The Man Who Never Looked Away novel Chapter 37

The pharmaceutical factory was located in Old Delhi.

The streets were narrow, packed with a chaotic mix of pedestrians and vehicles, the blaring of horns echoing endlessly.

This was their last hope, but Lavinia didn't dare get her expectations too high.

The world of generic drugs was incredibly murky. Some factories didn't even have the proper manufacturing licenses. If they returned empty-handed this time, Latham truly would be out of time.

Charley sat beside her, calmly reviewing the documents in his hands.

Soon, the car pulled up in front of an inconspicuous building with only a single tin sign hanging by the door.

They were greeted by the technical director, a gray-haired Indian man with a thick accent.

Lavinia requested to see the laboratory first. The old man hesitated for a moment but ultimately led them inside.

The lab wasn't large, but the equipment was surprisingly advanced. Lavinia carefully inspected every machine and asked several technical questions regarding the production process.

The old man's answers were highly professional, backed by detailed data, with absolutely no vague or evasive responses.

She flipped through the inspection reports he provided, going through them page by page.

Impurity control, stability data, batch consistency—everything was far better than she had anticipated.

When it came to generic drugs, the Indians were truly world-class.

Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, the old man's attitude shifted.

"The generic formulation process for the P-Drug is highly complex. Our production capacity is limited, so I'm afraid we cannot supply it externally." The old man gathered the reports, his tone polite but absolute.

Lavinia's heart sank heavily.

"As long as you can provide the medicine, name your price," Lavinia pleaded.

"It's not about the money," the old man interrupted. "This medication is strictly reserved for our local citizens."

The room fell into a tense standstill.

Charley glanced down at his phone, then turned and walked out of the lab.

Lavinia had no idea what he was doing, so she had to continue reasoning with the old man on her own. The old man remained cordial, but he absolutely refused to budge.

About ten minutes later, Charley pushed the door open and returned.

The old man's phone coincidentally began to ring. He stepped into a corner to answer it. His tone shifted rapidly from confusion to pure shock, and finally, he nodded repeatedly.

As soon as Lavinia turned around, Zoey flashed a 'keep it up' gesture at Charley, instantly earning herself a deadly glare.

***

The stupa was the oldest Buddhist monument in Delhi. Locals firmly believed that circling the tower and praying could bring safety and healing to critically ill family members.

Lavinia stepped toward the entrance, but as soon as she reached the gate, a monk blocked her path.

The monk spoke in Hindi, and Lavinia couldn't understand a single word.

Charley quietly translated for her. "He says your clothing doesn't meet the requirements, so you can't enter the stupa to pray."

"Then what should I do?"

"There are plenty of vendors selling saris over there." He pointed toward the side of the street. "Just buy one and change into it."

The two walked over. Charley stopped in front of a pile of vibrantly colored saris, pulled out a deep red one, and held it up against Lavinia's shoulder.

"This one."

The vendor helped her adjust the pleats and smiled, saying something in Hindi.