Kingpin Comes in Person

Just as Lin Hai had expected, the afternoon of the next day, not long after he arrived at the clinic, a stretched Lincoln silently pulled up outside. 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 carried an ivory cane.

Clearly, Kingpin had 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, Spider-Man's arch-enemy, the devilishly muscular man—Kingpin—for the first time.

His sheer size made Lin Hai understand for the first time just how fitting the phrase "like a wall" was.

"Doctor Chen." Kingpin's voice was unexpectedly gentle. "Please allow me to apologize for my men's rudeness yesterday."

Chen Bing nodded calmly. "Mr. Fisk has come personally. What can I do for you?"

Kingpin looked around the clinic, his gaze lingering briefly on Lin Hai before settling on the acupuncture chart. "My wife's migraines have been acting up frequently lately. I've consulted many doctors, but none could do anything. I heard Doctor Chen's acupuncture works wonders."

Lin Hai watched this legendary mob boss warily. Kingpin's manner was elegant and his speech refined. He looked nothing like the thug Lin Hai had imagined.

In truth, Lin Hai had fallen into a misunderstanding. The underground emperor, suit-wearing brute, and utterly evil Kingpin he remembered was not the Kingpin of today. That Kingpin had become cold-blooded, paranoid, and violent only after his wife and son were killed. That was why seeing Kingpin today gave Lin Hai such a jarring sense of contrast.

"Healing the sick and saving lives is my duty. Please tell me about your wife's symptoms in detail." Chen Bing gestured for Kingpin to sit down.

The conversation that followed was surprisingly normal. Kingpin described his wife's condition, Doctor Chen carefully asked about the details, prescribed medicine, and even taught him several acupoint massage techniques.

Throughout it all, Kingpin behaved only like an ordinary husband worried about his wife, without the slightest hint of a gangster.

"Also..." Before leaving, Kingpin suddenly said, "I'm very interested in this young man."

He turned to Lin Hai, his words carrying a hint of deeper meaning. "Yesterday, you took down five of my best bodyguards and made them look like ordinary employees from some random security company. Skills like that aren't something an ordinary person can possess, especially not a high school student."

Lin Hai tensed every muscle in his body, ready for a possible attack at any moment. But Kingpin merely smiled.

"Relax, young man, relax. I came to seek treatment today, not settle a score." He took a business card from his pocket and placed it on the counter.

"I admire talented people, especially talented young people. If you ever want a different working environment, perhaps you can call the number on it."

"Lin Hai is my disciple and my successor. He won't lack job opportunities." Chen Bing stared directly into Kingpin's eyes and spoke with absolute certainty.

Kingpin nodded, seemingly unsurprised. He had probably 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 recently." Kingpin's voice sounded somewhat angry, and somewhat... heartbroken?

Lin Hai suddenly understood something. "You mean... you oppose that drug?"

"I, Wilson Fisk, have many flaws." Kingpin adjusted 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 principles, but his principles were 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 abnormality around him, there was no need for him to keep hiding it.

Kingpin's behavior toward Lin Hai was completely different from that of a gang leader appreciating a top-class enforcer. There had been far more probing in it, revealing his curiosity about Lin Hai.

Chen Bing nodded. "If that's the case, prepare a gift for him. Isn't his wife having some health problems? You can start from that angle. Mr. Kingpin seems to care deeply 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 ease headaches, and its scent is also very suitable for ladies."

"An ordinary one will do!" Chen Bing sternly interrupted him. "Remember the lesson. Don't casually display your special abilities."

But on this matter, Lin Hai had his own view and his own insistence. Unlike Chen Bing, he knew what kind of person Kingpin would become in the future.

Since the current Kingpin was not the one from his memories, 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 almost draw a conclusion: something must have happened to Kingpin's family, causing his personality to change drastically.

So he wondered whether he could change that. Could he preserve Kingpin's current nature and keep him as a more principled, more humane gang leader? That would be enormously beneficial not only to New York, but to Lin Hai himself.

Thus, that weekend, after Lin Hai came to the clinic and finished his morning studies and work, he personally selected a thriving pot of special-edition Lemon Balm and delivered it to Fisk Tower.

Perhaps Kingpin had anticipated his arrival, so the building's security did not stop Lin Hai at the entrance. After he went upstairs, Kingpin personally received him, and the two 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. Someone like you needs a few friends to make life simpler."

Good thing my surname isn't Wang. Good thing he isn't calling me Little Wang.

Without changing expression, he looked directly into Kingpin's eyes. "Mr. Fisk, I'm only a medical student. My 'friends' are my patients, classmates, and teachers."

Kingpin burst into laughter after hearing that, the sound making the glass windows tremble faintly. "Good, good, good! Excellent answer!" For some reason, he was in a very good mood.

Then he pressed the intercom on his desk. "Bring that document over."

Not long afterward, when Lin Hai left the tower, he had an honorary appointment letter for "Fisk Group Medical Consultant" in his hands, along with a sizable check—what Kingpin called "prepaid consultation fees."

More importantly, he had received Kingpin's promise: the clinic and his master's safety would receive "special attention."

After returning to the clinic, Doctor Chen listened to the report and shook his head with a smile. "This Kingpin certainly understands the principle of 'carrot and stick.'"

"Master, is it really appropriate for us to accept these?" Lin Hai felt somewhat uneasy. Though he was now a somewhat wealthy second-generation rich kid, this was his first time receiving so much money at once.

"Donate the money to a community drug rehabilitation program." Doctor Chen calmly wrote out 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 reveal the truth.

That night, while Lin Hai tended the medicinal herbs in the clinic's backyard, his phone vibrated. It was a text message from Peter:

[Heard you met Kingpin today?! I went to the clinic to find you, but Doctor Chen said you went to Fisk Tower. You didn't lose an arm or a leg, did you? See you at school on Monday. I want the whole story! Also: Aunt May asked if she could have some more of that calming tea?]

Lin Hai replied with a smile: [Still 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: Zipper-mouth face + OK hand gesture]

Lin Hai put away his phone and looked up at New York's night sky, where city lights obscured most of the starlight. In this complicated metropolis, he was weaving a delicate web of connections—on one side stood future heroes like Spider-Man, Peter Parker; on the other was a future underground king like Kingpin. What he had to do was maintain the balance on that web while never forgetting his own principles.