I, a Mental Patient, Was Chosen to Participate in AnalogHorror
Chapter 279 - 246: Hospital’s Economic Downturn?

Chapter 279: Chapter 246: Hospital’s Economic Downturn?

Seeing the young nurse silent, the old director sighed in resignation.

"Xiao Qin, you’re aware of it, aren’t you? In recent years, due to various reasons, our hospital’s finances aren’t looking good. And now, the operation team even came up with a promotion where consulting patients get three kilograms of eggs for free if they spend over 199 yuan. But the number of patients is still sparse at best~"

Xiao Qin fidgeted with her fingers and mumbled.

"Director, isn’t this actually quite good? Fewer patients means everyone is healthier, right? Like the books say, ’I hope for a world without pain, better medicines gather dust than cause harm...’"

"Shut your mouth!"

The director cut off the young nurse.

"What do you understand? You earn a fixed salary, so it’s easy for you to say. If no one comes in for treatment, what do we earn? Oh, I mean, actually, everyone has health issues, but they probably can’t afford the medical expenses."

The young nurse pouted.

Isn’t this the very death warrant you’ve issued yourself?

Any patient that comes in, no matter what their condition, gets hooked up to an IV with glucose that’s over a decade out of date to ’see the effects.’

With the way you do things, how could patients possibly come back for a second visit?

Unless they’re complete idiots, it’s a one-time deal for everyone.

The director, seeing Xiao Qin muttering away, wasn’t annoyed.

Instead, he smiled faintly and began stroking his stubble.

"I think, the reason the patients are fleeing is because of you, the young nurse."

Xiao Qin: ???

Wang Defa?

I could never have dreamed!

Me, a humble nurse, actually having the power to influence the hospital’s revenue?

Subsequently, the director began to list Xiao Qin’s errors in granular detail, from the superficial to the core, concerning her daily work habits.

Like how she likes to sleep during the night shift.

Or how she likes to eat in the wards.

Or how she often misplaces the needle when giving injections...

"Director, may I say a few words?"

Xiao Qin timidly interrupted the director’s incessant nagging.

"Go ahead, speak."

The director crossed his arms, curious to see how the young nurse would defend herself.

"If I’m not mistaken, I’m the only nurse in our hospital, right?"

The director nodded.

"Yes, that’s correct. So, you see, you alone represent the entire service level of our hospital. You are the face of our hospital! If you don’t perform well, doesn’t it affect our business?"

"But Director, as the only nurse in the hospital, and operating 24/7 all year round, if I don’t take the chance to sleep at night, are you suggesting I sleep during the day?"

Uh...

The director was taken aback, having forgotten this aspect.

"Also, I’d love to eat in the canteen, so next time maybe don’t have Doctor Qin call me over? Every time I sit down to eat, he calls me to assist in the wards. You think I enjoy eating in a place reeking of disinfectant?"

"Needle misplacement? I’m an intern nurse, mind you, taking on all sorts of tasks, from nurse to head nurse to department head nurse. How about you give me a chance to gain some experience from the ground up?"

Nurse Xiao Qin’s speech left the director dumbfounded.

Even Xiao Ya and the viewers in the Sakura Empire live streaming room were left with a head full of question marks.

Damn...

This Xiao Qin nurse is truly tough as nails. No, even the oxen, horses, or even the donkeys of the production team have an easier life than she does.

[Hiss, I suddenly feel like there’s still room to intensify the work hours for the people of the Sakura Empire...]

[The gentleman’s remark is as sharp as a whip; I second that opinion!]

[Indeed, I second that +1. How can our Great Sakura Empire not outdo a cute little cutie? I propose we extend our daily work hours to about 20 hours! Ganbadieyo!]

[Baka! Stop this ganbadie bullshit! No matter where you anonymous IPs come from, you’re definitely not from the Sakura Empire! Xi nei]

To give credit where credit is due.

This skinflint director really goes all out!

People have every reason to suspect that not only is Xiao Qin the sole nurse, but Doctor Qin Shou might also be the only doctor.

Pulled to the limit—when it comes to cutting cost expenditures, the director really has maxed out.

Even though he’s left speechless by the nurse’s rebuttal.

But the director still announced the purpose of the trip.

"Considering the special circumstances of the past few years, and now with the deteriorating macroeconomic climate, the state has already issued a notice."

"In order to boost economic recovery, promote the rebound of low consumer prices, and maintain prices at a reasonable level, everyday consumer goods are about to face a new round of price increases. Life is going to get tougher."

"Uh-huh."

Xiao Qin nodded eagerly, filled with anticipation. Price hikes? Stimulating consumption? Was the director finally ready to give her a raise?!

"So, in the coming years, ordinary people will definitely be reluctant to spend on food and clothes, let alone high-cost activities like visiting our hospital for medical care. Considering this, I plan to deduct five Gold Coins from your salary each month to subsidize the hospital."

Wang Defa skimming oil?!

why?

٩(͡๏̯͡๏)۶

Xiao Qin felt her mind was a bit scrambled and needed to sort things out.

So, price hikes are to revive the economy?

Shouldn’t you also increase my salary along with the prices then?

That’s how you enable everyone to earn more!

Stimulating consumption?

You freaking only increase prices without raising wages, how the hell is that stimulating consumption?

Xiao Qin was no economic expert, and even though she couldn’t understand the logic of these actions, she was profoundly shocked.

Seeing Xiao Qin gawking, the director couldn’t help but frown.

"What’s that look for? Did I say something wrong? Tell me, won’t the number of patients decrease in the future, affecting our revenue? If our income falls, how can we pay salaries?"

Xiao Qin nodded. Without a doubt, with no raise, it would be hard even to eat, let alone dare to seek medical care.

Endure minor ailments, die from serious ones.

"But, but during the time the hospital was profitable, you didn’t raise my salary either, right? You just said it yourself; I’m on a fixed salary. So why deduct from mine?"

The director sighed helplessly, indicating he didn’t want to do it either.

"Alas, what can I do? Isn’t it because our neighboring Lunte City nearly went bankrupt? They lost tens of billions of assets overnight, and even the Romia Cathedral, known as the treasury of Lunte, was burnt to the ground. Even their spiritual pillar, the Priest, mysteriously disappeared—claimed to have been taken away by God, which is pure nonsense!"

The director paused, then continued.

"However, this was also the decision of our state governor. The pressure of Lunte City needs to be shared among us and the other surrounding cities; we have no choice."

Xiao Qin was fuming.

She knew about Lunte City and had also heard that the swindling Priest had absconded with most of the city’s wealth.

What now?

When they were making money, they enjoyed it alone, and now when someone has fled, the debt requires collective shouldering from everyone?

Privatizing profits and socializing debts?

She hadn’t seen a dime of their earnings before.

Now that it’s time for losses, why should she, a nurse struggling through grueling overtime, have to foot the bill?

Is it just ’everyone is responsible for the rise or fall of the world, but when it comes to rise or fall, I’m supposed to bear it all alone’?

Seeing Xiao Qin’s resigned acceptance, the director left the nurse’s station quite satisfied.

Things had gone just as he’d expected. This nurse was indeed a docile person ripe for exploitation!

Not until after the director had left

did Xiao Ya knock on the door of the station.

...

Elsewhere.

Xiao Qin, who had been together with Jiang Xiao, was also summoned by the director.

However, about the economic downturn or whatever, she was completely indifferent.

Afraid of what?

She had long lost interest in the stingy director’s paltry offerings.

Dr. Qin Shou was right; as long as she followed Brother Rich, she’d be set.

Just a tiny bit from his wealth would be enough for her lifetime.

Once she saves enough for retirement, she’ll resign and enjoy her life!

As for this deeply wronged nurse, whoever dares to do it can go ahead!

It would be best if the stingy director himself did it!

[Regarding questions about the world view, don’t overthink it. Just consider it a prime world, with everything else being mirror worlds (parallel worlds)—to put it simply, ’same world, different lives.’ The instances of ’Kaidan’ mentioned here pertain to the prime world.]