Chapter 228
My palm warmed up, and my heart felt much more at ease. We entered the private room in the restaurant. There was a large rotating round table inside, and the casual sofa was filled with people, while a few groups of people stood in the corners. Some people were sitting by the dining table. Everyone gathered and chatted before dinner.
When Kaleb brought me in, the people inside greeted us with smiling faces. Kaleb politely shook their hands and never let go of my hand. He politely greeted them and introduced me to them.
“This is my wife, Katrina,” Kaleb introduced, specifically mentioning my two patented breakthrough drugs in the field of rare diseases, as well as my company, Verve Biomedical Corp.
The people present were all astonished, as they had not expected such remarkable achievements in the field of pharmaceuticals from such a young girl. I was so nervous that my palms were sweating. I was afraid of dirtying Kaleb’s hand, so I quickly let go and politely shook hands with them.
In a private room with over twenty people, there were the president of a major hospital, the chief physician, the professor of pharmacy, and the leaders of the Pharmacopeial Convention. Everyone took their seats, and the waiter served the dishes, along with fine wine and delicious food.
The old dean sighed, “Mr. Barton, you spent too much; we could just have a simple meal; there’s really no need for such a grand arrangement.”
Kaleb took off his suit jacket and draped it over the back of the chair, feeling at ease.“My wife is very passionate about medical research and has always hoped for an opportunity to have in–depth academic discussions with experts in this field. All of you are pioneers on the front lines of clinical work, and today’s exchange will be greatly beneficial to us. This meal is not enough to express our respect and gratitude.”
“Mr. Barton, you were still too polite.”
“We all contribute to medicine, and there is really no need to spend so much on a normal academic exchange. Let’s split the bill for this meal, and we shouldn’t…”
Kaleb quickly interrupted, “No, don’t all be polite with me.”
I sat nervously, squeezing a smile, while Kaleb was in his element when it came to socializing, and I learned a lot as well. He was calm, steady, and experienced. What to say and what to do in different situations are all carefully planned and strategized. And all these people were high–level executives from various hospitals; with so many people gathered together, it was simply impossible to discuss business privately.
