The medication that the Ampule Biological employees took daily was incredibly expensive but also very effective. Even with Russell's income, it pained him to spend so much money on drugs when staying up all night.
However, the cost of producing these drugs was clearly not high; otherwise, it wouldn't be possible to provide them for so many people. This was one of the few technologies more advanced than those of the previous era—a completely misdirected skill tree that was also a characteristic of this world.
As long as the employees worked and lived normally, nothing would go wrong. Their lives were very peaceful, albeit somewhat strained financially, yet generally risk-free. They wouldn't be fired or die suddenly... their income was just enough, and they could even save a bit when calculated. But spending even a little frivolously could leave them short.
However, once they sold the drugs to the underground black market—they would start descending into the abyss.
