Chapter Ninety-Nine: The Old Lady's Shamelessness, Lin Yuxin's Unyielding Resolve

The president was the highest executive responsible for a company’s daily operations, while the appointment and removal of senior management, along with the distribution of equity incentives, were matters for the board of directors. Yet now all of that had been gathered into a single pair of hands.

Lin Yuxin was not merely continuing as president of Linfeng Trading; in effect, she had also assumed the role of chairman, and was even directly exercising most of the board’s powers.

How could this be?

Whether it was the people coming down from the group to take up executive positions at Linfeng Trading, or the old guard of the company such as Zhao Ruiya, even Lin Yuxin herself, all of them were stunned beyond belief.

In truth, even Kang Xiao, who was responsible for making the announcement, found it incredible. Before he set out for Linfeng Trading, Gao Tianxiong had specifically summoned him to his office and instructed him personally.

It could be said that from this moment on, Lin Yuxin held absolute authority at Linfeng Trading. Compared with the past, when she had to answer to the upper management of the Lin Group at every turn, her power had grown far, far greater.

To use an imperfect analogy, the old Lin Yuxin had been like a prime minister carrying imperial blood, whereas the Lin Yuxin of now was the true emperor.

The conference room fell into dead silence.

“Kang, President Kang, when I went to the Comprehensive Management Department on Monday to report, I heard that the group would send down a deputy director from management to serve as president.” Zhao Ruiya finally blurted out after holding it in for more than ten seconds, her stiff expression looking as though she were badly constipated.

Kang Xiao glanced at her, then pointed to Qiu Susu and said flatly, “This is Deputy Director Qiu of the Comprehensive Management Department. She is now proposed for appointment as vice president, or executive president of Linfeng Trading. You missed two words.”

Zhao Ruiya’s eye twitched. After struggling for a moment inwardly, she clenched her teeth and said, “The president is responsible for the company’s daily operations. Personnel appointments for management shouldn’t be within the president’s authority. They should be assigned by the group...”

Kang Xiao’s brows drew together, and his face darkened. In an unhappy tone, he cut her off: “Vice President Zhao, what do you mean? Are you questioning the group’s decision?”

Zhao Ruiya was left choked speechless. Her face flushed red, and her heart was filled with resentment, bitterness, and despair. As for the director under her supervision over two departments, his face had already gone ashen.

Then Kang Xiao led the applause, and the others hurriedly followed, offering congratulations to Lin Yuxin. At Kang Xiao’s suggestion, Lin Yuxin, who had been entirely unprepared for this, said a few simple words.

After the meeting ended, Kang Xiao did not stay for lunch. Lin Yuxin saw him off to the ground floor, watched him get into the car and leave, then did not rush back to the company. Instead, she went to a tea house across the street, took a private room, and ordered a working lunch.

From the deepest darkness of a valley, she had suddenly arrived atop a sunlit peak. Even now she still felt as though she were dreaming. She needed time to digest it all.

It took her more than half an hour to finish the meal. Just as she was about to call for the bill, her phone rang. Seeing the caller, her expression turned instantly cold. She drew a light breath, then still answered.

“Yuxin, I heard that Hongcheng Group has appointed you to continue serving as president of Linfeng Trading?” The old lady’s voice was gentle, like the greeting of a benevolent elder to a junior.

Lin Yuxin was not surprised that the old lady had received the news so quickly. She guessed that Zhao Ruiya had most likely called Lin Yuanhai, and Lin Yuanhai, knowing he was in the wrong and perhaps unable to suppress her, had invited the old lady to step in. Since she was calling so soon, she was surely about to make things difficult for her again...

Lin Yuxin gave a soft reply. “Yes.”

The old lady went on, “I also heard that Hongcheng Group is giving Linfeng Trading very strong support, injecting capital and providing projects. Linfeng Trading has grown several times larger than before. Not only do you now have the power to appoint and dismiss personnel, even the management’s notional-share incentives are being distributed by you?”

“Yes.”

“Good, good. At last our Lin family’s younger generation has produced someone promising. Yuxin, Grandma congratulates you.”

The old lady’s laughter was full of delight and relief, but then her tone changed. “Since Linfeng Trading is expanding, it will certainly need to hire a lot of people. Yuxin, here’s what Grandma was thinking: the two pharmacies under the Lin name were handed over to the Liu family, and your second uncle, as vice president, is effectively idle now. Why not let him go to Linfeng Trading to help you? Give him a vice president position. As for Meimei, her advertising company is barely hanging on anyway. Why not simply have her shut it down and go work at Linfeng Trading too? First give her a department like planning or design and let her serve as deputy director for a transition, then promote her to director. That way she can also get a share of the notional-share incentives.”

Even though Lin Yuxin had long anticipated this, she still felt a wave of embarrassment. She could not possibly describe the feeling in her heart.

When Lin Yufei had been in trouble, the family had nearly gone bankrupt, even to the point of ruin and death. Had any member of the Lin family reached out to help? Not only had no one helped, they had all rushed in to carve up the spoils.

Now that fortune had turned in her favor, they wanted her to bring blessings back upon the entire Lin family in return. Shameless was too mild a word. Brazen, no, utterly shameless.

The moment Lin Yuxin had agreed to hand over thirty-five percent of Linfeng Trading’s shares to the Lin family for nothing at all, she had sworn in her heart that it would be the last time she ever compromised with them.

She thought for a moment, neither complaining nor venting her anger, and said in a very calm tone, “Grandma, I need to tell you something. Hong Chen’s boss has personally issued instructions that Linfeng Trading must not hire anyone from the Lin family, and must not have any business dealings with them.”

“How could that be...”

“Grandma, don’t forget why Meimei’s advertising company was blacklisted by Hongcheng Group in the first place, or why Linfeng Trading was handed over to Hongcheng Group this time. That was all by Hong Chen’s boss’s will. Including my ability to remain president and exercise additional authority, that too is because of Hong Chen’s boss’s regard.”

Lin Yuxin’s face was calm to the point of eeriness, carrying an unshakable resolve. Then she suddenly changed the subject. “There is one more thing I think I should mention in advance. Linfeng Trading will undergo a major personnel overhaul. A number of original employees, including Zhao Ruiya, will be dismissed, because they were all transferred here from the Lin Group in the first place. That too was specifically emphasized by Hong Chen’s boss.”

When she finished, silence abruptly fell on the other end of the line. Lin Yuxin could vaguely hear heavy breathing. She understood at once that the old lady had been furious.

Linfeng Trading would not hire Lin family members, would not do business with them, and would even purge everyone connected to the Lin Group. This was the same as making it unmistakably clear to the old lady that the Lin family should not expect to gain so much as a single cent from Linfeng Trading.

The silence lasted for a full half minute. In the end, the old lady never said another word, and only the flat, disconnected tone of the call remained.

Lin Yuxin expressionlessly put away her phone and called the waiter to pay.

...

On the other side, Hong Chen was busy as a dog.

The line outside the clinic had originally been ten people long. Yet after Hong Chen spent more than an hour seeing them, the queue had instead grown to more than twenty. That was not all; Qi Gang had also received calls from several other branches of the Health Hall, saying that many patients had come in specifically asking for the divine doctor surnamed Hong. Upon hearing that Hong Chen was seeing patients at Branch One, they were already on their way.

After treating another twenty-odd patients, nearly four hours of nonstop work had left Hong Chen somewhat weary. He gave Qi Gang a few instructions, then rose and went into a lounge inside.

A while later, Qi Gang hurried in, wiping the hot sweat from his forehead. Seeing Hong Chen just lighting a cigarette, he quickly produced a lighter and lit it for him.

“The result of the first round of the Healer Sage contest is out. Aside from you, only six people managed to treat three cases within two hours. From second to seventh place were: Di Xiu, the chief physician of Central Health Hall; Physician Wang; Physician Ye of Jiang Medicine Workshop; Lei Minmin, chief of Traditional Medicine Pavilion; Dr. Liu of Qing City First Hospital; and Dr. Zhang of Qing City Second Hospital. The other three each treated two cases successfully, and were placed eighth, ninth, and tenth by the judges.”

Without Hong Chen even asking, Qi Gang took the initiative to report. “Even Di Xiu, who came in second, took nearly an hour to complete the competition. Speed of consultation does not necessarily mean better medical skill, of course, but it is at least a very important reference. With your advantage being so huge, almost everyone in the field now believes you will take first place in Qing City.”

“I can say with certainty that in the coming days, many families will come to discuss cooperation, and the business at Health Hall will become much more bustling than before. A lot of patients will also specifically request to be treated by you.”

“Young Master Chen, if you only come one day a week and still refuse to personally see patients, I’m afraid that won’t do...”

Hong Chen gave him an expressionless look and exhaled a lazy stream of smoke. “Meeting people to discuss cooperation is your job. Don’t agree too quickly, and don’t refuse outright either. Wait a few days and decide according to the situation. As for patients asking for me specifically, fine: I’ll see patients twice a week, twenty people each time, by appointment only.”

Qi Gang smiled wryly.

Today, Hong Chen had made his name in a single battle. And now, after four hours back at the clinic, he had already cured more than thirty patients in succession, several of whom had suffered from stubborn chronic illnesses for years. This would spread from ten to a hundred in no time at all, and the number of patients who came seeking him would surely be in the hundreds, even thousands, every week. With only forty appointment slots, people would be fighting over them.

“Don’t give me that look. I told you long ago that treating people is not my main work, not even a hobby. Being shoved onto the horse now is already more than I care to do.”

Hong Chen saw the expression on his face and guessed what he was thinking, but remained unmoved. Just as Qi Gang was about to say something, Hong Chen’s phone rang with a colorful ringtone. Hong Chen answered, listened to Lin Yuxin on the other end, and replied with a series of hums and ahs. Before hanging up, his brows tightened slightly, and he sighed. “All right. Six o’clock. I’ll be at your company entrance on time.”

After the call ended, Hong Chen raised a hand and pointed outside. “It’s three-thirty now. I’m leaving at five. Let’s call it a benefit giveaway for today. Ten more patients, that’s all. Go arrange it. I’ll be out in five minutes.”

Qi Gang’s face stiffened. “Young Master Chen, there are more than twenty people waiting outside right now. Even if we tell the people behind not to come in anymore, we still have to finish seeing these twenty-odd patients first.”

“You should have said so earlier, damn it.” Hong Chen shot him a hard glare, stubbed out his cigarette, and stood at once. “Hurry up and tell them we’re not taking anyone else. Twenty-some people, move fast. We have to get it done before five.”

Qi Gang’s gaze flickered. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end swallowed the words back down.

Before, whenever Hong Chen saw patients, Qi Gang had always stayed at his side helping out. In his view, treating ten patients in more than an hour was already a speed like lightning. Yet now Hong Chen had casually said he wanted to more than double that pace. It left Qi Gang with the strange illusion that, in Hong Chen’s eyes, those people were not living, breathing patients at all, but products on an assembly line, waiting for a missing piece to be filled in. If he wanted efficiency to rise, all he had to do was turn the motor a little harder.