Special Forces Medic

'Sakura Snow Hall' is located on the seventh floor of 'Rhine', a Japanese restaurant near the innermost part of the entire floor, covering an area of just over a hundred square meters. It's purely Japanese style, including the staff who are all from Japan. The sushi rolls and air-flown seafood here are well-known, and sashimi is also a must-order for guests. Business is not bad, and it is an absolutely quiet place. The partitioned private rooms add some privacy.

Xiao Lin was brought to a combined room on the second floor. Xia Yusheng was already seated on the tatami, holding a blue and white porcelain bottle in his hand, from which a transparent liquid was pouring down.

"Sit!" Seeing Xiao Lin walk in, Xia Yusheng pointed to the spot beside him. How many times have they met by now? He couldn't quite remember. It seemed like this was the second formal conversation. He knew nothing about this half-son-in-law. The investigation he ordered revealed that this person had no identity, which made Xia Yusheng hesitate. Could he really trust his daughter to someone with such an unknown background? After all, it was his child, and as a father, he worried about his daughter.

"I hope Uncle accepts this symbol of respect." He placed the watch he just bought in front of Xia Yusheng. In the old sayings, giving someone a clock or watch was considered unlucky. Xiao Lin hadn't taken this into account, but it made Xia Yusheng frown slightly. Although it wasn't his birthday, and he wasn't much for such beliefs, he still deducted points for Xiao Lin's recklessness or lack of attention to detail.

"My father extends his gratitude for your previous generous gesture." Pouring Xiao Lin a cup of sake, Xia Yusheng raised his glass.

"It's nothing. The words I said to Uncle before should have been fulfilled by now." Xiao Lin hinted, and Xia Yusheng coughed lightly. This young man was still so arrogant.

"As a father, I have no other wishes. Since Xia Xue has recognized you, I have nothing to say. I just hope you'll treat her better." Xia Yusheng sighed. He couldn't have more demands on the young man in front of him, a mysterious figure—what else could he say? Just being serious with Xia Xue was enough.

"Of course." Xiao Lin drank the sake in his glass in one go. He picked up the wine pot and poured a cup each for Xia Yusheng and himself: "Uncle Xia, what do you think of the current business situation?"

Xiao Lin didn't want to say much on the side topic. The conflicts and gaps between Xia Xue and her father were not something he would get involved in. As long as it didn't concern Xia Xue, he would remain a bystander. When help was needed, he would naturally step in, but becoming the mediator between the two was difficult. Xia Yusheng himself should know Xia Xue's character better than anyone. Her mother's matter would forever be a dead knot, one that no one could untie, including Xia Yusheng and the Xia Family.

"To be honest with you, the old man invested all that wedding gift into the business. We're not losing money now, but there's no possibility for further expansion."

To outsiders, the Xia Family's 'Rhine' stood tall amid the financial crisis. The luxury brands under it still sold well; however, the internal operational crisis was becoming more apparent. Cutting financial expenditures and layoffs was a laughing matter for a family like the Xia's.

"Before meeting Uncle, I roughly glanced around. Luxury brands occupy most of the floor, but there aren't many who can really afford them. I want to ask, where do the employee expenses come from?" Xiao Lin was straightforward. He didn't care if it would hurt Xia Yusheng's pride. The primary issue to solve now was profitability.

"Only profits can create capital, that's an iron law."

"'Rhine' has always been in a state of loss, basically relying on mid-range malls to sustain itself. Now it can only break even. Currently, we're still looking at overseas markets, hoping to bring new prospects to the department store industry through trade." Xia Yusheng poured himself another cup of wine. The domestic business was like a big apple; over time, more and more rot spots appeared, and there was no way to remove them.

"Earlier, I heard from Xia Xue that Uncle has touched upon the real estate industry?" Xia Yusheng's meaning was clear. The department store was the heart's blood of the old generation. Wanting to cut it off would never be agreed upon by the Xia Family's old man. Such enormous pressure was a burden on Xia Yusheng. The biggest difficulty facing the Xia Family now seemed to be the shortage of funding. In a situation where they were unwilling to make painful cuts, they could only rob Peter to pay Paul.

"Ah!" Xia Yusheng avoided the subject, but Xiao Lin didn't miss the resentful expression on his face.

"Because of the Wang Family?" Xiao Lin's initial acquaintance with Xia Xue started with the Wang Family. He really needed to sort out the entanglements between the Wang and Xia Families.

"What does our Xia Family count for compared to the Wang Family?" Xia Yusheng mocked himself. If it hadn't been for the old man's insistence at that time, how could he have agreed to Xia Xue marrying that Fatty Wang: "The Wang Family is one of the four big families in Yanjing. Precisely because they saw our distress, they tried to swallow the Xia Family under the guise of marriage alliance. At the time, trying to draw 'Rhine' up through real estate speculation, who would've thought the Wang's power was so great? We bought the land at a high price, only to get a paper notice stating that it could only be used for town construction, to build a park for charity...

The alcohol content of sake is not high, but it has a strong after-effect. Xia Yusheng began to talk more, and his dissatisfaction with the Wang Family grew increasingly intense. It wasn't difficult to hear from his words that the land deal was shrouded in darkness, and the controller was very likely the Wang Family. They were preparing to swallow the Xia Family, and Fatty Wang's determination to get Xia Xue probably had some elements of love in it. Still, a large part was due to seeing the prospects of the Xia Family's department store industry. The old brand name reputation plus modern service facilities and concepts—no matter how one looked at it, it was a piece of cake that someone would want to take a bite out of.

"How much did Uncle lose in real estate?"

"Several billion!"

"Ah!" Xiao Lin feigned a shocked expression, his mouth agape with disbelief: "This matter is unreasonable."

"What can we do if it's unreasonable? As business people, should we argue with the government? Land transactions inherently carry risks. The planning map we submitted was overturned because it affected the cityscape. Building high-end residential complexes would impact the area's traffic facilities. What a load of crap. If it weren't for...if it weren't for...Forget it, saying anything now is useless. We can only blame ourselves for not seeing clearly and falling into someone else's trap, not having learned enough."

Devoid of his usual authority, Xia Yusheng seemed somewhat human at this moment. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Xiao Lin did not find him as detestable.

"I suppose my intervention made things difficult for uncle. The Wang Family will surely blame this on the Xia Family. I hope you haven't encountered any misfortune. I heard from Xiaoxue that the old man was startled recently."

Xia Yusheng squinted his eyes. Xia Xue and Xia Yusheng did not resemble each other; her expressions were more like her mother's. However, both shared a common trait: their mouths curled up when they squinted their eyes. "Who exactly are you?"

"A doctor from Yan University Hospital."

"I've entrusted my daughter to you. Shouldn't you be a bit more honest with me as her father?" Xiao Lin pushed a notebook representing Dragon Soul in front of Xia Yusheng: "This is..."

"I am a military doctor from Dragon Soul."

"Dragon Soul? That mysterious organization with the authority to act first and report later?"

"I ask uncle to maintain secrecy about this matter in front of Xia Xue."

Xia Yusheng tilted his head, scrutinizing Xiao Lin. So young, yet already a Major General. His daughter's judgment wasn't wrong. The people installed around the Xia Family should also be his work: "Understood!"

"Uncle, why not focus efforts on second- and third-tier cities and take a mid- to low-end route? The competition is fierce in first-tier cities, and the pursuit of luxury brands goes hand in hand with that. 'Rhein' indeed has a considerable reputation, so why not join forces with leading international fashion design teams to create your brand under the luxury flagship? Self-operated and self-sold, targeting trendy people?"

Xiao Lin offered Xia Yusheng advice: since you can't cut off the rotten parts, might as well keep this malignant tumor and slowly cultivate it into a new form.

"But..." Xia Yusheng hesitated a bit. The concept of a proprietary brand was something he had heard before. Abroad, this model has already begun to emerge in major businesses.

"I do have an excellent candidate to recommend." Xiao Lin seemed to understand Xia Yusheng's hesitation. As an elder, one typically knows about fashion but does not engage with it: "How about Xia Xue?"

Xia Yusheng shook his head. Xia Xue was too young and not mature enough to take over 'Rhein': "Is uncle worried that others might have opinions if she takes over?"

"That's one aspect. The main point is 'Rhein' is too large; Xia Xue doesn't have the qualifications yet. More importantly, the funding for transformation is also an issue."

"Domestic affairs remain under uncle's control, which means nothing in the eyes of those in the Xia Family. You can create a separate department to handle this transformation plan. As for funding, it's not something you need to worry about."

Xia Yusheng fell silent, drinking his wine with little interest in the delicious dishes on the table. Xiao Lin's proposal seemed simple, yet for the Xia Family, it was a new transition. It's not just about whether the old man can approve it; the fourth brother would definitely oppose it, in addition...

"This plan should be your first step. What's next?"

"To be honest, uncle, the political arena is currently in a transitional phase between the old and new. I believe a marriage of business and politics could elevate the Xia Family to an even higher sphere."

Xia Yusheng couldn't help but burst into hearty laughter. This was an idea he never dared to entertain because it was too daunting. The business and political worlds are separated by just a thin line. How did the Wang Family attain their current power? The implications in Xiao Lin's words were crystal clear. If he hesitated now, he would lose more than just an opportunity.

He raised his glass to Xiao Lin: "Let's have a good drink, the two of us."

In their shared understanding, when faced with Xiao Lin, Xia Yusheng couldn't help but feel a shiver as he looked into those eyes—eyes that could devour everything. He secretly felt reassured that he was not his enemy. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)