Cough cough!
Mike Joseph took out a handkerchief, covered his mouth, and coughed several times.
The fog in the Factory Borough was thicker than in other places, the air was grayish-yellow, as if dust was floating in it, and occasionally it emitted a pungent smell, which was unbearable even for the reporter who was used to the air in Backlund.
He turned to Klein was also coughing softly, and said:
"I have always supported the government's establishment of the Kingdom Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Commission and the creation of an alkali industry prosecutor, but I only realized today how serious the problem has become."
"If effective measures are not taken, it may lead to tragedy in the future." Klein tried to clear his blocked nose.
It might shroud the entire Backlund in fog, with visibility limited to no more than five meters, and the evil god might very well descend or be born in such a scene... He silently added.
Old Kohler didn't quite understand their conversation. He cleared his throat, which was thick with phlegm, and led the reporter and Detective around the guards, sneaking into a lead-white factory.
The factory is mainly populated by female workers, who are busy working without any protective measures, and the air inside is filled with noticeable dust.
Looking at the "small particles" suspended and drifting in the air, Klein seemed to see poison gas, and the young women without masks looked like lambs to the slaughter.
In that instant, he felt as if he had returned to Tingen, back to the time when he helped Sir Deville deal with his resentment.
He seemed to have witnessed the future of each of the female workers here. Some of them had throbbing headaches, some had blurred vision, some became hysterical, and some had blue lines appearing on their gums. In the end, they either went blind or died soon.
This is like a large-scale, bloody sacrificial ritual, except the target is that glittering money symbol... If cults like the Aurora Order Rose School of Thought can make good use of similar things, like Lanarvus did, then there will be a big problem... Klein covered his mouth and nose, staring silently.
Mike Joseph whispered, both surprised and angry:
How could this be?
How could they do this?
"Lead poisoning has been widely discussed in newspapers and magazines recently, yet they haven't taken any precautions at all?"
"You can't even afford a face mask?"
"These factory owners are committing murder!"
What a Justice journalist! Though not young, rather stingy, and with superb acting skills, he still retains his original aspirations... But how does he know so much about lead poisoning? Oh right, I forgot, I had Sir Deville widely publicize the dangers of lead poisoning in various newspapers and magazines... It seems he did a good job, but to some people, what does it matter if one or two lower-class commoners die? There are plenty of people waiting for job opportunities! Klein thought heavily.
As a seasoned journalist, Mike did not lose his composure. After quietly observing and questioning several workers changing shifts, he left the lead white factory.
Subsequently, they visited one factory after another, but were so disgusted by the filthy environment and the intense labor that they lost all interest in discussing anything.
Around noon, Klein suddenly noticed a large crowd gathered outside a factory ahead, mostly women, who were excitedly shouting something and trying to rush inside.
"What happened?" Mike asked Old Kohler, puzzled.
Old Kohler also looked puzzled:
I'll go ask over there.
He jogged to the outside of the factory, blended into the crowd, and returned to Klein and Mike several minutes later.
"They're going to smash those new Robot!" Old Kohler caught his breath and got to the point.
"Why?" Mike hadn't been in charge of similar news before and didn't know much about it, but Klein vaguely guessed the reason.
Old Kohler pointed to the factory and said:
"This is a textile factory. They're going to replace their machines with the latest models, and that will reduce the number of Manipulation. It seems like they're going to lay off a third of the workers!"
"Those female workers wanted to smash the Robot and get their jobs back; otherwise, they might not be able to survive, or they might have no choice but to become street prostitutes."
Mike opened his mouth, and from the shape of his lips, it seemed he wanted to say "stupid," but in the end he said nothing, just silently stared in that direction, without even moving closer.
"Let's go back. My investigation and interviews are almost done." After a long time, Mike sighed.
The three immediately turned around and walked out of the Factory Borough in silence.
As they were about to part, Mike glanced at Klein and said in a low voice:
"Tell me, if we shut down the unprotected lead white factories or take their owners to court, will those female workers be able to find other jobs?"
Klein thought about it seriously and said:
"If it's just a few rooms, it's not a big problem, but some female workers might suffer from hunger and cold while looking for other jobs, gradually losing their ability to work, because they have no savings at all."
"If too many factories close down at once in a short period of time, coupled with the involuntary job losses caused by the implementation of new textile machines, it will be a disaster."
In the Backlund Factory Borough alone, there might be thousands, even tens of thousands, of unemployed workers, destitute and wandering the streets like Living Corpse, or lowering their wage demands to compete for other workers' jobs... Countless people throughout the entire East Borough will die or suffer even more because of this; it will be a Hell scene. Even without supernatural powers, this world will still bring immense disaster. And now, various evil gods are secretly coveting and waiting... Klein swallowed many of his words.
Mike fell silent again, paid £ Soli, and left the smoke-filled Factory Borough in a carriage.
Klein watched the carriage drive away, remaining silent for a long time.
When he worked as Nighthawks, he had learned about and come into contact with the lives of the poor, but none of those experiences were as memorable as this one.
His comprehensive, three-dimensional observation revealed a complete Abyss of humanity before his eyes.
The East Borough is truly fraught with danger, a breeding ground for smoldering Kindling. One wrong move and it could be ignited by some cult... Klein pondered for a few seconds before saying:
" Kohler, I'd like to ask you to keep an eye on things in the East Borough for me, um, in your spare time."
"I'll pay you so you can build relationships with other workers. We'll meet at the same coffee shop every week at a fixed time."
Old Kohler's eyes lit up immediately:
"No problem!"
He didn't mention a price, fully trusting the kind-hearted Detective.
Klein considered carefully before speaking:
"Each time we meet, I will give you 15 Soli in funding plus a reward. If the information you provide satisfies me, you will receive an additional 5 Soli as a bonus."
"One pound?" Old Kohler exclaimed in astonishment.
During the warmest and happiest period of his life, his weekly wage was only 21 Soli, which is 1 pound 1 Soli.
"Yes," Klein nodded. "You need to be careful about your words and actions. Don't be too eager to gather intelligence. Listen more and ask less, otherwise you will be in some danger."
Theoretically, this kind of informant fee should be reimbursed; however, I'm currently a penny-pincher who brings my own food... Klein chuckled, half sighing and half self-deprecatingly.
In the luxurious villa of the Earl Hall in Queens Borough, in Miss Audrey's private study.
The blonde, blue-eyed girl was listening to the psychology teacher, Miss Islante, and occasionally stroked the large dog Susie, who was squatting beside her.
Islante Osilika, who had waist-length black hair, noticed that the dog seemed to be listening very attentively, and couldn't help but smile, pausing for two seconds.
Then, she continued her introduction:
"Currently, there is no absolutely orthodox theory in the field of psychology; several schools of thought exist, such as Psychoanalysis, personality analysis, and behavioral psychology."
"Of course, the study of the mind and spirit is not only being done by psychologists and Psychiatrist; many professionals in the field of mysticism are also conducting similar work. Among them, the most famous is... well, sorry, I've strayed from the textbook. Let's get back to our previous topic and start with the Psychoanalysis school."
Audrey clearly sensed the other person's seductive intentions, and feigned ignorance and curiosity, asking:
"Teacher, I'd like to know more about the psychological aspects of research in the field of mysticism."
"You know, I'm very interested in this."
Islante pursed her lips, frowned slightly, and said with difficulty:
"But this involves some oaths of secrecy; I mean, these theories, these research findings, are secrets within certain occult circles, circulating only internally."
"I see... Then, can I join?" Audrey asked expectantly, "They shouldn't be involved in anything evil, right?"
"Ha, how could that be? That was just a workshop organized by enthusiasts." Islante mentioned it briefly before changing the subject, "We can talk about that later. Let's continue with the course."
Knowing when to stop and taking it one step at a time—if this is the general quality of members of the Psychology Alchemists, then I don't need to worry too much about them being filled with Lunatic and perverts like Mr. A... Audrey deliberately showed a reluctant expression as she reminisced about the previous topic, but still listened politely to the theoretical basis of Psychoanalysis.
After the class ended and she saw Islante off, she returned to her study, carefully closed the heavy wooden door, and said to the golden retriever:
" Susie, what do you think of her?"
"She's not sincere!" Susie replied bluntly.
Then, it tilted its head and said:
"However, what she said was very interesting; I found it more interesting than meat and snacks!"
Susie, do you want to be a Psychiatrist in the future? Specializing in treating mental illnesses in animals? Like, that horse at the Glaint family that might have depression... Audrey suddenly fell into deep thought, considering whether to prepare a special white coat and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses for Susie to make her look more professional.