou Yu, Mu Lin left the Holy Medicine Hall.
"Brother Lin, just now... Thank you!" Zhou Yu said from her seat in the car, her eyes red.
"Was that man the Crown Prince of the Yuelong Group?"
Mu Lin remembered Chen Xi mentioning that he had been thrown into the special projects department because he'd offended the son of Yuelong Group's Chairman Wu.
"Yes. That Wu Ming is nothing but a treacherous villain!" Zhou Yu said hatefully. "The only reason Brother Xi got on his bad side was because his methods are so despicable..."
After dropping Zhou Yu off, Mu Lin headed back alone.
Since Elder Li and the others hadn't returned yet, Mu Lin went to the kitchen and made himself some food. With everything that had happened with Chen Xi, he hadn't eaten a thing all evening.
...
After the birthday banquet, Elder Li and his family arrived at the Huangshanghuang Hotel.
Secretary Xiaozhang was waiting downstairs for Li Hao and his family.
As soon as he saw them, he hurried forward.
"Good evening, Mr. Li," Secretary Xiaozhang said with a smile.
"Secretary Zhang." Li Hao extended his hand naturally.
The secretary shook it briefly. "Mr. Zhou has been waiting for you upstairs for quite some time. Please, follow me."
"Then we'll be in your care, Secretary Zhang."
Li Hao felt a mix of apprehension and excitement!
「A moment later, inside Presidential Suite 2022.」
Secretary Zhang led them inside. They immediately spotted a middle-aged man with graying temples and an extraordinary aura. This was Mr. Zhou, the man who could internally decide the recipient of the Dingli Group's project.
"Mr. Li, I've heard so much about you!"
"Not at all, not at all. I apologize for making you wait, Mr. Zhou," Li Hao said, hurrying forward.
"You're too kind. Please, sit!"
Li Hao and the others were a little flustered. Mr. Zhou was a major figure in Nanjiang Province. If not for someone pulling strings for them, they wouldn't have even gotten a glimpse of the man.
"It's getting late, so I'll dispense with the pleasantries. Besides, you've only just recovered your health and need to rest."
"It's no trouble, no trouble at all."
Mr. Zhou got straight to the point, smiling. "About the Dingli Group... the project is indeed quite large. Internally awarding it to the Li Group is a trivial matter."
"However, this is ultimately a project for public bidding. Regardless, we still have to go through the proper procedures."
Li Hao nodded quickly. "Of course. We understand completely."
"I'm glad Elder Li is so understanding. In that case, the matter is settled. When the bidding begins, Chairman Li, don't forget to travel to the provincial capital."
"I will be sure to remember. You have my word, Mr. Zhou," Li Yinhe said, inwardly ecstatic. They had sacrificed far too much to win this Dingli Group project.
Mr. Zhou nodded, then raised his wrist to glance at the time.
Seeing this, Li Hao immediately stood up. "Thank you so much, Mr. Zhou. When I'm in the provincial capital, I will be sure to thank you properly."
Mr. Zhou smiled at Li Hao but said nothing more.
Li Hao hesitated for a moment, but then secretly mustered his courage and asked cautiously, "Mr. Zhou, I was wondering if you could tell me... which influential person asked Elder Lin for this favor on my behalf?"
He only asked because he wanted to understand exactly who had put in a good word for him with Lin Tian.
Mr. Zhou paused for a second, then smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Lin only instructed me to give the Dingli Group project to your company. He didn't mention anything else."
"Many people have their eyes on the Dingli Group. Originally, it was internally slated for the Yuelong Group. But you must have some powerful backing to get Mr. Lin to speak on your behalf."
"But... you don't even know who you asked to help you?"
"My father asked Mr. Zhuang Sheng for help," Li Yinhe quickly replied.
"Zhuang Sheng?" Mr. Zhou looked startled, then frowned and immediately dismissed the idea. "Absolutely impossible. Zhuang Sheng might hold some sway in Anhua City..."
"...but when it comes to getting Mr. Lin to intervene in a 'trivial' matter like the Dingli Group project, he is nowhere near qualified enough."
The members of the Li Family were all stunned. 'If Zhuang Sheng didn't help, then who could it have been?'
After leaving the hotel, the Li Family went straight back to their villa.
"Grandpa, should we ask Mr. Lin?" Li Xue asked, her curiosity piqued.
Li Hao shook his head. "That wouldn't be appropriate. As for that Zhuang Sheng... Hah. I mistakenly thought he was the one who put in a good word for us, and I was so grateful to him at the banquet."
"Who knew he hadn't helped at all. That shameless old bastard, daring to take credit that wasn't his."
He grew furious at the thought. And to think he had helped Zhuang Sheng in the past.
As they approached the villa, Elder Li saw the lights were on and said, "Mu Lin must be back."
When they reached the living room, Li Xue saw no sign of Mu Lin downstairs and her expression changed instantly.
Flustered, she rushed up the stairs and threw open her bedroom door.
Mu Lin had already laid out his bedding on the floor and was lying down.
Li Xue stared blankly at her underwear lying on her bed, her face turning crimson. She immediately slammed the door shut.
She frantically snatched a thin blanket to cover them, then spun around and glared at Mu Lin. "Who told you you could come in here first!"
"It's late. Time to sleep."
"Then," Li Xue said, her chest heaving in anger, "from now on, if I'm not here, you are not allowed to come into this room!"
Li Xue was unable to refute that.
'Good grief! I have to get used to sleeping in the same room as a man, and fast. Otherwise, how am I going to survive this?'
"Mm, got it."
Hearing Mu Lin's indifferent reply, Li Xue glared at his back with her big, round eyes, then gathered her underwear, feeling wronged and helpless.