Chapter 245 244: Come Work for Me

Mu Lin said, "Were there no other places to go? You had to come to Songyang? Just look at the masters around here. What's their caliber?"

"Do you have any shame, bullying them like this?"

Grandmaster Xiao wiped his sweat. "I can't stay in Di Yang anymore. And with you in Anhua... I just wanted to find a small place to relax and enjoy life..."

Mu Lin asked, "How much does the Bai Family pay you a month?"

"One million a month," Grandmaster Xiao replied.

Mu Lin smiled. "I'll give you one point one million a month. How about you work for me? Then you won't have to be afraid anymore."

Grandmaster Xiao was stunned speechless. He was genuinely worried Mu Lin was just messing with him.

Mu Lin pointed at Tang Shuang. "This is the general manager of the Celestial Phoenix Hotel. You'll be responsible for protecting her and ensuring no riffraff causes trouble for the hotel. If you do a good job, there will be additional rewards."

Hearing the offer, Grandmaster Xiao almost winced.

Mu Lin had the guts to offer it, but he didn't have the guts to accept.

"Grandmaster Mu, it's my honor to be able to work for you. Just by working for you, I'm already receiving your protection. It would be unreasonable to accept a salary of one million on top of that!"

"How about this? I'll take just one hundred thousand a month. That's more than enough for my family and I to live on."

Mu Lin thought for a moment and figured that made sense.

'Why are retainers' salaries so high? A large part of it is hazard pay.'

'Many retainers die violently less than half a year into their post. When that happens, it's over. The employer can't be expected to take care of their family for the rest of their lives, can they?'

'That's why employers offer such high prices upfront. Even if the retainer dies after just one year, his family will be well taken care of.'

Mu Lin understood this principle.

Zhong Wentao and Song Chuan were both incredibly envious when they heard this. A Grandmaster's influence was truly something else.

It wasn't that Zhong Wentao had never heard of Grandmaster-level retainers.

Twenty million a year, non-negotiable.

Song Chuan was in a weaker position; at most, he could only afford a Martial Arts Master to keep up appearances, and this Master Chen had already cost him a pretty penny.

One hundred thousand a month wouldn't even come close.

Mu Lin saw the envious looks on the faces of Zhong Wentao and the others. He knew he was getting a great deal at this price and said with a smile,

"Alright, it's settled."

After a while, during the idle chatter, Grandmaster Xiao learned that Mu Lin was the owner of the Celestial Phoenix Hotel and was inwardly ecstatic.

He was hoping for a more direct connection to Mu Lin. Otherwise, if his only job was protecting Tang Shuang, he feared it wouldn't be long before Mu Lin forgot all about him.

'People come and go for these important figures, a revolving door of faces.'

Knowing that Mu Lin was his direct employer put his mind at ease.

Grandmaster Xiao's eyes narrowed as he suddenly recalled something. "Chairman Mu, do you remember the other guy who fled with me last time? He still hasn't found a new patron. If you need more people, I can call him over."

Mu Lin wasn't opposed, but he was still puzzled. "But will he agree? Won't he be afraid to see me?"

Grandmaster Xiao chuckled. "Working for you is a different story! Of course he'll be willing to come!"

Mu Lin agreed it was a good idea. The more combat power, the better. That way, when he eventually had to leave, Tang Shuang wouldn't run into any major trouble.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill and settled their business, it was finally time to part ways.

Tang Shuang asked Mu Lin where he was headed, and he gave her Hong Rui's address.

It wasn't too far from the hotel. Mu Lin wanted to check on Hong Rui first before heading back to his own room to rest.

The farther they drove, the more Tang Shuang felt something was off. The area was so run-down, it was as if time had stood still, or even rewound to the past.

"Brother Mu, you live here?" Tang Shuang exclaimed. "This place doesn't suit your status at all!"

Mu Lin just smiled. "How so? What status do you think I have?"

"You're a big boss, of course!" Tang Shuang said. "All of Su Longfei's businesses are under your control now. It's just not right for you to live in a place like this."

Mu Lin chuckled. "It's just a roof over my head. Why be so serious about it?"

Mu Lin got out of the car, said goodbye to Tang Shuang, and turned to walk into a small alley.

As soon as he entered, he saw Lin Shishi standing in the doorway.

"Brother Mu, who was that? Your new flame?"

Mu Lin scratched his head. "No, we've only met once. I just helped her out with something."

'A woman you've only met once would drive you home in the middle of the night? Yeah, right! What a load of crap!'

Hong Rui was reading at the dining table. When she saw Mu Lin come back, she quickly stood up.

"Brother Mu, are you hungry? I can make you something to eat."

Mu Lin placed a bag on the table. "It's more like I brought something for *you* to eat."

He had packed up all the leftovers from dinner, not letting even a single piece of diced chicken go to waste.

The Celestial Phoenix Hotel was truly worthy of its title as Songyang's best. The head chef's skills were impeccable, and their repertoire was vast.

'Hong Rui has lived a hard life for too long,' he thought. 'It's time for her to enjoy the finer things.'

'Even if it's just for the sake of her deceased adoptive father, this is what I must do.'

Hong Rui's mouth started watering just looking at the dishes. She quickly pulled Lin Shishi over to join her.

Lin Shishi grabbed her chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded in delight.

"This is amazing! Brother Mu, which restaurant is this from?"

"The Celestial Phoenix Hotel," Mu Lin replied.

"Oh, no wonder. The head chef at the Celestial Phoenix is quite famous. It's not surprising it tastes this good."

The two of them each found a hair tie and pulled their hair back so it wouldn't fall into the food while they ate.

As his gaze swept over them, Mu Lin noticed something was wrong. "What's this?"

Lin Shishi was confused. "A hair tie?"

Mu Lin pointed to the back of Hong Rui's neck. "I mean *this*."

Lin Shishi shook her head. "I don't know."

Mu Lin smiled. "I must be overthinking things. It's nothing, go on and eat."

But inwardly, he was extremely tense.

"Did you two go out shopping today?"

Lin Shishi smiled. "We did! Our dear Hong Rui got accepted into the finance program at Di Yang University! If you're going to be in that field, you have to look the part, right?"

'Huh…' Mu Lin paused. He hadn't expected that.

'She must have just gotten the acceptance letter, otherwise I would have known sooner.'

"Did anything... unusual happen?"

'Unusual?'

Lin Shishi and Hong Rui exchanged a glance. "Getting the acceptance letter?"

Mu Lin sighed. "Something else!"

Hong Rui thought for a moment. "The clothes we bought were really pretty, but Sister Shishi wouldn't let me wear them right away. She said they have to be washed first."

Mu Lin let out a long sigh. "You've both been poisoned, and you don't even realize it!"

Lin Shishi and Hong Rui were both stunned. How could that be!

But Mu Lin's medical skills were proven. If he said it was so, then it was.

Still, Lin Shishi was utterly shocked.

"How could we have been poisoned? We went shopping and came straight home. Everything we ate was homemade."

"In a mall, there are countless opportunities for someone to get close to you. All it takes is a moment of carelessness for something to go wrong," Mu Lin explained.

"Are you talking about a salesperson?" Lin Shishi asked. "We don't have any enemies, old or new. Why would anyone poison us?"

"I don't know. But we shouldn't waste time trying to understand a criminal's motives or guess their intentions."

"Let me neutralize the poison first," Mu Lin said, taking out several silver needles.

He had Lin Shishi lie down flat. Coming from a noble background, Lin Shishi had always focused on her physical fitness, and her figure was top-notch.

Whether because he'd seen it all before or because he was completely focused when treating patients, Mu Lin had no time for appreciation. He simply raised his hand and inserted several needles into her.

Lin Shishi's elegant eyebrows suddenly knitted together. Mu Lin understood at once. That was where the poison was hidden.

"Hold on. This might be a little painful, but it's necessary."

Lin Shishi nodded. Her faith in Mu Lin's medical skills was absolute, almost to the point of being blind.

Mu Lin then circulated his True Qi, sending a surge of it pouring into Lin Shishi's meridians and sweeping through her entire body.

Lin Shishi suddenly sat up, grabbed the trash can by her feet, and vomited into it.

Black, foul-smelling blood immediately filled the bottom of the can.

Hong Rui exclaimed happily, "It's coming out! It's out!"

But Mu Lin's expression remained grim. "It's not over!"

A faint, almost imperceptible trace of poison was still circulating within Lin Shishi's body. It wasn't obvious, but it was no less dangerous than any well-known toxin.

Mu Lin focused his power. "Where do you think you're going!"

His powerful True Qi chased down the wisp of poison and completely annihilated it.

Only then did Mu Lin breathe a sigh of relief, the danger finally past.

"Alright, you're clear," Mu Lin said to Lin Shishi.