Flash Marriage To The Dangerous Billionaire - Chapter 70: Chapter 70

"By the way, what are we doing now?" Hallie suddenly asked, her voice bright and eager, completely oblivious to the heavy look in his eyes. Her eyes even sparkled a little, as though she was genuinely excited about the task ahead.
Nelson snapped out of his thoughts, slipping one hand into his pockets, and said, "Mr. Quentin Carroway from the government wants to talk to you. He's already here. Just go speak with him when you're ready."
Following the subtle tilt of his chin, Hallie spotted a middle-aged man in a simple suit standing quietly in a corner.
Hallie gave him a firm nod. "No problem."
After thorough preparation all night, Hallie felt fully confident. But as soon as she finished speaking, something felt off. She shot Nelson a puzzled look. "Wait, you said I'm supposed to talk to Mr. Carroway. What about you?"
Nelson gave her a half-smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Me? Oh, I'm not getting involved. You're the project lead for Berry Bay, aren't you?"
He stood there completely at ease, as if none of this had anything to do with him. Sure, that sounded nice, but everyone here knew it was Blair Group pulling the strings behind this bid.
Hallie stared at Nelson in disbelief. "You're not joking, are you?"
Nelson countered with a faint smirk. "Do I look like I'm joking to you?"
Nelson maintained a composed demeanor without a hint of humor on his face, making the whole situation seem all the more suspicious to Hallie.
'He must have another plan,' Hallie thought. Then, she clenched her jaw and decided to trust him just this once. "Alright, I'll do as you say."
Seeing her agree so readily, Nelson's faint smile faded as he studied her with a probing gaze. "You're not going to ask me why?"
Hallie thought, 'Is this guy for real? He won't say a word himself, but expects me to ask?'
Hallie silently cursed him in her heart, but said honestly, "Trust means you don't second-guess someone you've decided to rely on. Right now, we're stuck in this together. I may not know exactly what you're planning, but I trust you're not stupid enough to blow it all up."
Nelson's lips twitched slightly, thinking, 'She really never backs down in an argument.'
He lowered his gaze. With half his face hidden in the shadow, he gave her a light smile. "Relax. This was a decision made after careful thought."
As for the real reason? That, he wasn't ready to tell her yet. Reassured by Nelson's promise, Hallie felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she made her way toward Quentin.
When she was about three steps away, she paused, put on a warm, confident smile, and extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Carroway. I'm Hallie Levine from Mentville Medical Center."
Quentin gently returned her handshake, his eyes filled with admiration for her. "Dr. Levine, I saw your story in the news about how you provided 150 thousand dollars worth of surgery and treatment free of charge for a young patient who couldn't afford medical care.
"You're exactly the kind of doctor we need. You're not just highly skilled, but truly compassionate with strong medical ethics."
Hallie was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure and smiled sincerely. "That's just what any doctor should do."
Seeing the genuine appreciation in Quentin's eyes instantly gave her more confidence. She thought, 'Nelson probably knew exactly how much Mr. Carroway admired me, so he sent me in alone.'
Not far away, tucked in a corner, Nelson stood watching them quietly. When he saw Hallie and Quentin talking and laughing with ease, he finally looked away.
Nelson lowered his gaze, but a faint crease appeared between his brows. Though this was a calculated decision, it remained a high-stakes gamble.
Quentin might appear affable on the surface, yet he was the strictest among government officials. He was an uncompromising man who tolerated no flaws. Sending Hallie to speak with him alone was nothing short of a gamble.
Meanwhile, after exchanging a few pleasantries with Quentin, Hallie smoothly steered the conversation toward the land tender in South Callopston.
In her sharp, elegantly tailored suit, Hallie launched confidently into her prepared points, speaking with natural poise.
Hallie said, "A significant portion of hospital expenses comes from medication costs. Blair Group recently acquired Berry Bay in Kerriston, and if we win this bid, we'll build a general hospital here supported by a steady supply of medicinal ingredients from Berry Bay."
In this battle between Blair Group and Chandler Group, each side's strengths and weaknesses were plain to see. Hallie strategically focused the conversation on Blair Group's competitive edge in medicinal ingredients supply.
In just five minutes, Hallie gave a clear, concise explanation of how Blair Group planned to lower medicinal ingredients prices to help reduce patients' financial burden.
Quentin listened patiently, then nodded with composed approval. "Dr. Levine, you make a solid point. The Blair Group's real strength does lie in its supply of medicinal ingredients. However..."
His tone suddenly shifted. His sharp gaze landed on Hallie, carrying almost tangible pressure. "I heard that as the person in charge at Berry Bay, you actually raised the purchase price of medicinal ingredients?"
The question was spot on. Feeling his piercing stare sweep over her, Hallie felt a chill running down her spine. She pressed her fingers together, took a steadying breath, and answered firmly, "That's right."
The two resolute words were delivered without a trace of hesitation.
This piqued Quentin's curiosity. His gaze softened as he asked, "If the purchase price increases, drug prices will rise too, and ultimately, that cost will be passed on to patients.
"Ms. Levine, you just said Blair Group wants to share the savings with the public and help ease the burden on patients. So why raise the purchase price in the first place?"
After waiting for him to finish, Hallie looked straight at Quentin and asked, "If it's tough for patients, isn't it just as hard for the farmers in Berry Bay?"
Her words hung in the air, plunging the room into sudden silence. Quentin was momentarily taken aback. After a long pause, he finally nodded and let out a sigh, "You're right. The cost of medicinal ingredients has been rising steadily.
"I've also heard about the situation in Berry Bay. With prices staying so low, many young people aren't willing to take over their family businesses anymore. Over the years, this has led to a drop in production. If this keeps up, it's not a healthy or sustainable path forward."
Hallie felt a sharp pang in her chest. These were exactly the struggles she had seen firsthand during her visit to Berry Bay.
The fact that Quentin had already looked into all this on his own showed just how deeply he cared about the people's well-being.
When she looked at him again, her eyes carried a newfound, sincere respect. She said solemnly, "Patients shouldn't find relief at the cost of Berry Bay's farmers. That's why we chose a different path."
"Oh?" Question's eyes lit up with curiosity.
Hallie said resolutely, "Production costs.
"For many patented medicines, the R&D and production costs have already been recovered. The real problem is that pharmaceutical companies refuse to share those savings with the public. They simply won't bring the prices down. That's what's truly keeping drug prices sky-high.
"Right now, Blair Group has already started negotiations with several pharmaceutical companies and secured initial agreements to lower prices.
"If we can secure this land and build a hospital as our foundation, we'll have the leverage to strike exclusive supply deals with other hospitals too. In return, manufacturers will be pushed to reduce their prices.
"This way, drug prices can drop—even if just slightly—and the savings will go directly to patients."
Quentin was visibly moved. "You've really thought this through. As for this bid..."
Just then, Miles suddenly strode over with another government official, cutting them off mid-conversation from across the room.
"Quentin, great news! Chandler Group just secured medical equipment from Titania Biopharma at only half the market price," the government official announced.
It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck the room.
Hallie clenched her fists tightly. In a flash, Miles was standing right in front of them with the excited middle-aged man at his side. As his gaze swept over Hallie, there was clear contempt and provocation in his eyes.
'They did this on purpose. They were waiting for the perfect moment to swoop in and steal the spotlight,' Hallie thought angrily.