Working for Free

Tu Ran was taken aback. "Isn't Xie Xu afraid of going bankrupt? He has so many subordinates."

"In his eyes, the value you create is irreplaceable. The best he can do is compensate you financially."

"Rich... really rich!" Tu Ran gave him a mental thumbs-up. No wonder he was from the Xie family.

"But I want to ask—have I... used money from this account before?"

The original body's mind held no concept of an official account, which puzzled Tu Ran greatly.

Unless the original body had never done such a thing—her "ability reading" could only pick up images of actions the person had actually taken, not mere thoughts that had crossed their mind.

For instance, she couldn't read the original body's feelings toward Xie Xu. She could see the event that sparked the attraction, but what the original body thought at the first sight of him, or how exactly she fell for him—that she could neither feel nor read.

"No," Zero said bluntly. "The previous Tu Ran has been working for Xie Xu for free all along."

Tu Ran blurted out, "Working for free? Why?"

The moment she asked, she regretted it. Why else? To pursue Xie Xu, of course.

She might have been single her whole life, but back in the day, she'd given plenty of advice to her dormmates on romance.

The original body's refusal to touch the official account money was, no doubt, an attempt to avoid leaving Xie Xu with the impression that she worked for him for money. She wanted to set herself apart from his other subordinates through such means.

Tsk, tsk. The power of love—Tu Ran couldn't understand it.

Wasn't money the real deal? Wasn't cash more reliable than Xie Xu?

Look at the account the original body had left her when she transmigrated over—pitifully little money.

She couldn't believe that was the savings of the top graduate of the year.

"I'm not sure why the previous Tu Ran worked for Xie Xu for free. Perhaps her beliefs aligned with his?"

The mechanical voice carried a hint of confusion.

His brain had been replaced by machinery; his consciousness existed within a torrent of data. Now, the dominant mode of his thinking was the cold rationality of a machine, not human emotion.

No matter how long he pondered, until his wiring short-circuited, he couldn't figure it out.

Now that she had money, Tu Ran wasted no time and headed straight to the lobby of Xixin Nange Hospital.

In keeping with its exterior, the lobby was nothing short of resplendent, dazzling Tu Ran's eyes.

There weren't many people—just a sparse handful, fewer than the nurses. After all, with consultation fees this steep, ordinary folks couldn't afford to come.

Everyone spoke in hushed tones, and the entire lobby was quiet.

Seeing Tu Ran enter, a nurse in a purple work dress approached. She first gave her outfit a once-over, then asked with a smile, "Ma'am, are you here for a consultation?"

Tu Ran nodded.

"Our hospital's medical equipment is quite advanced, and the purchase prices are steep, so our consultation fees are somewhat higher than the Medical Department's. I hope you're prepared for that." Her tone carried no condescension; her gaze was sincere, simply informing the patient in advance from their perspective.

Tu Ran glanced down at her clothes—a set of casual wear the original body had worn for years, the hem already starting to fray. She'd grabbed it on a whim while packing for her mission in the Pandalim District, not paying much attention at the time.

She really didn't look like someone with money.

"Don't worry, I'm prepared. Just take me to a doctor—I'm feeling very unwell."

"Then what exactly is bothering you? I can recommend the appropriate department for you." The nurse kept the most proper smile on her face.

Tu Ran gave her a puzzled look. Given that the patient was unwell, how could she still smile like that?

Her smile never wavered, and her movements, while close to human, all followed a single standard. Tu Ran reasonably suspected this nurse was an artificial robot.

But those were minor details. Zero had said Nick Wells was an expert in treating mental disorders.

Tu Ran said decisively, "I feel like something's wrong with my mind. I want the best psychiatrist in this hospital to treat me." She paused. "Who's the best psychiatrist here? Take me to him."

The nurse's smile remained. "Our best psychiatrist is Nick Wells, who's also the director of Xixin Nange Hospital. If you'd like the director to see you, you'll need to book an appointment in advance."

Zero's voice sounded in her ear. "Under normal circumstances, they won't allow anyone to jump the queue. You'd better act tough and make a scene—draw more attention. To protect Xixin Nange Hospital's image, they'll appease you and move your appointment up."

Tu Ran's volume immediately went up a notch.

"I'm already here. Why do I need to book?"

It was her first time causing a ruckus in public, and Tu Ran quickly put on a troublemaker's front. She'd said she had a mental illness, so acting a little erratic now actually matched her condition. "Take me to his office right now. I want to see him immediately!"

The nurse said, looking troubled, "The director is currently attending to other patients and can't step away."

"Then let him see me next."

The lobby was quiet, making the commotion they were causing all the louder. The few patients present turned to look, and a couple of nurses headed over.

This stalemate wasn't working. The nurse offered a solution. "We could arrange another doctor for you. Aside from the director, we have many physicians accomplished in treating mental disorders."

"No need. I want the best." Tu Ran was unmoved.

"In that case, I can schedule you for the next slot. However, those who already had appointments may be dissatisfied, so you'll need to pay an additional fee to appease them."

"Fine, money's no object."

"Then please come this way to pay." The nurse gestured.

Tu Ran followed her direction to a machine.

On the screen, the amount due was clearly displayed: 250,000 Federation credits.

250,000?

Why wasn't it the same as Zero's estimate?

Tu Ran's hand hovering over the payment button paused.

The robot nurse, assuming she couldn't afford it, said, "You could choose to book an appointment through the normal procedure—that would cost less."

"No need."

She'd already spent 200,000; what was another 50,000?

Tu Ran entered the account and password Zero had given her.

250,000 paid successfully.

Tu Ran stared at the payment success screen, her heart bleeding.

Even though it wasn't her own money, having it leave her hands gave her the illusion of having her flesh cut.

Then she thought about what that sum could buy in the Federation—uh... well... nothing, apparently.

Couldn't afford a house. Couldn't afford a car either.