Chapter 522 520: I Don't Know Him

"Help him up and come with me."

"Yes."

The bodyguard bent down and helped Ren Yuejin to his feet.

'How can that scourge Mu Lin be here?!'

About ten feet from the park gate, Fang Longhua stopped in his tracks, his mind in utter chaos.

He never would have dreamed that Mu Lin would appear right before his eyes.

Fang Longhua had never met Mu Lin, but that didn't mean he knew nothing about him.

Ever since his cousin Fang Longzhi had suffered a major loss at Mu Lin's hands, the entire Fang Family had regarded Mu Lin as their greatest scourge.

Worried that some clueless relatives might offend this scourge, Fang Longzhi had printed hundreds of Mu Lin's photos.

Everyone related to or associated with the Fang Family received a photo of Mu Lin.

The order from Fang Longzhi was clear: upon encountering Mu Lin, everyone was to avoid him at all costs, unless they received different instructions.

"You must be Fang Longhua."

With a sweep of his spiritual sense, Mu Lin found Fang Longhua was in a state of extreme unease.

'He couldn't help but laugh to himself.'

'Looks like Fang Longzhi must have told his little cousin about me.'

"Yes, yes! I'm Fang Longhua. Mr. Mu, hello, a pleasure to meet you."

Fang Longhua seemed like a different person. His previously expressionless poker face was gone, replaced by a broad, fawning smile as he extended both hands to Mu Lin, attempting to shake his.

Mu Lin glanced at Fang Longhua's outstretched hands and said bluntly, "Considering the relationship between our families, do you really think a handshake is necessary?"

Hearing this, Fang Longhua sheepishly withdrew his hands.

"Boss, that's the little bastard who led the beating! You can't let him get away with it!"

Due to his severe injuries, Ren Yuejin was moving very slowly.

He had only just managed to get there with his bodyguard's help as Fang Longhua was withdrawing his hands.

Ren Yuejin hadn't seen what had just transpired at all.

With malicious intent, Ren Yuejin began to embellish his story, pinning all sorts of baseless accusations on Mu Lin.

He claimed Mu Lin had shown no respect for Fang Longhua and had cursed the Fang Family, calling their men thieves and their women whores.

Mu Lin said playfully, "Fang Longhua, you've got a fine dog here. He not only barks up a storm, but he's also quick to frame others."

"Where did you find such an amusing dog? If it's not too much trouble, tell me. I'd love to find a dog this interesting myself."

"Mr. Mu, please, don't get the wrong idea. I have nothing to do with this man."

Fang Longhua claimed he had just come from a business meeting and was on his way home when he passed by and saw a man lying on the ground.

He only got out of his car to take a look out of curiosity.

The only reason he walked over, he explained, was because he saw Mr. Mu from a distance and wanted to come and pay his respects.

"Is that so?"

A corner of Mu Lin's mouth quirked up.

"My cousin has told me many times that you are a dragon among men. He said if I ever had the honor of meeting you, I must be sure to greet you with the utmost respect."

Fang Longhua pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he explained, "Please, you have to believe me. I really don't know this man. I only had my bodyguard help him up out of the kindness of my heart."

"Boss, I work for you! How can you say you don't know me?"

As Fang Longhua completely disavowed any connection between them, Ren Yuejin looked as if he'd been struck by lightning.

'What is happening?'

Fang Longhua's status in the Fang Family was second only to Fang Longzhi's.

He was, for all intents and purposes, second-in-command, with power over countless others.

'So why is he so deferential to the young man before him, calling him "Mr. Mu" with every breath?'

'And didn't Fang Longhua promise to get revenge for me? Why did he completely change his tune the second he saw Mu Lin?'

Mu Lin said with a cold smile, "You're in a hurry to get home. Why don't you get going?"

"Yes, yes! I'll leave right now, I'll leave right now."

Those words were music to Fang Longhua's ears.

He turned and said, "Leave this man here. Get in the car and take me home."

Fang Longhua had arrived in a hurry, but he left even faster.

Before Ren Yuejin could even process what had happened, the car was gone without a trace.

While some were terrified, others were naturally delighted.

Seeing that Fang Longhua didn't even dare to breathe too loudly in front of Mu Lin, the worried Hong Jiantao and Li Ba finally let out a sigh of relief.

'Just who in the world is Mr. Mu? Even Fang Longhua doesn't dare to touch him?'

'Becoming one of Mr. Mu's men was the smartest decision I, Li Ba, have ever made in my life.'

Though their thoughts differed, they reached an unspoken consensus on one thing.

They would follow Mu Lin closely and never betray him.

"Mr. Mu, spare me! I'll be your dog! I'll be the most loyal dog you could ever have!"

Once he got over his initial shock and confusion, Ren Yuejin assessed the situation.

'Mu Lin's status must be far above Fang Longhua's.'

'Either that, or he has some kind of leverage over the Fang Family.'

'Otherwise, Fang Longhua wouldn't have just slunk away like that.'

Realizing how formidable Mu Lin was, Ren Yuejin immediately changed his tune.

Ignoring his severe injuries, he immediately fell to his knees and started kowtowing.

"I have no interest in keeping a Mad Dog. What if you decide to turn and bite me one day?"

Mu Lin called Li Ba over and told him to find a way to get Ren Yuejin thrown in jail.

He was to stay there for ten years, so he wouldn't have to be annoyed by the sight of him.

"Rest assured, sir. I'll handle it perfectly."

Eager to prove his loyalty, Li Ba began to drag the wailing Ren Yuejin away in the other direction.

After they left, Hong Jiantao asked cautiously, "Mr. Mu, you and the Fang Family...?"

"The Fang Family has suffered at my hands before, so they're wary of me."

Mu Lin said calmly, "You'll learn about my affairs eventually."

"For now, don't overthink it. Just focus on managing Xingchen well for me."

To be honest, Mu Lin truly appreciated Hong Jiantao's talent.

But appreciation alone wasn't enough.

If Hong Jiantao wanted to join Mu Lin's inner circle, he would have to pass a probationary period.

Everyone Mu Lin considered a true confidant shared one common trait: loyalty.

Only when the time was right would Hong Jiantao get the chance to see another side of Mu Lin.

"What took you so long?"

As soon as Mu Lin returned to the villa, he saw Li Xue on the sofa with her laptop.

"A friend here invited me out for a drink, so I'm a bit late. Why are you still up?"

Mu Lin pulled out his phone and glanced at the time.

It was almost eleven at night. Li Xue was usually fast asleep by this time.

"I just have a little work to finish up. Don't think I was waiting for you or anything."

Her words were a classic case of protesting too much.

Grinning, Mu Lin walked over and sat down on the sofa next to her, glancing at her laptop screen.

"Watching a TV series counts as work now?"

Li Xue quickly slammed her laptop shut and explained awkwardly, "It's a corporate drama. This series is actually pretty realistic, so I thought I might get some inspiration from it."

"Alright, alright. Whatever you say."

Mu Lin settled into a more comfortable position. "It's getting late. You should get some sleep, or you'll wake up with dark circles under your eyes."

"Jerk. You're the one with dark circles."

Li Xue tucked her laptop under her arm and headed for her room.

Just as she pushed open her bedroom door, she said, "You were out drinking with your friend, so you probably didn't eat much, did you? I ordered some takeout earlier, but I couldn't eat it all. The leftovers are in the kitchen."

"If you're hungry, you can eat it. If not, just throw it in the trash."

Watching Li Xue hurry into her room, Mu Lin let out a knowing chuckle.

He knew better than anyone that Li Xue never ate after seven in the evening.

'The takeout in the kitchen... she must have ordered it specifically for me.'

'After all, Li Xue isn't a child. Even if she were hungry enough to order takeout, she'd know exactly how much to get. Why would she order too much?'

Sure enough.

Four takeout containers sat neatly in the refrigerator, completely untouched.

Mu Lin then fished the receipt out of the trash can.

Li Xue had ordered a meal for two—a "couple's special," no less.

...

"Cousin, you've been thinking for half an hour. What in the world are we going to do?"

Inside the Fang Family's villa, Fang Longhua looked up at his cousin, Fang Longzhi, who was pacing restlessly around the living room.

"Longhua, I know you can't swallow this insult. Do you think I want to just take this lying down? But the situation is complicated. We can't make a move against Mu Lin without being fully prepared."

"Mu Lin is practically shitting and pissing on our heads! If we keep tolerating it, and the other major families find out, the decades of prestige our Fang Family has built will be completely destroyed!"

Fang Longhua complained, recalling Mu Lin's arrogant demeanor earlier that night.

Even though Ren Yuejin is a man of questionable character, he's still a talent with many years of experience in the media industry.

If they had used him correctly, he could have secured the Fang Family a foothold in the media world.

But Mu Lin had ruined all of that.

When he was getting beaten by Mu Lin and his men, he tried to use the Fang Family's name as a shield.

But not only did Mu Lin not stop, he kept on beating him.

That was a blatant slap in the face to the Fang Family.