She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 201

“It’s like raising a child. It’s not about giving them the most expensive toys or sending them to the best schools to ensure they turn out well. If their basic values are wrong, no amount of investment will change that—you’ll just end up with a brat, a little monster who lies constantly and never admits fault. It’s the same principle with innovative drug development.”

Melanie was dumbfounded.

The difference between raising a child and developing a new drug was huge. Besides, she didn’t even have a child. What was with all these veiled insinuations from Hazel?

With all eyes on her, Melanie smiled gracefully and replied with calm confidence, “Director, I must disagree. When the Hale Health Center invested in Adrian Mercer’s studio, it wasn’t an attempt to buy innovation with money. It was because we saw a genius concept in him and his team that was being held back by a lack of resources.”

“You just questioned what right the Hale Group has to engage in primary innovation… Well, I’d like to ask, what kind of companies do *you* think are capable of it? Companies that already have complete resources? Wouldn’t that directly contradict the theme of your speech today—that medical innovation needs to break its dependency on external resources?”

“The Hale Group may not have the experience of established pharmaceutical giants or the hardware of top-tier laboratories, but we have the determination to take risks on unconventional ideas, and the supply chain capability to take lab results to patients’ bedsides. Isn’t that, in itself, one of the most valuable forms of innovation?”

As soon as Melanie finished speaking, the room erupted in thunderous applause.

On stage, Hazel remained silent.

While she didn’t show any agreement with Melanie’s words, she didn’t refute them either.

After the seminar, everyone moved to the banquet hall for dinner.

Melanie and Evelyn walked on either side of Dominic.

Since Dominic was now the internet’s poster child for the perfect, doting husband, he couldn’t get too close to Evelyn while keeping his distance from Melanie.

Melanie didn’t move away from Dominic, but the space between them was still greater than the space between him and Evelyn.

Just then, Hazel walked toward them, and Evelyn immediately struck up a conversation.

“Director…”

Hazel had been planning to speak to Melanie and only noticed Evelyn when she heard her voice.

“And you are…?”

Evelyn was secretly pleased, thinking she could win Hazel over and use her as a tool against Melanie.

“Melanie doesn’t have much education and hasn’t seen much of the world. She was very rude during the seminar, and I hope you can be the bigger person and not hold it against her.”

Hazel listened to Evelyn’s condescending remarks about Melanie and rolled her eyes with a sneer.

“You and your brother really are cut from the same cloth.”

Knowing Hazel was still holding a grudge from yesterday, Dominic, despite his pride, decided to apologize. “I’m sorry, Director. Yesterday was unintentional. I hope you can forgive me.”

“Yesterday?” Melanie asked curiously. “What happened between you two yesterday?”

Seeing that Melanie was unaware, Hazel was a bit surprised. She shrugged with a smile.

“What else could it be? It was all thanks to your daughter, of course!”