Mu Lin remembered what he had said. Although it was just an excuse, he truly hated the atmosphere of these drinking parties. 'All this phony flattery and bullshit... isn't it exhausting?'
"Ah, yes, that's right. In that case, after this drink, we'll meet again some other day?"
Seeing this, Jiang Hong let out a long sigh of relief. His life was spared.
'I need to find a chance to explain things to Mu Lin. The ones who screwed up were Gao Yi and his men, it had nothing to do with me!'
"Cheers!"
The men clinked their glasses one last time, then turned and walked out of the private room.
A waiter ran in, asking if they wanted to pack the leftovers. Jiang Hong waved his hand dismissively. "You can go. It's not like we can't afford this!"
But Mu Lin said, "Go ahead and pack it. Wasting is shameful."
Jiang Hong looked as if he'd been struck by lightning. 'My life is in Mu Lin's hands,' he thought, and immediately jumped up. "Pack it up, pack it up! Our society emphasizes thriftiness these days. We can't be wasteful!"
He even rushed to grab a few bags and disposable containers, and began packing the food with intense focus.
Seeing the chaotic scene in the room, Lin Tian frowned slightly. But it wasn't his place to comment, so he cupped his hands toward Mu Lin. "I have a meeting to attend. I have to head back tonight."
"Next time fate brings you this way, don't forget to come see me!"
Mu Lin replied politely, "Of course I will. President Lin, please take care."
Lin Tian chuckled and got into the car, settling himself comfortably in his seat.
Lin Jin said to Mu Lin, "If you need anything, just say so. Don't be a stranger. We're all family here."
The word "family" almost gave Mu Lin a heart attack. 'Who would dare be family with you?'
"I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"
Lin Jin shot Mu Lin a sidelong glance, closed the car door for the old man, and got in on the other side.
The car started and soon disappeared into the night.
Jiang Hong tiptoed toward Mu Lin. He thought he was being silent, but Mu Lin had already noticed him.
"Mr. Jiang, what are you doing? Is there something you don't want people to see?"
Jiang Hong was a bit embarrassed. To think Mu Lin had seen his little act—it was no different from a clown's performance.
"No, not at all! The night is so lovely, I didn't want to disturb Mr. Mu's tranquil mood."
"If I may be so bold, would you like me to arrange a designated driver for you?"
Mu Lin replied, "No need. I walked here, so I'll just walk back."
Jiang Hong was overjoyed. 'This is the perfect opportunity to get closer to him!'
"How about I give you a ride? We can get to know each other better, maybe have a heart-to-heart."
His large, puffy eyes were wide, practically bulging out of their sockets as he stared at Mu Lin.
As long as Mu Lin wasn't an idiot, he could see Jiang Hong's ulterior motives.
Mu Lin wasn't worried about Jiang Hong pulling any dirty tricks. On the contrary, he was quite curious to see what kind of scheme the man would try to pull.
After all, no one knew the details of the Gao Yi situation better than Jiang Hong.
"Alright, then I'll have to trouble Brother Jiang."
Hearing himself called "Brother Jiang" made Jiang Hong ecstatic. It meant Mu Lin had lowered his guard around him.
This was the perfect chance to ask what that bastard Gao Yi had done to make Mu Lin so unhappy.
"Please wait a moment, I'll call for a designated driver." Jiang Hong had also had quite a bit to drink, and the city had been cracking down hard on drunk driving lately, so he didn't dare break the rules.
Besides, his bladder was full from all the drinking, and he needed to find a discreet corner to relieve the built-up pressure.
"Go on," Mu Lin said, letting him go.
Mu Lin was wandering around near the parking lot when he suddenly saw a group of dark figures approaching.
It was hard to see clearly against the light, but the man in the lead was already shouting in anger.
"You see him? That's the guy! Surround him! Tear him apart! I'm gonna throw him in the sea to feed the fish!"
As he spoke, the group drew closer, and Mu Lin got a clear look at the owner of the voice.
It was just as he'd guessed: Gao Yi, the very man he had taught a harsh lesson, now covered in injuries.
Trailing behind Gao Yi were a dozen thuggish-looking men, many of whom still had a childish air about them. It was doubtful they were even eighteen.
'The kind of kids you push forward to take the fall if someone gets killed.'
Gao Yi's arrangement was menacing. He had clearly thought this through and was here to take Mu Lin's life.
"That's him?" a sinister-looking man in the crowd asked, his voice as scratchy as a broken violin.
"That's right! He ruined my plans and beat the hell out of me," Gao Yi said, sucking in a sharp breath as his wounds still throbbed with a dull pain.
His lackeys hadn't been skilled enough; many fragments were still embedded deep in his flesh and bone, pulling at his nerves with every movement.
Once this was all over, he'd have to go to the hospital for surgery to get all the fragments removed.
But before that, the most important thing was, of course, to teach Mu Lin a brutal lesson and vent his bitter anger.
Mu Lin narrowed his eyes. "What's this? You couldn't beat me alone, so you brought backup? Aren't you afraid I'll mess them up so badly you won't even be able to afford their medical bills?"
"Save your tough talk!" Gao Yi's lips curled into a smug grin. "You're not getting away today, kid!"
"This guy looks like a total loser. Is there any money in this? Don't have us risking our necks for nothing!"
One of the thugs was more rational, worried it would all be for naught.
For guys in this line of work, money was the top priority. High risk had to come with high reward!
Otherwise, who would risk their life for you?
Gao Yi yelled at the top of his lungs, "Just take him out, and I'll get you a huge deal! We're talking tens of millions in profit! It's a simple job, short timeline. After this one score, you boys won't have to work for years!"
That thug's eyes immediately lit up. They were basically just a construction crew, taking on simple projects to earn a little cash. To suddenly have a chance to make this kind of money was incredible.
A few of the other thugs looked confused, clearly not understanding what this meant.
"What's he mean? 'Pro...fit'? 'Tens of...millions'?"
"It means a ton of money!"
Mu Lin just stood there, watching the thugs' little performance. 'This Gao Yi character is really something else. He thinks he can take me on with a crew like this?'
Mu Lin had faced many enemies, but he'd never seen any this stupid.
"Ah, Younger Brother Mu, the designated driver is on his way. Just a moment…"
Jiang Hong, having relieved his pressure, felt comfortable all over as he ambled over with a cheerful laugh.
Only when he got closer did he realize something was very wrong. Why were so many people standing in front of Mu Lin?
Against the light, he couldn't make out who they were either.
He had a very bad feeling. Mu Lin was a junior whom Lin Tian held in high regard. If something happened to him on his watch, Lin Tian would hold him responsible immediately.
'My chance to climb the social ladder and enter high society will be gone!'
With that in mind, he hurried to Mu Lin's side, thinking that at the very least, he could pull Mu Lin away and run for it.
He didn't forget to strike first with a loud voice, seizing the upper hand. Thugs were usually cowards; a big enough commotion and they'd run like dogs.
"What do you think you're doing? What are all you people doing, standing here blocking the way?"
When he got close enough to see the leader was actually Gao Yi, his expression turned even uglier.
"Gao Yi, what the fuck are you doing here? Who are all these people?"
As he questioned him, Jiang Hong moved to stand in front of Mu Lin.
Among the thugs was a hothead who, upon hearing Jiang Hong's cursing, felt his own honor was being challenged. With a SHIING, he drew a knife from his belt and rushed up to Jiang Hong, brandishing the gleaming blade.
"How dare you talk to our Brother Yi like that? Show some respect, or I'll cut your tongue out!"
Gao Yi, puffed up with arrogance, said menacingly, "Show some respect. How are you talking to me? Don't you see how many knives I have here? If each man takes one slice out of you, you'll be a few pounds lighter."
The thugs all chimed in, backing up Gao Yi according to the rules of the Jianghu.
Seeing this, Jiang Hong's anger flared. 'Gao Yi's gotten bold, has he? He doesn't even respect me anymore?'
"Gao Yi, you ungrateful bastard! I'm the one who brought you into this business, and this is how you treat me? Come on! Kill me or carve me up, do as you please! Go on, do it!"
Jiang Hong strode right up to the thug, ripped open his shirt, and pressed his chest against the thug's knife.
The young thug never expected things to turn out like this. He'd dared to draw his knife to intimidate Jiang Hong, thinking the man would back down, which would let him show off in front of Gao Yi.
But not only did Jiang Hong not back down, he was practically daring him to do it. As a mere thug, his own resolve began to waver.
Gao Yi was dumbfounded. Only now did he clearly see that the person standing in front of Mu Lin was Jiang Hong—his direct superior.