Shadow Empire

Chapter 847: Falling into the Abyss Only Requires a Bill

Some institutions have calculated that the savings rate of federal household income is approximately 5% to 8%.

In other words, if a worker earns 40 yuan a month, only 2 to 3 yuan will be deposited in the bank, and the rest of the money will be used to pay various bills and for other purposes.

Of course, they usually keep some cash in their hands, but it does not account for too much of their total income.

The income savings rate of middle-class families is only 10 to 15 percent, which is actually not high at all.

Oger is a man who knows how to live. He saves about three to four dollars a month in the bank, which means he can only save about fifty dollars a year.

It would take him ten years to save 500 yuan, and twenty years to save 1,000 yuan, based on his current salary level.

If you consider the loans and repayments he actually has to bear, his money is not that easy to use!
There are many types of federal real estate loans, such as those that have an agreed-upon repayment date and are repaid in one lump sum with principal and interest.

There are also agreed dates, interest is paid every month, and the principal is returned upon maturity.

and payment in instalments.

But no matter which one, the requirements for cash in hand are very strict.

Oger didn't think that just because his leg was broken, the medical expenses would cost half the price of the house. He looked at his wife in disbelief, but soon relaxed.

"We don't need to pay this money ourselves. Those who attack us will pay us this money!"

Seeing how confident he was, his wife stopped discussing the issue.

Og is the breadwinner of the family, and he works outside, so he has definitely seen and heard much more than a housewife, so she believes in her husband.

The next morning, the doctor found him again to ask about this issue. The doctor on duty last night was not clear about the specific circumstances of the payment.

Lying on the hospital bed, Oger said cautiously, "The money should be paid by those who hurt me. You shouldn't stare at me!"

The doctor had a different view, "Mr. Ogg, this is between you and those who hurt you, not between us and him."

"What you need to do is to pay us the money you owe the hospital as soon as possible so that we can arrange follow-up treatment."

"If you owe us money and can't pay us, we can only recover the money from you through legal procedures!"

This is obviously an administrative doctor whose job is not only to treat and cure patients, but also to push patients into the abyss.

"Nine hundred and thirty-four dollars and seventy-five cents."

Oger's eyes widened, but the doctor didn't care about his expression. "You have three days to raise the money, otherwise we will have to send you back and sue you."

After that, the doctor said goodbye to him politely, as well as to his wife, and then left the ward.

The ward, which was originally quite lively, suddenly became much quieter.

In fact, most people who live here spend a lot of money to solve their medical problems.

Medical care is definitely the thing that ordinary people in this era hate and fear the most.

In fact, it’s not just this era, it will be true in the future too, and even more so!
The patient in the bed next to him coughed. “You’d better pray that you have medical insurance, or commercial insurance.”

Oger's head was buzzing. He was inexplicably saddled with a bill of more than 900 yuan, and he couldn't afford it at all!
He glanced at the person in the next bed and said, "I... don't know."

The man sighed and didn't continue speaking. Oger quickly looked at his wife and asked, "Can you call the police or get some police nearby?"

His wife seemed to have thought of something. "When I arrived, some police officers seemed to be outside recording statements."

Oger's eyes showed some hope, "Bring them here!"

His wife ran away, and about ten minutes later, two police officers entered the ward.

They found Oger's location and walked over.

Oger quickly told the problem he encountered, "My leg was broken, but the hospital asked me to pay for the medical expenses, which I can't afford."

"I want the person who hurt me to pay for my medical expenses!"

The two police officers looked at each other. They had been dealing with these matters all day. One of them said with a smile, "Mr. Oger, those who attacked you are all refugees. I heard that the richest one among them only had more than 30 cents."

"These people don't have any money at all. They don't have any assets or wealth in the Federation, so you have to bear this expense first."

"As for what will happen next..." The police officer sighed, "I can only say that if you plan to get the money back from them, there is basically no hope."

"After being detained, these people will most likely be deported back to their place of origin. In other words, they can't provide you with a single cent."

Looking at Oger's stiff expression, the two police officers felt happy. They smiled, politely apologized for not being able to help him, and then left the room.

Oger began to sweat all over. The effect of his painkillers seemed to have worn off again, and the stabbing pains began to bother him again.

He hummed softly, his mind filled with complete despair!

But soon, he came up with another solution!
"Go find the union people. They are the ones who asked us to march and protest. They have to take responsibility for this. I was injured for them..."

Yesterday's incident was indeed a big deal. The union has begun to consider whether to continue the strike. At the same time, they have arranged for some representatives to visit the hospital to visit the workers who were injured in the demonstration.

Oger was not notified because he was unable to move.

The union was actually in a room downstairs at this time, talking to these injured workers about this.

He was silent for a while, then said, "Also, go find the doctor and tell them to give me another shot. I'm starting to feel pain again!"

His wife was a little worried about him and was about to mention that the doctor said that continuous injections would cause dependence on these drugs, but as soon as she opened her mouth, she was scolded by her husband.

"Go quickly, do you want to see me die in pain here?"

His wife could only jog to the medical station. As for the doctor, it didn't matter who he was being injected with.

If you give one more shot, you can earn a little more money!
While Oger was lying on the bed enjoying the satisfaction after his eyeballs trembled, a conversation had already begun in a room downstairs.

The unions, and these injured workers.

In addition to the trade union members, there were also people from the Labor Federation who came this time.

The scene was extremely noisy, with everyone asking questions about things that interested them or expressing their demands.

After they made a lot of noise for a while, they gradually quieted down.

The representative of the Labor Federation first thanked them for their role in the demonstration, affirmed their deterrent effect on the Wanli Group, and then mentioned that they would give them some additional "prizes".

"Ten bucks in food stamps, and a pair of semi-automatic shears sponsored by a...company."

They are said to be semi-automatic scissors, but in fact they just have a spring between the handles, which will automatically bounce back after cutting.

Then there were some snacks and the like, but in short, they were all worthless things, and each person got something that was worth probably about thirteen or fourteen yuan.

The most valuable item is the ten-dollar food coupon.

Seeing these people talking about a lot of useless things, workers who had the same problems and faced the same situation as Oger began to ask about medical expenses.

The representative of the AFL-CIO listened to them talking so much with a headache, then raised his hands and pressed them lightly to quiet them down.

"I understand and sympathize with the plight of every worker brother."

"Yesterday, the top leaders of the Labor Union held an urgent discussion and made a decision regarding the issues you mentioned. It is definitely a decision that is in your favor!" When he said this, the workers' emotions were stable, even relaxed and positive.

They did not think they would be abandoned by the unions and the labor federation, and some of them even interrupted with a smile on their faces and asked, "How are they going to help us pay for this medical bill?"

"My arm was broken, and they spent more than 800 yuan to treat it. There are more than 200 yuan for follow-up treatment. I can't afford any money at all. You have to discuss it with the hospital!"

After the first person said this, others also started to show off their bills.

The worst-off guy was one whose family came instead of him. The total medical expenses were more than two thousand, including some rescue costs and several hundred follow-up costs.

This unfortunate family member seemed to be saying something very honorable. It was quite an honor to be able to treat an injury worth thousands of dollars without spending money.

After hearing what the workers said, the representative of the Labor Federation interrupted them and said, "You have misunderstood!"

"The masterminds of this incident are Wanli Group and the refugee group that suddenly rushed out to attack you, not us or anyone else."

"The top leaders of the Labor Federation have decided to send the most professional legal team to fight the lawsuit for free, and strive to win medical expenses and other expenses and compensation from Wanli Group and those refugees."

Everyone's eyes widened, as if they didn't understand what they just said. The worker with a broken arm couldn't help but ask, "But they asked us to pay the medical expenses within three days, otherwise they will sue us!"

The representative of the Labor Union was a little embarrassed. "We will help you negotiate with the hospital to give you more time."

The worker with the broken arm suddenly raised his voice, "That's it?"

"That's it?"

“Or do we have to pay for the medical expenses ourselves?”

"Fake!"

The room was in chaos again, and the AFL representative could only continue to calm them down, "Brothers, fellow workers, calm down!"

"You guys put up the money first, and we'll help you get the money back from Wanli Group and the people who attacked you through litigation, along with compensation, and the matter will be resolved."

"We can also arrange for the team to negotiate with the bank and the court to appropriately relax the execution time."

It's not like the Labor Federation hasn't considered helping to pay for it, if the amount is not that much.

But now they have calculated that more than 300 workers are seriously injured, and the most seriously injured are not in this hospital.

This is an orthopedic hospital that specializes in treating fractures and other problems.

Those with the most serious conditions were sent to the brain hospital, and some of the medical expenses have reached seven or eight thousand or even tens of thousands.

There seem to be more than 300 people. How much money can it cost?

In fact, they did some statistics overnight and found that if all these people were to recover, including those with minor injuries, the Labor Federation would need to prepare approximately three to five million yuan in funding, and it might even be more!
Especially for those with severe brain injuries, the medical expenses are simply outrageous!

The campaign funds for the last presidential election were only over 10 million dollars. Now they just want to take care of their working brothers, but they have to pay such a huge expenditure of several million?
Moreover, they judged that even if they really spent the money, it would not have much effect, because this was a failed strike and there were so many casualties, people would question the ability of the Labor Federation in strike marches!
Instead, it would be better to “let those capitalists pay the price” and play the card they are best at.

Moreover, the doctors told them privately that some patients with particularly serious injuries would incur medical expenses of several hundred yuan every day, which is absolutely a bottomless pit.

The Labor Federation can come up with such a huge amount of money, but no one is willing to take on the responsibility!
No one wants to sign the document saying that they agree to the funding. If it is investigated later, they will definitely not be able to shirk responsibility if their signature is there.

So after some discussion among the top management, it was decided to arrange a professional team of lawyers to help them claim the medical expenses and compensation.

This is also what the Labor Federation has always done most often, providing necessary legal assistance to working-class brothers in need!

But at this moment, the workers in the room did not want legal aid, they wanted real money, to pay for their medical expenses!
Some of these people sat down on the ground, at a loss, while others were chattering and clamoring for them to be held accountable, creating a chaotic scene.

Almost everyone here cannot afford the medical bills, which means that their houses and other assets may be legally auctioned off to repay the medical bills they owe to the hospital!
They once laughed at a fool who was unwilling to pay a seventy-dollar bill, causing his single-family house worth five or six thousand to be auctioned off for five hundred dollars.

Some middle-class communities require that the lawns outside their houses be green even in winter.

But in winter, the lawn needs to be replaced basically once a month, and the price is not cheap.

The requirements for higher-end communities are often more stringent. In ordinary communities, ten cents per square meter may be enough, but in better communities, it may cost twenty, thirty, or even fifty cents per square meter.

Some require the entire courtyard to be paved uniformly, while others only require the side facing the community road to be paved uniformly. Overall, a considerable amount of fees must be paid every month.

If someone is unwilling to do so, the community will fine the resident according to the signed contract.

One family did not want to lay lawn in the winter because they thought it was not cost-effective to replace it after one month. So they never laid the lawn and refused to pay the 70 yuan fine. They were eventually sued in court.

The court directly sold their house, which was worth five or six thousand yuan, for five hundred yuan, and then deducted the litigation costs and seventy yuan, and returned the remaining three hundred yuan to them.

In the past, they would laugh out loud when faced with such news or similar news, but now, they can’t laugh anymore because it will soon be their turn.

Seeing the situation getting more and more noisy, the AFL representative slammed the table and shouted, "I have two suggestions for you!"

The room fell silent again. He raised a finger and said, "First, get a loan. You can use any collateral, even your credit. In short, get a loan to pay off your medical expenses."

"You can also borrow money from others, friends, family, colleagues, including your co-workers!"

"Second, go talk to the factory where you work and try to get them to give you some money. We will provide legal aid and try to have your injuries attributed to work-related injuries..."

Although this is not a good solution, it is the last resort for people who have no other options.

Oger didn't know about this until much later, and his brain exploded when he heard this!

He hasn't paid off his mortgage yet, and he's still three hundred dollars short.

In other words, even if he mortgaged his house, he would most likely not get more than 900 yuan!
When he thought of this, his heart was filled with sadness!
The next morning, as soon as Reid parked his car, he saw two guys in wheelchairs at the factory gate.

There was a hint of mockery on his face, and then he strode over, "What's wrong?"

Oger's expression was a little embarrassed. "Manager Reid, we want to apply for workers' compensation."

Reid looked at them and shook his head. "You were not injured at work. This has nothing to do with the company."

"If you try to blackmail me and the company, I will call the police and sue you."

"In addition, because you left your workplace without the company's permission, you are fired."

He walked towards the office building without looking back, and Oger followed closely behind him, "You have no right to fire me. I will sue you and the company!"

His face turned red. It was working hours and many workers were gathering here.

Ryder stopped, turned around and looked at him, curling his lips, "You'd better sue now!"

After saying that, he left straight away, and no matter how Oger shouted, he did not stop.

The workers around looked at them with some gloating expressions on their faces, and soon more workers who had participated in the strike returned here.

The demonstrations had apparently been stopped, and they now wanted to return to work, but when they were about to change their clothes and go to their posts, they were informed that they were fired!

They tried to rush into the factory, but were quickly driven away by the security guards. These security guards were from the Lance family, and they picked up rubber sticks and beat them without mercy.

Soon these people were dispersed, and Oger was pushed out of the company's yard by his wife with a bruised face.

Just when they were completely in despair, a reporter came over.

(End of this chapter)