"I'll go take care of some things, then quickly come back. You have my number. Call me if there's anything."

Silas felt reassured by Matthew's words. "That's good. Otherwise, I won't feel confident."

Matthew headed toward the door. "I'll leave first, then."

At Zen Coffee House, Rachel, Emmanuel, and Baxter sat by the window.

Rachel made a gesture of invitation. "Mr. Kendrick, Mr. Paulson, this is Zen Coffee House's Zen Coffee. It's said that drinking one cup brings you peace of mind. Since you two are coffee connoisseurs, please try it and tell me what you think." Baxter smiled and said, "Mr. Kendrick is indeed a coffee connoisseur, but tasting coffee ideally requires one's full focus to slowly savor the notes. We're in the company of a beautiful lady today, so let's talk about something other than coffee." Rachel detected the flirtatious tone in his words, and her eyes flashed with disgust. But she maintained her composure and changed the topic.

"Both of you are busy men, and your time is precious. Let's skip the small talk and get straight to business. In the past, Wealthwave Group's drugs were always staple supplies in your hospital. So why the resistance to the new drugs?"

Emmanuel knew that mere pleasantries wouldn't work on Rachel and that he couldn't take advantage of her. So, he decided to get to the point and gave a nod to Baxter.

Baxter got his signal and sat up straight. "Ms. Carter, in today's world, everyone is only after money. Our hospital is no exception. The previous drugs were favored because of their high prices and substantial profits.

"However, the new drug you developed is too cheap. For example, the willow bark extract-one box of injections cost 7.5 dollars, with ten doses per box. Three doses can cure a common cold, meaning 7.5 dollars can treat three patients. How do you expect us to make money?"

Rachel said with a smile, "Actually, the profit margins for our company are very slim. We rely on volume. Your hospital can still make money through various tests and diagnostics. Viral screenings, blood tests, ECGs... These tests can easily amount to a few hundred dollars per patient.

"We supply the drug for 7.5 dollars, and you can mark up the price. The hospital will still profit," she argued.

Baxter looked at Rachel coldly, unsure of whether she was genuinely naive or just pretending to be with such immature thinking.noveldrama

"Do you think earning a couple hundred dollars per patient is a lot? Do you think we're running a charity?

"Let's say a hemorrhoid patient can

bring us 3,000 dollars through

surgery but only a few dozen dollars through medication. Which treatment would you, as a businessperson and the president of Wealthwave Group, choose

Rachel's face suddenly turned pale. She was shocked by the bluntness of his words.

Seeing her silence, Baxter smiled and continued, "I believe, as a businessperson, you would choose surgery because of the higher profit margins. Our hospital operates the same way, and we would opt for surgery. That's why we won't use your newly developed product."

Rachel's eyes were filled with astonishment. She looked like she had just seen a ghost.

These two were supposed to be doctors-no, they were more than that. They were directors of a hospital! Yet, they viewed treating patients as merely a means to make a profit.

She felt like she wasn't even facing humans. They were demons.

She dared not imagine what would happen if she fell ill and ended up in their hands. She came back to her senses after a long silence. She couldn't help but exclaim, "You two are supposed to be medical professionals!" Emmanuel shook his head. "Please. Don't use moral blackmail. My profession as a doctor is just a means of making a livelihood.

"In this world, everyone is out to make money. We're simply maximizing our profits. Let's just discuss our partnership. It's not impossible for your drug to enter hospitals..."