Chapter 273 272: Men Fear Fame

Mu Lin chuckled. "As of today, Tang Shuang has officially started working and learning at the hotel. She's getting a general manager's salary, so she should be the one taking care of *you*!"

Tang Zhi was taken aback, not having expected this turn of events.

Wu Henghai beckoned to Mu Lin, motioning for him to step outside. He had other matters to discuss with him.

Wu Henghai led Mu Lin to a conference room that was being used as a temporary office.

"Mu Lin, there's a rather troublesome matter, and I need to get your input on it."

Mu Lin thought for a moment but couldn't figure out what Wu Henghai was referring to.

"I don't really have an opinion. Captain Wu, just do whatever you think is best."

"Hear me out first. It's not what you think," Wu Henghai said with a chuckle.

Mu Lin listened quietly as Wu Henghai explained, and then it dawned on him.

After he had dealt with Li Tianhuo, Wu Henghai, for some inexplicable reason, had included him in the official report.

And now, they were about to issue a reward for him.

Mu Lin was annoyed.

"I mean, seriously, Captain Wu, why did you have to write me into the report? Wasn't our old arrangement great? You guys take the credit, and I take the cash. Don't you know that a high profile just makes you a bigger target?"

Wu Henghai lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying, "Ling Qiao wrote the report. I thought it was excellent, so I didn't touch it. Besides, if we hadn't explained your involvement, I'm afraid the higher-ups wouldn't have bought it. Since Li Tianhuo had that last-minute breakthrough to the Innate Divine Realm, there's no way we could have defeated him on our own. We couldn't plausibly take credit for it."

Mu Lin fell silent. 'He hadn't considered that. Wu Henghai has a point. If anyone started asking questions, they'd have a hard time coming up with answers.'

"Fine, I get it. Looks like I have no choice but to become famous this time."

"So, what's next?" Mu Lin asked.

"You're being credited with the primary contribution. According to regulations, you will be awarded ten million."

Wu Henghai knew Mu Lin didn't care about ten million. To someone who owned the Celestial Phoenix Hotel, that amount of money was just a drop in the bucket.

But he didn't dare to just pocket the money himself.

Compared to a bit of cash, his relationship with Mu Lin was far more important.

"Also, since you aren't a member of the Military Suppression Bureau, we can't make any public announcements about your involvement."

Mu Lin thought that suited him just fine. 'Members of the Military Suppression Bureau could look out for one another, but a lone wolf was an easy target for retaliation from those involved.'

'Of course they'd have to keep it confidential to protect the person who rendered meritorious service.'

Mu Lin said cheerfully, "I see. So, where's the stuff?"

"It's all still under lock and key in the evidence warehouse, but I have the inventory list right here," Wu Henghai said, holding up a tablet. "There's a manual for the Flame Palm and its corresponding Mental Method, plus several domestic and international bank cards containing around five hundred million in funds."

"Additionally, there are two porcelain vials. The pills inside are supposed to be something special, but Ling Qiao said she wouldn't appraise them and that you should do it yourself."

Mu Lin chuckled. 'So that girl Ling Qiao is still holding a grudge, huh.'

He started thinking. 'The other items are just material possessions. Only the Flame Palm Cultivation Technique is genuinely useful.'

"All of it for me?" Mu Lin was inwardly astonished. 'These people must be insane.'

"Yes, all of it for you!" Wu Henghai exclaimed excitedly.

Mu Lin curled his lip. "Why give it all to me? Isn't it better to just confiscate it? That way, you'd get a ton of valuable intelligence. Does your director even know who I am?"

"I don't know either," Wu Henghai said, lost in thought. "But there is one other thing. Shi Qian Dong's captain is furious with you. He wants revenge."

Mu Lin pursed his lips. "What's the big deal? What's his name, and what's his cultivation level?"

"Zhang Bei. He's a Late-stage Grandmaster."

Mu Lin smiled. "I have other things to deal with at the moment. Let him try. If he's foolish enough to come after me, I'll be happy to send him on his way."

Wu Henghai scratched his head. "Ah, Divine Doctor Mu, why go through the trouble? How about I talk to him for you, see if we can't bury the hatchet? It's exhausting to always be on guard, after all."

Mu Lin considered it and agreed. He said earnestly to Wu Henghai, "In that case, thank you, Captain Wu! I appreciate you going to the trouble!"

Wu Henghai smiled faintly. "It's no trouble. Just lending a hand, that's all."

As Mu Lin turned and left, Shen Xilu, who had been silent the whole time, sighed and spoke up. "Captain, when did we become so subservient? Are we really just going to throw everything away? Is it right for us to be sucking up to Mu Lin like this?"

Wu Henghai sneered. "If I didn't know what kind of person you are, I'd have planted you by his side long ago... I even would have had the drugs ready."

Shen Xilu's face changed. "Captain, what are you saying?" she demanded angrily. "Be honest, how long have you been plotting against me?"

Wu Henghai chuckled. "What are you so tense for? Did I say I was going to hurt you? With that attitude of yours, do you really think I'd let you get near Mu Lin? You'd probably just end up turning him into our mortal enemy!"

Shen Xilu's expression turned sour. 'The captain is straight-up looking down on me.'

"Captain, what's that supposed to mean?"

Wu Henghai said, "With your personality, it's better you don't bring ruin upon others. Just stay single and fabulous by yourself!"

With a stern face, Shen Xilu furiously pounded on Wu Henghai's head with her little fists.

Wu Henghai paid her no mind and continued, "Mu Lin is only in his early twenties, yet he's already a master of the Innate Divine Realm. His future is boundless. It would be a huge boon if we could get someone close to him, earn his goodwill. A pity, really. You have the looks and the talent, but you just don't have the right temperament… What a shame!"

Hearing this, Shen Xilu felt a pang of disappointment, as if she had just missed out on a golden opportunity.

'Then again,' she thought, 'if it means I'd have to spend all my time trying to curry favor with Mu Lin, then forget it. Staying single and fabulous sounds much better.'

"This kid... The director suspects he's a prodigy carefully groomed by some major power, sent down from the mountains to gain experience now that his cultivation is sufficient. That's why we've been racking our brains for a way to get on his good side. This was a chance to give him a gift without drawing too much attention, so we just went all in."

Shen Xilu nodded repeatedly. 'There are so many hidden intricacies,' she thought. 'And I couldn't see any of them.'

"You're incredible, Captain. You can see through all this plotting so clearly. Why can't I see any of it?"

Wu Henghai said, "If you spent less time fawning over boy bands and girl groups and more time actually using your brain, you'd figure it out!"

Shen Xilu nodded thoughtfully.

Tang Zhi drove Mu Lin back to the Bai Family estate, speaking as he went.

"Brother Mu, I looked through the old files and asked around with some people from back then. I found out the relationship between the Bai Family and the Military Suppression Bureau is truly terrible, and the whole situation is a real headache."

Mu Lin nodded slowly. "Go on."

Tang Zhi spoke slowly. "When he was young, Bai Zhenshan was a famous Martial Dao genius in Nanjiang. He captured the hearts of countless young women, including the number one beauty of Songyang at the time. Their relationship progressed very quickly."

However, the son of a powerful figure in Di Yang had also taken an interest in her. She turned him down and, as expected, married Bai Zhenshan.

Furious and humiliated, the young heir hired a Martial Arts Grandmaster to assassinate her.

Unable to contain his rage, Bai Zhenshan reported the crime to the Military Suppression Bureau, demanding justice for his wife.

The Military Suppression Bureau accepted the case on the surface, but in reality, they did absolutely nothing.

Only then did Bai Zhenshan realize that the entire Military Suppression Bureau was terrified and didn't dare to make a move against the perpetrator.

Enraged, Bai Zhenshan stormed the Military Suppression Bureau, causing a massive uproar that was the talk of the town for a while.

The Military Suppression Bureau knew they were in the wrong. Moreover, they knew Bai Zhenshan had a bright future and didn't want to make an enemy of him, so they just grit their teeth and endured his tirade.

Later, Bai Zhenshan discovered the saber manual, and his reputation grew even more renowned.

But with that thorn still stuck in his side from the past, Bai Zhenshan refused all contact with anyone from the Military Suppression Bureau.

Mu Lin asked, "So, who was that murderous heir? Can you find out?"

Tang Zhi shook his head. "It's not that easy. I've asked around discreetly, but everyone is tight-lipped. It seems to be connected to the Ning Family—one of their influential members."

Mu Lin sighed. Unless Bai Zhenshan himself was willing to speak, he would likely take this secret to his grave.

"It's almost laughable," Mu Lin mused. "To think there are people the Military Suppression Bureau doesn't dare to touch. I was under the impression they were as lawless as they come."

Tang Zhi's heart grew heavy. After everything he'd been through, he also knew the Military Suppression Bureau wasn't the beacon of righteousness it claimed to be.

He was just trying to hang on to his job.

"If they insisted on pursuing it, they could have. But the Military Suppression Bureau has to prioritize the safety of the common people. If they gambled the Bureau's entire strength on a war with the Ning Family, who would be left to deal with all the evil cultivators in the world?"

Mu Lin was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly.

'Not everyone can be as carefree as I am.'