Johnny squatted on the side of the road, smoking. There was a broom next to him, and his eyes held a certain weariness from having seen through life.
Ever since his arm was broken by Lance in front of everyone, he had become much more honest at the docks.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to find a job elsewhere, but there really wasn’t a suitable place for him.
The number of workers recruited in the industrial area was not as high as the demand in previous years. The work was not very good, the salary was not very high, and most of them required workers with a certain understanding of the job.
For someone like Johnny, who knew nothing, there would be no salary for the first month after he went there—the factory would use “adapting to the position” to require them to learn the assembly line or the factory’s work process.
Only when the workers had mastered the work content of their positions would they hire you.
Before that, most people were there learning how to work.
If you were unlucky and could never learn, the factory might also ask you to leave directly. They would not hire a fool to slow down their work progress.
Considering that he still had a family to support, in the end, Johnny returned to the docks.
Fortunately, Lance’s men had not been ruthless, allowing him to still have a place to work at the docks.
But he couldn’t do his previous job anymore. Now his job was ground cleaning.
Every time a cargo was loaded or unloaded, a lot of things would be left on the ground, such as dust, dirt, and even some small grass.
Some of those containers would drift on the sea for a month or two, experiencing wind and sun. Sometimes, a seed or two would be lucky enough to fall into the accumulated dust in the corners and take root and sprout.
At this time, he had his use. He would take a broom and clean up all these things.
$27.50 a month, no overtime required, but to be honest, he really didn’t want this job. He would rather be a little more tired now and want a job that could earn more.
Unfortunately, the people on the docks didn’t take much care of him.
Just as he was feeling gloomy, two young men appeared in front of him. They were wearing baseball caps, their hands in their trouser pockets, and they just walked up to him.
He glanced at the two of them and said with some impatience, “Get the hell away from me. Don’t make me unhappy.”
His face was very sullen. A bad job, a lower income, complaints from family members, a stomach that was never full, and the liquor he absolutely couldn’t afford now.
But the two people didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving, which made Johnny’s temper rise a little.
He confirmed that these two were not workers on the docks, then he stood up.
The big guy standing up did give people some sense of tension. Just as he was about to “if the other party doesn’t get lost, I will,” one of the young men spoke, “Lance wants to see you.”
Johnny’s whole body stopped in its tracks. His expression changed rapidly, first with some fear, then with some confusion, then hesitation, and finally it turned into unease.
He threw down the cigarette in his hand, and like a helpless child, wiped his hands on his clothes, not knowing where to put them, “I haven’t done anything recently!”
His voice was no longer as impatient as before, but with a patient and wronged explanation. He really hadn’t done anything!
So, he couldn’t figure out why Lance wanted to see him!
The young man just continued to stare at him, “There’s no need to say these things to me. You just have to come with us.”
Johnny’s gaze looked around. Obviously, he seemed to be thinking of some incorrect course of action. The young man then said, “We know where you live, unless you abandon all your family and never return to Golden Port for the rest of your life, and never show your face.”
This sentence shattered his thoughts of running away, and his whole person became dejected, “I didn’t think that!”
“Then come with us!” The young man turned and walked towards the intersection of the dock as he spoke. Johnny was in a daze for a while, and in the end, he still chose to follow.
This was his first time in a car, which made him feel a sense of restraint, and he didn’t know why he felt his face was a little hot.
The slightly pleasant scent in the car made him feel that he was out of place here. His hands were rubbing back and forth between his legs. The young man sitting next to him glanced at the floor of the car, “You have to clean this up after you get out.”
There was some dead skin on the floor. The salt content by the sea is high, and their work left them with many calluses on their hands. These calluses were constantly being renewed.
The old ones would fall off with a rub.
Plus some dust, there was a small area under his feet that was all dead skin and dirt.
This made Johnny’s face flush red. If someone had dared to say this before, he would definitely have let the other party taste whether his fist was hard.
But now, he could only nod and answer with “I will clean it up.”
The car soon stopped behind the firm. After he got out of the car, he bent down and used his hand to get the things on the floor outside.
When he turned around again, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.
He was led to the outside of Lance’s office. About a minute or so after the young man went in, he was allowed to enter.
Lance sat behind his desk. When he saw Johnny come in, he neither stood up nor had any intention of shaking his hand, just pointed to the chair opposite his desk, “Sit.”
Johnny walked to the side of the chair and sat down. He carefully placed his hands on his knees, like a well-behaved primary school student!
“Smoke?” Lance opened his cigarette case, which contained neatly arranged cigarettes and cigars.
Johnny’s throat moved. He really wanted one, but in the end, he still shook his head, “No, Mr. Lance, I don’t smoke.”
“You can’t even tell a lie well!” Lance smiled and threw one over, “As long as you don’t get the ash everywhere, I’m not that ruthless!”
He also took one himself and then showed Johnny how to use the desktop lighter.
After both of them had lit their cigarettes, Lance asked, “I heard you’ve been in charge of sweeping the floor at the docks recently?”
Johnny nodded, “After my arm was fractured, I couldn’t handle my previous job, so they arranged a lighter one for me.”
Tightening screws or hammering would exert various forces on the bones of the arm. It was indeed not suitable for this kind of work after a fracture.
Especially the hammering, which would cause the wound to break open again and was not conducive to the healing of the fracture.
But he didn’t expect to have been sweeping for several months, and it seemed he would continue to sweep. Even his few friends from the past didn’t come around so often anymore.
Everyone on the docks knew he had offended someone from the Lance Family, and they were all staying away from him.
Johnny, who had taken a sullen drag on his cigarette, wanted to flick the ash, but he didn’t see an ashtray. Thinking of what Lance had just said, he finally extended his left hand and flicked the ash into the palm of his left hand.
Lance looked at his action and wanted to laugh a little, “You are very familiar with the docks.”
Johnny did not deny it, “I’ve been looking for work on the docks since I was sixteen. Maybe I don’t know it as well as those old men, but among our generation, I’m definitely the one who knows it best.”
“Mr. Lance, they said you wanted to see me. I’m a little uneasy. I don’t know if I have offended you in any way.”
“If there is, you can just tell me directly. That would actually make me feel better.”
Perhaps it was because he had smoked two high-grade cigarettes, or perhaps it was because Lance’s attitude was not so “vicious,” but Johnny couldn’t hold it in anymore.
He couldn’t stand the anxiety and unease in his heart. This made him feel as if something was wrong with his heart, it was beating wildly.
Lance showed some smile, “Your worries are unnecessary. I have a few things I need to do recently, and after thinking about it, I finally thought of you.”
“But don’t worry, for you, it’s definitely a good thing.”
He extended his fingers and straightened his eyebrows, “I heard that the docks haven’t had a raise in years?”
Hearing that it was a good thing, Johnny’s mood relaxed a lot, “Yes, it’s been almost three years.”
“Mr. Lance, can you believe it?”
“Now the price of everything is rising, only the wages are not rising. The main reason is those…”
He suddenly stopped talking and at the same time broke out in a cold sweat, then felt a little at a loss.
Lance knew what he was going to say, “Those immigrants and illegal immigrants, right?”
“I know many of you think so.”
Johnny was a little restless, “Mr. Lance, I didn’t mean that…”
Everyone knew that Lance had a very close connection with illegal immigrants. Some even said that he himself was an illegal immigrant. But for small characters like them, even if they had heard of this kind of thing, they couldn’t verify it, and there was no need to verify it.
But in connection with these rumors, Johnny’s statement was equivalent to accusing Lance, which scared the soul out of him!
Lance shook his head, “It’s okay, I understand your thoughts. It is a fact that illegal immigrants have made it difficult for the wages on the docks to rise.”
Illegal immigrants only need $10 or $20 a month, while a legal Federation worker needs $37 or $38 to $40. As capitalists pursuing maximum profit, there is no need to consider how to choose!
If you don’t do it?
There are plenty of people who will!
So many workers on the docks, even if they don’t say it, they actually have a lot of resentment towards illegal immigrants in their hearts, which is also why the anti-immigrant riots that broke out caused such great destruction on the docks so quickly!
It can only be said that this negative emotion has accumulated for too long. When there is a sudden release, even ordinary people will inevitably have some thoughts.
Even on the current docks, many people still have such thoughts. They see the failure of wages to rise as a problem of immigrants.
They had vented once before, so they would not show it. When these negative emotions accumulate to a certain extent, they will break out again.
That will be the next riot.
“Johnny, actually, compared to others, I can trust you more. Do you know why?”
Lance’s question made Johnny feel a strange sense of being trusted and moved. He quickly sat up straight, but he didn’t know where to put the ash in his palm. In the end, he stuffed it all into his pocket.
“I don’t know, Mr. Lance.”
“But no matter what, I am very grateful that you can trust me!”
From his expression, it could be seen that he was not lying. Sometimes this world is just so ridiculous.
Lance had broken his arm, but because of a few words from Lance, he actually developed a sense of recognition and gratitude towards Lance. Perhaps this is a problem that all the people at the bottom have faced or experienced.
In front of people of a higher class, they actually have no resistance!
“Don’t be in a hurry to be moved. The reason I trust you is because I have a very good understanding of your situation.”
“From the beginning of your birth, to your family members, their respective situations are all in my hands.”
“To put it simply, I am not afraid that you will do things I don’t want to see, because I can immediately correct or erase the mistake.”
Johnny was stunned for a moment, then he was indeed not moved, but instead felt a little dry and didn’t know what to say.
Lance did not give him a chance to brew new emotions, “It is precisely because of this that I can trust you. And now, I need you to do something for me.”
“Go and ask the company for a raise, preferably by calling on more people to join you. I can give you some funds.”
“Make the momentum as big as you can. If you can persuade everyone on the docks to join you, that would be even better!”
Johnny had a blank look on his face, “I don’t understand, Mr. Lance.”
Lance laughed and said, “If you understood, then it would be you sitting here!”
“You just need to know that those companies on the docks haven’t given you a raise for two years. This is not reasonable.”
“For unreasonable things, you have to fight. This is the symbol of the spirit of a free Federation!”
Johnny also gradually realized that he seemed to have been drawn into a conspiracy, but he seemed powerless to struggle.
The expression on his face was like a small dog that had been abandoned on the side of the road, not knowing where its future lay.
“After this is done, I will let you join the Wanli Firm and arrange a more comfortable job for you.”
“At the same time, you will also be protected by us!”
“More income, a safer environment, and you can even show off in front of your friends again.”
“And all of this comes from your choice, Johnny!”
Johnny agreed with almost no hesitation. His current life was very bad, and he could see no hope.
If agreeing to Lance could change these things and let him become the character he had once dreamed of, then why refuse?
This matter might be a bit dangerous, but Lance’s reputation was very good. He trusted Lance.
Without much of a psychological struggle, he agreed.
Lance gave him $400, asked him to find a way to contact those friends with the same idea, and let them point the finger at the companies on the docks.
After returning to the docks, Johnny instantly felt that he was “different.” He touched the money in his pocket, looked at the broom he had left on the ground before he left, suddenly ran a few steps, kicked it, and sent the broom flying!
“Go to hell, I’m here!”
He suddenly laughed and walked towards another place. From this moment on, he was going to abandon all the old things and welcome a new life!
For several days in a row, the entire Golden Port was very quiet, so quiet that it felt a little incredible.
Those areas where firefights often occurred would not suddenly have a car rush out from somewhere and fire a burst of bullets at someone who had just walked out of a certain shop.
Nor were there groups of two groups surrounding a certain place and exchanging bullets, and finally leaving a few bodies.
Everything seemed to have returned to the most prosperous period of the Five Families. Every gang abided by the laws and announcements of this city that were not written down.
The Five Families, the gangs, the Bay Area, everyone was abiding by these things, which made some old people have a feeling of returning to the past in a trance!
But the people who could decide these things all knew that this was just the calm before the storm.
At this time, it was also calm, harmonious, and natural. Then when the storm came, it would be even more violent, terrible, and full of destruction!
On Saturday, Lance continued to attend the gathering at St. Nayea Cathedral. Now he was paying for this part of the expenses, so naturally, he was also the most popular person here.
In just one year, people no longer cared much about where Mr. Jobav had gone. They just wanted to say a few more words to Mr. Lance.
After the morning gathering ended, Lance’s original plan was to go find Patricia in the afternoon.
The girl had called him in advance, hoping to go to the movies together.
Gerald’s movie had already been released. She really wanted to know how Gerald’s movie looked, after all, this movie was also a project invested in by Lance.
But just as Lance was about to go over, Precinct Chief Bruce drove over.
“I have other things to do this afternoon. You’d better make it short.” Lance put a piece of garlic-flavored potato chip into his mouth.
Who the hell invented this flavor?
It smelled as unpleasant as sh—t, but it actually tasted not bad.
Precinct Chief Bruce’s expression was a bit grave, “I heard… you guys are planning to cause some trouble?”
Lance was not surprised that someone had leaked this. In that environment, no one could guarantee that everyone present was of one mind.
So if something was said here, and it was leaked over there, he would not be surprised, but would instead think this was normal.
So he did not deny it, “Since you’ve heard, then the source is probably not a problem.” He paused, “So?”
Imperial Precinct Chief Bruce pursed his lips, “Charlie and Hunter have also been active these past two days. They have contacted many retired police officers, including those of us who are still working.”
“It’s said that he has also found some people on the state police side. After all, he has indeed gained the support of this place during his years as police chief and has expanded his network and social circle.”
“He wants to use this opportunity when you guys are making trouble to let people notice the role and value of the police system in the city. He wants to gain more power!”
“And I also heard… he plans to run for city council.”
The Federation government did not require officials to serve only until a certain age. If they were willing to work, as long as their physical condition allowed, they could continue to work.
So Charlie’s participation in the city council election was completely in line with the relevant laws and regulations of the Federation, but his move was indeed a bit beyond Lance’s expectations.
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