Chapter 294 Crowdfunding
In the next three days, The Rosewood City news was dominated by headlines.
First, there were rumors that Simon was critically ill and might not survive the month, leading to a major power reshuffle in The Howard Group.
Then, the Apollo Team tackled the illness, and Brooke single-handedly saved Simon.
Finally, with his condition stabilized, Simon announced that due to health reasons, he would be taking time to recuperate, and all affairs would be handled by Sarah.
Suddenly, Brooke and Sarah became the talk of the town.
The Apollo Team's value skyrocketed tenfold overnight, and Sarah also became a hot commodity.
While they were being celebrated and courted by everyone, James received a call from Mary.
She invited James to dinner at the Ivory Coast.
James readily agreed.
Around five o'clock, Mary arrived at JZL Medical Clinic in a red BMW to pick up James.
James was surprised, "Weren't you supposed to wait for me to pick you up? Why did you come?"
"I Know how busy you are," Mary greeted Michelle and the others, then opened the car door for James, "So I came to pick you up to make things easier for you. But before dinner, you need to accompany me to Harmony Care Hospital."
Today, Mary was dressed lightly, wearing a soft, thin short-sleeved top and a black professional skirt.
The carefully tailored design accentuated her perfect waist, making her look particularly sexy.
James asked curiously while fastening his seatbelt, "Do you have another client for me to treat?"
"The incident with Simon almost got both of us into trouble. Unless absolutely necessary, I won't let you treat people recklessly again."
"The incident with Simon almost got both of us into trouble. Unless absolutely necessary, I won't let you treat people recklessly again." Mary was candid with James, "Today, we're going to the hospital because my college class president is seriously ill. The class fundraiser asked me to bring the money over. We could have done it via bank transfer, but they said cash shows more sincerity, and they also wanted me to buy some fruits and supplements on their behalf. I haven't kept in touch with my college classmates much in the past two years and missed several reunions for various reasons. So when they asked for my help this time, I couldn't refuse."
She smiled at James, "You know, I really dislike hospitals, so I brought you along."
"It's nice that your class has such caring classmates." James sighed, recalling how when Michelle was seriously ill, not only did no classmates visit, but several people even refused to repay their debts.
"Things aren't that simple." Mary shook her head slightly, "If it were an ordinary classmate, they might have just donated a few tens of thousands of dollars online. The class president is the PR manager at Cool Entertainment, and his wife is a somewhat famous agent in the industry. Nowadays, in the era of celebrities and traffic, many classmates want to make money by associating with them."
She added, "Their motives are too utilitarian, not as pure as before, which is why I resist attending reunions."
James nodded slightly, understanding Mary's thoughts, and then frowned. The Cool Entertainment sounded familiar.
At five in the afternoon, Harmony Care Hospital, Room 303 in the inpatient department.
Mary and James arrived at the ward with a bag of fruit and a bouquet of flowers.
On the way, James had learned that the patient was named Benjamin, who had cancer and had also broken a leg.
"Oh, Mary is here." Seeing Mary and James, Benjamin greeted them warmly, "Come in."
Benjamin's wife, Sierra, stood up, took the items from James, and then disdainfully tossed them on the table.
Compared to the pile of supplements in the corner, a bag of fruit and a bouquet of flowers did seem a bit shabby.
Mary felt a bit embarrassed. She had wanted to buy more, but James had advised that supplements were unnecessary for cancer.
Moreover, if necessary, he could treat the patient as a big gift.
"Benjamin, how are you doing?" Mary asked, "When can you be discharged?"
"I feel a bit better, but discharge is not possible for now." Benjamin exchanged a glance with Sierra and smiled, "It will probably take a few more months to recover."
Mary showed concern, "You must take good care of yourself. If you need any help, just let me know."
"Mary, I actually do need your help with something." Benjamin smiled broadly, "You are the president of The Smith Corporation and a beautiful woman. Can you help me with an online crowdfunding campaign and be a witness?"
Mary was taken aback, "Crowdfunding?"
James squinted his eyes. He was asking for crowdfund despite being so wealthy?
Benjamin started counting on his fingers, "I require a lot of money for treatment. Hiring a caregiver is another big expense. And I won't be able to work for three to five months. Taking care of me also has a time cost. Our family is suffering heavy losses, so we can only rely on the kindness of others."
Benjamin sighed.
James helped him up and he understood his condition.
James frowned slightly.
At this moment, Mary's eyelid twitched, "How much do you need to crowdfund?"
Sierra suddenly said, "Not much, just four hundred thousand dollars."
Mary was shocked. Before entering, she had asked the doctor about Benjamin's condition. It wasn't severe, it could be controlled with medication costing tens of thousands of dollars.
Most importantly, she knew about Benjamin's long-boasted family wealth.
"Benjamin, your illness, at most, would cost twenty thousand dollars out of pocket." Mary hesitated and added, "And you have three fully paid houses, each worth millions of dollars. You also have three cars worth tens of thousands of dollars each, and your company salary is not low. Crowdfunding four hundred thousand dollars seems a bit inappropriate, doesn't it?"
Although Benjamin was her classmate, Mary still had her principles.
"I have one house, my wife has one, and my son has one. Where do you see extra houses to sell?" Benjamin's face darkened instantly, "And the housing price is rising. Why would I sell my house? Am I crazy? Three cars, although they can be sold for some money, my wife and I need to drive them. Or should we take the subway every day and smell sweat? My company salary, we earned that money through hard work. Is that a crime? And do you know how much it costs to run a household? A bunch of imported grapes costs tens of dollars, and a nanny for the kids costs thousands of dollars. To save money, my wife and I can only buy two-thousand-dollar phones. We've lowered our living standards this much, and you still ask if it's appropriate? Do you have any conscience?"
Benjamin was very angry, "If you don't want to help, just leave. Don't say useless things here. Yes, we have houses and cars, so what? What does that have to do with crowdfunding for a serious illness?"
Sierra also argued, "Benjamin is really sick, so he has the right to crowdfund. Why are you concerned about our houses, cars, and savings?"
Mary couldn't help but ask, "If you want to crowdfund, go ahead. Why do you need my help?"
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