Compensation

She was in the middle of an argument with someone.

"Compensation? What kind of compensation is this? Three free uses of the nutrient pod? Ha, you Medical Department people are stingy. If it hadn't been for Xie Xu this time, she'd be dead. Are you trying to get us to take this to the Federal Court with such a half-hearted offer? Don't forget what the New Federal Law says—the lives of pioneers come before everything else."

"We in the Medical Department do bear responsibility for what happened, but one of our interns also lost their life in this incident. We hope Ms. Xi can be understanding."

Tu Ran could tell the person was trying to play on their sympathies.

As for the intern he mentioned, Tu Ran guessed it was that doctor who was curious about everything and ended up staying behind to observe the scene.

What a poor soul. It couldn't have been easy for him to get into the Medical Department as an ordinary citizen, and yet he died before even being confirmed in his position.

"No need to play the victim with us," Xi Chunzhi wasn't buying it, her tone still forceful. "If I remember correctly, six months ago you applied to the Federal Center for armed protection, with a configuration so high that even the Pioneer Team couldn't match it. What, did all that equipment just go to the dogs?"

Tu Ran clicked her tongue in amazement. She never expected someone as elegant as Xi Chunzhi to be so good at laying into people. And it was so satisfying to listen to.

She remembered that armed squad had been equipped with laser guns. Those weapons were so powerful that among everyone she'd seen today, only Xie Xu had one—a testament to how precious they were.

But the Medical Department hadn't put them to their best use, still letting the Heluo monster kill one of their own interns.

The more imposing Xi Chunzhi was, the more humble the Medical Department people became.

From the sound of it, another person had taken over the conversation with Xi Chunzhi.

This one's attitude was much better than the previous speaker's, and they sincerely proposed a solution.

"We never anticipated that an alien creature would appear in the recovery rooms. The vast majority of the armed forces we requested from the Federation were deployed to the various entrances and exits of the Medical Department, with only one squad stationed outside the nutrient pod ward."

"Also, due to the special absorption properties of the nutrient solution, a quiet environment is required, and for patient privacy reasons, we assigned a doctor to each recovery room to monitor the patients' vital signs at all times."

"As for this Heluo monster—it was brought back by your pioneers. After feeding on the flesh and blood of its original host, it grew dissatisfied and emerged from the nutrient pod, where it encountered our intern. The intern had never seen such a creature before and panicked, failing to press the alarm before he died. The guards outside received no signal, which is why they couldn't arrive in time."

Xi Chunzhi's attitude also softened somewhat, and she asked coolly, "So? What do you plan to do about it?"

She was doing her utmost to secure the best possible outcome for Tu Ran.

"How about this: we'll provide Ms. Tu Ran with a full year of free medical services. All of Ms. Tu Ran's medical, surgical, diagnostic, and rehabilitation expenses will be waived for one year, to express the Medical Department's apology to Ms. Tu Ran."

Tu Ran, who was just slipping two bombs and a 'kidney stone' into the pockets of her new clothes, was already quite satisfied with this compensation.

Given her current status as a pioneer, she'd have to deal with such ferocious alien creatures all the time, and getting injured was probably just part of the routine. Not having to pay for medical treatment for a whole year was a pretty sincere gesture.