Just as Lin Hai had expected, the following afternoon, not long after he arrived at the clinic, a stretched Lincoln silently pulled up in front of it. This time, there were only three people—two bodyguards and the mountain-like man between them.
Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, wore a custom-made white suit and leaned on an ivory cane.
Kingpin had clearly investigated their clinic and knew exactly when Chen Bing and Lin Hai would both be there.
After getting out of the car, Kingpin walked alone toward the clinic entrance. When he pushed open the door, Lin Hai saw this famous Marvel villain for the first time—Spider-Man's arch-enemy, the devilishly muscular Kingpin.
His sheer size made Lin Hai understand for the first time just how fitting the phrase "like a wall" could be.
"Dr. Chen." Kingpin's voice was unexpectedly gentle. "Please allow me to apologize for my men's rudeness yesterday."
Chen Bing nodded, neither servile nor overbearing. "Mr. Fisk has come in person. What can I do for you?"
Kingpin looked around the clinic, his gaze pausing briefly on Lin Hai before settling on the acupuncture chart. "My wife has been suffering frequent migraine attacks recently. I've consulted many doctors, but none have been able to help. I heard Dr. Chen's acupuncture works wonders."
Lin Hai watched the legendary mob boss warily. Kingpin was elegant in both bearing and speech, nothing like the thug Lin Hai had imagined.
In truth, Lin Hai had fallen into a misconception. The underground emperor, the suited brute, the Kingpin who had committed every evil in his memories was not the Kingpin of today. That Kingpin had become cold-blooded, paranoid, and violent only after his wife and son were killed. The contrast between that image and the Kingpin before him was startling.
"Treating illnesses and saving lives is my duty. Please tell me more about your wife's symptoms." Chen Bing gestured for Kingpin to sit.
The conversation that followed was surprisingly ordinary. Kingpin described his wife's condition, Dr. Chen carefully asked for details, prescribed medicine, and even taught him several acupressure techniques.
Throughout it all, Kingpin acted only like an ordinary husband concerned for his wife, without the slightest hint of a gang leader's presence.
"One more thing..." Before leaving, Kingpin suddenly said, "I'm very interested in this young man."
Turning toward Lin Hai, he spoke with a meaningful undertone. "Yesterday, you took down five of my best bodyguards and made them look like ordinary security guards from some random company. Skills like that aren't something an ordinary person could possess, much less a high school student."
Lin Hai tensed every muscle, ready for a possible attack at any moment. But Kingpin merely smiled.
"Relax, young man, relax. I came seeking medical treatment today, not revenge." He took a business card from his pocket and placed it on the counter.
"I appreciate talented people, especially talented young people. If you ever want a change of work environment, perhaps you can call the number on it."
"Lin Hai is my apprentice and my heir. He will not lack job opportunities." Chen Bing stared straight into Kingpin's eyes and spoke firmly.
Kingpin nodded, apparently unsurprised. He must have expected that answer. "Of course, of course. But..." He gave Lin Hai a meaningful look.
"Someone who can cure Devil's Breath poisoning would be very welcome in this city. That drug has harmed quite a few teenagers lately." Kingpin sounded somewhat angry, and also... heartbroken?
Lin Hai suddenly understood something. "You mean... you oppose that drug?"
"I, Wilson Fisk, have many flaws." Kingpin straightened his tie, his expression sincere.
"But selling drugs to children is not one of them. Those Mexicans broke the rules." His tone was calm, yet it sent a chill down Lin Hai's back.
So Lin Hai had indeed misunderstood Kingpin somewhat through tinted glasses. At this point in time, Kingpin not only had a bottom line, but his was higher than those of other gang leaders.
After seeing Kingpin off, Lin Hai let out a long breath. Chen Bing stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Strange. Today, he really did seem like an ordinary patient seeking treatment."
"Master, I think it's more than that." Lin Hai lowered his voice. "He suspects something about my abilities." Since his master had already noticed the abnormalities around him, there was no need for him to keep hiding them.
Kingpin's behavior toward Lin Hai was completely different from that of a gang boss admiring a top-tier enforcer. It had contained far more probing, revealing his curiosity about Lin Hai.
Chen Bing nodded. "In that case, prepare a gift. Isn't his wife having health issues? You can approach it from that angle. Mr. Kingpin seems to care greatly about his family. Showing goodwill toward his wife will give you more room to maneuver when dealing with him."
Lin Hai's eyes lit up. "I can prepare a pot of special-edition Lemon Balm! It can purify the air, release trace calming compounds to help relieve headaches, and its scent is also well suited for women."
"Ordinary Lemon Balm will do!" Chen Bing cut him off sternly. "Remember the lesson. Do not display your special abilities so casually."
But Lin Hai saw things differently and held to his own view, because unlike Chen Bing, he knew what Kingpin would become in the future.
Since the current Kingpin was not the one Lin Hai remembered, that meant some change must have turned him into a cold-blooded, violent underground emperor.
Combined with Kingpin's behavior today, like an ordinary husband seeking treatment for his wife, Lin Hai could more or less draw a conclusion: something must have happened to Kingpin's family, causing his temperament to change so drastically.
So Lin Hai wondered whether he could change that. Could he preserve Kingpin's current nature and keep him as a gang leader with greater principles and humanity? If so, it would be enormously beneficial not only for New York, but for Lin Hai himself.
That weekend, after finishing his morning studies and work at the clinic, Lin Hai personally selected a thriving pot of special-edition Lemon Balm and delivered it to Fisk Tower.
Perhaps Kingpin had anticipated his arrival, because the building's security did not stop Lin Hai at the entrance. Once he went upstairs, Kingpin received him personally, and they had a brief conversation in the top-floor office.
"Young man, your name is Lin Hai? May I call you Little Lin?" Kingpin stroked the plant's glossy leaves. Looking at Lin Hai, he said, "New York is a complicated city. People like you need a few friends to make life simpler."
Good thing my surname isn't Wong. Good thing he isn't calling me Little Wong.
Without revealing anything, Lin Hai looked Kingpin straight in the eyes. "Mr. Fisk, I'm just a medical student. My 'friends' are patients, classmates, and teachers."
Kingpin burst out laughing, his voice making the glass windows tremble faintly. "Good, good, good! Excellent answer!" For some reason, he seemed to be in a very good mood.
Then he pressed the communicator on his desk. "Bring that document over."
Not long afterward, when Lin Hai left the tower, he had an honorary appointment letter as a "Fisk Group Medical Consultant" in hand, along with a sizable check—what Kingpin called an "advance consultation fee."
More importantly, he had received Kingpin's promise: the clinic and his master's safety would receive "special attention."
Back at the clinic, Dr. Chen listened to the report and shook his head with a smile. "This Kingpin certainly understands the art of using both carrot and stick."
"Master, is it really appropriate for us to accept these?" Lin Hai felt uneasy. Though he was now a moderately well-off second-generation rich kid, this was still the first time he had received so much money at once.
"Donate the money to a community drug rehabilitation program." Dr. Chen calmly wrote a prescription without looking up. "Keep the appointment letter as a protective charm. As for that pot of Lemon Balm..."
He gave Lin Hai a meaningful look. "It's an ordinary variety, right?"
Lin Hai smiled guiltily and did not dare tell him the truth.
That night, while Lin Hai tended the medicinal herbs in the clinic's backyard, his phone vibrated. It was a text from Peter:
[Heard you met Kingpin today?! I went to the clinic to find you, but Dr. Chen said you went to Fisk Tower. You didn't lose any arms or legs, did you? See you at school Monday. I want the whole story! Also: Aunt May asked if she could have more of that calming tea?]
Lin Hai replied with a smile: [I'm alive. You could at least hope for the best for me. I'll bring the tea tomorrow. Don't tell anyone about Kingpin.]
Peter replied: [Emoji: zipped-mouth face + OK hand gesture]
Lin Hai put away his phone and looked up at New York's night sky, where most of the starlight was obscured by the city's glow. In this complicated metropolis, he was weaving a delicate web of relationships—on one side stood future heroes like Spider-Man, Peter Parker; on the other stood a future underground king like Kingpin. What he had to do was maintain his balance on that web without forgetting his original intentions.
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