Chapter 118: $100,000 Waiting List Fee Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy

“I’ll go to the backyard first and talk to you guys after Erhu comes back.” Ye Mo headed straight for the backyard. He was most concerned about the Silver Heart Grass. He still needed them to cultivate.

The Silver Heart Grass hadn’t budded yet. Ye Mo examined them closely. Although the seeds hadn’t died, he felt the life force inside wasn’t as strong as in Ning Hai. It was only slightly better than Flowing Snake.

Ye Mo shook his head. Why didn’t it work, even with the same soil type? Luckily, these seeds didn’t die. If they had, he would only have 5 left. That wouldn’t be good news.

He heard a car outside. Ye Mo knew Erhu was back. The speed was quite fast.

When Ye Mo came out, Lu Xiaozhen was supporting a stumbling Yu Erhu. His injuries seemed serious.

“Master, you…” Yu Erhu recognized Ye Mo, but Ye Mo’s change was drastic.

Ye Mo nodded. “We’ll talk later. Who did this to you?”

“I did. Don’t think he’s safe because you got someone to release him. I’ll beat him up again.” A man in his twenties, cigar in mouth, walked over. He pointed at Ye Mo and glanced at the two officers who returned Yu Erhu.

Ye Mo scanned the teen and coldly said, “You won’t have another chance.”

“F*ck, you’re asking for it. I’m still going to beat him up. What are you going to do?” He threw his cigar and approached.

The two officers knew who ordered Yu Erhu’s release. Seeing Wang Quan’s arrogance, they knew he was in trouble. They quickly left, knowing the impending conflict was beyond their control.

A black Mercedes screeched to a halt in front of Ye Mo. “Wang Quan, what are you barking about? Apologize to this friend.”

“Cousin, this guy’s really tough. Don’t be afraid of him. How dare he act tough in Luo Cang?” Wang Quan seemed eager to teach Ye Mo a lesson. But he stopped approaching when the man from the Mercedes spoke.

The man exited, reprimanded Wang Quan, and offered Ye Mo a cigarette, smiling. “Hello, we’re not familiar. Wang Quan is my cousin. Please forgive him. I’m Fang Jihua. Don’t worry, no one will trouble you again.”

Fang Jihua was Luo Cang’s overlord. Yu Erhu and Lu Xiaozhen, previously innocent, were shocked. Seeing Ye Mo’s phone call immediately bringing back Yu Erhu, and Fang Jihua’s polite demeanor, they were astonished. However, what shocked them more was yet to come.

Ye Mo stared coldly at Fang Jihua. “What do you think you are? Get lost.”

Fang Jihua’s face changed. He hadn’t expected such arrogance from Ye Mo, despite his politeness. His face darkened.

He’d never received such disdain. He assumed Ye Mo knew someone in a gang, and that person mentioned him to Brother Hong.

Brother Hong had recently called, briefly mentioning Yu Erhu’s release, then hung up. He thought Yu Erhu had family connections who found Brother Hong. Brother Hong’s casual mention, coupled with his cousin’s assault, prompted his personal visit.

He hadn’t expected such a cold reception. Ye Mo didn’t take him seriously. Fang Jihua, a long-time gang member, felt his face burn.

Ye Mo probably leveraged significant connections to reach Brother Hong. Otherwise, Brother Hong wouldn’t have made such a lighthearted call. Ye Mo’s rudeness after his politeness was infuriating. Who did he think he was?

“Since I’m not important, I’ll leave. Wang Quan, let’s go.” Fang Jihua left with a grim expression. If he didn’t know Ye Mo’s connections, he would have acted. But this didn’t mean he’d let it go. After investigating Ye Mo’s connections, he would make sure the clinic suffered.

Ye Mo coldly watched Fang Jihua and Wang Quan leave. He wouldn’t teach them a lesson so publicly. He’d go to their base. He was unhappy with Wu Xueming’s handling of this. If Wu Xueming had handled it better, he might have returned. Now, he’d handle it himself.

“Master, when did you return?” Yu Erhu didn’t question Ye Mo’s actions.

Ye Mo checked Yu Erhu’s injuries. They were severe, including internal injuries. If Yu Erhu weren’t strong, he might have died.

Ye Mo was furious. These people disregarded ordinary people’s lives. If Yu Erhu weren’t his disciple, he would have been beaten for no reason. Even if killed, it would have been ruled a suicide.

“Wang Quan is a hoodlum, understandable why he wanted his money back, but why did so many others want refunds?” Ye Mo treated Yu Erhu, puzzled by the hundreds of people. There couldn’t be so many despicable people.

Yu Erhu, having lived in Luo Cang for over a month, explained, “Many were urged by Wang Quan; some wanted benefits. But most didn’t come.”

Ye Mo nodded. Most? Not necessarily. The clinic had only been open a month.

After a pause, Ye Mo said, “From now on, we no longer treat common colds, aches, and fevers. They can go to the hospital. I’m adding a waiting list fee. Those without a place won’t be treated.”

“Master, a waiting list fee? Like the hospital? How much? Ten dollars or so?” Lu Xiaozhen was shocked.

Ye Mo smiled. “It will be charged, but not ten dollars. Those wanting treatment must pay a $100,000 waiting list fee…”

“What?” Before Ye Mo finished, Yu Erhu and Lu Xiaozhen were shocked. A $100,000 waiting list fee? Unheard of.

“Yes, $100,000. Non-refundable. One patient per month. They’ll pay extra for treatment. If no patients, you can study. Ask if you don’t understand.”

He didn’t open the clinic to treat colds, but to grow the Silver Heart Grass. It wasn’t ready; he didn’t need conflicts with neighbors. The hospital could handle minor illnesses; his clinic couldn’t handle the volume. Some people were despicable; he didn’t need a losing business. Although his serums weren’t a loss, for him, it was.

The exorbitant price was to limit patients and give him time to cultivate the Silver Heart Grass. The non-refundable fee was because he felt normal illnesses wouldn’t be hard. If too hard, he wouldn't accept them.

“Master, aren’t we shutting down?” Yu Erhu asked.

Ye Mo nodded. “I plan to close and find a distant mansion. We can close the clinic after we move.”

“Buy a mansion? Even a distant one costs millions. Master, fewer people will come for treatment,” Lu Xiaozhen worried.

Ye Mo smiled. “If the wine is good, it doesn’t matter where the shop is. You just need to learn medicinal methods with Yu Erhu. We can wait a year or two. Don’t worry about money. I’m going to Beijing. Some people owe me money, and I’m getting it back.”

He wasn’t worried about money. Li Hu owed him $500,000, and he needed to resolve things with Qian Longtou. He could recoup some money. As for the Song Family, if Qian Longtou didn’t dare touch him, they wouldn’t either.

“After you leave Luo Cang, Master, do we still open?” Yu Erhu was anxious. A $100,000 waiting list fee would attract attention.

“No need to open. Don’t promote the fee. Xiaozhen, register a website, stating it cures absurd diseases. Membership is $10,000. Applicants must provide detailed information. If accepted, they pay the $100,000 waiting list fee,” Ye Mo suggested.

First, he wouldn’t expose himself. Second, he could avoid conflict and media attention.