Chapter 519 517: Xuanji Fund

"You two have done every evil thing imaginable, so this retribution is what you deserve. Now get the hell out of here!"

"We'll go. We're going right now."

Like an old dog with a broken back, Zhang Kun waved for his bodyguards to drag away his half-dead son.

He then hurriedly scrambled into his car.

"Elder Mo, how could you just let them leave?"

As the car drove away, Mu Lin slapped his forehead, a strange expression on his face.

Mo Cangsong said blankly, "They've already lost everything. Surely Mr. Mu doesn't intend to wipe them out completely?"

"You've misunderstood. I never said I wanted to wipe them out completely."

Mu Lin didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Have you forgotten? Zhang Xiaobei still owes me a hundred million."

"Ah!"

Mo Cangsong snapped back to his senses.

'How could I have forgotten about that?'

"Mr. Mu, please don't be upset. I'll cover that amount."

Finally having a chance to get a word in with Mu Lin, Yang Shaokang offered to give him the hundred million to repay him for saving his life.

"No, no, no, I can't do that."

Mu Lin quickly shook his head. "The Zhang Family's money is all dirty money. I could take a billion from them, let alone a hundred million, and my conscience would be clear."

"Please don't refuse. You did me a great service. Let me take this opportunity to repay you."

Yang Shaokang said sincerely, "If you hadn't intervened and treated me when you did, that father-son duo might have literally angered me to death."

"And the Profound Secret Pharmacy, as well as Old Su, would have been tormented by those two until their lives were a living hell."

"President Yang is a man who deeply values loyalty and relationships. If you don't accept his thanks, it will continue to weigh on his mind."

Seeing that Yang Shaokang wanted to use this as an opportunity to build a connection with Mu Lin, Su Changyuan naturally chimed in to support him.

"We can talk about this later."

Mu Lin waved his hand.

'When it came to taking money from bad people, he felt no psychological burden, no matter how much.'

'But taking advantage of good people was something he would never do, not even on pain of death.'

Just then, Mu Lin's phone rang.

"President Hong, you handled this beautifully. I'm very satisfied."

As soon as the call connected, Mu Lin began to praise Hong Jiantao profusely.

He didn't know the details of the process, but he had seen the results clearly with his own eyes.

"Mr. Mu, you flatter me. It's what I should have done," Hong Jiantao said humbly.

"I'm calling to ask… Now that the crisis for Mr. Su and the pharmacy is resolved, I've just paid for another batch of dirt on the Zhang family."

"So, Mr. Mu, should we leave it at that, or should I add more fuel to the fire?"

"Release every bit of dirt you have. I want this fire to burn those two bastards to cinders," Mu Lin said grimly.

"Understood, Mr. Mu. I'll have my people post the dirt online right away."

After giving his instructions, Mu Lin hung up.

Su Changyuan and Yang Shaokang were whispering to each other, seemingly in a deep discussion.

"If you two have something to discuss, I'll head out. Take your time."

"Mr. Mu, please wait."

Su Changyuan said hurriedly, "President Yang wants to host a banquet to thank you, but he was afraid you might refuse, so he asked me to act as a go-between. What do you say?"

"Well… all right."

'He had already turned down Yang Shaokang's hundred-million-yuan reward. If he refused the dinner invitation as well, it would make him seem unreasonable.'

Yang Shaokang personally called to book a private room. Afterward, he consulted with Mu Lin, and they agreed to invite the other key contributor, Hong Jiantao, as well.

Without Hong Jiantao orchestrating the media campaign, even Mu Lin wasn't sure how the battle for public opinion would have turned out.

Less than an hour later, the group was gathered in a private room at a clubhouse.

Once the food and drinks were served, Yang Shaokang raised his glass, nodding slightly toward Mu Lin and Hong Jiantao.

"Gentlemen, this toast is to you. If you both hadn't stepped in to help, I truly dread to think what might have happened."

"Mr. Yang, you're being too polite. You've already thanked me dozens of times. There's really no need."

Mu Lin readily downed the wine in his glass, reassuring Yang Shaokang not to dwell on the matter.

"Mr. Hong, why aren't you drinking?"

After his toast with Mu Lin, Yang Shaokang poured another glass, preparing to toast Hong Jiantao.

Hong Jiantao held his glass thoughtfully, his expression solemn.

Hong Jiantao bit his lip and made a surprising request.

He hoped to pour this cup of wine on the ground as a tribute to the spirit of the old president in heaven.

Yang Shaokang was completely bewildered and looked at Hong Jiantao in confusion.

Mu Lin seemed to have guessed something and asked, "President Hong, could it be that you knew the old president of Mingyang Pharmaceutical?"

At these words, a sad expression appeared on Hong Jiantao's face.

He nodded heavily and said, "The old president showed me great kindness. Without his financial support, the Hong Jiantao you see today would not exist."

"Now that we've removed the great cancer that was harming Mingyang Group, I think the old president's spirit in heaven will be very pleased. That's why I wanted to use this wine to pay tribute to him."

"Could it be that you were a beneficiary of the Xuanji Fund?" Su Changyuan asked abruptly.

"That's right."

Hong Jiantao slowly poured the wine from his glass onto the floor, murmuring something under his breath.

Mu Lin turned his head and asked, "Shopkeeper Su, what is the Xuanji Fund?"

"Allow me to explain."

Yang Shaokang told Mu Lin that the Xuanji Fund was a scholarship fund established by the old president.

Using the capital generated by the Profound Secret Pharmacy, the old president founded Yangming Pharmaceutical.

When the group first went public, the old president didn't hold a celebration, nor did he buy a mansion or a luxury car. Instead, he made a rather astonishing decision.

He established the Xuanji Fund, named after the Profound Secret Pharmacy.

Every year, the company would inject fifty million yuan into the fund to support children who were both academically gifted and from impoverished families.

"The old president was truly a rare and good man."

As he listened, Mu Lin's eyes began to redden.

Since his rise to prominence, Mu Lin had seen countless unscrupulous merchants who grew rich by being malevolent.

It was rare to see someone like the old president, a philanthropist who possessed great wealth but, instead of using it to improve his own life, did everything he could to give back to society.

Su Changyuan nodded with deep feeling. "I was also a beneficiary of the Xuanji Fund. Without the Fund's help, I might be working in some clinic or a small pharmacy right now."

These words moved Mu Lin even more.

'A fund of fifty million a year… who knows how many capable students from poor families with big dreams it had supported.'

'It had helped countless people change their destinies.'

The next moment, Mu Lin suddenly remembered something.

"Mr. Yang, after the old president passed away, I imagine the Xuanji Fund ceased to exist, didn't it?"

"It's all that bastard Zhang Kun's fault!"

Yang Shaokang slammed the table and stood up, saying angrily, "Zhang Kun, along with the other shareholders, went against the old president's will. They argued that injecting fifty million a year would have a major impact on the company's cash flow, so they gradually cut funding for the Xuanji Fund."

"In less than two years, the Xuanji Fund existed in name only."

"There's no need to be angry, Mr. Yang. Now that the Zhang family has fallen, the other shareholders are all trying to save their own skins. I believe that with your influence and appeal, you'll soon regain a voice in the company."

Mu Lin consoled him, "At that point, restoring the Xuanji Fund will be just around the corner."

"You're right. After I recover, not only will I return to the company to set things right, but I will also restore the fund and continue helping capable students from humble backgrounds."

Throughout the meal, the men talked endlessly about the old president.

There were two plaques at the entrance of the Profound Secret Pharmacy, which read, "May there be no sickness in the world," and "I would rather the medicine on my shelves gather dust."

The old president had written the calligraphy for both plaques himself.

To fulfill the old president's wish, Su Changyuan had given up multiple opportunities for promotion.

He would rather remain the shopkeeper at the pharmacy than let someone else take over and ruin the fruits of the old president's labor.

Yang Shaokang stood up unsteadily and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mr. Mu. I'm just recovering from a serious illness, and my tolerance for alcohol hasn't fully returned. I'm already feeling dizzy after just a few glasses."

"Please, you all continue drinking. I'll have Old Su take me home."

"Take care on your way, Mr. Yang. Call me if you need anything."

Mu Lin said with a smile, making a phone-call gesture with his hand.

"I will, I will."

Yang Shaokang gave Su Changyuan a meaningful look and slowly walked out of the private room.

Not long after the two left, Mu Lin saw that it was already ten o'clock at night and prepared to head back and rest as well.

"Mr. Mu, look at this."

No sooner had Mu Lin stepped out of the room than Hong Jiantao caught up to him, holding a check in his hand.

"Mr. Yang is certainly a man of principle. He was afraid I'd refuse him to his face, so he left the check this way."

The check was made out for a full one hundred million.

Mu Lin understood what Yang Shaokang meant by this.

"President Hong, if you're not too tired, let's go for a walk in that little park up ahead."

Walking out of the clubhouse, Mu Lin stretched lazily.

'He was curious to ask Hong Jiantao how he had managed to dig up so much dirt on the Zhang family in such a short amount of time.'