Chapter 19: Demands

The moment the other party spoke, Andy’s first reaction was that this Ms. Jiang possessed a distinct, classical elegance in her speech. Her voice was clear yet not sharp, her phrasing precise, and she spoke at a measured, unhurried pace that made one feel an inexplicable sense of inability to refute her.

Andy: ?!!

Are all children this difficult to deal with these days?

However, her words did indeed make him flush with embarrassment. The proposal he had presented was the middle option of the three—a fallback plan, a smokescreen intended to serve as a contrast and build-up for the final, comprehensive offer that would truly address the situation.

He had originally intended to present the worst option first, but that plan sounded so insincere—lacking even a supplemental compensation, offering only a meager sum of cash—that he felt too ashamed to even voice it. It was less than what the after-sales department spent on a single dinner party. He had never planned to propose that bottom-tier option.

After all, even if it were a negotiation tactic, the company had never considered that an innocent child might actually accept it. Wouldn't that be bullying?

Although Andy hoped to complete this difficult task, such an approach crossed a line, especially against an unawakened individual. Andy felt that, given the remnants of the conscience he still possessed since joining the Helus Group, he wanted to retain the sense of care for the young that every interstellar citizen should have.

He had initially thought that if this young Ms. Jiang were naive enough to accept, he would step in and tell her he could return to the group to negotiate further on her behalf, then simply report the highest-tier proposal to the company as the final result.

He never expected these hidden intentions to be shattered into dust by Jiang Hui’s inquiry. It wasn't that he didn't want to help, but his opponent was too formidable; he didn't even have the chance to betray his own side...

Andy decided it would be more realistic to just look after himself.

The atmosphere turned rigid after he was exposed. Even through the screen, with the two of them face-to-face, every gesture was magnified, and the young man felt a sense of awkwardness with nowhere to hide.

Fortunately, he was someone capable of self-regulation and was not truly a bad person at heart; even then, he did not turn to resentment toward Jiang Hui.

He could truly understand her position. After all, the person had nearly died due to the negligence of this intelligent system; anyone would be furious. If he put himself in her shoes, he would be just as livid.

Therefore, before the optical brain connection was established, he had prepared himself to be berated. Thankfully, as long as she didn't show extreme resistance, there was still a chance...

Andy quickly regained his composure, preparing to make one last effort, but then heard the girl ask: "Let’s speak plainly. The origin of this matter is not a pleasant memory, and I don't want to dwell on it. Could you please tell me the final proposal your group can offer—I mean the very last one."

Jiang Hui emphasized the final part. Are you kidding me?! Interstellar law holds manufacturers strictly accountable in such disputes, and even she, despite not being fully versed in interstellar affairs, knew what their demands should be. Mr. Callet and the others had mentioned it once before she left the hospital. She had a rough idea.

But no matter the amount, she never imagined they would try to dismiss her with a few hundred thousand interstellar credits. Was the life of the original owner she inhabited worth so little?

Jiang Hui, who had felt complex about the situation due to the distance between her and the original owner, suddenly flared with rage. She was livid.

So this was the "sincere" Helus Group. They were indeed sincere—sincere about trying to cheat a child.

Jiang Hui wanted to lash out immediately, but she reconsidered; it would be meaningless. She didn't even want to engage in a back-and-forth.

She didn't want to make things difficult for him. To her, hiding and maneuvering was worse than being open and honest—resolving the issue thoroughly and going their separate ways was better.

Since they had opened with such an absurdly low offer, there must naturally be a higher one—their bottom line. That was what she wanted to know.

Andy dared not play any more tricks and laid everything out. He began to feel fortunate that he hadn't presented the even more ridiculous option; otherwise, he would have been cursed into oblivion by now.

The compensation was standard—essentially a little over twice the minimum required by law: five million interstellar credits. It was enough to buy two or three of the furnished apartments she currently lived in. It could barely cover a villa in the central district, though it was far from enough for a luxury mansion. The balance in her account, excluding various subsidies, consisted of her original parents' savings, which amounted to roughly the same...

The real estate industry had remained unchanged since ancient times: demand exceeded supply, yet prices never dropped. The interstellar era was no exception; buying a home remained a challenge.

However, this world ultimately benefited from technology. For those who couldn't afford private villas or apartments, there was government-subsidized housing. Yet, these properties came with purchase terms—say, two or three hundred years—which, given the lifespan of interstellar citizens, functioned more like a lease.

Villas and private residences were limited, purchased by individuals based on quotas rather than just money. For instance, the apartment in the inner star system where the original owner lived was part of the severance package the Jiang family had secured for her, purchased using their own quota.

Quotas could be acquired through many means: the market, resident points, contributions, or military supply channels—the list went on.

Therefore, if Jiang Hui wanted to buy a house in the future, she would need to secure a quota. However, in the settlement, Helus had efficiently provided her with one—the kind valid throughout the entire star system. Such a quota might be even more valuable than the property itself; it was a generous gesture.

In addition, they had already paid for the repairs to the damaged apartment before her discharge and arranged for personnel to fix it, ensuring Jiang Hui wouldn't return to a disaster zone. Including nutritional supplements, delay fees, and other miscellaneous items, the total came to over 650,000 interstellar credits.

Originally, they had offered to provide a replacement intelligent system, but Jiang Hui refused. The original owner’s situation was caused by the responsibility of a Helus Group product; how could she dare to use it? It was better to convert it into cash.

The series of compensations doubled the balance in Jiang Hui’s account, and that was that. Looking at what was lost versus what was gained, it didn't feel like a cause for celebration, though the reasons were too deep to share with outsiders.

Seeing that Jiang Hui had received so much, Andy assumed she was still dissatisfied—which did not surprise him—and offered to report back for further authorization.

However, Jiang Hui refused, indicating that this proposal was sufficient. Before Andy could breathe a sigh of relief, she added two conditions unrelated to material compensation, stating that without them, she would not agree to the settlement.

Andy felt these two requirements were not difficult to meet, yet they were strange—just as strange as the girl herself.