Saint Petersburg, Randell Clothing Factory. The workers in the workshop were hard at work, rushing to produce a batch of military uniforms. Winter was almost here, and padded clothing was essential.
A closer look would reveal that there was something wrong with this batch of padded garments. The fluffy stuffing was clearly not cotton, and scraps of fabric mixed within were plainly visible.
Nicholas Cage was the owner of Randell Clothing Factory. Ever since seeing the report on the shortage of raw materials, he had been plagued by headaches for days.
At first, Randell Clothing Factory's products had all been made with cotton, primarily for the civilian market. Though it had been the lowest-grade cotton, they had at least been genuine cotton-padded clothes.
But with the outbreak of war, things changed. Once the sea routes were cut off, raw material supplies became their greatest problem.
After they received military orders, the situation worsened further. To make up for the lack of raw materials, Randell Clothing Factory began using substitutes.
For example: shredding old clothes, buying up used padded garments to be remade, discarded gauze from hospitals...
Even so, it was merely a drop in the bucket. But letting money slip away was not Nicholas Cage's style.
"Adil, inform them to increase the straw content. We must complete the order with the materials we have now."
Adil said fearfully, "Mr. Cage, we've already added a great deal of straw. If we add more, I'm afraid there'll be trouble!"
There was nothing particularly surprising about putting straw into padded clothing. But at this rate, it would no longer be padded clothing—it would be straw clothing.
Other than the outer layer of cloth, the inside was entirely chopped straw. Getting discovered was practically inevitable.
Adil could not help worrying. These were military uniforms,