Chapter 3

The second round was a simulated rescue mission.

The production team had set up a mock disaster relief shelter. Each child received a budget of 10 dollars and had to select the most essential supplies from a provided list.

Gina announced, "This challenge is about empathy."

I sat at a small table and began by copying down the price of each item.

[Fever medication: 2.4 dollars

Antibiotics: 3 dollars

Nutritional liquid food: 1.6 dollars

Short-distance bus ticket: 2 dollars

Temporary accommodation voucher: 1 dollar

Blanket: 2 dollars

Teddy bear: 1.6 dollars

Coloring pencils and comfort cards: 1.2 dollars]

I quickly crossed out several options.

Beside me, Lisa raised her hand. "Excuse me, I'd like to choose a blanket, a teddy bear, and some coloring pencils."

The psychologist smiled gently. "Why is that?"

Lisa's eyes lit up. "If a child gets hurt, they'll definitely be scared. A blanket will keep them warm, a teddy bear will keep them company, and the cards will remind them that they're not alone."

Soft murmurs of approval rose from the parents' seating area.

The livestream comments flooded with the word "angel".

I lowered my head, finished my calculations, and handed my selections to Gina: fever medication, antibiotics, bus tickets, accommodation vouchers, and nutritional liquid food.

I had spent every last dollar.

The psychologist frowned. "Tara, you haven't chosen a single item to provide emotional comfort. Don't you think injured children need comfort too?"

I looked at her. "Of course they do."

"Then why didn't you choose anything for that?" the psychologist asked.

"Because a teddy bear can't bring down a fever," I replied.

She froze.

I pointed at the list and continued, "If a child's fever won't go down, they need medication first. If a wound gets infected, they need antibiotics.

"If they miss the bus, children from out of town might miss their transfer to another hospital. If the adults looking after them have nowhere to sleep, they'll end up sick too. And the children need something to eat so they have the strength to recover.

"People need to be okay before they can hug a teddy bear."

Silence settled over the room for a moment.

Gina's expression stiffened slightly. She probably hadn't expected a 9-year-old to speak so bluntly.

The psychologist sighed. "But Tara, you're being far too rational. Love isn't just about solving problems."

I nodded. "But when problems aren't solved, love has to cry."

No one in the room seemed to know how to respond.

Just then, a live video connection with my family came through.

Andrew appeared on the screen with a frown. "Tara, can you stop being so cold all the time? Everyone else is learning how to care about people, while you're acting like some kind of accountant."

I replied, "Accountants are important too. Without proper records, money gets lost."

Andrew fell silent for a moment, and his expression darkened further. "Stop talking back to me. Look at Lisa. She understands that children get scared. She knows how to make people happy.

"And what about you? All you ever think about is medicine, bus tickets, and accommodation vouchers."

I lowered my head and recorded today's bonus earnings in my notebook.

[No bonus. Half a day's work wasted.]

Andrew raised his voice. "I'm talking to you, and you're still keeping accounts?"

I looked up. "When are you going to pay me for running that errand last time?"