chapter 6 Austin Zhang

The female employee's face turned pale upon hearing the woman's words. She had no idea what to do next. It looked like it was going to be a tough day.
Before long, a man who appeared to weigh around 200 pounds waddled in, carrying a large belly.
Upon seeing the man, the woman from earlier quickly cried out with a pitiful tone, "Honey!"
William Lin, who had been wondering earlier, wasn't surprised now. After all, it's often said that love is blind.
The middle-aged man, who happened to be on the heavier side, shouted, "Who's messing with my baby? I just went to buy a pack of cigarettes, and someone dared to bully my sweetheart!"
The woman grabbed the middle-aged man's hand, coquettishly pointing at William Lin, "It's him, honey! He was disrespectful to me and even tried to make him leave."
William Lin looked at their antics and nearly lost his appetite.
The middle-aged man walked over to William Lin and scrutinized him carefully. He noticed that William Lin was dressed casually and didn't appear to be someone of influence.
He spoke up, "Kid, this is Master Zhang's turf, and I don't want trouble. Apologize to my wife right now, and we'll let this slide. Otherwise..." The man snorted but didn't finish his sentence.
William Lin raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Are you sure about that? Think carefully. Asking me to kneel is a high price to pay. You might end up disabled!"
Hearing William Lin's arrogant tone, the middle-aged man attempted to grab him.
William Lin swiftly dodged, causing the heavyset man to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
William Lin, no longer willing to tolerate the situation, focused his mental energy and summoned it to his fingertips, shaping it into a silver needle that shot directly toward the middle-aged man's knee.
As William Lin withdrew his hand, he heard an astonished voice from behind, "Mr. Wang, are you okay?"
Turning around, William Lin saw the man with glasses, a parted hairstyle, and a mustache, rushing over. He quickly helped the overweight middle-aged man to his feet.
The store employees, upon seeing the man with glasses, displayed a hint of disgust on their faces.
Once the man with glasses had helped Mr. Wang stand up, he pointed at the store employee next to William Lin and scolded, "What's going on? Don't you know who this is? Have you no sense? Do you still want to work here?"
William Lin just smiled at the sight of the man with glasses. In his eyes, this person was undoubtedly a traitor during the war against the invaders.
Mr. Wang, who had been helped up, pointed at William Lin and the man with glasses and said, "Your timing is perfect. This kid injured both my wife and me. Since we're in the Hall King of Medicine, I'll give Master Zhang some face and let him off this time. But now, I want him to disappear from my sight immediately!"
Upon hearing Mr. Wang's words, the man with glasses nodded and bowed, obsequiously saying, "Mr. Wang, please rest assured. You can sit down, and I'll apologize to you later. I'll handle this minor issue right away!"
Afterward, the man with glasses helped Mr. Wang to a nearby chair and turned to William Lin, saying, "You better leave now. We don't welcome you at the Hall of King Medicine. How dare you cause trouble here? Hurry up and leave, or I'll call security!" He pulled out his smartphone from his pocket.
"I came here to buy medicine. Once I've made my purchase, I'll naturally leave. Why do you have the right to kick me out?" William Lin stared intently at the man with glasses.
"Why do I have the right? Because I'm the manager of this store. If I say you can't buy, then you can't," the man with glasses said haughtily.
Just as William Lin was about to speak again, a voice came from behind.
"What's going on? Why all the commotion!"
A man dressed in scholarly attire emerged from the backyard.
Upon seeing the old man, the store employees quickly greeted him, saying, "Austin Zhang, hello!"
Austin Zhang nodded in acknowledgment and then turned to the man with glasses, wearing a puzzled expression on his face.
The female store employee standing next to William Lin was about to speak, but the man with glasses preempted her, saying, "Master Zhang, this man is causing trouble in the Hall King of Medicine. He was disrespectful and even injured two people. I'm going to kick him out now!"
"Causing trouble here?" Master Zhang furrowed his brow upon hearing the man with glasses' words and looked at William Lin.
When he saw William Lin's face, Master Zhang was stunned. Then, he stared at William Lin from head to toe, as if he had discovered a treasure.
After confirming for the third time, the old man excitedly grabbed William Lin's hand.
Startled by the sudden action, William Lin quickly spoke up, "Sir, do we know each other?"
The old man also realized that he had been somewhat impolite. He promptly released William Lin's hand, feeling somewhat embarrassed, and shifted his gaze, saying, "Young man, if you're in trouble, I'm the owner of this pharmacy. You can tell me what happened!"
The people around them couldn't help but feel amazed at the old man's actions.
The old man's name was Austin Zhang. He was not only the owner of this pharmacy but also the director of the affiliated hospital in Jiang City and a permanent member of the Chinese Medical Association. He was a figure of great renown in the field of traditional Chinese medicine.
Although the old man usually had a kind and gentle demeanor, no one had ever seen him show such respect to anyone. Regardless of your wealth and power, in his presence, you had to abide by his rules.
Upon hearing that the old man was the owner of the pharmacy, William Lin explained the situation to him.
The man with glasses and the plump couple listened to William Lin's account, feeling increasingly uneasy.
After listening to William Lin's narration without any hesitation, the old man turned to the man with glasses and said, "I allowed you to join us because I saw you as diligent and clever. I never expected you to become so materialistic. Traditional Chinese medicine places great importance on one's character, and you are no longer suitable for this profession."
Knowing the old man's character well, the man with glasses realized there was no room for negotiation. He respectfully bowed to the old man and left the pharmacy.
Then, the old man turned his attention to the couple who were sitting nearby, ready to accept their punishment. The plump couple immediately sat up, prepared to hear the old man's judgment.
The old man spoke calmly, "Wang, from now on, you and your family are not allowed to set foot in the Hall King of Medicine."
The woman wanted to say something initially, but her husband quickly covered her mouth and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Austin Zhang. We'll leave now."
And so, the couple supported each other as they left the Hall King of Medicine. Before departing, they cast a resentful glance at William Lin.
With everything resolved, the old man immediately turned to William Lin and asked, "Young man, do you need anything else? I hope my actions satisfy you!"
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The people inside the pharmacy couldn't believe their ears and wondered if they were hearing things.
Although they didn't understand why the old man was acting this way, they quickly nodded in gratitude, and one of them reached into their bag and handed the prescription to the old man.
"Sir, I just wanted to ask if all the medicines listed here are available?" William Lin inquired.
After receiving the prescription, Austin Zhang carefully examined it. He studied the prescription closely several times but couldn't find anything unusual about the listed herbs. They were all common medicinal ingredients. Had he made a mistake?
After neatly folding the prescription, Austin Zhang spoke, "Young man, I have all these medicinal herbs here. There's just one thing that puzzles me. I hope you can clarify it."
"What's the matter, sir? Please feel free to ask," William Lin responded.
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