Director Hao abruptly stood up, his eyes wide.
"What did you say?"
"Which patient did he fight with?"
He had just parted ways with the old monk, and now this happened. He had previously suspected the old monk had mental issues, but it was just speculation. Now that this had happened, there was no need for speculation; the monk definitely had a problem. Otherwise, how could he have gotten into a fight with a patient? He had been at Green Mountain for so long and had never seen patients fight amongst themselves.
"Forget it, don't explain now. Hurry up and go see what's happening."
Director Hao hurried off.
In the corridor:
"Hit him good!"
"Fight!"
"Poke his butt!"
"Rub his bald head!"
A group of patients stood in the distance shouting. The sight of the fight truly excited them; it had been a while since they'd seen such a spectacle. Although they enjoyed watching, there was no way they would participate. The reason was simple: fear.
The nurses and doctors were anxiously pacing.
Fights between patients were truly frightening. Even as professionals, they didn't dare to rashly intervene and participate in the battle, lest they make the two patients feel threatened, causing them to completely lose control. That scene would be truly terrifying.
Suddenly, someone shouted,
"The Director is coming!"
Everyone was waiting. When encountering such a tricky situation, the Director was their guiding light. As their idol arrived, they cleared a path. "Don't panic, as long as the Director is here, everything will be alright."
"Director, the situation is complicated. The fight is intense. We didn't dare to intervene," a doctor whispered.
Director Hao nodded.
"Stop!"
The watch-selling patient was just about to unleash his Dragon Claw technique when he heard the Director's voice. His body abruptly froze, maintaining his attack posture. He stood there foolishly for a moment before retracting his stance, raising his head, and pouting angrily at the old monk.
The surrounding doctors and nurses were filled with admiration. The Director was indeed the Director. One word and he stopped the conflict. Who could not be impressed by such ability? They felt they still had much to learn from the Director and wondered when they would reach his level.
Director Hao glanced at the watch-selling patient. He was mostly unharmed, just covered in sweat from exertion. It seemed his attacks were fierce, consuming a great deal of energy. In contrast, the monk looked rather miserable. His nose was still bleeding, but a faint smile remained on his face.
Seeing that smile, Director Hao knew the monk deserved the beating. That smile might appear gentle to others, but to a patient, it was a provocation. How could he not be beaten?
"What happened?" Director Hao asked.
The monk pressed his palms together and said, "Amitabha."
The nurses and doctors shared the same thought: this old monk definitely had a problem. He couldn't even speak properly, only saying "Amitabha." It seemed his condition was quite serious. Some of the more studious doctors whispered amongst themselves, speculating that this situation was a case of… aphasia, perhaps.
The watch-selling patient wailed, "He's a big swindler! He bought my watch and didn't pay! He even smiled and provoked me! I work so hard to earn money, how can he bully me like this? I feel so wronged!"
Director Hao approached the monk. "Did you buy his watch?"
The monk said, "No."
Director Hao said, "Did you ask him to draw a watch?"
The monk said, "Yes. I discovered this benefactor has exceptional understanding. I didn't expect this place to be a hidden land of talent. The world pursues truth and disdains falsehood, but this benefactor treats both equally. This state of mind is truly rare."
Director Hao didn't want to hear the old monk's rambling. He directly rolled up the monk's sleeve, revealing a watch drawn on his wrist.
"What kind of watch is this? How much is it?"
To resolve this matter, he had to follow the patient's train of thought. Bullying and coercion wouldn't work.
The watch-selling patient said, "This is my latest model, the Richard Mille RM056. I used a tourbillon and double conical needle technique. The process is very complex and tedious. I was very tired drawing it. And it's a limited edition. I only plan to sell two in my lifetime. I…"
"How much?" Director Hao interrupted, having no idea what the patient was talking about.
The watch-selling patient said, "Twenty-five million."
Director Hao took it in stride. He understood this patient's situation. To make a long story short, when normal, the patient was a master replica watchmaker, his skills so exquisite that his fakes were better than the real thing. Even master watchmakers of genuine brands admired him. But… one person couldn't single-handedly take down an entire industry, so he couldn't be allowed to continue.
Therefore, due to some special reasons, this patient developed a mental illness.
The nurses and doctors were dumbfounded. He really dared to ask for that much! How excessive! Was it possible to be so unreasonable just because he was ill?
"Master, pay up," Director Hao said.
The monk said, "Benefactor Hao, pay for what?"
"The watch, of course."
"But it's drawn."
Director Hao was biased towards his own. The monk's standing in his heart was at the very bottom of Green Mountain. He had spent a long time with every patient, nurse, and doctor here. He loved this place. As for outsiders… that would be this monk.
If you wanted to act unreasonable at Green Mountain, you'd come to the wrong place. Of course, he wouldn't be unreasonable with this old monk. After all, he could tell at a glance that the old monk had some abilities. If provoked, he might be difficult to deal with. So, he had to approach this from his professional expertise.
Director Hao said, "Master, is this real or fake?"
The monk was about to say it was fake when he suddenly remembered his previous words. His expression changed, and he pressed his palms together.
"Amitabha, I was attached to form. What does it matter if it's real or fake? Real is also fake, and fake is also real."
"But I truly have no money."
Director Hao went to the watch-selling patient. "He has no money. This situation is quite normal. There's nothing we can do about people who don't have money. How many times did you punch him in the nose just now?"
The watch-selling patient said, "More than a hundred times."
"Assault is quite costly these days. Each punch costs 10,000. How about this, we'll consider each punch as 10,000. You've already punched him more than a hundred times. Punch him another two thousand times, and you can give him the watch as a gift. How does that sound?"
"Alright."
Director Hao patted the patient's shoulder approvingly, then went to the monk. "Master, it's settled. You did indeed buy the watch, and you indeed have no money to pay. I've negotiated a deal for you. One punch is 10,000. Punch him another two thousand times, and the matter will be resolved. Don't thank me; this is what I should do."
Hearing these words, the monk's expression was quite colorful. But after thinking for a moment, he suddenly understood.
"Benefactor Hao's understanding is truly exceptional."
Director Hao smiled and waved his hand. "Alright, everyone disperse. Don't panic when encountering problems. Deal with them rationally, use your heads. There are always solutions."
Then,
"Master, go inside with him. It's not good to affect others outside."
"Amitabha," the monk said, pressing his palms together. It seemed his nose would bleed a lot today, but the monk didn't object and even agreed to this solution. How wonderful.
For Director Hao, this was also a form of therapy.
The watch-selling patient approached the old monk. "Come inside with me."
A senior director said, "Director, I didn't know you were also versed in Buddhist principles."
Director Hao said calmly, "I know a little."
"Director, you are truly my idol."
Faced with this flattery, Director Hao remained calm. It was just standard procedure. If he, Hao Ren, wasn't this excellent, how could he be their director, their leader? There were reasons for everything, and it wasn't something that happened by chance.
He was now eager to go back and continue negotiating with that old fox, antique collector Mai.
He had to sell the golden Buddha for a good price. Nothing else mattered. He didn't believe in Buddha anyway. A good price was the real deal.
On the way back to his office:
"Director…"
A familiar voice came.
Director Hao turned around, his face lighting up. "Why are you back?"
His beaming smile was genuinely welcoming.
Lin Fan and Old Zhang returned to Green Mountain.
"We missed this place."
Director Hao said, "If you miss it, come back and visit often. This is your home."
In the office:
Director Hao was particularly kind to Lin Fan and the others. He had watched Lin Fan grow up, witnessed his constant recklessness, and now saw him contributing to all of humanity. Honestly, he was truly gratified. Such a good kid. He couldn't just keep messing around forever, right? Although he seemed indifferent on the surface, he was actually quite worried.
"Did anyone bully you outside?"
Lin Fan said, "No, everyone was very kind to us."
"That's good, that's good," Director Hao said with a smile.
Lin Fan said, "Director, we want to go fishing. Do you know any good fishing spots?"
"Fishing?" Director Hao laughed. "Do you have any equipment?"
Just as he finished speaking, he saw Lin Fan and the others each holding a fishing rod. When he saw the brand, he was stunned and hurried forward to inspect them. "These are nice rods. Who bought them?"
"My wife bought them for me."
"How much?"
"Very cheap, three sets for a total of over a hundred thousand."
Director Hao's eyes widened, his heart aching. "Your wife is so good to you. She's willing to spend that much. So, you're quite wealthy now?"
He knew who Lin Fan was referring to as his wife – the famous celebrity. But before, Lin Fan had said the TV host was his wife. Things changed quickly. Such a good young man, how could he be so… unfaithful?
But being unfaithful was good too. He also wished he could meet a woman who would make him unfaithful.
He also wanted to experience the bitterness of love.
Lin Fan scratched his head. "I don't have any money. The money is all my wife's. She linked her card to my phone, so I can swipe her card when I buy things."
Director Hao looked envious. He realized Lin Fan was truly lucky. He could be a kept man and had a wealthy friend like Xiao Bao. His life was at its peak.
Forget it, forget it. It was better not to think about it.
The more he thought about it, the more unfair life seemed.
"Let's go. Since you've come back, I'll take you fishing. I'll also let you see how skilled your director is. I'm not bragging, but in my youth, I was a master angler, fishing all across the land." Director Hao boasted. Then, remembering that Li Laifu had a fishpond, he decided to go there. No need to spend money, plenty of fish, a guaranteed profitable venture.
He called Li Laifu in advance.
Not to ask, but to inform him.
We are going to your fishpond to fish.
When they arrived at the entrance, a fleet of black luxury cars drove up. Director Hao was quite surprised. It had been a long time since he'd seen such a spectacle.