For a moment, everyone's eyes turned to the scrawny man.
A worker beside him secretly tugged at Hodge's sleeve, but he remained unmoved. Though his calves trembled, he still stood at the front of the crowd.
He knew full well that this was his only chance.
Although Hodge had not spent much time at the factory, he had already seen through these people's tricks.
These noble lords did not truly intend to treat workers like them well. They merely put on a show, uttered a few hypocritical pleasantries, while the supervisors and other foremen beneath them acted with ruthless brutality.
That way, when the workers were bullied, they would only hate the minor bosses. When trouble broke out, the factory owner could come forward, say a few comforting words, and throw those minor bosses out to take the blame, calming the workers' anger.
And right now, this count was precisely trying to win people over. If he asked for an advance on his wages, it would most likely be granted.
There would surely be repercussions afterward, but the money would genuinely end up in his hands. As long as he sent it back, Lina might still survive.
So Hodge gritted his teeth and stepped forward. At worst, he would get beaten later or be given a hard time in the future. He could accept all that, as long as this count was willing to casually give him some money.
Theus stopped walking and looked Hodge over before speaking. "An advance on your wages is possible. Your group of workers will also receive a settlement allowance. But I'm more curious—why do you need money so urgently?"
Theus knew Hodge.
He was a very shrewd man. Whenever Theus told stories, Hodge was always the first to spot the holes in them.
But