American Medicine: I survived the death knell thanks to the devil.

Arjun held up three fingers, "I'll take 30% of all orders."

"At least two orders per week. Also..."

Arjun lowered her hand, her tone turning cold, "I'm calling, so you have to come. No matter what you're doing."

Lynn looked at him and shook her head.

"First, 20%."

"Secondly, you will provide all the medications and consumables used during the surgery free of charge for the list you provided."

"Third, I work at Metropolitan Hospital during the day and can't be available whenever I need me. When I'm not available, I can only guide your staff to do initial treatment over the phone."

Arjun slightly raised his chin.

The guard on the left immediately pulled the bolt of his submachine gun, the crisp metallic scraping sound particularly jarring in the enclosed basement.

Although the gun wasn't directly pointed at Lynn, the threat was palpable.

"The previous doctor wasn't as greedy as you, and he didn't dare to negotiate with me."

Arjun stared into Lynn's eyes, his voice as rough as sandpaper.

"He only worked for money. Later, when he had earned enough, he went back to India."

I've gone back to India.

Maybe.

Lynn had become somewhat accustomed to being threatened with force again.

"If you just want to find an obedient unlicensed doctor, there are plenty of drug-addicted surgeons on the street whose licenses have been revoked. Give them a meal and they'll come running like dogs."

Lynn met Arjun's cold gaze, took a step forward, and closed the distance between them.

"Grant introduced you to me because he knew that only I could guarantee that your assets wouldn't die on the operating table."

"You've come to the wrong person if you want to set rules."

Arjun's eyes twitched almost imperceptibly upon hearing the name "Grant".

He was definitely trying to intimidate us.

A highly skilled but uncontrollable doctor is dangerous; he must maintain absolute dominance from the outset of the collaboration.

But to his surprise, this seemingly refined Chinese-American doctor not only did not back down when faced with a gun, but instead brought out his chief of staff to pressure him.

"Besides, the terms I'm offering aren't about taking advantage of you."

Lynn didn't give Arjun any time to back down gracefully; she immediately offered him a benefit: "I'm helping you."

"Oh? Interesting." Arjun raised an eyebrow, looking at Lynn with a leisurely air.

"You can get a $1000 commission for each major surgery."

"And the Indian generic anesthetics and antibiotics on your shelves are purchased at pitifully low prices."

"One dose of lidocaine costs you one dollar, and a box of cephalosporins costs you five dollars. The cost of supplies for a single surgery is less than twenty dollars."

Lynn pointed to the shelf: "I'm making you pay twenty dollars for this medicine in exchange for a doctor like me risking my life for you. Do you think that's a bad deal?"

Arjun fell silent.

He was a shrewd businessman, quicker than anyone else to make calculations.

"Not only that."

Lynn played his last card: "I also need a lot of supplies for my side jobs. From now on, I'll get my supplies from you at three times your purchase price. Cash payment, no delays."

Arjun lowered her arms, which she had been holding to her chest.

This action signifies the cessation of the defensive stance.

"three times?"

"Yes. You only need to take a few boxes of medicine out of the warehouse to make double the profit. This is a stable, long-term cash flow."

Lynn looked at him. "You didn't lose out, and I solved the supply chain issue. It's a win-win situation."

Arjun stared at Lynn for a full five seconds, then suddenly laughed.

He waved his hand, and the two guards immediately lowered their guns and retreated into the shadows.

"Grant is right, you're a capable person."

Arjun extended his dry, rough hand. "Deal. What medicine do you want? Write a list."

The deal is done.

[Worldline complete]

[Reward: Slight increase in physical fitness, already issued]

Lynn suddenly felt that his muscles seemed to have become firmer and that he was a little stronger.

As I stepped out of the back door of the pharmacy, the chilly early spring wind of New York rushed into my collar.

Lynn took a deep breath, and most of the musty smell in the basement dissipated.

Sachi followed behind without saying a word.

After walking two blocks and confirming that no one was following him, Sachi finally spoke:

"There's a camera at the back door of the pharmacy, one on the left corner of the wall and the other on the right side of the eaves. But there's a blind spot of about 30 degrees between the two cameras, on the side closest to the door hinge. If you enter or exit from that angle, the camera won't capture your face."

Lynn stopped and glanced at him.

Sachi shrugged: "A professional habit."

"How long did you stay in that gang?"

"Seven months."

"How much is the salary?"

Sachi touched his left knee. "790 a week."

"790?"

Lynn thought she had misheard.

A veteran with formal infantry training, working for someone else in New York, earning this little bit of money.

"In our line of work, we usually only pay 600 to 800, so mine is considered high."

"No taxes are required, so the actual take-home pay is higher than those who make hamburgers."

"But there was no health insurance, no overtime pay, no holidays. Last month, Gary sent me to Brooklyn to collect debts, and they shot me twice. I sewed up my leg with fishing line, and that's how I met you."

"Work with me," Lynn said. "1000 a week."

Sachi paused for a moment.

"1000?" Sachi repeated the number.

"Weekly settlement, cash. Your job is simple, just some physical exertion, and keeping an eye on people and things around you for anything suspicious. You don't need to collect payments."

"Also, find me two more people. No rush, I can't afford to hire them right now, but I'll need them sooner or later. They need to be reliable."

Sachs thought for a moment: "I have two brothers from my old company who used to be combat medics in the 68W. They're pretty good at fighting. One drives a truck in New Jersey, and the other moves goods in a warehouse in Queens. They're good fighters and also good at first aid."

He paused, as if hesitating whether to say the next sentence.

"And another one, who used to live in Virginia Beach."

Virginia Beach, home of the Navy SEALs.

"How much more expensive is that one?"

"It will go up to 2,500 a week."

"There's no rush yet."

Lynn said, "When you have time, you should get in touch with those two 68Ws first."

"Hey, we've been old buddies for a while now. If you need anything, I can have them report for you anytime, just pay me enough."

Sachi nodded, his steps noticeably lighter. The old injury to his left knee didn't seem to be bothering him as much anymore.

"Lynn".

"Um?"

"When I was working for those bastards who sold enhancement products, I personally witnessed kids buying things from them. They were about fourteen or fifteen years old."

"I love your hands, the hands that save lives..."

Lynn smiled.

His underground medical empire has finally been completed with the last piece of the puzzle.

With Arjun's cheap and large-volume generic drug supply chain, and having officially hired Sachi at a weekly wage of a thousand dollars, he had a basic ability to protect himself.

The two walked side by side on a broken sidewalk in the South Bronx.

On the left is a fire hydrant covered in graffiti, and on the right is the warm light emanating from a Vietnamese noodle shop.

In the distance, the roar of the subway came from the elevated bridge, making the soles of my feet go numb.

Lynn took out her phone and sent a message to Cassie:

"I've secured the new drug supply chain, so you can relax a bit now. I'll explain the details when I get back."

Three seconds later, Cassie replied with a dollar sign emoji.

Then another message came: "Do you need me to pick you up? Gas costs are extra."