Chapter 388 - 240: So I’m the Clown?

A black Tank 700 pulled up and stopped at the clinic’s entrance.

The people inside got out one by one.

Xu Lin’s mother, Wang Xiazhi, was the first to get out. Following close behind was a woman about the same age named Liu Shuqin, her former colleague.

The driver’s door opened, and a man in his thirties stepped out.

He wore gray casual slacks, black leather shoes, a white shirt, and a pair of black-framed glasses, giving him a scholarly air.

The man’s name was Cao Huaning. He had opened a dental clinic in Zhonghai.

Business had been good over the years. He’d made a lot of money and had even recently bought a new car.

Wang Xiazhi and Liu Shuqin were not only former colleagues but also old neighbors. After hearing that Xu Lin had opened a traditional Chinese medicine clinic, Liu Shuqin said she wanted to come see it.

"This storefront is really well done," Liu Shuqin said.

"Our little Linlin was always a sharp one. Now she’s more impressive than ever, opening her own Chinese medicine hospital."

"Ah, she had some help getting it all set up. She couldn’t have managed a place this big on her own."

Wang Xiazhi was beaming with pride. Her daughter was successful and had even found a young boyfriend. ’Even if they can’t get married, he’s good to her,’ she thought, feeling content.

"It’s hard to start a business on your own these days. It’s normal to have help," Cao Huaning said.

"When our Huaning’s hospital first opened, we helped out a lot too. It’s perfectly normal."

Liu Shuqin looked at Cao Huaning.

"Son, you’ve been running your hospital for so many years and have plenty of experience. When you see Linlin later, give her some advice. See if there’s anything lacking. We’re all close here."

"I know, Mom. I won’t hold back," Cao Huaning said with a smile.

Just then, Xu Lin’s voice came from inside. Lin Jiang was standing beside her.

"Mom, Aunt Liu, you’re here."

"Oh, Xiaojiang is here too!"

Seeing Lin Jiang, Wang Xiazhi’s smile grew even wider.

"I wasn’t busy today, so I came to have a look," Lin Jiang replied with a smile.

"Perfect timing. Let’s all go in and see it. The renovations have been done for a few days, but I haven’t been here yet."

The group entered the clinic together. Cao Huaning walked at the back, looking Lin Jiang up and down.

’Judging by his clothes and appearance, he looks several years younger than Xu Lin. They’re probably colleagues, or maybe he’s a doctor she hired.’

"Son, Linlin’s clinic is huge! It’s much bigger than yours," Liu Shuqin whispered.

Cao Huaning glanced around. "Indeed. The rent alone must be in the millions."

"She used to run a small herbal medicine shop. It hasn’t been that long, and now she’s opened such a big hospital. She’s really bold with her investments, not afraid of losing it all."

"The two businesses might seem related, but they’re worlds apart. I’m guessing she misjudged the market. Once she opens, she’ll find out just how difficult this industry is."

Cao Huaning sighed. "Women tend to be too emotional in business. She’ll learn once she’s been through it. A lesson learned the hard way."

"And look at that guy. He couldn’t be her boyfriend, could he?"

"Probably not. There’s a big age gap," Cao Huaning said.

Liu Shuqin watched Lin Jiang and Xu Lin walking ahead, whispering to each other, and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

The group finished their tour and gathered in the main hall of the clinic. Liu Shuqin said,

"Son, take a look and see if anything is lacking. Better to fix it now so it doesn’t affect business later."

"Oh, I’d feel bad about that. We’d be taking up Huaning’s time."

Wang Xiazhi was just being polite; secretly, she hoped they would take a good, long look.

"We’ve known each other for so many years, why are you being so formal with me?"

Liu Shuqin was also smiling happily. "My son runs a hospital too. They’ll be colleagues in the same field from now on. It’s only right that they help each other."

"Alright then, I won’t be a stranger. Go ahead and give us some guidance."

Cao Huaning didn’t hold back at all. He immediately started wandering around the clinic with the air of a high-ranking official on an inspection tour.

"What’s this guy’s deal?" Lin Jiang asked in a low voice.

Xu Lin shrugged helplessly. "He opened a dental clinic. I hear business is pretty good, but that’s all I know. We don’t really keep in touch."

"He runs a clinic and dares to say he runs a hospital?"

"When you’re out and about, everyone likes to talk themselves up. It’s normal. Just let him brag," Xu Lin said with a smile.

Lin Jiang glanced at Cao Huaning, who was still making his "inspection."

"This guy is really putting on a show. A dentist, coming here to criticize your place."

"Some people are just like that. You get used to it."

Just as they were talking, Cao Huaning walked back over.

"It looks pretty good," he began, "but you’re a little short on equipment. As for the decor, a more modern, minimalist style would have been better. Beyond that, it all depends on what kind of doctors you can find. That’s the most important thing."

"We’re just getting started. We’ll gradually acquire more over time."

"You’re right, the equipment isn’t urgent. But I think you’re missing a very important department here."

"Which one?"

"Dentistry."

"Dentistry is very profitable. We could cooperate. Think of it as me giving you a leg up, helping you boost your revenue in the short term."

Lin Jiang listened in silence.

’A few of the major traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in Zhonghai do have dental departments.’

’But those are municipal-level hospitals. That’s a completely different concept from a small private clinic. With a different scale, you can’t be expected to cover every single specialty.’

’Adding a so-called dental department here would just make the place seem odd and out of place.’

"That’s not a priority. We can discuss it after we’re open for business."

Xu Lin didn’t indulge him, rejecting his offer outright.

Cao Huaning didn’t seem to catch the subtext and continued on his own tangent.

"If you ever need anything in that regard, just give me a call anytime. I’ve been running a hospital for many years, so I have plenty of experience."

With that, Cao Huaning took out his phone. "Let’s add each other as friends. You can contact me anytime if you have questions."

"My phone’s in my bag, I didn’t bring it down. I’ll add you in a bit."

"Alright, no rush."

"Linlin..."

At this point, Liu Shuqin spoke up.

"I watched you grow up, and now you and my son are colleagues. You two should add each other and communicate more. Work hard to grow your businesses, and life will get better and better."

"You’re right, Aunt Liu."

"Linlin, I heard you got divorced. Now you have to run a business and take care of your child. Can you really manage it all on your own?" Liu Shuqin asked.

"My mom helps watch the child, and here at the clinic, I’m mainly in charge of administration. It’s manageable for now."

"That may be true, but you can’t be alone forever. If you meet someone suitable, you should give it a try."

Liu Shuqin glanced at her son with a knowing smile and said,

"You two are in the same profession, about the same age, and you’ve known each other forever. You should talk more in private."

Cao Huaning broke into a pretentious smile. It reminded Lin Jiang of that viral male streamer beloved by middle-aged women, the one with a thousand cringey mannerisms a minute. It was hard to keep a straight face.

"Linlin, why don’t we have dinner together tonight?" Cao Huaning made his move. "Your clinic still needs a lot of equipment. As it happens, I have many well-off friends in my circle who have some money and are looking to invest in the medical industry. I can set up a meeting, introduce you, and help you make some connections."

"I’m afraid I can’t. I already have plans to have dinner with him tonight," Xu Lin said openly, making no effort to hide it.

Cao Huaning glanced at Lin Jiang, then his eyes snapped back to Xu Lin.

"The thing is, my friends are all very busy people. It’s not easy to get them all together. If we miss today, it might be very difficult to gather them all again."

"Linlin, you should prioritize work. If you secure the investment and get all the equipment, your clinic will have no weaknesses," Liu Shuqin chimed in.

"To get all the equipment I need, I’d need at least five or six million in investment. That’s no small sum," Xu Lin said.

"You still need that much money?!"

Clearly, this figure was beyond Liu Shuqin’s expectations.

Birds of a feather flock together. In her social circle, five or six million was an enormous sum, not something one could come up with casually.

Subconsciously, Liu Shuqin looked toward her son.

’At this point, I can’t help anymore. It’s up to him to make an effort.’

"Five or six million is certainly not a small number," Cao Huaning said, "but my friends are all doing quite well. I can’t make any huge promises, but if a few of them pool their money, they could probably come up with three or four million. I can help you figure out the rest. It should be easy enough to get the full amount."

Cao Huaning took out his phone. "Anywhere you’d like to eat? I’ll book a place and call them now."

Xu Lin smiled and linked her arm through Lin Jiang’s.

"I’m having dinner with him today. I’m sorry."

The expressions on Cao Huaning and Liu Shuqin’s faces froze. They couldn’t quite process what had just happened.

After they had gone to such lengths, they thought it was a done deal. They never imagined Xu Lin would still refuse.

Most importantly, she had linked her arm with his. That made Cao Huaning’s composure start to crack.

"It seems you don’t need any financial assistance, then."

"That’s right," Xu Lin said, nodding with a smile. She looked at Wang Xiazhi. "Mom, Mr. Lin Jiang and I have something to attend to, so we’re going to head out. Please show Aunt Liu around. I won’t be able to accompany you."

"Of course, of course. Go take care of your business."

"Aunt Liu, Brother Cao, I’ll be leaving first. Please, take your time looking around."

With that, Xu Lin left, still holding onto Lin Jiang’s arm.

Watching them leave, Cao Huaning’s expression was incredibly strained.

"If it were me, I would’ve just offered to invest a few hundred million," Lin Jiang said as they walked.

"Even if you offered that much, I wouldn’t dare take it."

"You just said you were short five or six million for equipment. I’ll transfer it to you later."

"No need. I haven’t even finished spending the money you gave me before. I want to do this step-by-step and take my time."

"Alright. Just let me know if you’re short on cash."

"Okay."

Cao Huaning: ???

’He’s the one who invested in this clinic?’

Recalling everything he had just said, Cao Huaning wished he could find a hole in the ground and crawl into it.

’So I was the clown all along!’