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The office door opened. A leggy blonde in a fashionable, see-through dress sat before him.

"Good morning. My name is Jan Kowalski, and I had an appointment with the President.

" "You're talking about advertising.

" "Yes, I wanted to see how it went."

"Of course. We're proud, Doctor, that you chose our Advertising Agency. It's a true honor for us."

She stood up and led him to the exquisitely crafted door, made of gilt-trimmed leather. On it hung a plaque: President of the Advertising Agency, Delight, Professor, Associate Professor, and Unusual Doctor of Journalism, 3rd Degree and 2nd Degree in Journalism, Anna Nowak.

"It's nice to see you, Doctor. I hope the final product meets your expectations."

They sat comfortably in deep armchairs.

"Jan," she shouted to the head of the statue standing on her desk, "play the movie."

It's very fashionable these days to call an electronic secretary "Jan." Apparently, that's what servants used to be called in the Vistula River Zone. When he was little, his grandfather told him that this country used to have a different name. I think it was Plska or Ple. Or maybe Poland? His grandfather told him that the name came from the word "pole." He couldn't even imagine what it was. Apparently, it was supposed to be a piece of open land where there were no industrial plants, no thoroughfares, not even residential buildings, just grain growing. He knew what grain looked like. He'd seen it once in hydrophobic cultivation. However, he couldn't understand how people could ever afford such a waste of land and cultivate only one level of crops. His grandfather said that in the past, there was no need to illuminate the crops; the sun shining from the blue sky did it. Today, it's different.

The film began with a credit from Agencja Zawodni. This reduced the film's price by almost three million euros. A naked girl ran across the screen. It's interesting that people once saw something untoward in sex with a ten-year-old. Then the actual advertising began. It showed people rushing to work and a man in his forties standing, staring blankly ahead. A pleasant, gentle male voice spoke warmly.

"Are you in pain? Have your insurance and savings run out? Don't you want to deprive your great-grandchildren of their chance to learn? We'll help you!"

Then it showed children sitting on seats in front of an electronic educator, then playing in a water park for the wealthy.

"Euthanasia at half price. A unique opportunity. Your grandchildren want to experience life too.

" "Are you satisfied, Dr. Kowalski?

" "Actually, yes. When will you run this ad?

" "Probably starting tomorrow, the day after tomorrow morning at the latest. That depends on the news outlets. Besides, we want to get the right price."

The CEO was a rather attractive woman in her forties. She took a deep breath.

"Can I ask a question unrelated to our contract?

" "If I can help you. Unless, of course, it's medical advice. There are rules to follow.

" "No, that's not the point. I never know what those amounts mean on medical bills.

" "It's simple. The first 300 euros is the actual price for the service. The second is for liability insurance. I have a low rate. The basic rate is 300%, so another 900 euros. Then the contribution to the insolvency fund has recently been 38%, which is another 456 euros, and of course, 45% VAT. That's 745.20 euros. So, a total of 2401.20 euros. That's my basic price for the service. As for euthanasia, it's more expensive at 400 euros, but you only pay 5% to the insolvency fund, which is 80 euros, plus VAT. However, here, only 1% for humanitarian activities, so we add 4.80 euros." Total: 484.40 euros. As you can see, it's significantly cheaper. This is, of course, the discounted price; normally, it would cost twice as much, plus an additional 20% for liability and 7% VAT on euthanasia. Discounts are considered humanitarian aid, so of course, the costs are lower.

"But each doctor's price is different. And you can only find out the amount after the visit.

" "Yes, that's right. The price of insurance depends on the doctor's risk. Mine is one of the lowest. The second element is the patient's risk. If you take a doctor to court, your risk automatically increases. If you win compensation, it increases even more. "

Anna looked at her notebook and wrote something down.

"But, couldn't you call this revenge?

" "Well. Over a hundred years ago, citizens decided they preferred to pay more for medical services and in return receive high financial compensation for medical errors. After twenty years, it turned out that no insurance company could insure a doctor." That's why for four generations, we've all paid individual liability insurance for doctor visits or hospitalizations. Is this retaliation? We, as doctors, didn't decide on the insurance policy, but the insurance company did. You could, of course, buy a flat rate. But then it would be 1800%.

"Thank you for the explanation. I hope you're satisfied with our services."

Kowalski smiled mysteriously.

"Thank you for working with me. Unfortunately, despite our pleasant conversation, I have to go to the practice. I have one appointment and three euthanasias today.

" "Thank you for choosing our agency, too."

The guest left. The agency's president pondered. "What a nice and helpful doctor, that doctor. Lower the price of euthanasia. Few people do that."

Kowalski left the agency. He quickly got into the elevator and went to level 7. There, he caught the cable car to Hetman Hill almost on the fly. He was afraid of this district. It was a neighborhood of medical casualties; those who had complications after treatment and exhausted all financial aid options. They couldn't afford good lawyers or further treatment. But that day, no one bothered him. He hopped on a high-speed transporter and within 15 minutes was in his neighborhood in Warszewskie Hills. It was a luxurious neighborhood, only three stories high.

"I wonder what the agency president thought." He pondered for a moment. "I suspect that, like most people, she treated this like a charity event. The truth is, I have to pay for my grandfather's treatment. Just a few more installments. A little insurance reimbursement for my grandfather and a refund of my share of the insolvency fund, and I'll be back on my feet. And this event. A few dozen sick people will simply come to me. I'll put them to sleep quickly and professionally. They won't suffer anymore." Few people there can afford even the cheapest medical treatment these days, let alone complex procedures like an appendectomy. My financial situation should improve somewhat. Instead of two or three euthanasias at the usual price, I should be able to save 100 euros a week. While insurance will still cover 80% of every 400 euros, it's still worth it.