Chapter One Hundred: The Kindness of the Lin Family

When Hong Chen pulled the last silver needle from the last patient, Qi Gang quietly glanced at the wall clock; the minute hand was just slipping toward 4:52.

Twenty-one patients had been seen in one hour and eighteen minutes, and each one had shown clear signs of improvement on the spot. The strength of Hong Chen’s medicine and the speed of his treatment made Qi Gang not only admire him, but also feel a stinging sense of how far behind he was.

“Take this prescription to have the herbs prepared, and take it continuously for one full course,” Hong Chen said as he wrote quickly on a prescription sheet and handed it over. “Your chronic gastrointestinal inflammation will be mostly cured.” He stretched with a lazy arch of his back and was about to rise.

At that moment there was commotion outside the pharmacy. Two security guards at the door failed to stop them, and four young people pushed their way inside.

Two boys and two girls, all just past twenty, saw Hong Chen behind the consultation desk and immediately became visibly excited.

“Great Physician Hong, please take me as your disciple.”
“And me.”
“And me as well…”

In an instant, the four rushed forward and surrounded him. The two boys were a little restrained, while the two girls each grabbed one of his arms, one on each side. Qi Gang looked awkward and coughed into his sleeve. “Who are you?”

“We’re students from the Qing City Medical University Affiliated Chinese Medicine Hospital,” a round-faced girl answered casually. “We’re in our fifth year. In six months, we graduate.” Her small face reddened. She fixed Hong Chen with an intense, almost burning look, like a fan seeing her idol, like a hostess in a nightclub suddenly meeting a handsome prince from a rarer world.

“Anyone wanting to apprentice under me must first pass an evaluation and obtain consultation eligibility at the Wellness Hall,” Hong Chen said calmly, unruffled. He gently pushed the two girls’ hands away and then pointed at Qi Gang. “For the details, ask him. He manages the Wellness Hall and is the chief attending physician at the first clinic, Dr. Qi Gang.”

The four of them turned to Qi Gang. Qi Gang looked baffled; Hong Chen took advantage of the moment and made a brief gesture. “Doctor Qi, I still have things to do. I’ll leave now.”

“Great Physician Hong, could we take a photo with you?”
“Great Physician Hong, may we see a closer look at you?”

They chased after him at once, chattering excitedly. After much insistence, Hong Chen finally agreed to take one group photo with all four. Naturally, he did not remove his mask.

The photo session ended, and Hong Chen left at once, his quick departure carrying a hint of haste and urgency.

When Hong Chen stepped out of the pharmacy, he walked briskly for quite a while, then entered a public restroom, removed his long coat, mask and hat, and tucked them into a bag he discarded into a roadside trash bin.

His GTR was still at the conference center, and there was no time to go back for it. He hailed a taxi. Half an hour later he arrived at the foot of Linfeng Trade Tower and sent Lin Yuxin a cloud message. He had not finished his cigarette when a familiar, long-awaited figure emerged from the building.

She wore a white professional suit, her ink-black hair tied into a neat knot, her face lightly made up and immaculate, flawless and composed—an image of pure elegance, like a white lily that carried an almost serene grace.

After nearly ten days apart, Lin Yuxin came toward him with measured steps and stood silently, studying his familiar face for a moment before asking softly, “Did you wait long?”

“Just arrived,” Hong Chen said with a small shake of his head. He flicked away his cigarette, crushed it underfoot, and added, “It isn’t even a special day today. Grandmother calling everyone to dinner at Havana Hotel and making such an extravagant arrangement—what’s the hidden reason for all this splendor?”

In the afternoon she had called to say that everyone in the Lin family would gather for dinner tonight, and she had specifically asked Lin Yuxin to bring Hong Chen along. Knowing the way the Lin household works, Hong Chen didn’t need to guess what was coming. It would be one of those unpleasant affairs where something troublesome would eventually be pinned to him.

“I don’t know,” Lin Yuxin said vaguely, then glanced around. “You didn’t drive? You didn’t come in the car—aren’t you at work today?”

“It was a busy day, as always,” he replied. “Boss has private guests tonight and took the car away.”

She gave him a searching look, about to speak, but a taxi happened to pull up. Hong Chen raised his hand to stop it.

Because it was the evening rush, the twenty-minute drive took twice as long. By the time they reached Havana Hotel it was already 6:45. A server led them into the private room, where all the Lin family had already arrived.

The grandmother sat firmly in the head seat. On her left was the Lin Yuanhai household, then the Lin Yuanshan household, then the Lin Shujie household. The seating order was mostly familiar except for one notable change: the couple Shen Huifang, who had always been relegated to the far end at family gatherings, had suddenly been promoted to the seat at Grandmother’s right.

When Hong Chen and Lin Yuxin arrived, the family did not stand to receive them. Yet, against their custom, they gave them smiles and occasional casual, almost neighborly greetings.

After the cold starters were served, it was usually Hong Chen’s turn to pour wine and beverages. Today that duty had been snatched away by someone else—Third Uncle, perhaps by design. Each glass already held a small measure. Grandmother lifted her own cup halfway in the air and smiled.

“I hereby announce something: as of tomorrow, Yuangui will officially assume the position of vice president of the Lin Group.”

Hong Chen and Lin Yuxin both showed surprise in unison. Glancing around, however, everyone else looked unchanged; they clearly already knew.

Then everyone offered congratulations to Yuangui, and they all raised their glasses, each taking a symbolic sip. The banquet officially began.

After some time of eating and drinking, Lin Huihuang and Lin Meimei had their cups refilled, stood up, and came to the Yuangui side of the table.

“Third Uncle, Third Aunt, Yuxin, Hong Chen,” Lin Huihuang said, “that time with Yu Fei… Meimei and I had lost our heads. I apologize and ask you all to forgive our youthful stupidity.”

Lin Meimei added, “Third Uncle, Third Aunt, Yuxin, Hong Chen, I was wrong. Please forgive me.”

“Everyone makes mistakes in youth,” an elder said warmly. “Learn from it, correct yourself, and move on. There’s no need to cling to grudges. We are one family.” Looking at the two younger people’s sincere and remorseful expressions, Lin Yuangui softened immediately and offered exactly those comforting words.

Shen Huifang remained firm yet not severe. The aftermath of Yu Fei had been severe—near ruin, near collapse of everything—but in front of the whole Lin clan, the two youngsters’ respectful attitude left her with little room for harshness. Reluctantly, she accepted their apology.

Lin Yuxin said nothing, only nodded vaguely. Hong Chen stayed silent to the point of not even nodding.

The six of them touched glasses and drank a token sip each, sealing the reconciliation.

As soon as the two returned to their seats, Lin Yuanhai took his cup and came before Lin Yuxin.

“With Yuxin,” he said in a gentle tone, “Great Uncle here may not have been as supportive at work as he should have been these past years. Please understand. The Lin Group has not performed well in recent years, and as president I have had to make decisions only after multiple considerations. Some of them were not mine alone. Here—Great Uncle toasts you. May your career soar.”

For an elder to personally toast a younger relative is a polite way of asking forgiveness wrapped in congratulations. Lin Yuxin could not refuse him. She rose, touched cups with him, and drank a little.

Now that all three branches had made their appearances and established their roles, Grandmother resumed. She waited for a pause, then turned toward Lin Yuxin with a kindly expression.

“Yuxin, I want to discuss two things with you,” she said. “First, your uncle said the Zhao Ruiya people were originally transferred from the Lin Group to Linfeng Trade according to company orders. Since you became president, they’ve worked well with you. Linfeng Trade now has a new owner, but those people are your old subordinates. If they were turned away, that would be rather cruel. I think you should keep them on. You know them already, and it will help you at the start of your work.”

“Second, Yuangui is taking up the vice-presidency tomorrow. He will be responsible for business and the market side. As far as you can, help him. You and your father are family; there is nothing you need to avoid when you communicate.”

She spoke only to Lin Yuxin, yet the room, previously full of small talk, grew silent. Every eye turned toward her.

Yuxin seemed not to notice the stares. She kept her calm and replied, with a faint trace of apology, “Grandmother, I told you clearly this afternoon on the phone. This is not something I can decide. It was an instruction from higher management. If I were to defy the order in private and be discovered, they would no longer trust me. My term as president would end before it properly begins. You would not ask me to gamble my career.”

Her refusal was courteous, clear, and not in conflict with etiquette. Grandmother’s expression darkened for a moment, though she already seemed to anticipate this explanation. She nodded.

“Grandmother understands. When you mention your company leaders, you mean Hong Chen’s superior, yes? I heard this from Meimei. He is the newly appointed Director of the Business Development Department. I imagine it was that misunderstanding between Meimei and him that gave him a poor impression of our family.”

She cast a glance at Hong Chen and continued, “Meimei told me that Hong Chen and his superior get along well. It was your superior who intervened then in Yu Fei’s affair. So perhaps this: ask Hong Chen to invite his superior, and let Meimei go in person and apologize. A great superior is usually magnanimous; he won’t bicker over a young woman on such a trifling point. Once the misunderstanding is cleared, there’ll be no problem.”

Before Grandmother could finish, Lin Meimei sprang up at once. Determination shone in her face, and before anyone noticed, her eyes had already turned faintly red. She turned to Hong Chen and spoke, deeply contrite:

“Hong Chen, I know I used to mock and sneer at you, and it was my fault. Please forgive me. I promise I won’t do it again. This time, I brought trouble to the Lin family. As long as I can have your boss forgive me, I will agree to any request—even if I have to kneel and bow my head to him.”