| September 30, 2023 – 8:45 AM
Lin pulled into the clinic parking lot, her truck loaded down with boxes from the apartment. The morning air was cool and crisp, the streets still quiet—the calm before the storm.
Beside her, Helen sat in the passenger seat, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
Lin smirked. "Last chance to back out."
Helen snorted. "You think I'm scared of running my own clinic?"
Lin chuckled, throwing the truck into park. "No, but I figured I'd offer. Just in case you wanted to go back to that retirement plan Maggie suggested."
Helen shot her a look. "Drive this truck into a ditch."
Lin laughed, hopping out. As she did, a car pulled up beside them—a sleek black sedan, the kind old money types liked to drive.
The Reeds.
An older couple stepped out—Marian Reed, the woman Lin had spoken to, and her husband, Franklin. They looked exactly as she expected. Well-dressed, polite, and just smug enough to think they'd gotten the better deal.
Marian adjusted the pearls around her neck, scanning Lin and Helen with a thin-lipped smile.
"You're punctual."
Lin flashed her most professional, harmless smile. "I like efficiency."
Franklin chuckled, but his sharp eyes were already scanning for something—doubt, hesitation, anything he could use to renegotiate.
Too bad for him.
Lin walked up, hands in her pockets. "Movers will be here any minute. Let's settle this."
Marian tilted her head, watching her carefully. "You brought cash, as promised?"
Lin pulled an envelope from her jacket, thick and filled with crisp bills. She handed it over without hesitation.
Marian opened it, counting—and that was when Lin saw it.
That tiny flicker of disbelief.
The realization that she had just been handed a pile of money, in full, without a single argument.
Franklin's lips pressed into a firm line, his expression briefly faltering. They had been expecting delays, excuses, maybe a last-minute plea to lower the price.
Instead, they got Lin Zhang—who played to win.
| September 30, 2023 – 8:50 AM
Marian cleared her throat, slipping the cash into her purse like it was something dirty. "Well. A deal's a deal."
Lin just smiled, watching as the reality of the situation settled in for the Reeds. They had expected this to be difficult. A negotiation, a headache. Instead, Lin had walked in, paid in full, and now? The clinic—and everything inside—belonged to her.
Behind them, the moving trucks rumbled to a stop. The lead driver, a broad-shouldered man in a company hoodie, climbed out, glancing around.
Lin waved him over. "Clinic's shutting down. We're clearing everything. Priorities are the big equipment—exam tables, cold storage units, pharmacy shelving. Everything that's heavy and expensive goes on first."
The driver nodded, motioning to his crew. "Alright, let's move."
The movers got to work, hauling out medical beds, diagnostic machines, and supply cabinets. The sound of cart wheels rolling, metal clanking, and voices coordinating filled the air.
Lin stepped aside, letting them work, before turning her attention back to the Reeds.
"I assume this is everything."
Marian gave a tight smile. "Everything we listed in the sale, yes."
Lin tilted her head, studying her. "And what about the things you didn't list?"
Marian's smile froze, just for a second. Franklin shifted slightly.
Lin smirked. "A place like this doesn't run without backups. Extra inventory, supplies tucked away, maybe some older equipment you didn't think was worth selling."
Marian adjusted the strap of her purse, her expression unreadable. "Anything we didn't list is—"
"Still in storage." Lin finished for her.
Helen hid a smile behind her coffee.
Franklin sighed. "There's a basement storage unit. Some older models of diagnostic machines, a few exam chairs. Nothing cutting-edge, but…" He trailed off.
Lin raised an eyebrow. "And you were just going to leave it behind?"
Marian pursed her lips. "It would have cost more to move than it was worth."
Lin smiled. "Then I'll take it off your hands."
Franklin hesitated. "And what are you offering?"
Lin shrugged. "You're already paid. I'll clear it out for free."
Marian's expression twitched. She knew Lin was getting the better end of the deal, but at this point? She just wanted to be done.
She exhaled sharply. "Fine. But you handle it today."
Lin extended a hand. "Of course."
Marian shook it, expression tight, but accepting.
Lin turned back toward the clinic, calling over the movers. "We've got more inventory in the basement. Let's make this count."
Behind her, Helen chuckled into her coffee. "You really don't let up, do you?"
Lin smirked.
| September 30, 2023 – 9:15 AM
Lin stepped outside, rolling her shoulders as the movers continued loading equipment onto the trucks. The morning sun was rising higher, casting long shadows across the parking lot.
She pulled out her phone and dialed. It barely rang twice before Richard picked up.
"You got something for me already?" he asked, sounding half amused, half resigned.
Lin smirked, watching as a massive exam table was wheeled onto the truck. "Yeah. More than expected."
Richard grunted. "How much more?"
Lin glanced back at the building. "Original deal was for the main equipment. But I convinced them to throw in everything from basement storage—old diagnostic machines, extra exam chairs, probably some things I haven't even seen yet."
Richard let out a low whistle. "Damn. And how much did that cost you?"
"Nothing."
A pause.
Then—a sharp laugh. "Oh, I raised you right."
Lin smirked. "Glad you approve. Now, where do you want the shipment?"
Richard hummed, thinking. "The shed's got space, but if we're talking multiple truckloads, we need to split it. Some can go in the old horse stable. I'll clear it out before you get back."
Lin nodded. "Good. The movers are fast, so expect the first truck around one."
Richard grunted in approval. "I'll be ready. Anything else?"
Lin glanced at the Reeds, who were still lingering near their car, watching the clinic be stripped down piece by piece.
She smirked. "Nope. Just sit tight and make space. This is gonna be a hell of a haul."
Richard chuckled. "Noted. Drive safe."
Lin ended the call, slipping her phone back into her pocket. She turned toward the movers, voice steady, commanding.
"Keep it moving. We've got a farm to fill."