058 Green card

After David Hurst's figure disappeared into the distance, the young man with black hair sighed deeply, then shrugged his shoulders. He returned to Jin Muchen's bedside.

This young man stood about six feet tall, with a slender build, a prominent aquiline nose, light yellow skin, and a head of curly hair, displaying distinct Jewish features. Jin Muchen speculated that he must be a lawyer.

"Are you a lawyer?" When the fellow approached his bedside, Jin Muchen initiated the conversation.

"That's correct. Sullivan Cromwell Legal Consultancy, Senior Associate Lawyer West Lane! Hello, Mr. Jin." West introduced himself in a rapid tone, which Jin Muchen figured was customary for lawyers.

"Hey, buddy, you don't have to say all that to me. Feel free, don't be restrained. Anyway, Mr. Hurst has already left. By the way, you haven't told me about your boss, Mr. Hurst's background yet."

West widened his eyes, and his mouth, when opened, could accommodate two duck eggs.

"Buddy, where did you come from? Mars? How long have you been in the United States? Haven't you ever watched TV or read newspapers? Hurst, I mean David Hurst, you actually don't know who he is?"

"Sorry, buddy, I really don't know who he is?" Jin Muchen smiled and shook his head, while West grabbed his curly hair with both hands.

"Oh my God, I really wish I were the one who saved Helen. That would be great!" Upon hearing this, Jin Muchen could only roll his eyes and mutter.

"Darn it, I really didn't intend to be a hero!"

******

"David Randolph Hurst, the third-generation head of the Hurst family, William Randolph Hurst's grandson. He is the current chairman of Hurst International Group, which is involved in the primary business of 15 daily newspapers, 38 weekly magazines, and over 300 magazines, covering 29 local television stations in 18% of American households, including A+E and E networks. The group also engages in comprehensive business activities such as commercial publishing, e-commerce, television program production, newspaper distribution, and real estate... He is also a major shareholder of Apple..."

Jin Muchen looked at the introduction in the magazine in his hand. The cover of this issue of the magazine was David Hurst, who had visited him that day.

West brought the magazine, and he had been staying in the hospital with him these days. According to him, he had to execute Mr. Hurst's orders because David Hurst was also a major shareholder of Sullivan Cromwell Legal Consultancy.

Being able to swiftly carry out the commands of a big boss would have immense benefits for his future career. So, in the past few days, he had hinted to Jin Muchen several times to quickly state his conditions, and then he could fulfill his requests promptly. After that, they would be even, and he could quickly return to David Hurst to claim credit.

This matter was the big boss's private affair. If he could handle it well, it would surely leave a strong impression on the big boss.

However, Jin Muchen didn't rashly state his needs and conditions. Of course, he wasn't trying to be a saint; after all, he had been shot and almost lost his life. He had saved the daughter of such a powerful and influential American tycoon. It was obvious that his conditions could be casually proposed. If he acted like a saint at this time, wouldn't he be a fool?

But he also had his own thoughts. He had always lived in a small circle of Chinese people and knew very little about American magnates and big families. So, after understanding the background of Mr. Hurst, he would make a decision.

Although the other party had handed him a blank check, Jin Muchen knew that his conditions absolutely couldn't be too outrageous, or else the consequences might backfire. Despite the other party's generosity in making promises, if you really believed in them and overreached, they might just turn their backs and disown you. So, thoughts of asking for hundreds of thousands or millions quickly dissipated. Fortunately, West didn't bring up as much as he had expected. In response to his request, West provided him with some information about the Hurst family.

After reading this issue of the magazine, Jin Muchen finally understood what kind of family he was dealing with. This family could be said to be one of the top elite families in America. The founder of the family, William Randolph Hurst, was a business giant who rivaled the likes of J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller in his time. And today, the media company he left behind had developed into a cross-industry media giant, rightfully known as the voice of America. The scale of such a company might not be as massive as J.P. Morgan or ExxonMobil, but in terms of influence, it was undoubtedly on par with these giants. 

Never did he expect that Helen was the daughter of such a big shot! Jin Muchen's eyes kept spinning, while he pondered what conditions he should set.

"All right, Mr. Jin, it's been several days already. Dr. Herman said your recovery is almost complete, and you can leave the hospital at any time. Do you need any help? If so, please feel free to ask. I can immediately start helping you." West had been impatient staying in the hospital these past few days, wondering what future prospects there were in wasting time with an unrelated person. He wanted to quickly return to David Hurst's side to earn some brownie points for his future career.

"Well, then, West, I think the first thing I need is a U.S. green card..."

"Hehe, that's already on my mind." West chuckled in response. They had known since Jin Muchen was admitted to the hospital that this guy was an illegal immigrant. A few months ago, he was just a student at Columbia University, but something seemed to have happened in his family at the beginning of the semester, so he didn't go to school. Instead, he chose to stay in the United States and work as an illegal immigrant, doing odd jobs to earn money. For someone like him, a U.S. green card was undoubtedly the most desired. With this card, they could work openly without worrying about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"Don't worry about that, it's totally doable. I can get it done for you in three days."

For many people, obtaining a U.S. green card was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. But for Hurst International Group, it was completely within their capabilities. And Sullivan Cromwell Legal Consultancy, where West worked, was a frequent visitor to the immigration department. They often went to court against each other, and West himself knew several high-ranking officials at the New York Immigration and Customs Enforcement. One of them was a deputy director named Beryl, whose daughter seemed to have just graduated from Columbia University's media program and was currently looking for a job. A phone call to him later, and he believed he would be very willing to help out!

"And then?" West waited for a long time, but he didn't hear the "then" he had imagined. A few days ago, when Jin Muchen asked for information about the Hurst family, he suspected that this kid might be trying to extort them. He had been waiting in anticipation for this kid to make exorbitant demands. But to his surprise, after waiting for a long time, there was no follow-up.

"There's nothing more, that's it!" 

"What? Just a green card?"

"Yes, that's all. Mr. West, perhaps you won't believe me, but I really don't have any other intentions. Helen and I are friends, and besides, that day I wasn't specifically trying to save her; in fact, I was primarily trying to save myself..."

Looking at West's questioning gaze, Jin Muchen answered sincerely. The Hurst family was wealthy, but he wasn't exactly poor now. There was no need to make outrageous demands and leave a bad impression. It was better to leave room for future favors. The Hurst family would naturally owe him a favor, and perhaps one day in the future, it might come in handy.

West looked earnestly into Jin Muchen's eyes, staring for a while to confirm that this guy wasn't playing him, then shook his head helplessly.

"Okay, a green card it is. Give me a few days."

Regardless of what he thought, the simpler his conditions, the better. Though Jin Muchen might seem like a fool to West, if it were him, he could have certainly negotiated for better terms.

True to West's word, a day later, he brought in an immigration officer who had Jin Muchen fill out a stack of forms. Two days later, Jin Muchen's green card was in hand.

Honestly, when he received the green card, Jin Muchen couldn't quite believe it. The efficiency was indeed remarkable, but more so, it was the power of the Hurst International Group's name.

With this card, he could now legally work in the United States, and there were more options available to him. No more worrying about the folks at Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"You're free to leave the hospital today. Mr. Hurst sent his regards along with this $50,000 check; please accept it as a token of his appreciation. Also, Mr. Hurst hopes that you keep the recent incident low-key..."

Walking out of Saint Jones Hospital with Jin Muchen, West handed him a $50,000 check.

Jin Muchen shrugged and accepted the check. David Hurst was indeed a shrewd man, evidently unwilling to owe him a favor. But that was fine. A green card plus $50,000 wasn't exactly a small favor.

If they wanted him to keep things low-key, then low-key it would be. After all, he hadn't planned to make a big fuss about it anyway.