Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 63: Chapter 63
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He figured that with Hallie's lack of experience, there was no way she could put together a solid business proposal. Even if she did manage to draft something, he assumed it would focus on slashing prices as much as possible.
That was why Nelson hadn't held out any real expectations. He figured he'd let Berry Bay slowly earn back the small investment, and once it did, he'd just hand it back to her.
But to his surprise, Hallie had prepared an exceptionally detailed proposal that didn't resort to aggressive price cuts as he'd anticipated. Instead, the acquisition price was three times higher than before.
Nelson couldn't help but let out a low, amused laugh. "Oh? Weren't you the one always preaching about 'buy low, sell low' to help others? You finally realized money matters after all, huh?"
"Because I think you were right," Hallie replied calmly. Nelson could tell she wasn't done. He leaned back in his chair, settling in comfortably, his gaze steady on her. With a slight tilt of his head, he silently signaled her to keep going.
Hallie continued, "You're right. Levine Group's habit of low-price acquisitions has kept Berry Bay, and even all of Kerriston, stuck in poverty. That was our failure. So, I want to raise the purchase price to give them a chance at a better life. But..."
She paused for a moment before saying, "There's one thing you're wrong about. I haven't changed my mind on everything. Drug prices absolutely cannot go up.
"I've done my research, and it shows that if major pharmaceutical companies lowered their prices across the board, it wouldn't hurt their development at all. Joint investments from multiple big pharmaceutical companies already back the research institute's funding.
"Some diseases do require long-term medication, and it's understandable that new specialty drugs are expensive at first. But their costs are typically recouped within five years. The truth is, pharmaceutical companies are simply too greedy to lower their prices."
Nelson didn't hold back from sneering, "So what? You think just because you can manage Berry Bay, you can suddenly dictate to the entire pharmaceutical industry?
"You really believe that if you run around preaching your so-called moral ideals, they'll all be so moved they'll slash their prices for you? Out of the kindness of their hearts?"
Hallie remained composed, and a faint, almost amused smile tugged at her lips. "I'm not as naive as you think. But imagine this—what if there was a major hospital where drug prices, as well as hospital and treatment fees, were all cheaper than anywhere else?
"If you were a patient, wouldn't you choose that hospital? And if that hospital held its ground, the others wouldn't dare hike their prices too high either."
Nelson stared at her, his gaze impossible to read. She couldn't tell if he was scrutinizing or mocking her.
When he finally spoke, his deep voice slid into her ears like a cold serpent. "So now you're targeting me, huh? You really think I'd help you with some bleeding-heart charity stunt that only hurts my own interests?"
Hallie pressed her lips together, then decisively flipped two pages of the document Nelson was holding. Right there, front and center, was detailed information on the piece of land in South Callopston, which was the one he was currently bidding on.
Last time, Peterson had been set up by a rival over this exact piece of land, which just went to show how valuable it really was.
Hallie had thought of that incident at the last minute and dug into the details herself. Once she understood the full picture, everything started to click into place.
She said calmly, "Mr. Blair, I've looked into this land, and it really is the perfect site for a new hospital. I believe your acquisition of Berry Bay was also a strategic move to gain a competitive edge over foreign competitors.
"A month ago, this would have been significant leverage for you. But now that the foreign companies have formed an alliance with Chandler Group, their combined forces have effectively neutralized your advantage. Am I right?"
Nelson watched her calmly, a flicker of genuine interest finally appearing in his gaze. He realized Hallie wasn't nearly as naive as he'd assumed. Leaning back slightly, he said, "Go on."
Hallie continued, "This is a competition between companies, but the government has its own perspective as well. Hernland has always advocated for hospitals to be public welfare-oriented.
"While both of you have been showcasing your strengths to the government on how you can benefit patients and even drive economic growth in Callopston.
"But ultimately, the government is comparing which of you better serves the public interest. Simply put, they're evaluating who can offer better value for money and greater benefits for the general public.
"Mr. Blair, I suggest we trade lower prices for sustainable long-term gains. As I mentioned, patients will naturally choose hospitals with more affordable medical costs. With Kerriston as our leverage, Levine Group can continue serving as the intermediary between pharmaceutical manufacturers and Kerriston.
"If we approach a few key manufacturers, the ones capable of supplying all the meds this hospital will need, they'll absolutely consider dropping their prices in exchange for a long-term partnership. After all, this is the Blair Group we're talking about. For them, it's practically a guaranteed profit with zero risk."
Every word out of Hallie's mouth was carefully crafted to guide him along, each sentence drawing him in step by step. However, every investment had inherent risks.
Hallie thought anxiously, 'I can draft a proposal based on the information I've gathered, but there's no way for me to assess the potential risks accurately.
'Based on Nelson's business acumen, if he deems the risks too high, he'll never agree to this proposal. All my efforts would go down the drain, and the little girl's medical fund would vanish into thin air.'
On the surface, Hallie kept her expression steady and calm, projecting an air of absolute confidence when on the inside, she was anything but calm.
After she finished speaking, Nelson didn't respond right away. His expression stayed unreadable as he flipped another page of the document.
After about three minutes of heavy silence, Nelson finally looked back at Hallie. "We can give it a try."
"Do you mean it?" Hallie asked, almost in disbelief. She hesitated, then added cautiously, "And the 150 thousand dollars you promised me?"
Without even looking up, Nelson closed the document, set it aside, and picked up another file before saying coldly, "The money will be transferred to the hospital's charity account within one minute."
Hallie's face lit up with joy. She blurted a hurried "Thank you!" and dashed out without a backward glance, not wanting to waste a single second.
By the time Nelson looked up, all he caught was the swish of a coat vanishing through the doorway.
'She never fails to throw herself into other people's troubles,' Nelson thought.
Hallie hailed a cab. The moment she got into the car, she contacted the finance department to verify that the 150 thousand dollars had been deposited into the charity account. After confirming the funds were in, she immediately called Raymond to prepare for the surgery.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Hallie quickly changed into her scrubs. After all the pre-op procedures were completed, the little girl, Lily Myers, was wheeled into the operating room.
Outside, her father stood anxiously, peeking inside every chance he got, his face tight with worry.
As eight doctors in blue surgical gowns gathered around, Lily tensed up. She instinctively clutched Hallie's index finger, her voice shaking as she fought back tears.
Lily said, "Dr. Levine, if I don't make it through the surgery, please tell my dad to get another daughter so he won't be alone."
That was why Nelson hadn't held out any real expectations. He figured he'd let Berry Bay slowly earn back the small investment, and once it did, he'd just hand it back to her.
But to his surprise, Hallie had prepared an exceptionally detailed proposal that didn't resort to aggressive price cuts as he'd anticipated. Instead, the acquisition price was three times higher than before.
Nelson couldn't help but let out a low, amused laugh. "Oh? Weren't you the one always preaching about 'buy low, sell low' to help others? You finally realized money matters after all, huh?"
"Because I think you were right," Hallie replied calmly. Nelson could tell she wasn't done. He leaned back in his chair, settling in comfortably, his gaze steady on her. With a slight tilt of his head, he silently signaled her to keep going.
Hallie continued, "You're right. Levine Group's habit of low-price acquisitions has kept Berry Bay, and even all of Kerriston, stuck in poverty. That was our failure. So, I want to raise the purchase price to give them a chance at a better life. But..."
She paused for a moment before saying, "There's one thing you're wrong about. I haven't changed my mind on everything. Drug prices absolutely cannot go up.
"I've done my research, and it shows that if major pharmaceutical companies lowered their prices across the board, it wouldn't hurt their development at all. Joint investments from multiple big pharmaceutical companies already back the research institute's funding.
"Some diseases do require long-term medication, and it's understandable that new specialty drugs are expensive at first. But their costs are typically recouped within five years. The truth is, pharmaceutical companies are simply too greedy to lower their prices."
Nelson didn't hold back from sneering, "So what? You think just because you can manage Berry Bay, you can suddenly dictate to the entire pharmaceutical industry?
"You really believe that if you run around preaching your so-called moral ideals, they'll all be so moved they'll slash their prices for you? Out of the kindness of their hearts?"
Hallie remained composed, and a faint, almost amused smile tugged at her lips. "I'm not as naive as you think. But imagine this—what if there was a major hospital where drug prices, as well as hospital and treatment fees, were all cheaper than anywhere else?
"If you were a patient, wouldn't you choose that hospital? And if that hospital held its ground, the others wouldn't dare hike their prices too high either."
Nelson stared at her, his gaze impossible to read. She couldn't tell if he was scrutinizing or mocking her.
When he finally spoke, his deep voice slid into her ears like a cold serpent. "So now you're targeting me, huh? You really think I'd help you with some bleeding-heart charity stunt that only hurts my own interests?"
Hallie pressed her lips together, then decisively flipped two pages of the document Nelson was holding. Right there, front and center, was detailed information on the piece of land in South Callopston, which was the one he was currently bidding on.
Last time, Peterson had been set up by a rival over this exact piece of land, which just went to show how valuable it really was.
Hallie had thought of that incident at the last minute and dug into the details herself. Once she understood the full picture, everything started to click into place.
She said calmly, "Mr. Blair, I've looked into this land, and it really is the perfect site for a new hospital. I believe your acquisition of Berry Bay was also a strategic move to gain a competitive edge over foreign competitors.
"A month ago, this would have been significant leverage for you. But now that the foreign companies have formed an alliance with Chandler Group, their combined forces have effectively neutralized your advantage. Am I right?"
Nelson watched her calmly, a flicker of genuine interest finally appearing in his gaze. He realized Hallie wasn't nearly as naive as he'd assumed. Leaning back slightly, he said, "Go on."
Hallie continued, "This is a competition between companies, but the government has its own perspective as well. Hernland has always advocated for hospitals to be public welfare-oriented.
"While both of you have been showcasing your strengths to the government on how you can benefit patients and even drive economic growth in Callopston.
"But ultimately, the government is comparing which of you better serves the public interest. Simply put, they're evaluating who can offer better value for money and greater benefits for the general public.
"Mr. Blair, I suggest we trade lower prices for sustainable long-term gains. As I mentioned, patients will naturally choose hospitals with more affordable medical costs. With Kerriston as our leverage, Levine Group can continue serving as the intermediary between pharmaceutical manufacturers and Kerriston.
"If we approach a few key manufacturers, the ones capable of supplying all the meds this hospital will need, they'll absolutely consider dropping their prices in exchange for a long-term partnership. After all, this is the Blair Group we're talking about. For them, it's practically a guaranteed profit with zero risk."
Every word out of Hallie's mouth was carefully crafted to guide him along, each sentence drawing him in step by step. However, every investment had inherent risks.
Hallie thought anxiously, 'I can draft a proposal based on the information I've gathered, but there's no way for me to assess the potential risks accurately.
'Based on Nelson's business acumen, if he deems the risks too high, he'll never agree to this proposal. All my efforts would go down the drain, and the little girl's medical fund would vanish into thin air.'
On the surface, Hallie kept her expression steady and calm, projecting an air of absolute confidence when on the inside, she was anything but calm.
After she finished speaking, Nelson didn't respond right away. His expression stayed unreadable as he flipped another page of the document.
After about three minutes of heavy silence, Nelson finally looked back at Hallie. "We can give it a try."
"Do you mean it?" Hallie asked, almost in disbelief. She hesitated, then added cautiously, "And the 150 thousand dollars you promised me?"
Without even looking up, Nelson closed the document, set it aside, and picked up another file before saying coldly, "The money will be transferred to the hospital's charity account within one minute."
Hallie's face lit up with joy. She blurted a hurried "Thank you!" and dashed out without a backward glance, not wanting to waste a single second.
By the time Nelson looked up, all he caught was the swish of a coat vanishing through the doorway.
'She never fails to throw herself into other people's troubles,' Nelson thought.
Hallie hailed a cab. The moment she got into the car, she contacted the finance department to verify that the 150 thousand dollars had been deposited into the charity account. After confirming the funds were in, she immediately called Raymond to prepare for the surgery.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Hallie quickly changed into her scrubs. After all the pre-op procedures were completed, the little girl, Lily Myers, was wheeled into the operating room.
Outside, her father stood anxiously, peeking inside every chance he got, his face tight with worry.
As eight doctors in blue surgical gowns gathered around, Lily tensed up. She instinctively clutched Hallie's index finger, her voice shaking as she fought back tears.
Lily said, "Dr. Levine, if I don't make it through the surgery, please tell my dad to get another daughter so he won't be alone."
End of Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire Chapter 63. Continue reading Chapter 64 or return to Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire book page.