Michael continued speaking to the gathered crowd of patients and staff. "You all know how good the Woodside Clinic's original team was. Well, now Dr. Glover and the other doctors have set up their own clinic—the Trinity Medical Center."
He looked around at the patients. "From tomorrow, you will be able to see Dr. Glover and her team again, and when they open, you will be able to see a doctor for just one dollar."
The crowd gasped.
Michael continued. "As long as you have one single dollar, Dr. Glover will treat you, whether it's for a cold, a fever, or even cancer."
He knew exactly how to win everyone over. His voice rang down the street and made all the patients turn to each other, chattering excitedly.
"What? Did I hear that right? We can see a doctor for just one dollar?"
"That's amazing!"
"Can you really see someone about cancer for so little money?"
"It's so cheap! Those doctors are all experts. Let's go and sign up with them!"
The entrance hall at Woodside rapidly emptied. Nearly a hundred patients got so excited by Michael's announcement that they ran out of the wellness suite to sign up at the new Trinity Medical Center.
Kendall grew increasingly angry. Facing Michael, she shouted, "You are utterly shameless!"
"What on earth do you mean?" Michael laughed.
"Have you ever heard of anyone making money from a free clinic?" Alex asked. "What you're offering is impossible."
"Now, Alex, who's talking about a free clinic?" Michael asked, smirking at him. "But I tell you what, if you have enough money left after your clinic fails, then you can also pay just one dollar for treatment."
Michael looked at Alex with scorn and said, "Alex, take my word for it. Your clinic is not going to survive."
Alex gave him a tight smile. "Curing people for a dollar? That's unsustainable. It'll be great for about seven days, but it will cost you millions in the long term."
"As long as I can shut you down, it's a small price to pay." Michael looked smug. "And this is only my first move."
Alex was burning with rage. "You can't do this. This gimmick has scored you a lot of excited patients, but if they only pay one dollar, you can't treat them properly. Your tricks won't only waste a huge amount of money; they will also delay vital treatment."
Michael saw red. "I tell you, Alex, I've got ten million dollars to burn, and I'd spend every cent to break you."
Alex laughed, seeing how riled his enemy was. "It all sounds too good to be true, Michael. What the patients don't know is that you'll earn extra money by charging additional fees—a dollar for treatment, but five dollars to park a car, or ten dollars for delivery of a prescription."
Michael shook his head. "Examination, treatment, prescription—all of it combined will cost one dollar. There will be absolutely no hidden costs."
Laughing, he got into the car and drove away.
Kendall stared at the mobile medical vans. "I really want to kill them all," she said, almost snarling. "This is an utter outrage."
Alex chuckled. "There's no need for that," he said. "It's not a problem."
"What do you mean?" Sophie asked. "They'll take all our patients away, and we'll have no business left. It's not just the money, although that's no small matter, but more importantly, our reputation will also suffer." She sighed. "In just a few days' time, the patients will all go to the Trinity Medical Center instead of coming here."
Kendall was still angry. "I'll slash their tires with a kitchen knife."
"No, Kendall," Alex said, smiling at her. "Don't be ridiculous; that won't solve anything. Besides, this is not a bad thing for us. On the contrary, it will be an opportunity for our new wellness suite to become famous."
Sophie and Kendall looked at him in amazement.
"What?" Sophie asked. "I don't understand."
"Aren't they offering a great deal?" Alex asked innocently. "One that everyone—every single person—in Baltimore will want to benefit from?"
He pointed to Sophie's phone. "What are you waiting for? Call the major hospitals, the old people's homes, and the media. Make sure everybody knows about this amazing one-dollar treatment."
They all made various calls, and news of Michael's gimmick spread quickly. Many people didn't believe it at first, thinking it was too good to be true, but when they heard the Murdoch family was backing it, they all rushed to the new facility.
From all over Baltimore, people with a vast range of illnesses and injuries all gathered at the entrance of the Trinity Medical Center.
From a nearby nursing home, nearly one hundred people were organized and transported to see the doctors.
Very soon, the Trinity Medical Center was extremely crowded.
In any city, there were always people in need of medical assistance. They had accidents, they got ill, they got old. Lines formed outside the building as people waited to see a doctor.
The eight doctors used to receive hundreds of visitors every day at the Woodside Clinic, so they remained calm, confident they could handle the demand.
Michael was also thrilled. The offer of the one-dollar treatment had not only made them popular, but it also meant the Woodside Clinic had no patients. He gloated, sure that his plan to break his rival was working.
But only a few hours later, Michael's smile started to fade. More and more patients were arriving, with the lines starting to reach down the driveway. Even worse, the lure of cheap treatment had brought everybody to them, even those who were beyond a cure.
As the lines built, patients started fighting among themselves, desperate to ensure they got to see a doctor.
Several patients changed clothes and tried to disguise themselves to get a second appointment. The medical center soon saw a sharp drop in their supply of drugs.
Sophie and Kendall started to calm down as they watched the situation unfold, enjoying watching the eight doctors all so frantically busy.
At noon, Kendall went and got some take-out, making sure to walk past the crowd, allowing them to catch a whiff of her delicious food. The doctors and patients all felt hungry, but the doctors were so busy they couldn't stop for food, and none of the patients had brought anything to eat. No one wanted to lose their place in the queue, so they all stood there, getting angrier by the minute.
Soon, it was three o'clock in the afternoon, and the Trinity doctors were so tired they could barely stand. Dr. Jones rummaged through the remaining drugs, trying to find something to keep himself going, but there was hardly anything left.
"Ann, we've been flat out all day," he complained. "We're tired, and the patients have almost exhausted our entire stock of medicine. We can't carry on much longer."
The other doctors agreed. "We'll have to call it a day," one of them said.
Ann called Michael over and explained the situation, and then Michael went outside and spoke to the waiting patients. "Thank you all for coming, but we'll be closing soon."
As Michael finished speaking, Alex called out through a megaphone, "What? Is there a limit on your treatments? Isn't everyone eligible to pay one dollar for treatment? Why should it stop in half a day? What about all these people still waiting to be seen?"
The patients outside started to mutter to each other, clearly unhappy.
Alex continued. "These people are here because you offered them a one-dollar treatment, and now you're going back on your word. You're cheating them."
Michael was furious, and he glared at Alex as if he wanted to kill him.
When the crowd heard Michael planned to close for the day, they were all extremely upset.
They were bored and hungry after waiting for several hours, and they still hadn't seen a doctor. Naturally, they refused to leave, so they all agreed with Alex.
"Yes, they're cheating us!" one woman called. "These doctors are all liars. They've tricked us into waiting here all day, and now they won't even see us."
"These doctors should be struck off for treating us this way!" a man shouted. "We have to report them to the medical board."
Another called out, "I won't stand for this. I demand you see me today!"
Hundreds of patients began shouting at the eight doctors.
Several of them almost pushed Michael over as they jostled with each other.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please, be reasonable," Michael shouted. "These talented doctors have seen almost a thousand people today, so they are simply too exhausted to see you right now. Let them rest, and then you can all come back to your same place in the line tomorrow, okay?"