1. **State the problem:** Solve the equation $$4(-\frac{1}{4}x + 3) = 6.5$$. 2. **Apply the distributive property:** Multiply 4 by each term inside the parentheses: $$4 \times -\frac{1}{4}x + 4 \times 3 = 6.5$$ which simplifies to $$-x + 12 = 6.5$$. 3. **Isolate the variable term:** Subtract 12 from both sides: $$-x + 12 - 12 = 6.5 - 12$$ which simplifies to $$-x = -5.5$$. 4. **Solve for $x$:** Multiply both sides by $-1$ to get rid of the negative sign: $$\cancel{-1} \times -x = \cancel{-1} \times -5.5$$ which simplifies to $$x = 5.5$$. 5. **Final answer:** $$\boxed{5.5}$$