[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-shadow-empire":3,"chapter-the-shadow-empire-the-shadow-empire-chapter-920":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Shadow Empire",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2268540,4428,"Chapter 920: Falling Into the Abyss Requires Only a Bill","the-shadow-empire-chapter-920",920,"\u003Cp>Some institutions have calculated that the household savings rate in the Federation is approximately five to eight percent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, if a worker earns forty credits a month, only two to three credits are saved in the bank; the rest go toward bills and daily expenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they also keep some cash on hand, but it makes up only a small portion of their total income.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The savings rate for middle-class households is only ten to fifteen percent—a figure that is actually quite low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug is a prudent man; he saves about three to four credits per month, amounting to roughly fifty credits a year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would take ten years to save five hundred credits, twenty years to save a thousand—assuming his current wage level remains unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you factor in his actual loans and repayment obligations, his money is far from easily accessible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Federation offers many types of housing loans: for example, agreements specifying a repayment date with full principal and interest paid in one lump sum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others require monthly interest payments, with the principal due in full at maturity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there are installment payment plans as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless of the type, all demand strict cash flow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug had never imagined that merely having his leg broken would cost half the price of a house; he stared at his wife in disbelief, then quickly relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We don’t have to pay this ourselves—the people who attacked us will cover it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his certainty, his wife dropped the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug is the family’s financial pillar; he works outside the home and has seen and heard far more than a housewife ever could. She trusts her husband.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, the doctor returned to ask him again—the night shift doctor had no details on payment arrangements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying in bed, Aug spoke cautiously: “This cost should be paid by those who injured me. You shouldn’t be chasing me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doctor held a different view: “Mr. Aug, this is your matter with those who harmed you—not ours with them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must settle your debt to the hospital as soon as possible so we can proceed with your treatment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you cannot pay us, we will have no choice but to pursue legal action to recover these costs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, this was an administrative doctor—his job wasn’t just healing patients, but pushing them into the abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nine hundred thirty-four credits and seventy-five cents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug’s eyes widened, but the doctor didn’t care: “You have three days to raise this money. Otherwise, we’ll discharge you and sue you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doctor then politely bid farewell to Aug and his wife before leaving the ward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ward, once lively, grew suddenly quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people here had spent vast sums to resolve their medical problems.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Medical care is unquestionably the most hated and feared thing for ordinary people in this era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just this era—future eras too, even more so!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patient in the next bed coughed and said, “You’d better pray you have health insurance—or commercial insurance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug’s head buzzed—he’d somehow been saddled with a nine-hundred-credit bill he could never pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at the man beside him: “I… don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man sighed and fell silent. Aug immediately turned to his wife: “Can you call the police—or find some officers nearby?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wife seemed to recall something: “When I arrived, some police were outside taking statements.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hope flickered in Aug’s eyes: “Get them here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wife ran off. About ten to fifteen minutes later, two officers entered the ward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They found Aug’s bed and approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug quickly explained his situation: “I had my leg broken, but the hospital is demanding I pay for the treatment—I can’t afford it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I want the people who hurt me to cover these medical costs!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two officers exchanged glances—they’d spent the entire day handling such cases. One smiled and said, “Mr. Aug, the attackers are refugees. I heard the wealthiest among them had only thirty-some cents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They have no money, no assets, no wealth in the Federation. So this cost must be borne by you for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As for what happens next…” the officer sighed, “I can only say you have virtually no hope of recovering this money from them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After they’re detained, they’ll almost certainly be deported to their home countries—in other words, they can’t pay you a single credit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Aug’s frozen expression, the officers felt satisfied. They smiled politely, expressed their regret at being unable to help, and left the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug began to sweat all over. His painkiller’s effect had worn off again—the stabbing pain returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He groaned softly, his mind filled with despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, he thought of another solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go find the union—they organized this protest. They must take responsibility. I got hurt for them…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yesterday’s incident had been huge. The union was already considering whether to continue the strike and had dispatched representatives to visit injured workers in the hospital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug, unable to move, hadn’t been notified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the union was now downstairs in a room, discussing this very matter with the injured workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then added, “Also, go to the doctor and tell them to give me another shot—I’m in pain again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wife worried about him and opened her mouth to mention the doctor’s warning about dependency from repeated injections—but he cut her off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go now! Do you want me to die here from the pain?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His wife hurried off to the medical station. As for the doctor—who cared who got the shot?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An extra injection meant extra profit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Aug lay in bed, savoring the numbing relief after the injection, a conversation was already underway downstairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The union and the injured workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides union representatives, labor federation officials were also present.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room was chaotic—everyone was asking questions or voicing demands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while of noise, they gradually quieted down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The labor federation representative first thanked them for their role in the protest, praised their impact on Wanli Group, then mentioned they would offer some “rewards.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ten-credit food vouchers, and a semi-automatic scissors sponsored by… a company.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Semi-automatic scissors” meant scissors with a spring between the handles, so they snapped back after cutting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were also small snacks and other trinkets—all worthless. Each person received items worth roughly thirteen or fourteen credits total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most valuable item was the ten-credit food voucher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching these people spout useless promises, workers facing the same medical debt as Aug began asking about their hospital bills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The labor federation representative winced after listening to their complaints, then raised his hands to quiet them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand and sympathize with every worker’s plight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The labor federation’s leadership held an emergency meeting on your concerns and has reached a decision—one that is entirely in your favor!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, the workers’ moods stabilized, even softened, turning hopeful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t believe the union or labor federation would abandon them. Some even smiled and asked, “How exactly will you help us pay these medical bills?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My arm was broken. They spent over eight hundred credits to fix it, and another two hundred for follow-up care. I have no money left. You must negotiate with the hospital!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one spoke, others began “showing off” their own bills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worst case was a family member speaking for a patient: over two thousand credits in medical costs, including emergency care and hundreds more for ongoing treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unfortunate family member spoke as if proud—being treated for thousands in injuries without paying a cent was somehow honorable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, the labor federation representative interrupted sharply: “You’ve misunderstood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The masterminds behind this are Wanli Group and the refugee group that attacked you—not us or anyone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The labor federation’s leadership has decided to assign a top legal team to represent you free of charge, to sue Wanli Group and the refugees for your medical costs and compensation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stared, as if they hadn’t understood a word. The worker with the broken arm blurted out: “But they’re giving us three days to pay—or they’ll sue us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The labor federation representative looked embarrassed: “We’ll negotiate with the hospital for more time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The worker’s voice rose: “That’s it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s all?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We still have to pay the medical bills ourselves?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fuck!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room erupted again. The labor federation representative had to calm them: “Brothers! Workers! Calm down!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pay this bill first. Once we sue and recover the money—from Wanli Group and your attackers—we’ll return it to you. Problem solved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We can also arrange talks with banks and courts to extend payment deadlines.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The labor federation had considered covering these costs—if the amounts weren’t so high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after a quick calculation, they found over three hundred workers suffered serious injuries, with the worst cases not even in this hospital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an orthopedic specialty hospital, treating only fractures and similar issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most severe cases were sent to neurology hospitals—some medical bills already reached seven, eight thousand, even over ten thousand credits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three hundred people—how much could that cost?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d crunched the numbers overnight: to fully rehabilitate everyone, including minor injuries, the labor federation would need to prepare three to five million credits—and possibly more!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially for those with severe brain injuries—the costs were insane!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last presidential election campaign cost only eleven million credits. Now, just helping workers required hundreds of millions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse, they judged that even if they paid, it wouldn’t help—this was a failed strike with massive casualties. People would question the labor federation’s competence in organizing protests!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Better to let “the capitalists pay the price”—fight them on their own turf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, doctors privately told them that some critically injured patients incurred hundreds of credits in daily medical costs—a bottomless pit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The labor federation could afford this sum—but no one wanted to take responsibility for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one wanted to sign documents approving the disbursement. If anyone later demanded accountability, the signature would be there—and they’d never escape blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after senior officials discussed it, they simply set up a dedicated team of lawyers to help them claim medical expenses and compensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This has always been the most common task of the Labor Union—to provide necessary legal aid to fellow workers in need!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this moment, the workers in the room didn’t want legal aid; they wanted real money, they wanted their medical bills paid upfront!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of them had collapsed helplessly onto the floor, while others chattered loudly, demanding accountability— the scene erupted into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost everyone here couldn’t afford medical bills, which meant their homes and other assets could legally be auctioned off to repay their hospital debts!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had once laughed at a fool who refused to pay a seventy-dollar bill, only to see his single-family home—worth five or six thousand—sold for five hundred!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the request of certain middle-class neighborhoods, even in winter, the grass in front of every house must remain green.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in winter, the lawn needed replacing nearly every month—and it wasn’t cheap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Higher-end neighborhoods imposed stricter rules; in ordinary ones, ten cents per square meter sufficed, but in better ones, it was twenty, thirty, even fifty cents per square meter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some demanded full-yard coverage; others required only the side facing the street to be uniformly covered—in total, each household paid a substantial monthly fee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone refused, the neighborhood would fine them according to the signed contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One family refused to lay down lawn in winter, arguing it was wasteful to replace it monthly, and kept refusing to pay the seventy-dollar fine—until they were taken to court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The court sold their five- or six-thousand-dollar home for five hundred, deducted litigation fees and the seventy-dollar fine, then returned the remaining three hundred dollars to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, whenever they heard news like this—or similar—they’d burst out laughing. Now, they couldn’t laugh anymore, because it was about to happen to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the noise grew louder, the Labor Union representative slammed the table and shouted, “I’ll give you two suggestions!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room fell silent again. He raised one finger. “First, take out a loan—use anything as collateral, even your credit. Just get the money to settle your medical bills.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can borrow from others—friends, family, coworkers, even your fellow workers!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second, go talk to your factory. Try to get them to pay you something. We’ll provide legal aid to argue your injuries qualify as work-related…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it wasn’t a good solution, for people with no other options, it was the last one left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug was only told about this later—he nearly exploded when he heard it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still hadn’t finished paying his mortgage—he still owed three hundred dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, even if he mortgaged his house, he’d likely get less than nine hundred!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought filled his heart with sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, as Ryder parked his car, he saw two men in wheelchairs at the factory gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mocking expression crossed his face as he strode over. “What’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aug’s expression was awkward. “Manager Ryder, we’re applying for work injury compensation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryder shook his head. “You weren’t injured on the job. It has nothing to do with the company.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re trying to extort me or the company, I’ll call the police and sue you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, since you left your post without company approval, you’re both fired.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and walked toward the office building without looking back. Aug followed closely behind. “You have no right to fire me! I’m suing you and the company!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face turned red. It was work hours, and many workers were gathering around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryder stopped, turned, and sneered. “Go ahead and sue me right now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked off without another word, ignoring Aug’s shouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workers around them watched with smug expressions. Soon, more strikers returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The protest had clearly ended—they now wanted to return to work. But when they tried to change into uniforms and head to their posts, they were told: they were fired!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They tried rushing into the factory, but were quickly driven out by security—security who were Lans’s men, swinging rubber batons without mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the crowd scattered. Aug, bruised and swollen, was pushed away from the company yard by his wife.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they sank into utter despair, a reporter approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2365,"2026-06-19T21:10:31.886Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","5950a3109ffad45c7eb449bb12f7481d3a55ffbaeb66d28c6608d0f70d55953e","the-shadow-empire-chapter-921","the-shadow-empire-chapter-919",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-shadow-empire-cover.jpg"]