Chapter 168: Emergency Quest

Inside the Peninsula, the guests who attended the event rose to their feet and clapped their hands as Michael arrived in the ballroom.

Michael acknowledged the crowd with a humble nod. The spotlight followed him as he made his way to the podium at the front of the room, the clinking of glasses and the murmur of conversations subsiding as the attendees took their seats, their attention turning toward him.

Although this was not the time for him to make a speech, it felt like one. Michael sat at the respective table where his major investors, Antoneitte and Bridget were already seated, waiting for him.

Bridget looked at him from top to bottom and smiled.

"You looked handsome in that suit," she commented.

"I looked very handsome in everything because I am handsome," Michael confidently replied, eliciting a chuckle from both Bridget and Antoinette.

"Mrs. Estolas, Ms. von Reimann? What did I tell you when I proposed to you two enterprises that will surely take the world into shock?" Michael asked, taking his seat.

"We were reluctant at first but we gave in to your marketing skills and charisma," Antoinette admitted with a smile. "You promised it would change the landscape of healthcare and energy, and you weren't wrong."

Michael nodded, his expression turning thoughtful. "And we're just at the beginning. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. But it's proving too difficult to expect something when we just introduced to the world the miracle that a lot of experts and scientists thought to be impossible to achieve."

"Yeah...imagine the reactions of the pharmaceutical companies and medical technology company rubbing their heads right now after seeing that there is a technology out there that is more effective, and the people won't need costly maintenance such as chemotherapy or other invasive treatments," Bridget added, her tone mixing amusement with a hint of defiance.

Michael leaned back, absorbing the magnitude of their achievement.

"It's a disruption, certainly," he acknowledged. "And disruption is never welcomed by those it affects negatively. But in our case, the benefits to society—increasing accessibility to effective treatments, reducing healthcare costs, improving patient outcomes—outweigh the discomfort it causes to established industries."

Let us remember that what we are doing is not just for profit. It's for progress. For every life we touch, we make a difference. And that is the ultimate measure of our success."

After concluding his speech, the audience clapped their hands in support. He bowed in front of them. Amidst the audience, one guy stood up.

"Mr. Reyes...Can I ask you a question?" the man announced in a loud voice.

Michael glanced at the guy, it was a man in his thirties, nothing interesting on him that would pique his eyes. Nevertheless, he entertained it.

"What is it?"

"Mr. Reyes, my father has cancer and we were hoping that we can get him to participate in your ongoing clinical trials for the new treatment you mentioned earlier. How can we go about it?" the man asked desperately.

Michael's expression softened as he listened to the man's request. He knew that behind every innovation and breakthrough, there were real people with real struggles, seeking hope and solutions.

"Thank you for reaching out," Michael replied compassionately and continued. "We understand the—"

And he was interrupted as a notification from the system popped up.

[Someone has an intent to kill you.]

[You received an emergency quest.]

[Survive!]