Chapter 356: Life Under the New Regime (4)

His wife was surprised that Wuerkan did not first go to the church to give thanks for the First Saint's mercy.

Instead, he wanted to go first to the place beside it that looked far from pleasant, filled with "meat‑cutting" tools and semi‑mechanized medical servitors.

Although the clinic, following Xisi's overarching directive to give people "hope", was decorated as clean, tidy, and bright as possible.

But for the overly ignorant Empire Lower Nest civilians, they have no idea what a scalpel is; they only see the appearance of these medical servitors, which looks like a terrifying, perverse butcher!

Thus, even though the clinic has been open for a long time, compared with the bustling church next door, the clinic is scarcely visited.

Except for a few civilians with severe illnesses who have no choice—treating a dead horse as a living one—who enter the clinic with a pallid complexion.

Most surrounding people still regard the clinic as a less advanced slaughterhouse.

Only Wuerkan perhaps truly is one of the few civilians willing to think; after a brief observation, he knows the clinic is the genuinely important place for people like them.

Spiritual prayers can wait until later when there is time.

But physical healing, for Lower Nest civilians living in extremely poor conditions, cannot wait even a moment.

Soon, Wuerkan forcibly dragged his wife and child into the clinic.

Built to the Empire's most cozy, brightest standards, as soon as the Wuerkan family stepped in, a medical servitor whose hands had been modified with numerous surgical instruments flashed the most standard smile.

Then, with its eye sockets hollowed and a pair of huge red microscopic Prosthetic Eyes, its grim visage raised a sharp scalpel glinting under the light, giving a forced smile toward Wuerkan.

"Welcome, according to the factory agreement, I will provide you all with free, unconditional medical services."

"May I ask where you are feeling discomfort?"

The servitor spoke mechanically, following the preset procedure exactly.

Seeing this grim medical servitor, Wuerkan's wife and child were too frightened to speak, while Wuerkan, after quickly processing the servitor's meaning, turned his gaze deeper into the clinic.

What he then saw was that this small clinic serving the block was equipped, all at once, with as many as fifty medical servitors!

Thanks to the Mechanical Church's extremely "advanced" backwardness, this technology of directly converting humans into machines is mastered by the Mechanical Church to a superb degree.

Moreover, there already exist massive ready‑made servitor production lines; with slight modifications, they can achieve unprecedented medical servitor output.

Furthermore, servitor production lines are abundant in almost every Forge World, even in every Nest.

Thus, medical servitors surprisingly became the first to meet all targets under Xisi's new policy.

So the establishment of the clinic progressed far faster than any shift in civilian mindset.

Soon, under the extremely patient mechanical reception of the medical servitors, the Wuerkan family, though not seriously ill, still had some wounds delicately bandaged.

Then they were escorted to the doorway, and the servitor's words continued with the same mechanical forced smile:

"Your bodies are severely lacking multiple vitamins, and your bones exhibit extensive spontaneous healing."

"I recommend that after returning home you eat plenty of green vegetables; if possible, you should consume new‑type meat rather than protein blocks."

"Furthermore, regarding your wife's numerous ailments, I have submitted a drug request upward; return at this time next year and I will provide the medication."

Eat more vegetables, eat meat if possible, wait a year for the drugs...

In the 3K era, even an enemy would be deeply moved hearing these words.

But in a remote 40K world Nest City, these words were like a thunderclap to the Wuerkan family.

"You... you mean that next year we will have medicines that can cure diseases?"

"And they're free?!"

Wuerkan stammered, his eyes showing a mix of hope and disbelief.

Medicine, for a Lower Nest laborer like Wuerkan, is practically legendary.

After all, under the previous Empire medical system, it was less a medical station for Lower Nest workers than a labor‑maintenance station.

The Empire only cares whether labor is sufficient, not whether you live or die.

Previously, the only drugs Wuerkan and others could obtain were low‑quality antibiotics on the black market with a fifty‑percent fatality rate and exorbitant prices.

Using that, it would be better to just lie down somewhere and stay rigid!

This is why, even without war, the souls of dead Empire civilians become filled with twisted, extreme emotions.

Under radiation sickness, lung disease, infection, limb fragmentation and other torments, each deceased civilian truly endured a hellish ordeal.

Thus, medical care is a top priority under Xisi's new policy; even in death, Empire citizens must depart peacefully rather than suffer endless torment and die with intense resentment.

And this is the only means Xisi has to cleanse the Four Gods!

"But vegetables and fresh meat..."

Wuerkan was shocked by the free medical care and the legitimate medicines that could be delivered a year later.

His wife, however, was troubled that vegetables and fresh meat were practically unattainable for a family like theirs.

The medical servitor clearly had dedicated Mechanical Church maintenance; it quickly retrieved from its database the meaning of the wife's remark.

Then the Prosthetic Eye flickered briefly and gave a response:

"If you cannot afford it, it does not matter; the Empire has already restructured a batch of agricultural worlds and Forge Worlds."

"They will become industrial and sustenance worlds that produce civilian goods and medicines."

"According to current progress, the first batch of composite vitamins will arrive in six months."

The servitor still wore a forced smile, patiently explaining.

Hearing that such an industrial assembly‑line vitamin supply existed, the Wuerkan family was stunned for a while.

Then, with a hint of bewilderment, under the servitor's repeated reminders, they promised to return in six months to collect the vitamins.

Until they stood at the clinic's doorway, looking at the perfectly bandaged wounds and the cool comfort under the medicated bandages, Wuerkan felt life had truly changed.

Then, with a thoughtful glance toward the neighboring block's church, while his wife remained dazed, he reached out again, pulling his wife and child toward the church.

"I... I should properly thank the Divine Emperor..."

His wife was slow to react, and Wuerkan, unusually at this moment, turned his head, his expression solemn:

"No!"

"We thank the First Saint!"

The wife was stunned for a moment, but then she also instantly reacted.

Because they had worshipped the Divine Emperor for a long time, life remained the same, but after worshipping the First Saint, their lives finally began to undergo earth-shaking changes!

Commoners, they are not stupid!

They know who gave them everything!