"Let me briefly explain the situation to you. Please listen carefully and it would be best if you could take notes."
Jennifer's voice remained flat, without the slightest emotional fluctuation; she was like a competent machine, completing her assigned task.
"First, basic crew personal accident insurance. This part is undisputed, based on the latest compensation standards of the Anchorage Maritime Court."
The only sound was the crisp sound of paper turning.
" David Sue, $800,000. Ms. Weili Yang, $800,000. Total: $1.6 million."
Su Wei lowered his head.
At my feet was a piece of hard ice crushed by the conveyor belt, which reflected a blinding light under the sunlight.
One million six hundred thousand.
Only the first item.
He was somewhat dazed, but his grip on the phone remained tight.
The crab fishing boat that had devoured the lives of parents like a steel monster finally spat out the bones it had swallowed at this moment.
"Secondly, personal commercial life accident insurance. The coverage amount is relatively low, and the claims process has been completed."
"Two policies, each worth $100,000. Total: $200,000."
Jennifer spoke at a steady pace.
For an insurance company's massive cash flow, this is nothing more than a string of figures that need to be allocated, a financial expenditure that must be executed.
But for the Su Wei...
This was the last umbrella that the parents held up for their son, who remained in this world, with their lives in their final moments.
Two hundred thousand US dollars.
Finally, and this is the core of the negotiations, the determination of 'gross negligence liability'.
The woman's voice paused.
Even she herself seemed somewhat surprised by the result.
"Given that the black box recordings confirmed that the fishing company forced them to go to sea illegally under the pretext of withholding bonuses, the legal team used this as a breakthrough. To avoid a jury trial and public backlash, the opposing party agreed to sign a punitive damages agreement."
Su Wei's breathing stopped.
The thing Aunt Tessa mentioned.
The insurance company argued that the risks had been clearly stated in the weather forecast, but the fishing fleet still chose to go to sea, ultimately refusing to pay compensation.
Finally, due to the severity of the accident, the public opinion impact was enormous.
In order to fight for their rights and to protect their reputation, the Fisheries Union, under the collective appeal of the victims' alliance, hired a legal team.
Key evidence has been successfully found.
That iron box that recorded the capitalists' continued greed even in the face of a storm.
Ignoring the risks, they chose to go overseas.
Ultimately, this led to the deaths of Su Wei's parents at sea.
This accident was unrelated to the fleet's crew.
Rather, they are the fangs of capitalists, dripping with filthy blood.
"US$600,000 per person. That's a total of US$1.2 million."
"In addition to funeral subsidies, emotional distress compensation, and union-provided subsidies for families in dire need..."
After deducting legal fees and related taxes, the final amount received was €€€€.
Jennifer emphasized her words, making each one crystal clear:
Three million two hundred and fifty thousand US dollars.
The sound of the wind seemed to have disappeared.
The world is silent at this moment.
Su Wei raised his head blankly, his mouth open unconsciously, as if his throat was stuffed with a wad of wet cotton, unable to utter a sound.
He desperately wanted to shout, but his throat felt like it had lost its vocal cords.
No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't make a sound.
Three million two hundred and fifty thousand.
Three million two hundred and fifty thousand!
Three million two hundred and fifty thousand!!
He mentally processed the number, then swallowed it.
Converted to the bank debt that kept him up at night and forced him to survive in the wilderness like a stray dog, it amounted to 160,000.
Twenty times.
That amount of money is enough to flatten that mountain weighing on his head twenty times over.
Not even a trace was left.
Having been reborn, I had to struggle to survive in those damned deep mountains.
And yet, I keep striving because of this damn debt!
Now, it's ending in a way I never imagined!!
Su Wei's mind stopped thinking at that moment.
His adrenaline overload caused a burst of intense tinnitus and physiological tremors.
All those efforts and plans about how to survive the winter, how to hunt or gather expensive plants, seemed so insignificant and laughable at this moment.
Poverty is a disease.
It makes people short-sighted, humble, and waste all their vitality on maintaining the most basic breathing.
And now.
The medicine has arrived.
A powerful remedy.
A potent medicine unlike anything he had ever imagined!
Now, he has arrived.
Su Wei also survived.
"Mr. Su?"
Su Wei remained silent for a long time, so Jennifer tentatively asked, "Do you have any objections to the amount? If so, we can continue..."
"No."
Su Wei interrupted her.
His voice was dry and rough, as if he had a mouthful of sand in it.
His Adam's apple bobbed violently as he forced himself to swallow a mouthful of saliva.
He looked down at the broken ice beneath his feet, then turned his head to look at the snow-covered mountain range.
Finally, a difficult answer.
"I have no objection."
"Very good."
The sound of typing came from the other end of the phone. "Please bring your identification documents and bank account details to the Kodiak Town Fisheries Union office at 10:00 AM tomorrow to sign the settlement agreement."
"The payment will be received in a lump sum within three business days after the agreement is signed."
"One-time use?"
Su Wei repeated it subconsciously.
This struck him as unbelievable; was this the efficiency America was supposed to have?
"Yes, one-time use."
Jennifer gave another affirmative answer.
Su Wei raised his head.
The sky in the distance was a deep gray-blue, the afterglow of the sun after the snow clouds had dissipated following the blizzard.
That wooden house that must be protected.
That barren yet vast land.
And that wonderful life he once dreamed of.
The road is open.
No more walking a tightrope.
He can use the best fertilizers, build the largest greenhouses, and buy the most advanced agricultural machinery.